Horror icon Robert Englund discsses his role in Lake Placid: The Final Chapter

When Lake Placid debuted theatrically back in 1999, few would have believed that it would spawn a long-running franchise. This series is coming to a close with the Syfy Original Movie Lake Placid: The Final Chapter. Robert Englund stars as poacher Jim Bickerman, who discovers that his lake is now infested with dangerous crocodiles. The actor recently held a conference call, where he talked about coming into this franchise.

"I've seen all of the Lake Placid's, and I came to a couple of the sequels a little late. I found them on the SyFy channel, and I think they're a lot of fun. I think one of the things that attracted me, even sense the original, there's the element of horror but there's also that little bit of disorientation about there being freshwater alligators in Maine, which is a great kind of hook. Jim Bickerman for me was like the poor country cousin who was left out of the will, you know, and he's trying to get his piece of the action. And I almost imagine him coming up from Kentucky or somewhere to Maine, and he's sort of always been the embarrassment of the family and he's up there poaching gators, you know, as a side line and making some money."

He also talked about the state of the horror genre, and what it takes to make a great scary movie.

"Well scary is subjective. I think there is room now for all different splits. Just like there is in music. You know, Lake Placid has some real jumps in it. Lake Placid 4, we've got some real jumps in it. And there's something really primal. That's about a part of the brain that goes back to when we were reptiles. It's an instinct that we have. And there's also a little something in us that makes us afraid of snakes, and afraid of spiders, and afraid of alligators, and crocodiles. And so those thrills come easy in ours. But there's also room for the fun. There's a certain amount of fun, I think, a little bit of undercurrent fun in a Lake Placid movie. I mean, we kill our teenagers, but there's a little bit of fun in it too."

When asked if this really will be the final movie in the franchise, the actor offered a few possibilities, if they were to make another movie.

"Whether or not they'll make another one, I don't know. I mean, it might be that after this one they re-think the franchise a little bit. What they might mean by Lake Placid: The Final Chapter, is that maybe those beasts are going to get out of Lake Placid. Maybe they'll wind up in Boston or somewhere. Maybe they'll migrate South, I don't know, New Hampshire."

Check your local listings to see when Lake Placid: The Final Chapter is playing on the Syfy channel.