Post by Chicago Jake on Apr 8, 2012 0:02:56 GMT -6
Svengoolie's horror entre tonight was Bernard L. Kowalski's cult classic "Sssssss" from 1973, starring Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict, Heather Menzies, and Richard B. Shull. The touching story of a herpetologist (that's a snake expert, not a hepatitis doctor) and his quest to create the perfect being: a human/snake hybrid.
Strother Martin (best known as Cool Hand Luke's sadistic warden) plays the mad scientist, and a pre-pubescent Starbuck plays his naive lab assistant. Experiments go horribly (if predictably) awry when the deranged researcher takes his experiments a bit too far. And when his own daughter starts her own research on the lab assistant's own trouser snake, well, let's just say the good doctor can only take so much! Hilarity and mutations ensue, with tragic consequences for one and all.
Bit of trivia: This movie was made well before the age of CGI, and all of the snake scenes are allegedly real. The cast and crew were always at risk, and teams of medicos with anti-venom were standing by at all times!
The ending is rather abrupt, so if you are the type who likes your movies wrapped up in a tidy bow, you might find this one a bit unsatisfying. But if you enjoy a good squick factor, and don't mind watching scientists playing God in the garden of evolution, you might enjoy this one quite a bit. It's good campy fun.
Bonus question: if you watch the movie, is it possible that Kristina (the scientist's daughter) is now knocked up with a half-man, half-snake baby? If so, that would lead to a great sequel. Of course, since this movie is almost 40 years old, that sequel is a long time comin'!
Strother Martin (best known as Cool Hand Luke's sadistic warden) plays the mad scientist, and a pre-pubescent Starbuck plays his naive lab assistant. Experiments go horribly (if predictably) awry when the deranged researcher takes his experiments a bit too far. And when his own daughter starts her own research on the lab assistant's own trouser snake, well, let's just say the good doctor can only take so much! Hilarity and mutations ensue, with tragic consequences for one and all.
Bit of trivia: This movie was made well before the age of CGI, and all of the snake scenes are allegedly real. The cast and crew were always at risk, and teams of medicos with anti-venom were standing by at all times!
The ending is rather abrupt, so if you are the type who likes your movies wrapped up in a tidy bow, you might find this one a bit unsatisfying. But if you enjoy a good squick factor, and don't mind watching scientists playing God in the garden of evolution, you might enjoy this one quite a bit. It's good campy fun.
Bonus question: if you watch the movie, is it possible that Kristina (the scientist's daughter) is now knocked up with a half-man, half-snake baby? If so, that would lead to a great sequel. Of course, since this movie is almost 40 years old, that sequel is a long time comin'!
