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10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :- This One Swims, 31 August 2002 Author: dukevega from United States
In my opinion, most movies of this sort sink or swim (pardon the pun) based on the villain, and everyone else kind of falls to the wayside. This one swam. This villain was bad (as he should be), yes, but what I liked about Stan is that he really enjoyed his work, and I can somewhat relate to him as I have been dabbling with screenwriting myself. Judd Nelson played him just right, really giving the impression of a regular guy just trying to do his job.Some other reviewers have questioned the genre classification of this film, and I'd just like to throw in my two cents. I looked up the individual who wrote this film, and he was a guy who had been in Hollywood for a while, so I'm thinking given the whole subplot with Stan's agent and the director, that this may be a dark (VERY dark) satire of Hollywood and the people who try to make a living in that town, much like "Swimming With Sharks", another fine film.Some other reviewers complained about a lack of explanation as to why Stan does what he does, but I am not one of them. I'm sure Stan had a motive that made sense for him, and those last two words are what is key here: FOR HIM. Sure, we'd all like a reason for what he did, but the makers of this film are under absolutely NO OBLIGATION to tell us what it is. Personally, it made me wonder about his motives, and I found that much more refreshing than whatever motivation that might have been revealed. I mentioned that I am dabbling in screenwriting and one of the books I picked up said that as long as the screenwriter knows why his characters do things, that's all that matters. No one else has to know.Good well-played villain, a darkly humorous look at the Hollywood system, and some wickedly funny moments add up to a worthwhile film.
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- Good enough to own, 3 February 2002 Author: eepiwee from Washington, USA
I'll tell ya, I feel sorry for Judd Nelson and all the bad rap he gets; as far as his performance in this movie goes, he totally maintains the mood. Cabin by the Lake is a made-for-tv movie originally aired on USA, however, I now own it and it's sequel on dvd. (amazon.com) If you're looking to hand out oscars you might consider overlooking this one, but if you're looking to be entertained (as cheesily as possible) this is it! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, everything is quirky from the acting to the music. The underwater scenes were done quite nicely, and the soundtrack isn't so bad either...however it's hard to find any other song from the movie other than "Cure" by the Wild Colonials. If you're a fan of Judd Nelson, serial killer movies, and overall cheesy fun, you'll be sure to add this flick to your collection so you can watch it over and over again. If you liked this movie, check out it's sequel...Return to Cabin by the Lake...it's really DEEP! ;)
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- A Good Thrilling T.V. Movie., 19 August 2001 Author: movies2u from United States
I had been wanting to see this movie when I saw it previewed on the USA channel, and when it finally came on,I got to watch it. And, I was surprised! It was a good thriller/horror/comedy film. Although, it wasn't much of a comedy. Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club) and Hedy Burres (Valentine) were great!!! It was an excellent T.V. movie. I still haven't seen the sequel "Return to Cabin By the Lake". All in all, it was a good film that I give an 8 out of 10. :)
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- I loved this movie!!!, 9 November 2005 Author: puppylove2009 from Canada
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I thought Cabin By The Lake was an excellent movie. I loved how Judd Nelson acted through the whole film, he did such a great job. I'm not saying that what his character was doing was okay, cause, really its not. But it kept me watching, it kept my eyes focused, he was never hurt, he never died no matter what he had to be put through, even when everyone thought he had "drowned" , I did too, until I found out he was alright.I loved how at the very end, it kept me interested at what he was going to be up to next. I'm not a fan of scary movies, I was floored when I watched this movie and found that it wasn't scary, from the reviews of this film, i was sure it was to be scary, but there wasn't a scene i didn't find frightening.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Good made for tv movie!, 2 February 2000 Author: Shari-2 from WA
One of the better made for tv movies I've ever seen. Nelson gives a nice creepy performance. I found the story very interesting and different and the visuals were enough to make me squirm. I'm sure there are some who will complain about the very end of the film, but personally I like that sort of thing.:) I would have liked to have seen a few more of his "garden" getting collected, but with all the commercials they have to put in I know their time is limited. Since this is on tv, I think it is well worth the time to stop and watch. And I hope it comes to video, because I would like to add it to my collection.
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :- An Entertaining Movie, 2 February 2002 Author: buffbabe23 (PrinzessLauren@hotmail.com) from Michigan, USA
My comments? Simple: I loved the movie Cabin by the Lake. This is a wonderful TV movie and a great way to spend a couple of hours. - Yes, the plot is a little unrealistic- a writer doing some "research" for his horror film by actually drowning women and then writing about it. But aren't movies supposed to be unrealistic? - I recommend that you watch Cabin by the Lake. Go ahead and give it a chance, you may be surprised. If you like it, then I definitely recommend that you watch the sequel Return to Cabin by the Lake, which I thought was even better than the first film.
