Lake Mungo (2008) Limited Edition Blu-ray Review
Since its original release in 2008, this documentary-style chiller has made far reaching ripples, thrilling horror fans and inspiring budding film-makers across the globe and establishing itself as a bona fide cult classic. Now the chilling film gets the release it deserves that sees brand new interviews with cast and crew; film-maker fans Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead and director du jour Host’s Rob Savage; a brand new commentary, video essays and archive material.
When sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer tragically drowns while swimming in the local dam, her grieving family start to experience a series of strange, inexplicable events and become increasingly unsettled. Seeking out the help of a parapsychologist, they learn that Alice had been living through extremely troubling, disturbing times and hiding deep, dark secrets. Now they are desperate to know what haunted their daughter and what is happening to them. Does Lake Mungo hold the terrifying truth?
A couple of years ago I was having a clear-out of DVD’s and Blu-rays that I felt I no longer required and a DVD copy of LAKE MUNGO was one such title. Upon listing it for auction on eBay I wasn’t anticipating much in the way of a response figuring that it would be a title that very few people would have heard of let alone be interested in buying. But I was wrong, in fact it generated so much online interest that it soon became clear that in the subsequent years following its 2008 release LAKE MUNGO had picked up a very healthy cult following. That Second Sight have chosen the film to release as an extras-packed limited edition Blu-ray makes perfect sense, there’s definitely a market out there for this title and I imagine that it’ll be eagerly snapped up.
I recall that when I first watched LAKE MUNGO I was mildly interested in that kind of half-watching, half-still-messing-around-on-my-phone kind of way right up until an unexpected twist in the film’s later stages that had me completely reassess what I had just watched in a very favourable way. Seeing LAKE MUNGO again rather oddly it was the other way round with the lead-up to the final reveal that keeping my interest whilst viewing the ‘sudden’ surprise late in the film as feeling tacked on.
Overall this mockumentary is not bad, it’s not great but it’s not bad and it certainly stands head and shoulders than most movies of this ilk. In essence this is about a family coming to terms with their collective grief after the death of their daughter which on reflection does beg the question why anyone would have thought to approach them to document their story. Sure, news of the girl’s death by drowning was covered by local news but unless you were close to the family you wouldn’t have known about the other circumstances that evolved from her untimely demise.
The thrills build up then get debunked, seemingly without any consequence, one after the other. If it wasn’t for the curve-ball that’s thrown into the mix later LAKE MUNGO would qualify more as a drama than as a horror flick. As with the recent horror hit HOST this film has it’s moments and will always be considered a classic but for me it’s also of it’s time and the overall effect has been nulled by the duff reputation that similar flicks have cluttered up this sub-genre.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Archive audio commentary by Producer David Rapsey and DoP John Brawley
New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Emma Westwood
Captured Spirits: an interview with DoP John Brawley
Ghost in the Machine: an interview with Producer David Rapsey
A Cop and a Friend: an interview with Actors Carole Patullo & James Lawson
Kindred Spirits: Filmmakers Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead on Lake Mungo
Hosting Spirits: Filmmaker Rob Savage on Lake Mungo
Simulacra and Spirits: a video essay by film writer Josh Nelson
Autopsy of a Family Home: a video essay by filmmaker Joseph Wallace
Deleted scenes
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Rigid slipcase
Perfect-bound booklet with new essays by Sarah Appleton, Simon Fitzjohn, Rich Johnson, Mary Beth McAndrews and Shellie McMurdo, interview with actor James Lawson by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas plus rare behind-the-scenes photos
Three collectors’ art cards