The Crater Lake Monster, Land of the Lost at the Drive-In

Everything about this film is underwhelming. Actually, the dinosaur effects are pretty fun, but as far as drive-in fare, audiences were very disappointed. 1977's "The Crater Lake Monster" no doubt appeared at drive-in theaters all around the country with some entertaining films which contained gore and nudity. Roger Corman could have done wonders with this story, but instead we have an effort which would only appeal to fans of the 1974-76 TV show "Land of the Lost." So...if you, as a boy of course, had a crush on Holly (Kathy Coleman), you would have enjoyed this dinosaur epic.

A meteor crashes into an Oregon lake unleashing a plesiasaur...or is it a platapusosaur...or a pladisodon...doesn't matter...big dinosaur. It starts eating people right away. We meet Sheriff Steve soon after. He finds his way to a cafe where a buxom, mini-skirted waitress (Susy Claycomb) serves him coffee.  If this was a Roger Corman film, this waitress would have found her way to the lake, engaged in pre-marital sex with her boyfriend, the dinosaur would have arrived, eaten her boyfriend, and impregnated the nubile coffee server. Alas, this isn't a Roger Corman film and we will never see the sultry server again.

As the monster eats cattle and an assorted variety of schmucks, Steve teams up with two scientists, Dan (Richard Garrison) and the pretty Susan (Kacey Cobb). Susan will also not be impregnated by the beast. As they look for the thing, the alcoholic-magician Ross (Michael F. Hoover) and his sultry wife Paula (Suzanne Lewis) arrive in town. Ross, in a moment of sobriety will fight off the thing with fire and Paula won't be impregnated by the thing.  Now on the offensive, Sheriff Steve rounds up a mentally challenged posse to either kill it, or as the scientists desire, capture it an study it (...this always go so well).

Will the crater lake fiend find love in Oregon? Will any of the nubile babes in this film do anything remotely interesting? Could this film have been juiced up with slestaks added in a plot device? Not all is lost here, as the creature effects are a lot of fun, and we do find ourselves cheering for the pre-historic antagonist.  Directed by William R. Stromberg, "The Crater Lake Monster" is cheesy fun, in a MST3K type of way.