Monster (1980 film)

Monster
Original one-sheet poster
Directed by	Kenneth Hartford Herbert L. Strock (uncredited)
Produced by	Kenneth Harftford (producer) Garland Scott (producer)
Written by	Kenneth Hartford Walter Roeber Schmidt Garland Scott Herbert L. Strock
Starring	James Mitchum John Carradine Philip Carey Anthony Eisley
Music by	Gene Kauer
Cinematography	Art Fitzsimmons J. Wilder Mincey
Edited by	Michael Johnson
Distributed by	Academy International Distributors
Release date	1980
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English, Spanish

Monstroid is a 1980 American film directed by Kenneth Hartford. It was originally titled Monster when the film was first announced in 1975 and again in 1977, and suffered numerous cast changes (most notably Keenan Wynn who was still billed on some early video releases). The film was eventually released in 1980 as Monstroid, and is also known as Monstroid: It Came from the Lake (American DVD box title) and The Toxic Horror (American alternative title). A novelization written by Peter Crowcroft was released concurrently with the film.

The film bills itself as being based on a true story that took place in "Chimayo, Colombia" in 1971. However, the village is entirely fictional, and the film was actually shot in Chimayo, New Mexico and Ambalema, Colombia.

One night in the fishing village of Chimayo, Colombia, María Reyes witnesses a monster devouring her husband José. Some years later, the American cement manufacturer Durado Cement dispatches troubleshooter Bill Travis (James Mitchum) to Chimayo to restore order to their manufacturing plant there: an anti-corporate activist named Victor Sanchez has been exploiting the villagers' fear of the monster to stir up hostility against Durado, which has been polluting their fishing waters in Lake Chimayo. In the process, María has become ostracized from the villagers: a group led by a man named Carlos calls her "la bruja" ("the witch"). In addition, Travis must silence an American TV reporter named Patty Clark who has been exposing the pollution of the lake.

In Chimayo, children Andrea and Glen Anderson observe strange ripples in the lake. Glen claims they belong to an animal he has been sighting in the lake for some time. Their father Pete (Anthony Eisley), administrator of the Durado plant, is introduced to Mayor Montero and his daughter, helicopter pilot Juanita. Sanchez meets up with Carlos in a church, and together they plot to drive out the Americans and the monster he thinks was created by the pollution of the lake. When María goes to visit José's grave, Carlos's men attack her.

Juanita picks up Travis at the airport. When he gets to Chimayo, he is accosted by Clark, and curtly refuses any interviews. Meanwhile, Pete is trying to break up with his secretary Laura to pursue a new affair with Juanita, but can't bring himself to do it. He visits her again that night when she is skinny dipping in the lake, and successfully breaks up, but the monster emerges from the lake and kills Laura after he leaves. The town is busy celebrating its 200th anniversary and the body goes undiscovered until the next morning.