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :- A tv movie that isn't a disappointment., 1 February 2000 Author: Ambra from Nashville, Tennessee
This is a wonderful movie. I was at first doubtful of whether or not this would be an even tolerable movie, I'm usually wary of "Network Movie Originals." The directing is wonderful and Judd Nelson is a great actor who adds much depth (pardon the pun) and credibility to the character. Judd Nelson is a diversified actor who takes on his roles for various reasons. He chose this project based on the director, and for good reason. The movie follows the "Garden" of a screen-play writer, Stanley (Judd Nelson), who decides to act out his plot to give it more feeling. The garden he is growing is a meticulously kept underwater cemetery of his victims. They are all female and fairly young. His proposed last victim is a girl with a fear of water that he discovers at a movie theater. He immediately realizes that this girl is more than he has dealt with before. The sound track adds to the over all feel of the movie. The directing reminds me of David Lynch, but with much more cohesion. The movie has an over all dark and somber feel, but at the same time is very beautiful; the underwater scenes are stunning and surreal. While this movie is somewhat macabre and tragic, it is by no means a horror. To classify it as such would be to misunderstand the "motivation" behind both the movie and Stanley.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- "How come it's always the cute ones that go missing?" Not that bad but not that good either., 31 January 2006 Author: Paul Andrews (poolandrews@hotmail.com) from UK
Cabin by the Lake starts in a cabin by a lake (funnily enough) owned by horror film writer Stanley Caldwell (Judd Nelson) who is under pressure from his agent Regan Kendrick (Susan Gibney) to deliver his latest script titled The Garden of Flesh. However Stanley believes these things cannot be rushed & takes the credibility of his work very seriously so he does plenty of research to get things just right. For instance he has kidnapped a teenage girl named Kimberly (Daniella Evangelista) & has kept her imprisoned in a room chained to the floor. To continue & complete his research Stanley takes Kimberly out to middle of the lake, he ties a weight to her feet & chucks her into it. After observing Kimberly's reactions he thinks he can still learn more & kidnaps Mallory (Hedy Buress) to do the same to her, however she is rescued at the bottom of the lake by scuba diving Deputy Sheriff Boone Prescott (Michael Weatherly) while he is testing some special effect equipment out with his friends Duncan (Bernie Caulson) & Lauren (Colleen Wheeler). Since Stanley doesn't know that Mallory survived Deputy Prescott stages an elaborate trap, special make-up effect artists Duncan & Lauren construct a fake Mallory out of latex, they stick some cameras in it's eyes & chuck it into the lake. In theory the kidnapper will come back & they will have him on film, simple eh? Surely nothing can go wrong...Directed by Po-Chih Leong I though Cabin by the Lake had potential but in the end fails to deliver. The script by David Stephens starts off very well as a decent straight horror film with Stanley killing someone early on & sets his eyes on Mallory but after she is rescued it becomes more of a dreary drama that goes nowhere. There are little bits of comedy here & there but it never goes all out for laughs & at the end of the day it comes across a bit uneven. It begins at a brisk pace but slows down, doesn't go anywhere & it goes on far what seemed like ages, the character's are somewhat annoying & no reasonable justification for what Stanley does is given & I'm not having the fact he needs to research a script as a believable reason for becoming a serial killer. Oh, & I hated the end too. On a positive note it's an OK watch, provides a certain amount of basic entertainment & there's nothing that wrong with it.Director Leong films with a certain style & flair not usually associated with cheap made-for-TV films, there are some nice shots & angles & it's nice to look at. I loved the underwater photography & the garden he creates of floating bodies amongst aquatic plants, I'm not sure the water would be that clear though. There is very little tension or atmosphere as everything is revealed very early on & once the film settles down it's very dialogue driven. Forget about any violence or gore.Techncially the film is pretty good & is better than you may expect from a TV film. The acting was annoying from everyone, Nelson is utterly forgettable & has no screen presence, Gibney as Stanley's agent is embarrassing to watch as she overacts & the teenage cast are unlikable.Cabin by the Lake is an average film, it tries to mix horror, thriller & comedy but doesn't do a particularly great job. I think it's an OK time waster if your absolutely desperate but otherwise it has little by which I can recommend it.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- Truly something to aspire to, 15 August 2003 Author: (riker1985@aol.com) from Walled Lake, Michigan
This movie is great. I first saw it Aug 13, 2000, 5:00pm, and it was then that I first realized that I love this film. Since watching this movie three years ago, I have discovered my true passion, writting, and it was inspired by this film. True, it is a strange place to find inspiration, but something about it made me want to write for the rest of my life. The ending is somewhat reminecent of Psycho, the synister stare into the camera and I love it, it still sends chills down my spine when I see Judd Nelsons final stare. Unfourtunatly, the sequel was terribly written. They should have went with the idea of burring the girls alive for the sequel, which is perfectly forshadowed at the end of the first one, but unfourtunatly ignored.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- don't believe the critics!(spoiler), 22 August 2001 Author: Vampyr_Girl
really, i don't know why some were disappointed in this film. i happened to love it but usually if a critic says it sucks than everyone believes the critic. judd nelson's acting was terrific and he definitely played off that two sided character thing really well. and the relationship between him and mallory was also another strong point. it was like a hannibal/clarice relationship and at the end when it looks like stanley is going to drown himself you can really see the sympathy mallory feels for him. what's there not to like? maybe his annoying agent could make make the film better by just being cut from the film but it was good overall. go see it and don't believe the critics!
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