Michael_Elliott Wolf Lake (1980) *** (out of 4)War buddies Charlie (Rod Steiger), Wilbur (Jerry Hardin), George (Richard Herd) and Sweeney (Paul Mantee) head up to Canada for a weekend getaway like they do every year. This year they notice that the cabins are being taken care of by David (David Huffman) and Linda (Robin Mattson). It doesn't take long for Charlie to start messing around and picking on David but things turn much darker when the men find out that David dodged the war.WOLF LAKE is a film that not many people saw when it was originally released and I doubt too many people have seen it since. In fact, had I not stumbled across it during a sale then I probably would have missed it as well and that's really too bad because it's a rather interesting, if flawed, thriller. What makes the film work and especially in today's times is its views on how people should treat their country and we also get some fabulous performances.It should go without saying that it's Steiger who steals the picture with yet another wonderful performance. The actor really has to show off pain and anger and he does so wonderfully. The way Steiger mixes both the anger and pain to explain why his character is the way he is really helps sell the film. The supporting players are all extremely good as well and that's especially true for both Huffman and Mattson. The film basically starts off as a weekend getaway picture before turning much darker once the friends learn about David's past. Even then there are some interesting ideas being floated around about what it means to serve your country and love it. I do think things take a turn for the worse during the final third of the picture when we basically have everyone lose their mind and so some things that I just didn't believe would happen. I'm not going to ruin anything but Charlie basically makes the three other do a very criminal act and I just didn't believe they would have gone through with it.With that being said, it's really too bad WOLF LAKE isn't a better known movie but it's certainly a gem that needs to be rediscovered.

Woodyanders A bunch of World War II veterans gather together at a remote cabin in the woods to let it all hang out. Things turn ugly after gruff ex-Marine Charlie (ably played with fierce intensity by Rod Steiger) discovers that caretaker David (a solid and likable performance by David Huffman) is a Vietnam war army deserter.Writer/director Burt Kennedy relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, makes the most out of the beautiful and isolated sylvan locations, builds plenty of tension, and stages the rousing last reel action set pieces with skill and elan. Moreover, the highly charged generational conflict between Charlie and David gives this film a considerable amount of substance and dramatic impact, with both diametrically opposed characters drawn in a complex and sympathetic matter. While Steiger and Hoffman do adeptly handle the bulk of the heavy lifting acting wise, they nonetheless receive sturdy support from Robin Mattson as David's sweet and enticing girlfriend Linda, Jerry Hardin as the easygoing Wilbur, Richard Herd as the jolly, yet lecherous George, and Paul Mantee as the macho Sweeney. Ken Thorne's moody military-flavored score further enhances the overall nerve-wracking suspense. The gorgeous cinematography by Carlos Montano and Alex Phillips Jr. provides lots of breathtaking scenic shots of the striking and misty lakeside setting. A real bang-up little beaut of a sleeper.

merklekranz A generational gap as wide as the Grand Canyon between Marine Veteran, Rod Steiger, and Army deserter, David Huffman leads to unpleasantness in the remote Canadian wilderness. After Steiger, and his three hunting buddies overpower Huffman, and rape his girlfriend, Robin Mattson in an almost comatose performance, this becomes your standard hunters vs. hunted film. In places "Wolf Lake" is very talky, which really drags things out for 105 minutes. A lot of the night photography is barely discernible, and other than Steiger, none of the characters are developed satisfactorily. Very annoying flash forwards, reveal way too much information, and basically ruin any suspense. Average at best, and a disappointment. - MERK

Coventry "Wolf Lake" is obscure 70's exploitation at its finest: raw & moody atmosphere, straightforward action and real manly actors in the roles of hard-headed chauvinist macho characters! Originality might not be this film's biggest trump, perhaps, but it's intense and unsettling from start to finish and brought to an even higher level by the phenomenal performance of Rod Steiger as the embittered War veteran with outmoded patriotic ideals. Charlie, along with three of his obedient and docile buddies, arrive at Wolf Lake for their annual weekend of duck hunting, poker gaming and whiskey boozing. Their usual contact person isn't there, but they meet with the young caretaker David and his sexy girlfriend Linda. They find out David is a fugitive Vietnam deserter, and this happens to be a very sensitive issue for Charlie, because he lost his son there. To him, all deserters are cowards who're to blame for the downfall of America. Charlie taunts and provokes David, but the posse really goes too far during a wild drinking party. And you know how that goes, once you cross a certain line …. there's no way back. "Wolf Lake" is obviously inspired by the 70's trends of (Vietnam) veterans going mental ("Open Season", "Rolling Thunder") and remote backwoods survival thrillers ("Deliverance", "Straw Dogs"). Writer/director Burt Kennedy may not be Sam Peckinpah or John Boorman, but he undeniably manages to keep his movie suspenseful and creepy. The isolated setting is very effective, for starters, and so are Ken Thorne's pounding score and the unnervingly slow pacing. Some political debate sequences are so intelligent and powerful that it's a real shame that the film remained so obscure and unavailable on DVD. The only really annoying thing about "Wolf Lake" is that the plot stupidly spoils itself the entire time by showing brief but revealing images of vital things happening later in the film. What the hell's the point of that?