Review: Lake Mungo
Sixteen year old Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) drowns while swimming with her family on holiday in Australia. On their return home, strange things happen, leading the family to believe they’re being haunted by the ghost of Alice.
Alice’s brother Mathew (Martin Sharp) sets up video cameras around the house to record Alice’s ghost. He later confesses they are fake. The family consult psychic Ray Kemeny for for help, but he is unable to explain what’s happening, he also hides the fact that Alice had seen him previously about her nightmares of drowning.
This 2008 film is often lauded for its atmospheric ‘haunting’ vibe. It’s filmed like a documentary, with talking heads describing what happened, of course with the obligitary ‘surprise’ ending.
Although I’ve seen Lake Mungo before I admit that a second viewing did nothing to make me like it. I find it stretched and laborious, and all rather pointless. However, it’s much loved by a lot of film fans but I don’t see the appeal. Nothing really happens in it, and the scares amount to a person standing in the background of mirrors and photos with no explanation, but I suppose that is the point, that there is no explanation, which I find boring. I’d rather watch ‘Don’t Look Now’.
On a brigher note this is one of Second Sights wonderful special edition films, with beautiful art work and it’s packed full of amazing extras that actually make up for the film.
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 academic Josh Nelson
- Autopsy of a Family Home: a video essay by filmmaker Joseph Wallace
- Deleted Scenes
- English SDH subtitles for the hearing impaired
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Thomas Walker
- 80 page soft cover book with new essays by Sarah Appleton, Simon Fitzjohn, Rich Johnson, Mary Beth McAndrews and Shellie McMurdo; an interview with actor James Lawson by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; plus rare behind-the-scenes photos courtesy pf John Brawley
- 3 art cards with new illustrations by Thomas Walker
Lake Mungo Limited Edition is released 7th June 2021.
Review by Tina from a disc kindly supplied by Second Sight Films.
