Wolf Lake (1980)

Best movie of this year hands down!

hyped garbage

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Absolutely the worst movie.

A bunch of World War II veterans gather together at a remote cabin in the woods to let it all hang out. Things turn ugly after gruff ex-Marine Charlie (ably played with fierce intensity by Rod Steiger) discovers that caretaker David (a solid and likable performance by David Huffman) is a Vietnam war army deserter.Writer/director Burt Kennedy relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, makes the most out of the beautiful and isolated sylvan locations, builds plenty of tension, and stages the rousing last reel action set pieces with skill and elan. Moreover, the highly charged generational conflict between Charlie and David gives this film a considerable amount of substance and dramatic impact, with both diametrically opposed characters drawn in a complex and sympathetic matter. While Steiger and Hoffman do adeptly handle the bulk of the heavy lifting acting wise, they nonetheless receive sturdy support from Robin Mattson as David's sweet and enticing girlfriend Linda, Jerry Hardin as the easygoing Wilbur, Richard Herd as the jolly, yet lecherous George, and Paul Mantee as the macho Sweeney. Ken Thorne's moody military-flavored score further enhances the overall nerve-wracking suspense. The gorgeous cinematography by Carlos Montano and Alex Phillips Jr. provides lots of breathtaking scenic shots of the striking and misty lakeside setting. A real bang-up little beaut of a sleeper.

A trio of American World War II vets take a hunting trip in the rural Canadian woods where they find out the American caretaker of the place they are staying is a Vietnam deserter (David Huffman). Thanks to a lot of alcohol and the influence of the embittered, flag-waving leader of trio (Rod Steiger), what starts out as a mere "generation gap" political disagreement, quickly escalates into a violent, armed conflict.Rod Steiger is excellent as the vicious leader of the veterans whose blind patriotism and narrow-minded prejudices leave almost everyone in the cast dead by the end. His more weak-willed friends are only along for the ride at first, but they too are quickly caught up in the escalating violence. And adding no small amount of fuel to the fire is Robin Mattson, as the Huffman character's sexy girlfriend. Playing an only slightly more sympathetic variation on the malicious tease she played in her most famous film "Bonnie's Kids", her character takes her showers outdoors, even with all the drunken, dirty old men lingering about, and when she catches Steiger staring at her bra-less chest, she tauntingly lifts up her shirt to give him a better look at her yummy breasts. This is not to say she deserves what happens to her--the tragedy here is that all the characters are actually sympathetic to SOME extent, even if only Huffman approaches ever really being too likable.With several gun battles, a gang rape, a wilderness chase, and lots of explosions, this works pretty well as a violent action movie. But it is one of those dark, cynical 70's ones like "Deliverance", "Southern Comfort", or "Who'll Stop the Rain?" that show only the ultimate futility and stupidity of violence. Definitely recommended, especially to fans of Rod Steiger, Robin Mattson, and/or downbeat 70's-era action fare.

A generational gap as wide as the Grand Canyon between Marine Veteran, Rod Steiger, and Army deserter, David Huffman leads to unpleasantness in the remote Canadian wilderness. After Steiger, and his three hunting buddies overpower Huffman, and rape his girlfriend, Robin Mattson in an almost comatose performance, this becomes your standard hunters vs. hunted film. In places "Wolf Lake" is very talky, which really drags things out for 105 minutes. A lot of the night photography is barely discernible, and other than Steiger, none of the characters are developed satisfactorily. Very annoying flash forwards, reveal way too much information, and basically ruin any suspense. Average at best, and a disappointment. - MERK

Ex-commander Steiger and three of his army buddies go to Canada for a little duck hunting.Steiger,grieving for his son lost in the Vietnam War, gets ballistic when he finds out that Huffman,who's running the camp,is a deserter.A violent shootout occurs as Steiger and his friends go after Huffman and his girlfriend Mattson with tragic results."Wolf Lake" plays like an exciting mix of "Deliverance","Straw Dogs" and "Open Season".It's a tense and extremely well-acted survival thriller with some great scenes of violence.The shootout begins after the rape of Huffman's girlfriend.So if you are a fan of survival cinema you can't miss "Wolf Lake".It's a crying shame that such obscure Canadian movies are still unavailable on DVD.9 out of 10.