It’s been a little while since I’ve added another entry to the Morbid Curiosity Files; it was due. And for today’s selection, I decided to go with an obscure little monster film set in my home state of Oregon: 1977′s The Crater Lake Monster. This film was directed, produced, and co-written by William R. Stromberg, who never directed, produced, or wrote anything else before or since in his career, so you know it’s got to be good.
The film never actually mentions Oregon by name. It still has to be Crater Lake, Oregon, though, because the road markers (clearly made for the film, as they aren’t official signage) clearly identify the location as Crater Lake, and there’s only one Crater Lake in the United States. In actuality, the film was shot at Huntington Lake, California, an artificial reservoir. I looked up its filming location because although the surrounding forestry of Northern California is close enough to pass for Oregon, Huntington Lake is very obviously not Crater Lake. It’s missing a few things that people who have actually been there would know to look for. Minor things like “The Old Man of the Lake”, a large tree stump that’s been floating there for a century. The surrounding tourist-oriented areas. Wizard Island. The crater.
You know, little things. Continue reading
