Return to Cabin by the Lake (2001 TV Movie)
TV MOVIE QUALITY PLUS SERIALKILLING EQUALS GOOD TIMES!!!!
15 August 2001
What a great bad movie! In this sequel to the story where a screenwriter enacts his own murderous screenplay (as he's writing it in the same mountain town where pre-production for the film is already going on), the now presumably dead and posthumously legendary writer-killer sneaks back on the set of the now-in-production movie (in 3 different clever disguises) and ever-so ironically discusses himself with everyone. Got it? The writing is sometimes fairly good, especially in the second half. The premise is interesting and despite loads of silliness, it's kinda kooky and fun. Judd Nelson just doesn't disturb me enough, though. I keep thinking of New Jack City and The Breakfast Club. Not to mention that damn Brooke Shields sitcom. However, one of the finest assets in the film is an incredibly overacted Brian Krause. Last time I saw him, he was the monster-hunk in Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers." That was around ten years ago, and it looks about 20. He plays the stereotypically abusive, ego-ridden, and sleazy director of the new picture who claims he was good friends with the killer/writer. Naturally Judd Nelson disabuses him of that notion.

Krause is pure B-movie dynamite. He acts like a starving bum eats..with incredible gusto and absolutely no attention to the results.

Of more amusement yet is the wacky directing and cinematography. The director like to emulate Oliver Stone in the worst possible way.switching film stock all over the place. I'm no film student, but I know 8mm film and hand -held video camera results when I see them. So a lot of the crucial scenes look like they were filmed in part by the camera crew from COPS. And it's totally inappropriate to the 'scary' feel. There is a scene that has got to be Sam Raimi homage, with the camera spiraling up from Judd Nelson's face after he wakes up. At least he got that right. So check this out on USA. I was lucky (?) enough to catch the first one for the 1rst time the night before, so of course I just had to watch this premiere. And what a super experience it was.
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