The Crater Lake Monster

1977
PG
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Dinosaur Adventure Adventure Crime Fantasy Horror Mystery Sci-Fi Thriller

A meteor that crashed into Oregon's Crater Lake unearths a dinosaur egg. The heat from the meteor causes the egg to hatch, and the emerging dinosaur takes to snacking on the locals.A meteor that crashed into Oregon's Crater Lake unearths a dinosaur egg. The heat from the meteor causes the egg to hatch, and the emerging dinosaur takes to snacking on the locals.A meteor that crashed into Oregon's Crater Lake unearths a dinosaur egg. The heat from the meteor causes the egg to hatch, and the emerging dinosaur takes to snacking on the locals.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

3.6/10

1.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
According to lead actor/writer Richard Cardella, Crown International Pictures took over production and did very little post-production work. For example, many of the day-for-night scenes were not tinted.

Goofs
The Conways' boat trip and the subsequent monster attack are described as happening on a moonlit night, yet all scenes take place in broad daylight.

Quotes
Mitch Kowalski: I've been stuffin' my shoes with newspaper for so long, my feet know more about what's goin' on than my head.

Connections
Featured in Fantastic Dinosaurs of the Movies (1990)

User reviews67

Review

Featured review

"You Startin' To Get The Picture, Dummy?!"... "I Wouldn't Miss This Hoedown For Nothin'!"...

Deep in an old mine, an archaeological team makes a groundbreaking discovery. Then, by some serendipitous happenstance, a meteor strikes in nearby Crater Lake! Later, as fate would have it, THE CRATER LAKE MONSTER emerges, hunting for human snacks. When the local hillbilly population starts to dip, Sheriff Steve Hanson (Richard Cardella) is on the case.

Packed with non-actors delivering their lines with enough wood to build a barn, and "comedy" so unfunny it may cause brain hemorrhaging, this movie is a true blunder to behold! Then, it gets "serious", with a dramatic side story, and that's even worse!

One particular day-for-night scene has the "actors" point out how lovely the stars look, while the sun blazes down. There was absolutely no attempt to make it seem any darker than noon! There are several such scenes, made especially hilarious when someone uses a flashlight to illuminate something -already well lit- in plain sight!

The only thing worth watching is the monster itself, as it's a fairly decent stop-motion creation. No, it's not as good as Ray Harryhausen would have done, but it's still better than anything else in this shambles!

EXTRA POINTS FOR: #1- The ludicrous liquor store robbery! #2- The "scientific" explanation for the creature's sudden appearance! #3- The sheriff's sideburns! #4- The fun-filled finale!

A spectacular movie event for the true schlock-o-holic!...