History Film / CabinByTheLake

* RevealingInjury: Stanley eventually kidnaps the screenwriter who was doing research into his life, but she initially thinks he's just overdoing a MethodActing approach. He leans over to show her a scar on his arm from a late female victim, leading to the dawning realization that he's the monster she's been looking for.

''Cabin by the Lake'' is a 2000 [[MadeForTVMovie made-for-TV]] horror movie.

His latest victim Mallory is miraculously saved by a local diving crew just after he dropped her off and left her for dead. The cops discover Stanley's crimes, but given the size of the lake and the number of boat owners can't narrow down the suspect. With this turn of events Stanley tries to write a different ending to his story...

It was followed by a 2001 sequel, ''Return to Cabin by the Lake''.

* StockholmSyndrome: Invoked. After Stanley takes over the production on ''Cabin by the Lake'' under his JC Reddick identity, he rewrites his interactions with Mallory in the previous film as if she starts desiring the serial killer who repeatedly abducted and tried to drown her. Allison later pretends that she's fallen for Stanley, but it's just an act to play to his ego and try to escape.

* FinalGirl: Mallory was the last girl that Stanley planned to kill before finishing his script, and the only one to escape. She's tougher than the previous ones and makes a point of standing up to him. He becomes enamored with her for her defiance and is determined to drown her succesfully the next time.

* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: [[spoiler:Allison tries to electrocute Stanley in his own bathtub in the climax, but she stops because she doesn't want to become a killer like him. She alerts the incoming authorities, but Stanley uses the opportunity to escape and dissapear forever.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Stanley evades capture again and is living incognito in Los Angeles. The movie based on his crimes has been a major succes with a sequel on the way, and even though he hasn't profited from it financially his crimes have become renowned the world over. He ends the movie noting that he might start another murder spree.]]

* PrimaDonnaDirector: The movie-within-a-movie ''Cabin by the Lake'''s director Mike Helton is a complete tool and sleaze who [[CastingCouch sleeps with his female leads in exchange for future job ofers]], constantly hurls abuse at his co-workers, demands to micromanage every aspect of the production, and falsely claims to be an expert on the (not actually) deceased serial killer the film is about. After Stanley gets rid off him, no one except the two female starts really question his disappearance.
* ReminiscingAboutYourVictims: Stanley recalls Kimberly, his last succesful victim before his crimes were found out, quite well. He relays to Allison, a curious script writer, that she gave him "a good fight" and clawed at his arm as he daydreams about Kimberly.
* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: Stanley is quite happy that he's believed to have drowned in his own watery grave as it allows him to continue his killing spree undisturbed. After he reveals his true identity to Allison she can't believe it and notes his reported demise. He sarcastically reponds with an amused "Really?"

* DefiantStrip: Mallory is chained in a basement by a serial killer, who at one point takes her dirty clothes and gives her a robe so she can bathe. Mallory defiantly throws the robe off and stands naked, as if daring him to make a move. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He doesn't.]]

* DefiantStrip: Mallory is chained in a basement by a serial killer, who at one point takes her clothes and gives her a robe so she can bathe. Mallory defiantly throws the robe off and stands naked, as if daring him to make a move. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He doesn't.]]

* DefiantStrip: Mallory is chained in a basement by psychotic screenwriter Stanley Caldwell, who at one point takes her clothes and gives her a robe so she can bathe. Mallory defiantly throws the robe off and stands naked, as if daring him to make a move. [[EvenEvilHasStandards He doesn't.]]

* ShowWithinAShow: It features the fictional shooting of a ''Cabin by the Lake'' movie based on Stanley's exploits.

* YourHeadAsplode: Subverted. Stanley sticks a firecracker into someone's ear as an IronicEcho to a comment the guy made earlier about "lighting a firecracker under your ass". He puts it out just before it goes off, but he [[BuriedAlive buries the man alive]] instead while lighting fireworks on top of his casket.

* TooSoon: In-universe. After Stanley's murder spree at Lake Summit is uncovered and he's believed to have died himself, the studio execs whom Stanley sold his original script to almost immediately want to make a movie to profit off his sudden notoriety. This sparks a series of protests by the victims' families.

* CardCarryingVillain: Stanley makes sure all his victims see a message when they're kidnapped that makes it absolutely clear that he knows he's a monster: "I'M THE GUY YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT"