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Lake Michigan Monster Review

By Dave Griffiths @goodbaduglyshow · On August 9, 2020

The Gist

An obsessive wannabe sea captain recruits a team to help seek revenge on the creature that killed his father.

The Review

You never really know where a cult favourite is going to come from. Outside of the festivals where it has won a number of awards not much has been mentioned about comedy horror Lake Michigan Monster yet this is one of those gems that all cult film fans need to see in 2020.

From filmmaker  Ryland Brickson Cole Tews (Hundreds Of Beavers) Lake Michigan Monster also sees Tews plays Seaford a wannabe eccentric sea captain who is still haunted by the death of his father at the hands of what he refers to as the Lake Michigan Monster.

In a bid to get revenge on the treacherous creature he puts together a super team – made up of sonar expert Nedge Pepsi (newcomer Beulah Peters), weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (newcomer Erick West) and ex-navy member Dick Flynn (newcomer Daniel Long). However, led by Seaford whose mental health must be brought into question the group go in under-manned against a monster that they aren’t even sure is real or not.

The reason why Lake Michigan Monster works so well is because while it is over the top it doesn’t over try. The comedy flows from Tews’ screenplay nicely and whether it be a well-timed one liner or a piece of laugh-worthy visual humour everything hits its target and never, ever feels forced. The same goes for the over-the-top moments in the film as well. While you never can predict what it is going to happen next even when a character suddenly breaks out into song it seems to just fit with the film itself.

What really surprises you when you watch Lake Michigan Monster is the inexperience of the cast and crew. Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is a real find as he writes, directs and acts in a way that would normally be reserved for talented groups like The D-Gen or Flight Of The Conchords. The same could be said for the remainder of his cast. Peters, West and Long are sensational when it comes to delivering moments of true comedy while Wayne Tews who plays the drunken Ashcroft manages to steal every single scene that he is in. The fact that for nearly the entire cast and filmmaking team that this is a first time effort makes it scary just what heights they may actually be able to reach in their careers.

The other thing to note about Lake Michigan Monster is that even though it does have some absurd moments the film’s general storyline does work sensationally well and even the more theatrical moments of the film never get in the way of what it is a fairly intriguing storyline. It is also very obvious that nobody is ever going to be able to predict the ending of the film either.

The Verdict

You can only hope that Lake Michigan Monster is the start of an amazing career for Ryland Brickson Cole Tews. Where so many comedies these days fall flat Lake Michigan Monster keeps its audience constantly laughing while not forgetting to take a fair nod to creature features of the past.

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Related

Lake Michigan Monster Review
Dave Griffiths
August 9, 2020
3.5/10
3.5 Overall Score

Beulah PetersDaniel LongLake Michigan MonsterRyland Brickson Cole Tews
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Dave Griffiths

Dave Griffiths has worked as a journalist for over twenty years now -covering topics including film, television, music, travel and sport (with a main focus on AFL Football). That time has seen him host the popular X-Wired television program for seven seasons as well as write for various magazines such as Buzz Magazine, Heavy Mag, Stage Whispers, The Banner and Eternity.. He has even branched out into writing online for Subculture Entertainment, Media Search and The Book The Film The T-Shirt. He also worked as the online editor for Entertainment 360 for three years. Dave's radio work has seen him work on various radio stations including 3RPP, Triple R and Light FM. He is currently the resident film reviewer on Sydney's 2UE radio station and can be heard reviewing what is new at cinemas and on DVD each week on Wednesdays at 3pm with Ed Phillips. He is also the co-host of Melbourne's 94.1FM's breakfast show 'The Motley Crew' and he can sometimes be heard on J-Air's 'First On Film'. David is also the co-host of two popular podcasts - ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Film Show,' and 'The Popcorn Conspiracy' As far as Film Reviewing goes David is an elected committee member of AFCA (Australian Film Critics Association and a member of IPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)/FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique). He has also served as a jury member for a number of international film festivals and is considered an expert on cult cinema, horror movies and Australian films.

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