Terror at Tenkiller

Terror at Tenkiller (1986) is a film I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows two friends who decide to spend the summer in a small lakeside town for work. One of the women is trying to escape her abusive boyfriend, and this trip seems like the perfect way to get away. Shortly after they arrive, they hear a tale about an ancient spirit haunting the lake. When people start dying, they begin to wonder if the legend might be true.

Directed by Ken Meyer in his lone directorial effort, the film stars Michael Shamus Wiles (Fight Club), Stacey Logan (Missing Pieces), Michele Merchant (Cole Justice), and Kevin Meyer (Perfect Alibi).

The characters, atmosphere, background music, and storyline carry a classic 80s slasher vibe. The movie kicks off with a great opening throat-slash scene, and the main character stands out as eye candy. There's also the inclusion of classic 80s horror tropes, like nudity, with several topless scenes-though the shower sequences featuring characters in underwear feel oddly out of place and amusing.

Unfortunately, the film is let down by inconsistent dialogue and uneven acting. While the practical effects start strong, they quickly become underwhelming after the opening scene. The horror elements, in particular, fail to deliver. A well-set-up hot tub scene, for instance, completely misses the mark in execution, setting the stage for a series of disappointing kills. Even the narration doesn't meet expectations, falling short of creating the tension needed for a film like this.

In conclusion, Terror at Tenkiller has a few redeeming elements, but they aren't enough to save the film. I would score it a 4/10 and only recommend it with the appropriate expectations.

....only cuz I once lived around where it was filmed. I went to the university you see in the beginning. After watching it one evening...my friends and I sat out on a day of finding where it was filmed. It was not filmed at Lake Tenkiller. Anyway...on to the film..

It was bad....but not *that* bad. Like someone said before, I have seen worse. I consider myself a horror movie nut, and this is as cheesy as most of the other films to come out of the 80s.

I don't know if I'd recommend this movie to anyone outside of Oklahoma...but I do recommend it to my friends who have lived or live in the Tahlequah area... 5/10

I don't know the first thing to say about Terror at Tenkiller. Despite it being one of the most placid and mundane slasher films I've ever seen, I weirdly wasn't ever bored. That has to count for something, right?

Tenkiller focuses on two college students (though one looks about old enough to have college aged children herself) who head out to secluded lakehouse to escape from one of their abusive boyfriends. They talk, take in some of the local color, and attract the attention of another angry man, except this one is much more dangerous.

Unlike a lot of slashers, there's no mystery or whodunit aspect here. The only mystery is trying to decided what's going on in most of the night scenes (my DVD appears to be sourced from the world's oldest VHS tape).

There's a slight attempt at character development with the two leads, but they never rise above dim-witted bimbo who can't leave an abusive man and sassy, no nonsense best friend cliches.

If you're expecting tons of nudity or gore, you'll be disappointed, too, since Tenkiller didn't seem very interested in supplying any which leaves the film in a weird place - not thoughtful/suspenseful/scary/character driven enough for serious horror fans and not enough blood or nudity for the gore and skin fans. Who was this even made for?

The most interesting thing about this film was the VHS cover - a girl with huge breasts in a swamp. Terror at Tenkiller started off looking promising, with the right mood for a slasher film and cool 80's synth music. It even had plenty of breast shots, in fact there was loads of flesh on display. But it was just soooooo boring! It played out like a soap opera rather than a slasher film, and I had to listen to endless talking between the two girls about how one of them should leave her boyfriend and stand up for herself...etc. The gore is virtually non-existent and what we do get is done very poorly. When one of the girls is killed, we see the knife puncture her skin, then bizarrely the rest of the stabbing isn't even shown. The pace is as slow as a tortoise and it doesn't take long before you just want the film to end.

Slasher fans should stay away. I know what I'm talking about as I've seen loads of slashers and this one sadly falls into the "bore-fest" category. Watch "The Forest" or "Don't Go In The Woods" instead - those films at least have some entertainment value.

I watched Terror at Tenkiller yesterday and made it through the whole flick. I had seen it before years ago, but couldn't remember a thing about it. Needless to say, it's pretty forgettable. The main female character is a bit on the plump side, and she quickly shows off her assets by taking a shower after a swim (Too bad the lighting is pretty dismal and she's the kinda girl that wears panties under her swimsuit) Needless to say the shot of her getting out of the pool confirms that this chick has got some junk in the trunk. A rare occurrence in most movies who's producers seem to be convinced all men enjoy looking at anorexic women with boob-jobs. At this point I still had high hopes.

Once again the have an example of characters that are supposed to be in school, and still under their parents wing, but look to be pushing or over 30. The leads girlfriend in the flick looks about 31 (although I must admit she keeps in shape as she spends ample time in a bikini) Anywho, the acting is pretty stiff, but not terrible (Except for maybe Thor), that's the best I can say about the rest of the movie.

The quality of the picture is pretty dismal throughout, with the ending being almost unwatchable because it was filmed outside in the dark, the few effects are for the most part non-effective (except one involving poor ol Preacher). The story itself make no sense, and the scares are literally non-existent in spite of several attempt to try and produce a jolt. Attempts at suspense fall flat. There is big hair though and to further confirm the fact this flick was made in the 80's, has a soundtrack that was almost surely made entirely on one of those big ass sampler keyboards you used to play around with that were on display when you first walked into Sears circa 1984.