Terror at Tenkiller

A college girl in Tulsa escapes her toxic boyfriend by going to a girlfriend's cabin at Tenkiller Lake southeast of there. Their vacation turns to horror as people mysteriously end-up dead.

"Terror at Tenkiller" (1986) is a slasher of the cabin-in-the-woods variety, but it's more laid-back than most since the drama focuses on the two friends seeking quiet sanctuary at the remote lake. The two protagonists are attractive in a girl-next-door way (Stacey Logan as Leslie and Michele Merchant as Janna), along with the waitress at the restaurant (Debbie Killian), and the director tastefully captures their beauty.

Critics call it "Tedium at Tenkiller," but I appreciate how it's a non-Hollywood slasher that only cost about $40,000. The set-up smacks of real-life and you get to know the characters as the film takes its time. There's a sense of Southern hospitality in the everyday mundaneness, similar to that of "Death Screams," "Squirm" and "The Funhouse." It's like visiting rural northeast Oklahoma. "Camp Cold Brook" (2018) is a modern example, shot just north of Oklahoma City.

While this is perhaps the least of these movies, it has its points of interest. Unlike most slashers, the killer is revealed early on and doesn't wear an eye-rolling mask. Speaking of which, formidable Michael Shamus Wiles is the only member of the cast who went on to regular acting work, including parts in major films like "Fight Club," "Pearl Harbor," "Rock Star," "The Lords of Salem" and "Iron Man 3."

Despite its 1986 copyright, this was actually shot prior to 1983 and after "Friday 13th Part 2," which means 1982 or possibly even the late Summer of 1981.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot about an hour's drive southeast of Tulsa at Fort Gibson Lake (the dam and Hulbert), which is 30 minutes northwest of the real Tenkiller Ferry Lake.

GRADE: B-/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!)

Rifftrax Review: 9 out of 10: Bad, slow films where nothing happens have stumped the boys before. (The Beast of Yucca Flats, Robot Monster) but they really bring their A-game here. The riffing is on point and upbeat. They really seem to be enjoying themselves. They perform a miracle and make Terror at Tenkiller actually watchable.

Terror at Tenkiller: 1 out of 10: A woman on the run from her controlling boyfriend hides out in a cabin with a friend. But local girls are disappearing and they could be next.

The Good: Well it made for a surprisingly well done Rifftrax track. Also, it gave an acting start to Michael Shamus Wiles who went on to become a solid working actor (He, like everyone else, is awful in this film.)

The Bad: Good lord where to start. Do you like to watch woman talk on the phone? Do like endless discussions about nothing? How about panning shots of an unremarkable lake? Scenes that go on a least a minute after they were supposed to?

There is no mystery to who the killer is. The killer is one of the five characters in the movie. He has no motivation, no one-liners, no hockey mask or hook arm. Just a bro with a few screws loose. There is also no terror, suspense, or horror to be found. Well except for the realization that there are forty minutes to go and the characters are taking yet another nap.

The Ugly: Why do we watch slasher films? Is it to see two women discuss their relationship problems in front of wood paneling? Or is it for the ye olde sex and violence. Well, I hope you're a fan of the former. The only nudity is an accidental flash from lead Stacy Logan clearly caused by the full-screen transfer and the violence is both bloodless and incompetent.

In Conclusion: I thought The Final Terror was the nadir of eighties slasher films but Terror at Tenkiller is in a whole other category. It is like one of those seventies search for Bigfoot films where they spend seventy minutes in a swamp and never actually find Bigfoot.

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***!