The People Across the Lake

Well, this is an unusual little number. Other reviews range from 'okay' to 'not particularly glowing' to 'blah', but the plot sounded intriguing enough to me, and it's got a good cast.

Yes, it contains many of the standard made-for-tv melodrama features: sitcom stars Harper and McRaney--flipped from their usual light-hearted TV personas and quite convincing as a couple tired of the stress of city life; their winsome little kid and wiseacre teenager; and apparently enough money to go from their nice place in the city to a little slice of lakeside heaven.

As it progressed, I found that it went from average tv-movie quality to a pretty nifty (if unlikely) ending; the suspense in the last few scenes is especially good. The two leads are well matched and you root for them. Some viewers may guess who the heavy is but it's atmospheric--the lakeside locales are lovely -it moves along briskly, and is well acted. Worth a watch.

The premise of the story is common enough; average family wants out of the rat race; wants to find the simple life....so they move from Sherman Oaks,California to Lake Tomahawk; kids in tow.

The lake is beautiful, they have leased an old house....but wait; there may be something in the lake; people are being murdered, and no one knows how (never mind why). Gerald McRaney is excellent, a familiar face for Lifetime viewers; Valerie Harper is also good; since this film was made in '88 maybe the writer should produce a sequel!.

You will also enjoy Barry Corbin as the town eccentric, and Darryl Anderson as a Bruce Dern-lookalike/crazed military man.

While the story plot is a bit over the top; if you are a movie buff you will be reminded of similar scenarios from ""Psycho""; ""Deliverance""; as well as other horror stories of that genre. Several camera shots and sequences will give you a sense of deja vu.

Sit back and enjoy; if you don't take it too seriously it is very entertaining; and better than, for example the more recent movie:

""I Know What You Did Last Summer""; it seems they made better movies in the good old 80's!.

This movie for the most part is just like your normal TV movie. Not incredible acting and for being in the horror genre it would have flopped at the box office, but hey, that's why it's on TV. When I first started watching this movie I never had the intention of finishing it. I left the room a couple times to go do something else but found myself always coming back, wondering, who was it? What was going on? The only complaint I have is that there weren't enough characters to suspect. The creepy factor was great though. I was creeped out the whole time and I was a little fascinated too. I wouldn't fight to see it again but I don't regret sitting there for the amount of time it took to watch it.

Chuck Yoman (Gerald McRaney) and his wife, Rachel (Valerie Harper) lead very busy lives, and live in a very secure home with their kids. Rachel has had enough of the fast pace and stress, and convinces Chuck to move to a rural house on a lake.

At first, all goes well, other than a few backward locals. Then, Chuck decides to take a swim in the lake, and makes a gruesome discovery. Suddenly, he has a very cold swimming partner! He goes to get the Sheriff, but when they return, the evidence has vanished. When the deputy tells a story of several past disappearances, the Yoman's wonder just what sort of place they've moved into. Strange occurrences and more deaths add to the mystery. Can Rachel and Chuck figure it all out... and live?

THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE LAKE is a different kind of suspense thriller. It's got a TWIN PEAKS weirdness mixed in with the chills. It's a black comedy about family dysfunction, wrapped in a psychological horror story. A nice change of pace for the fear fanatic!

Co-stars Barry Corbin in a unique role for him...

Don't think of this movie as a horror movie; as such it would be a disastrous "1". It's almost entirely predictable and you've certainly seen everything in it before in movies that are far, far better. Instead, think of this movie as a comedy/parody. If you do so, then it's at least a "5" (out of 10).

It begins ordinarily enough, but as the movie goes on, watch as Barry Corbin goes farther and farther over the top. By the end, it has truly become hilarious.

Some weekend afternoon, when it runs on The Mystery Channel or some other cable/ satellite channel, cue it up and practice your Mystery Science Theater 3000 routine but in the horror genre: You won't be disappointed -- this movie is the Mother of all horror movie Bombs.

Atlant