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The People Across the Lake

  • TV Movie
  • 1988
  • PG
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
795
YOUR RATING
Valerie Harper, Tammy Lauren, Gerald McRaney, and Gregory Togel in The People Across the Lake (1988)
Dark ComedyHorrorThriller

Chuck and Rachel Yoman, tired of the urban grime and crime, move with their kids to a quaint lakeside village where all seems like paradise - until corpses show up in the water. Will the Yom... Read allChuck and Rachel Yoman, tired of the urban grime and crime, move with their kids to a quaint lakeside village where all seems like paradise - until corpses show up in the water. Will the Yomans become the next victims?Chuck and Rachel Yoman, tired of the urban grime and crime, move with their kids to a quaint lakeside village where all seems like paradise - until corpses show up in the water. Will the Yomans become the next victims?

  • Director
    • Arthur Allan Seidelman
  • Writers
    • Dalene Young
    • Bill McCutchen
  • Stars
    • Valerie Harper
    • Gerald McRaney
    • Barry Corbin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    795
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Arthur Allan Seidelman
    • Writers
      • Dalene Young
      • Bill McCutchen
    • Stars
      • Valerie Harper
      • Gerald McRaney
      • Barry Corbin
    • 22User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos15

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    Top cast15

    Edit
    Valerie Harper
    Valerie Harper
    • Rachel Yoman
    Gerald McRaney
    Gerald McRaney
    • Chuck Yoman
    Barry Corbin
    Barry Corbin
    • Malcolm Bryce
    Tammy Lauren
    Tammy Lauren
    • Lisa Yoman
    Daryl Anderson
    Daryl Anderson
    • Henry Link
    Jeff Kizer
    • John Bryce
    Gary Bisig
    • Duane Mortimer
    Gregory Togel
    • Steven "Stevie" Yoman
    Dorothy Lyman
    Dorothy Lyman
    • Ruth Mortimer
    Thomas Peacocke
    • Sheriff Glenn Boignton
    • (as Thomas Peacock)
    Frank C. Turner
    Frank C. Turner
    • Eli
    Johannah Newmarch
    Johannah Newmarch
    • Debbie Mortimer
    • (as Johanna Newmarch)
    Don MacKay
    Don MacKay
    • Real Estate Agent
    • (as Don Mac Kay)
    Matt Hill
    Matt Hill
    • Lisa's Boyfriend
    Judy Herridge
    • Martha Bryce
    • Director
      • Arthur Allan Seidelman
    • Writers
      • Dalene Young
      • Bill McCutchen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    5.4795
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    10

    Featured reviews

    Dethcharm

    "Don't Do Anything Stupid!"...

    Chuck Yoman (Gerald McRaney) and his wife, Rachel (Valerie Harper) lead very busy lives, and live in a very secure home with their kids. Rachel has had enough of the fast pace and stress, and convinces Chuck to move to a rural house on a lake.

    At first, all goes well, other than a few backward locals. Then, Chuck decides to take a swim in the lake, and makes a gruesome discovery. Suddenly, he has a very cold swimming partner! He goes to get the Sheriff, but when they return, the evidence has vanished. When the deputy tells a story of several past disappearances, the Yoman's wonder just what sort of place they've moved into. Strange occurrences and more deaths add to the mystery. Can Rachel and Chuck figure it all out... and live?

    THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE LAKE is a different kind of suspense thriller. It's got a TWIN PEAKS weirdness mixed in with the chills. It's a black comedy about family dysfunction, wrapped in a psychological horror story. A nice change of pace for the fear fanatic!

    Co-stars Barry Corbin in a unique role for him...
    5atlant

    Think of this movie as a comedy.

    Don't think of this movie as a horror movie; as such it would be a disastrous "1". It's almost entirely predictable and you've certainly seen everything in it before in movies that are far, far better. Instead, think of this movie as a comedy/parody. If you do so, then it's at least a "5" (out of 10).

    It begins ordinarily enough, but as the movie goes on, watch as Barry Corbin goes farther and farther over the top. By the end, it has truly become hilarious.

    Some weekend afternoon, when it runs on The Mystery Channel or some other cable/ satellite channel, cue it up and practice your Mystery Science Theater 3000 routine but in the horror genre: You won't be disappointed -- this movie is the Mother of all horror movie Bombs.

    Atlant
    tpiecemanc

    Hokey

    This was very very hokey. There were things that happened in this film that happened then it went to commercial break and when they returned they were forgotten. I didn't watch the whole thing because I fell asleep and I am glad I did. An easy one to guess through if you can stay that long. I didn't find a minute of my awake state during this movie to be exciting enough to keep my attention. I usually try and stay awake through movies just so I don't miss anything, even if I wasn't happy with what I was watching, but with this one I hoped for sleep. Granted I could have gotten up but the couch was so comfortable and I wasn't in control of the remote. Miss this one.
    7bernie-50

    I almost died laughing

    Rachel and Chuck Yoman (Valerie Harper, Gerald McRaney), decided the city is too busy and dangerous for their family, so they packed up their reluctant son (Gregory Togel) and daughter (Tammy Lauren) and moved back to a lake like the one Rachel lived at as a child.

    They say you can not go home again but this is an ideal rural home with what at first seems like a Mayberry feel. Later the residence seems to be more like the people in Deliverance. Soon bodies start turning up and everybody looks suspect with the exception of a few friendly faces. This does not keep the family from enjoying running around and messing around in the woods.

    We find that they have to be super ignorant to find the secrets and not tell anyone until they get ax-cepted as the antagonists.

    Can the ignored young Stevie save his parents or will their pursuer(s) put his/her foot in it?

    This film is more than most parodies as it was played with strait faces. They could not have chosen better actors and Daryl Anderson was exceptionally creepy. An added plus is that they let us know what is happening before the characters find out, instead of pulling a clue out of the hat after the fact. Anyway this made for TV movie is good for a few laughs.
    5elena1999

    Creepy

    This movie for the most part is just like your normal TV movie. Not incredible acting and for being in the horror genre it would have flopped at the box office, but hey, that's why it's on TV. When I first started watching this movie I never had the intention of finishing it. I left the room a couple times to go do something else but found myself always coming back, wondering, who was it? What was going on? The only complaint I have is that there weren't enough characters to suspect. The creepy factor was great though. I was creeped out the whole time and I was a little fascinated too. I wouldn't fight to see it again but I don't regret sitting there for the amount of time it took to watch it.

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    Related interests

    Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford in Fleabag (2016)
    Dark Comedy
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Barry Corbin (Malcolm) and Dorothy Lyman (Ruth) later played Reba McEntire's parents in an episode of "Reba".
    • Quotes

      Henry Link: Anyone ever gives you a choice to, say, sitting down to supper with a sargent's cadaver or feasting with a live general you sit with the sargent, 'cause he can't harm you.

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 3, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Das Grab am See
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures Television
      • Bill McCutchen Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 39m(99 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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