Monstroid (1979)

It Came from the Lake
Monster
TOXIC HORROR
Terror That Became a Legend
Toxic Monster

Cast:

James Mitchum is Bill Travis
John "Fell from Stagecoach to this over the decades..." Carradine is Priest
Philip Carey is Barnes
Anthony Eisley is Pete

What the IMDB says:

A rural Colombian village is attacked by a horrible sea serpent, aroused by industrial pollution of a nearby lake. Based on a real event that took place in June of 1971.

Plot:

Based on fact, Maria is dancing with her husband until the monster attacks and kills him.

A company's CEO sends Bill Travis, one of his troubleshooters, to Columbia to investigate a tactory in Columbia. He doesn't believe anything about monsters but thinks a Victor Sanchez, a revolutionary, is causing the trouble and to keep an eye on Patty Clark, an environmentalist reporter, accusing the company of dumping toxic waste into the nearby lake.

Victor gathers his group and plans to drive out the US company from the town. The locals are blaming Maria as some sort of witch casuing all the problems in the area.

Bill arrives.

Laura who has been seeing Pete, had a breakup. She mananges to convince him to see her again by the lake that night. Later, the monster grabs Laura.

The next morning, the investigation of Laura's death starts. Bill thinks that Victor is involved in Laura's death.

The teens, Andrea and Glen, tell about how they've seen a monster at the lake.

Hi! I'll be the perky, cheerfuly monster terrorizing this lake...

Patty investigates the townsfolk and agrees to keep from releasing her story about the factory's polluting the lake if Bill will help with her story about the monster.

The teens help search the lake and are later chased off by the monster. The creature goes after a couple of drunk fisherman.

Glen shows his picture of the monster which seems to get most of the adults to not think they're nuttier than Pistacchio tree.

Bill, and the others start to plan how to blow up the monster.

The angry townsfolk turn on to lynch mob mode and decide to go after Maria, the local witch. During the arsonry, Victor sneaks off to the factory and tries to blow it up but manages to explode himself instead.

Pete and Bill set up the depth charges. The get a local pilot to fly the chopper as they start trying to lure the monster with bait by dragging a lamb through the water. However, they lose the charge's control.

This spear looks like it'll be a good toothpick...

Bill dives into the water to recover the detonator. Bill finally reaches the detonator to trigger the charge. Exploded monster, and the townsfolk rejoices.

Later, the teens are searchiing around the lake. Their dog discovers a monster egg hatching. Pan back to see a large swarm of eggs hatching.

What I say:

Cryptozoology may eventually lead to the discovery of the Loch Ness Monster. However, the little credit claiming that this movie was based on fact does seem a bit dispatched from any fragment of reality that even I'm connected to in any form or fashion.

Monstroid was also known as It Came From the Lake. Doesn't that title sound a lot like a couple of other different movies: It Came From Beneath the Sea and It Came From Outer Space? Unfortunately, both of those are a lot better especially with the the rampaging giant octopus of stop-motion in It Came From Beneath the Sea.

Bad monster movies aren't going to ever be considered as quality movies from those who live in their ivory towers with the specially elevated nasal passages looking down on us. However, we don't need quality for non-man made monster movies. This sea serpent type rampaging in a lake is still a couple of levels even below the Crater Lake Monster.

At least, Monstroid is better than last week's movie: Cold Room. Granted, that's not saying much. If the movie is started in 1971 but doesn't get finished and released until 1979, one must think that there is something wrong it. This isn't the kind of movie, you're going to watch

Quotable Dialogue
"Someone's gotta do something about this voodoo stuff."
"Gotta be a shark..."
"Son, it's kind of hard to believe stories about sharks and monsters and elephants in lakes."
"Maybe it doesn't like lamb?"
"It is stranger than fiction."
Morals of the Story
Monsters distort radio signals.
Children chase bulls for fun.
English is easily spoken by everyone in Columbia.
Goats live in trees.
Boat cops love to spear killer monsters.