A New Giant Monster Eats Minnesota's Finest Citizens

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:30:00 PDT

Giant monsters are good at two things: Destroying Asian cities, and rampaging through the rural midwest. And the mega-beast of "Serpent Lake" is a perfect specimen of a monster who does the latter. You must watch to believe.

From the official website of the film, now out on DVD:

Every 30 years, in the summer there is a mysterious unidentified creature claimed to inhabit Astaire's freshwater lake in Minnesota.

Along with Loch Ness monster Nessie and Lake Champlain's Champ, this monster is one of the best-known mysteries of crypto zoology. Most scientists and other experts find current evidence supporting the creature's existence unpersuasive and regard the occasional sightings as hoaxes or misidentification of known creatures or natural phenomena. Minnesotans believe in this legend, even though their theories may vary. The creature thought to be a plesiosaur being the most popular of these theories. But unlike Loch Ness or Lake Champlain, there is no canal linking Serpent Lake to the sea raising the question," Where does this creature come from? And during this time some people in or around the lake come up missing.

Who doesn't love a monster that haunts Minnesota? I hope it likes mashed potato pizza and pickled herring, because that's what it's going to taste when it chomps on our heroes.

I utterly adore the unapologetic Z-grade production values here. Such brio! And the characters are hilarious. The whole thing gives me a warm, Godmonster of Indian Flats kind of feeling.

You can gobble up the DVD via the Serpent Lake site and (dum dum dum!) thanks to Avery Guerra!

A Vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Vote for Al Franken, Say Minnesota Authorities

Annalee Newitz — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:00:00 PST

In the ongoing drama of the Minnesota recount, a few controversial write-in ballots have surfaced. One, which we reported on a few weeks ago, included a vote for liberal candidate Al Franken along with a write-in for "Lizard People." Another vote for Franken included a write-in for the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Today Minnesota Public Radio reports that the Lizard People ballot was ultimately discounted by the State Canvassing Board as an "over vote." The Flying Spaghetti Monster ballot, however, was allowed as a vote for Franken. What, no love for my Lizard People? [via MPR]

io9: minnesota

A New Giant Monster Eats Minnesota's Finest Citizens

A Vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Vote for Al Franken, Say Minnesota Authorities