Lake Eerie (2015)

   

Produced & Directed by: Chris Majors

Produced & Written by:
Meredith Majors

Starring:

Meredith Majors .... Kate Ryan
Betsy Baker .... Eliza
Anne Leigh Cooper... Autumn
.... John Ryan
.... Jack Hammer

Special Appearance:


.... Pop

Release Dates: Horrorhound Weekend Film Fest: 2015; 49th Annual Worldfest Houston International Film Festival: 2016

 

Rating:

 

Kate Ryan (Meredith Majors) moves into a new big home in a strange neighborhood full of rude and strange people as well as greeted by her nextdoor neighbor Eliza (Betsy Baker) who tells her the history of that home as well as realising that she is not alone and being haunted by many spirits that control the home as well as her dreams to top it off.

 

The beginning of the film seemed to look oddly amusing when we have Kate Ryan being introduced to her new home by an uptight and bubbly Realtor as it leaves an impression that this person is too much to handle as well as annoying but some good lines put in that she will enjoy the home and about it not being available since 1969. Of course this leaves a ghostly horror impression and paying off a tribute to a flick on a fact based horror in 1979.
We also have a moment when a little girl goes to Kate's home and asking for her cat that is lost with a ghostly wind blowing in the back of her hair as this was supposed to look spooky but it doesn't. Plus it's a total miss when this child says she's scared of the home. Supposed to leave a chill down your spine but it fails big time.
Cute moment when she find the girls kitten and things seem uplifting and then this child tells her in a whisper that she's not alone as this was supposed to look mysterious. It does remain a mystery in the story but it was non effective like the rest of the plot going on so far.
Yet there's some effective moments when Kate runs into an overly friendly next door neighbor Eliza as they start off on the wrong foot at first which looked truly believeable and then it gets going with their discussions as well as Eliza telling her the history of the home and who died there in a mysterious and unusual way which is supposed to bring some horror entertainment but this seems to fall a bit flat by how this was all brought together.
Then at night we have moments with the power going out as well as Kate lighting candles with supposed wind blowing them out which was supposed to look spooky to watch but that falls flat and then a mysterious shadow watching her and her bringing a knife towards this object but yet this doesn't rise the terror like it should have.
However things seem a bit spooky when she activates a radio and then it communicates with a ghostly voice as this works in at a nice pace.
Also have another moment in a dream sequence when she sees her dead husband approaching her and she's happy to see him as well as getting her to do a lesbian love scene for his mistress which looked a little zany as well as later on spotting this mistress looking monstrous briefly before she wakes up as this was creepy to watch so I will give some credit for that.
There's another moment when she looks out her window and see the mistress skinnydipping as well as slwoly walking out of the lake and approaching the home in which this had a nice ghostly touch to everything.
Later on in the story we get an overlong discussion with Autmn talking to Kate about the black magic this person was involved with before his death which looked awfully bland while watching this and it was getting pointless. It needed to be trimmed a bit and more effective moments was defientely necessary for something like this.
Then we get into a moment with Kate talking to her Pop about her neighbors as well as discussing the history of the home and trying to have them as witnesses but when she goes to the home of her neighbor the house is boarded up as I will say that this works in well for the story leaving a mysterious feel wondering if she is crazy and imagining these people.
Things work in nicely when she communicates with this ghost through the radio and what to do as I admit was strongly put into the story and then she loses him with the radio having a ball game and things are back to normal on this device.
The discussions seem to work in a fair fashion when she is dreaming again and having the conversation with the ghost who happens to be Jack Hammer as well as what to do as there's some decent lighting on this scene and things are still.
Nicely concentrated moment when Kate talks to Autumn on what to do as there's some neat effects with some medallion suddenly being wrapped around her neck and she goes into a trance as well as entering another dimension with Jack as things look grissly with ghoulish characters doing gruesome stuff along with chasing sequences in this dimension as I must say this was basically a scene worth watching since it looks like one of those funhouses we all enjoyed going to. Plus a good struggling moment when Jack goes out of a corridor into the home of Kate's by the lake with a hulking ghoul trying to kill him as there's good fans]tasy and action moments that was used here.
Plus there's good camera shots on Kate pinned down and being tortured by these ghouls as well as good moments on him laughing wickedly which was done in a good style.
Bottom line is that this film is pretty bland stuff trying so hard to be suspenseful but misses big time. Made on a decent low budget for an indie flick but the story is too long and it drags too. Not scary. Barely passes as a horror in my books. Skip this one and stick to Amityville Horror instead as this one seemed to be a paying tribute to it and comes off as a ripoff.

The acting is fair for the most part as lead actress Meredith Majors (Kate Ryan) seems stiff at first but gets into it later on as she shows a good aggressive and stern behavior when someone acts offensive towards her. Also seemed to do well by acting emotional from time to time. Does well by acting alert on stuff as well as getting into action whenever necessary. Plus does a nice job reacting in pain later on in a scene or showing frusterations too. She was passable as a character actress.
Betsy Baker (Eliza) shows off her unique attitude very well by being too friendly but yet was convincingly likeable and helpful too. Brought all of this to life a great deal as well as showing some great energy and not letting an ounce down with her hyped up behavior. Plus was believeably outspoken when she is in a conversation too. Probably the best out of the whole cast.
Anne Leigh CooperAutumn) however was quite lacking in what she did as she was mellodramatic when acting full of life and excitement. She got too carried away within this. In other words over the top. Whenever she tried to get into a situation she just couldn't pull it off and not act natural by what she did. Sorry folks she needed some acting lessons as I found her annoying.
(John Ryan) was fairly passable as the mysterious one by being a ghost in which he for sure draws in a strange type of behavior as well as seeming untrustworthy within what he says in the ghostly and dream sequences. Adds a touch of something not good about him as he shows that in a mediocre fashion. Yet when he is seen in a flashback sequw=ence as someone alive he was a bit wooden by what he was doing and too over the top.
(Jack Hammer) definetely adds some good spunk into his part of the film calling out his words and acting believeably ghostly by what he does. SHows a nice still and calm behavior as well as being truly mysterious by what he did. Was clear with his words. Adds a believeable wisdom to what he was talking about as well as doing a great job with his energy while struggling against his onscreen foe from another dimension. Studied this role quite well.
(Pop) has a brief supporting role in this one but always does the job with anything that I saw him in as he does a good job with his seriousness as well as showing a good concerned behavior. Comes across as those stern types too by how he speaks as well as being firm by what he says. He made his role come to life in a fair fashion.

A ghostly mistress is nude in the lake with her butt revealed as well as later on having her breasts exposed while getting out and walking towards the home.

Slit throat.
Face being torn off in another dimension scene.

The music by Harry Manfredini doesn't sound too catchy as much as it does in his previous work in horror films as he tries to blend with the spookiness into each scene but yet it doesn't shine off at all. There's high pitched violin music as at times it's over the top with the icy piano playing too. However there's some effective hissing and breathing sounds echoing off. Plus we have strong trombone playing since this was used in his archive flicks from the good old days of retro horror. There's piano playing for the down moments which sounds too stale and common since we've heard this many times before.