Long consigned to rare late-night television showings and Youtube copies, THE LAKE (1978) is a 30-minute short horror film directed by Lindsey Vickers, who later went on to make the feature-length film THE APPOINTMENT with Edward Woodward. This creepy tale tells of a couple and their dog who visit a murder house and its accompanying lake for a romantic picnic (!) only to find themselves assailed by an unseen force. It's an extremely well-regarded (some say the scariest short film ever made) albeit forgotten tale and I can see why: this is a subtle and effective ghost story in which the terror comes from what you don't see. Sure, there are occasional glimpses of a supernatural figure here and there, but mainly the atmosphere comes from the suggestion and the direction, which is excellent. Gene Foad stars alongside popular TV actress Julie Peasgood and they both do well in their parts, but this short's success is all down to Vickers, who really should have had a bigger career as THE APPOINTMENT is really good too. Viewers wanting a HD copy can now find it available as part of the BFI SHORT SHARP SHOCKS collection.
4 Reviews
Lost Masterpiece
trevd-229777 August 2016
This short film is one of the scariest I have ever seen. I caught it as a short prior to a screening of 'The Howling (1981)' back in the early 1980's in Brisbane. It was very effective as a slow build thriller and I will never forget the scene at the end with the guy, Tony played by Gene Foad, swimming out to his pet dog on the lake. It is a real shame this has disappeared. I have sought it out to no avail. Lesser feature films have been praised as classics of the genre. This really does deserve to be rereleased and seen again. The director did a TV movie, "The Appointment (1981)", which was also very unsettling. He obviously knew what he was doing and should have had a brilliant career directing thrillers. It makes me wonder how many other short films we will never get to see that are of this high quality.
This film make a huge impression on me. I rate it up with Halloween, Clownhouse, and When A Stranger Calls. I think it is that good.
Addendum- This film is finally getting a home media release by BFI Flipside on an anthology blu-ray called Short Sharp Shocks. I am very excited as I have been waiting almost 40 years to see this fantastic short film again. I urge all fans of good thrillers to watch it if you can. Waaaay better than most of the rubbish peddled to us as horror/thriller films now.
This film make a huge impression on me. I rate it up with Halloween, Clownhouse, and When A Stranger Calls. I think it is that good.
Addendum- This film is finally getting a home media release by BFI Flipside on an anthology blu-ray called Short Sharp Shocks. I am very excited as I have been waiting almost 40 years to see this fantastic short film again. I urge all fans of good thrillers to watch it if you can. Waaaay better than most of the rubbish peddled to us as horror/thriller films now.
Horror short - short on scares, long on confusion
joepm2812 August 2023
You would think that when a filmmaker does a short horror film they would be sure keep it tight and concise for maximum impact in an abbreviated time. Well, that is not achieved in The Lake.
A young couple and their dog are on a short road trip where they stop by an abandoned farm. The couple seem to have known each other for some time based on their conversation. The man then recounts a story of a horrific family murder at the farm house that had occurred some years back. These must have been when the two of them were children since the woman remembers the incident but still needs to have it all explained to her (so really for us, the audience). Then the two drive off in their VW Bug to a nearby lake. There they have a picnic, make out and go walk in the wood. Strange things start to happen, that seem to be attached to the murders, yet it is never clear how. The whole movies then descends in to a haunting that is more a muddle of confusion that is lacking in real scares. The Lake, while short, is not very good when it could have been.
A young couple and their dog are on a short road trip where they stop by an abandoned farm. The couple seem to have known each other for some time based on their conversation. The man then recounts a story of a horrific family murder at the farm house that had occurred some years back. These must have been when the two of them were children since the woman remembers the incident but still needs to have it all explained to her (so really for us, the audience). Then the two drive off in their VW Bug to a nearby lake. There they have a picnic, make out and go walk in the wood. Strange things start to happen, that seem to be attached to the murders, yet it is never clear how. The whole movies then descends in to a haunting that is more a muddle of confusion that is lacking in real scares. The Lake, while short, is not very good when it could have been.
What?...
paul_haakonsen4 September 2023
I don't usually watch a whole lot of short films, but I stumbled upon the 1978 "The Lake" here in 2023, by random chance, and the synopsis sounded interesting enough to make me sit down and watch it.
Sure, I had never heard about "The Lake" from writer and director Lindsey C. Vickers prior to watching it, so I didn't know what I was in for, aside from what the synopsis revealed.
The storyline in "The Lake" was sort of a swing and a miss. It wasn't a particularly fulfilling storyline for me, and I wasn't all that entertained. Sure, writer and director Lindsey C. Vickers only had 33 minutes to work with, but when it ended, I didn't feel that particularly entertained and it felt like the storyline wasn't brought full circle. I was left with a sense of 'was that really it?' when it ended.
The acting performances in "The Lake" were good, despite it being a cast ensemble of two performers only. But actress Julie Peasgood and actor Gene Foad did put on good enough performances.
Now that I have watched the 33 minutes of "The Lake", I can honestly say that it is not something I will ever return to watch a second time. Nor is it something that I will recommend you rush out and get to watch.
My rating of "The Lake" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Sure, I had never heard about "The Lake" from writer and director Lindsey C. Vickers prior to watching it, so I didn't know what I was in for, aside from what the synopsis revealed.
The storyline in "The Lake" was sort of a swing and a miss. It wasn't a particularly fulfilling storyline for me, and I wasn't all that entertained. Sure, writer and director Lindsey C. Vickers only had 33 minutes to work with, but when it ended, I didn't feel that particularly entertained and it felt like the storyline wasn't brought full circle. I was left with a sense of 'was that really it?' when it ended.
The acting performances in "The Lake" were good, despite it being a cast ensemble of two performers only. But actress Julie Peasgood and actor Gene Foad did put on good enough performances.
Now that I have watched the 33 minutes of "The Lake", I can honestly say that it is not something I will ever return to watch a second time. Nor is it something that I will recommend you rush out and get to watch.
My rating of "The Lake" lands on a three out of ten stars.
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