Terror at Tenkiller

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.

This has to be one of the most boring slashers I have ever seen. Nothing happens... and when it does it's so slow and totally without enthusiasm, from the makers side. We have seen the story a 100 times, the acting is so bad it's not even funny, there's hardly any effects and the kills are uninspired. Even Oasis of the Zombies is more "fun" to watch than this one... and THAT says a LOT about Terror at Tenkiller! Then there's that music... it's so flat and (surprise, surprise) boring. It takes the suspense out of any situation. Not good...

I would not recommend this flick to my worst enemy. Watch paint dry instead... that's a kick in the head, compared to this c***!

There's no mystery or suspense in this film at all, the characters are utterly vapid, and Ye Gods! but the music has to be the worst I have EVER heard in a film. The guy who is somehow supposed to come off as an attractive psycho is ugly as sin...It's hard to believe this movie was ever even released in VHS. It seems as though it may have been scriptless. I highly suggest watching the Rifftrax version of this, if you want to see it at all - it's the only way it will be tolerable. Very, very cheesy ending, too. (Note: The above reviewer who calls the female lead 'plump' must be hallucinating - she is just another anorexic looking 80's chick!)

....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

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.