Killer Animal Database #1: Kiss My Asp! (Snake Flicks!)
07.01.09 By: Horror Squad Staff
By Peter Martin
As Cleopatra -- or my editor Scott Weinberg -- would say: Kiss my asp if you don't like killer snake movies. My introduction came via Sssssss (1973), which I watched on a Saturday afternoon on my grandparents' old console TV. Pre-Battlestar Galactica, Dirk Benedict was a likable lead and Heather Menzies nearly fried my young mind when she joined Dirk in a skinny-dipping scene, even though it was very PG. What freaked me was when mad scientist Strother Martin tried to transform poor Dirk into a snake.
Yes, yes, a gentle introduction, but I thought I was pretty brave just for watching; the trailer for Stanley around the same time scared the crap out of me -- what can I say, I was a sheltered kid. Once I got a little older and a little nervier, I was (almost) ready for Venom, a nasty, unsettling hostage thriller greatly enlivened by a deadly black mamba. I'm not sure what was scarier: the snake, Oliver Reed, or Sterling Hayden. Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing set a new standard for killer serpents in the early 80s with its indelible scene of Maren Jensen calmly soaking in a soapy bathtub, soon to be menaced by something between her legs ...
Anaconda still makes me laugh out loud. It's totally ridiculous, and totally worth repeat viewings for the smashingly silly CGI giant snake attacks. And, of course, a totally committed Jon Voight, in the best performance ever by an Academy Award-winning actor in a killer snake movie.
(So what's the Killer Animal Database? Venture post-jump to find out!)
Weinberg here! I've discovered that movie geeks love making lists, and the horror genre is particularly suited to list-making, what with all the remakes, sequels, and sub-genres we love so much. So submitted for your perusal is THIS LIST of killer snake movies. But I'm sure it's not a finished product just yet. If you know of a "killer snake" horror flick that's not included here, feel free to submit it through or comments section --or-- by tweeting me or Pete Martin.
The next installment? SPIDERS!
Filed under: Discussion Posts
Reader Comments (1 of 1)
sleestakkat 7-01-2009
I enjoy when can identify with an author esp. when it happens within the first few lines. I could've written that entire first paragraph (albeit not quite as eloquent) to represent my introduction to snake films. Whenever someone mentions a snake film, Sssssss is always at the front. I'm glad Scott is making these lists and look forward to more!