Here we have a duel format release of the film, featuring both DVD & blu-ray. And even this is given quite a original concept- on the DVD you get the film playing as if it was a old VHS tape- so there’s no menu, etc. When you slip the disc in it starts playing straight off, and we get a selection of recreated old school horror trailers- we get one for a giallo movie, one for a eco horror film, and an  fake beer advert( as a nice detail, they drink the said invented brand with in the main feature).  The blu- ray is more formal in its lay-out taking in the expected- we get two commentaries: a more thoughtful/ informative one from the  films writer & director. And a playful/ joke bound one from the cast seven actors.  A featurette about the making of Lake Nowhere, and behind the Scenes featurette for trailers and commercials, etc.

The film it’s self is fairly short & sharp in it’s running length, coming in around the hour mark. But it still mangers to feel like a full film, save for little character development, though the same could be said for many slasher/ horror films!. The outline of the plot is fairly standard featuring a group of young people going to a cabin near a lake for alcohol, sex, and drugs- then getting picked off one by one. What makes the film work is the details- firstly the whole thing is presented with a very stark VHS look, featuring tape jumps, tracking errors, etc. Next the killer is a sort of green-man meets silent wildman of the woods( which is a fairly original concept). Further to this you get elements of the supernatural/ zombie cinema added in, and lastly/ most important you get some effective kills too.  Also the film is set in the autumn, so you get the nice atmospheric back drop of dead leaves, barren trees, and a bleak looking lake.

In an age when late 70’s/ early 80’s influenced music & cinema is becoming common place, it’s great to see a film like Lake Nowhere going that extra mile to perfect the look & feel of genre films of this period. So if you are a fan of the golden age of the slasher film this really is a no-brainer, and the excellent/ inventive lay-out of the duel format really adds another level to the whole  thing