sssssss movie review

No snakes were harmed during the filming of this movie. A movie simply titled Sssssss is kind of hard to take too seriously, but if I’m being completely honest, I liked this a whole lot! The mad-scientist plot is actually the best part of the film, since you really witness Dr. Stoner transform from a patient and amiable elderly doctor into an obsessive and fanatic maniac who'll stop at nothing – not even murder – to complete his mission. Sssssss is the story of Dr. Stoner (Strother Martin), a herpetologist specializing in snakes. It differs a bit in that the scientist at times is almost likable and shows regret for what he is doing, but he is clearly a mad scientist in that his theory and the reasons for his experiment are highly flawed and questionable. You can probably guess who wins that confrontation. I first saw this movie on TV when I was like 5 years old. Sssssss was originally released in 1973 by Universal as a double feature with The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, and received an April 26, 2016 Blu-ray release from Scream Factory. I first saw this when I was 8 or 9. Problems arise when the crazy doctor's unwary daughter Kristina falls in love with David and when the nearby police force comes to question him about his previous assistant who went missing. Dirk Benedict, you might remember him from battlestar or A-Team. Lunge. I came upon "SSSSSSS" at the local video store and rented it. Customer images. After hearing all the hunkydooster about this movie, I wanted to go see it for myself. Sssssss . Other movies like LEGEND TO HELL HOUSE had nudity and it stayed PG. From Kowalski's work, I was familiar with the cheap sci-fi/horror ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (1959) and the disaster adventure about a volcanic eruption KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (1969) – hardly notable fare, I know, but Leonard Maltin did award SSSSSSS a respectable ***…which I found to be well-deserved! Well, Martin is the star of Sssssss(7 s's), and I must admit he is rather enjoyable to watch as a kindly, softspoken, insane, murderous herpetologist trying to save the human race by turning men into cobras. First, there will be SPOILERS. In my review of BUG (1975), I had written that I didn't have the courage to watch this title because of my fear of snakes; a mere 2 days later, I learned of its director's recent passing – so, I said to myself, slimy critters be damned…now's the time to check out this bugger!! Quite clearly we can all see were This movie is going. (By the way, if you’re only interested in reading about this movie and not a lot of background about the filmmakers and actors, you might want to skip ahead a few paragraphs.). The plot (almost scene for scene) was appropriated by Full Moon to make Curse of the Puppetmaster, so campy is definitely the word to use here. So the girlfriend of the human test subject, David, witnesses her boyfriend's demise in the freakish predicament of a snake, his precious life ends at the paws of mortality itself, the otherwise innocuous ferret, who, in this case, does not stop to think that the snake he is killing for his next meal might and could just be a human, which the very same species he depends on for his survival. It’s so incredibly obvious that it’s hard to miss. Second, the director is Bernard L. Kowalski. I found that to be a truly impressive commitment to realism. He tricks David into believing the injections will make him immune to all types of snake bites, but in reality he gradually mutates David into a King Cobra. Chambers is well known for his work on the original Star Trek TV series and is credited with creating Spock’s prosthetic ears. The snakes are impressive, however. There were some pretty cool deaths and the concept is pretty bananas. Jan 20, 2010. Finally, Jack Ging plays the local sheriff. Like most people of my generation, I only know Dirk Benedict as the Faceman in the cool 80's series "The A-Team", where he used his womanizing skills and good looks (hence the alias) to seduce a new gal in every episode. The movie is great! Rating: 7.5/10 – SSSSSSSuper. One being the worst transformations ever put to celluloid! Why? ***SPOILERS*** A bit off the wall mad scientist,or herpetologist, movie about this harmless and kindly looking lunatic Dr. Carl Stoner, Strother Martin,who's come up with the bright idea of turning the human race into a half man half snake hybrid that will survive the terrors that nature and mankind has in store for it in the near future; pestilence famine and nuclear war. And boy, was I surprised! Along with spiders and scorpions, snakes are another interesting animal that often finds itself a part of horror films, and SSSSSSS puts it's focus squarely on the scaly reptiles, in particular the impressive King Cobra. So often those movies you enjoyed as a kid turn out to be trash when you watch them as an adult, but this was a rare case of a movie that managed to hold up. He takes in David Blake, a young student, as his assistant and promptly starts him on an "anti-venom" treatment. First, the executive producers are Richard Zanuck and David Brown, who went on to produce Jaws. For me it all worked, as did the half-man, half-snake that was formerly Stoner’s first student assistant. A mad doctor experimenting with snakes and humans with terrible consequences, One of the greatest horror films for a group of kids on a Saturday night. 4.6 out of 5 stars. