‘Lake Michigan Monster’ still a haunting hit

So there I was, sitting in my pontoon, (that’s a lie) thinking about how Brad Hallier had thrust upon me the news I had another review due for the next newspaper. I took one look at what movies were playing in the theaters, and there weren’t any. So I came up with a plan, a genius plan, one which I called: Operation Halloween Movie Marathon … or something.

Through the month of October, (Sept. 30 is close enough) I will review a plethora of spooky movies, (whenever Brad tells me to) each more terrifying than the last, and I’ll be starting with a whale of a film…

“Lake Michigan Monster” a film I’ve brought up many times. A film that can best be described as “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” if it was made by Scott Wozniak and starred Patchy the Pirate.

The film follows Captain Seafield, and his crew, Nedge Pepsi, Mr. Dick Flynn, and Sean Shaughnessy, as they hunt down the beast that killed Seafield’s father. However, not all is what it seems and things begin to spiral out of control, and into insanity.

If you couldn’t tell by that plot synopsis, this is a comedy, and a very good one at that. The humor is very quick and snappy, creating a film that’s hard to stop laughing at, and one that’s hard to stop quoting.

By far the strongest part of the film is Captain Seafield himself. He’s always this charismatic, happy-go-lucky Captain who’s determined to avenge his father’s death, but will do anything to do so. Seafield should be an unlikeable character, but he’s just so funny and charming. He has many of the best lines and scenes, however the rest of the cast shouldn’t be understated. They all play off of each other very well.

One thing I really like is how jokes will reappear. Not in a way that is repetitive, but more of a nod to an earlier scene. I’d give some examples, but I don’t want to ruin the movie. They help keep the film feeling coherent because this movie is insane.

If there is one thing I have an issue with, it’s the pacing. The first act of the film is really strong and is where many of the best scenes and jokes are, however because of how fast pace and snapping the first half is, the second feels much slower. It’s not bad, but it’s noticeably slower. Then the third act picks up and goes completely insane. It’s fantastic.

Another thing that should also be commended is the look and feel of the movie. While the effects aren’t great, since it’s a low budget indie film, the cinematography and editing help tremendously. It helps make the film’s shortcomings just feel like the style that the movie is going for, and boy does this movie have style.

I also love that while it is trying to be a spoof on old monster movies, its humor isn’t completely centered around it being a monster movie, heck most of the humor is sailing jokes. It just helps to create a fun and fresh film that doesn’t rely on its genre for the humor.

“Lake Michigan Monster” is one of the greatest movies in recent years. It’s got a fun and interesting story with twists and turns, fun characters, great humor, and is visually stunning. All creating one of the movies of all time. More people need to see this, I give it eight freaking landscapes, out of 10.

Connor Keating is a Halstead sophomore in General Studies.

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