LAKE OF THE DEAD (1958, DE DØDES TJERN) – Episode 185 – Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

“Beware of the currents of the lake. 
It’s dangerous to dream. Stay Awake. 
The nix pretends to be asleep. 
Above him lilies gently sweep.”
The Grue Crew love some Norwegian poetry in their folk horror. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Jeff Mohr, and guest Gregory Crosby – as they check out some folk horror, Norwegian-style, in Lake of the Dead (1958).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 185 – Lake of the Dead (1958)

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ANNOUNCEMENT
Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL
Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era!
Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website.
Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/

Synopsis: Six Oslo friends travel to the Østerdalen Valley to visit reclusive Bjørn Werner, Liljan’s brother, living in a remote cabin. A horrible tragedy occurred at a nearby lake, and legend has it that whoever stays in that cabin will meet the same end. The unsuspecting visitors realize that Werner is missing, and a series of unexplained incidents that chill the bone to the marrow are set in motion.

• Directed by: Kåre Bergstrøm
• Writing Credits: Kåre Bergstrøm (writer); André Bjerke (1942 novel by) (as Bernhard Borge)
• Music by: Gunnar Sønstevold
• Cinematography by: Ragnar Sørensen
• Selected Cast:
  • Erling Lindahl as Kai Bugge
  • Bjørg Engh as Sonja Borge
  • Henny Moan as Liljan Werner
  • André Bjerke as Gabriel Mørk
  • Per Lillo-Stenberg as Bjørn Werner
  • Øyvind Øyen as Bråten
  • Georg Richter as Harald Gran
  • Inger Teien as Eva, Bjørn’s Girlfriend
  • Leif Sommerstad as Tore Gråvik
  • Henki Kolstad as Bernhard Borge

Norway has produced a multitude of good horror movies, but it all started in 1958 with Lake of the Dead (De dødes tjern). Voted fourth best Norwegian film of all time by 101 critics in 1998, Lake of the Dead is a mystery that is part ghost story, part insane killer, and sports its own psychiatrist as a cast member; just for the insane part, you see.

Based on a 1942 novel of the same title, the film also includes an actor playing the writer of that novel and the actual writer of the novel playing another character. Clear? And then there’s the scene called one of the most memorable scenes in Norwegian film history. Gregory Crosby joins the Grue Crew, and they have plenty to talk about.

At the time of this writing, Lake of the Dead (1958) is available to stream from Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi. It’s also available on physical media as one of 20 films in All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror |Blu-ray + CD| from Severin.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Next in their very flexible schedule – this one chosen by Chad – is The Werewolf (1956)! Director Fred F. Sears (The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers) gives us a different take on the werewolf trope, though the werewolf makeup might look a little familiar. The Grue Crew can’t wait! 

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