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. Moviepilot. Blu-ray Review: Sssssss (1973) 13 May 2016; DailyDead; If you wish more horror films came with onomatopoetic titles, I’ve got the movie for you. OK, I was half in the bag watching this one. The movie was shot in the beginning of Dirk Benedict's Career, so his performance not as good as it became later, but he was a very talented and promissing actor. The film is very well made and despite its seemingly cheesy premise actually creates itself an effectively serious tone. in This movie Chambers literally changes Benedict into a full living snake not for The squeamish I might add. To this end, Stoner is attempting to create the first creature of the new evolution by transforming his unsuspecting student research assistants through a series of injections. Customer reviews. David goes through several progressive changes during his transformation. The scale is obviously off, but it’s still a wonderful shot! Some of the special effects are decent, but not enough to carry a movie. Dr. Stoner believes that the downfall of mankind is nigh unless they are soon able to move to a new existence, a higher stage of development. Metacritic Reviews. This movie has it all! Later in his career, he played the title role alongside Heather Menzies-Urich in the 1979 TV movie, Captain America. Despite its faults, I give Sssssss a 4 out of 5 loudly hissing, king cobras. Peppa Pig Episode 8. Sssssss: UV. Amazon Influencer . I never once doubted his role or questioned the casting. HAPPY HOLIDAZE - BLACK NERD COMEDY RAP - SHOUT! The final transformation was accomplished through a series of lap dissolves with progressive makeup, similar to The Wolf Man (1941). Ssssssso the acting may have been mediocre, but the snakes were the real S-s-s-s-stars! Dr. Stoner is in need of a new student research assistant and hires David (Dirk Benedict) to join their happy home and snake farm. It's not some unsung classic by any means, but it is a very engaging horror film. She was also in Captain America with Reb Brown,who has a small part in this movie too! The film obviously takes its influence from mad science horror films; in particular the likes of Frankenstein and puts snake twist on it. The fear of snakes is one that goes right to the core of our human nature. Customer Review: Sssssss [Blu-ray] See full review. Get your swag on with discounted movies to stream at home, exclusive movie gear, … Too bad the script also features too many dull moments and elements that are completely inappropriate for this type of story, like biblical references and extended hallucination sequences. Seven S’s. This one is a delight! His solution is to create a composite creature from the DNA of a man and a king cobra that will be better suited for survival. And the female lead,Heather Menzies, played one of the Von Trapps in the Sound of Music. A doctor who specializes in snakes develops a way to turn a human being into a king cobra! Chambers also created disguise kits for the CIA and was a key member of the team whose story was told in Argo (2012), in which he was played by John Goodman. There’s a great fight scene between Benedict and Brown where the beefy Brown literally hurls the smaller Benedict through the air. In fact, this movie is the one defining moment in my life that made me forever ssssssscared ssssssspitless of sssssssnakes. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing SSSSSSS near you. David and Kristina have an obvious mutual attraction and begin to spend time together almost immediately. What Stoner doesn't expect is that his daughter/assistant Kristina(Heather Menzies of PIRANHA fame)and David fall in love. 0:30. Your email address will not be published. The film deals a mad doctor(Strother Martin),his former helper has disappeared and he asks to University professor(Richard B. Shull)a student. An impressive cast that includes Tim O'Connor of Buck Rogers In the 25th Century fame and Dirk Benedict of Battlestar Galatica (original) and the A-Team fame. And show those fangs. So that can't be the reason, if Dirk or Heather had a problem with nudity, then they should either got another actor or just forgot the whole scene. However, while The Wolf Man used 17 face shots for the dissolves, Sssssss uses only five or six, making for a much less convincing change. Rathe boring and silly. And then it is more silly than Sci-Fi. A scientist specializing in the study of snakes, believes that human beings will never survive the coming disasters and holocausts he foresees. 07/16/2018 Find out where Sssssss (1973) is streaming, if Sssssss (1973) is on Netflix, and get news and updates, on Decider. I love snakes and this was just nactupular! Not five S’s. In 1976, NBC acquired the rights to this film, and it became a sort of cult movie, growing stronger as VHS in 1997 and DVD in 2004 added fuel to the fire. Reb Brown's fate and his treatment of the pet snake were both something that made us sit up and take notice. Incidentally, Scream Factory has also announced a Blu-ray release of The Boy Who Cried Werewolf for July 26, 2016. MLP: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks (30 Second Shout Factory) [PROMO] My Little Pony Official. Sssssss (1973) - Reviews & Comments. | A young man called David (Richard Benedict)looking for employment is hired by the scientific.The doctor works a secrets experiments on snakes.Meanwhile David falls in love with his daughter(Heather Menzies).Then the ¨mad doctor¨ injects him a serum into becoming a King Cobra snake causing a horrible transformation. User Ratings The snake-handling looked very professional. May 14, 2011. Third, the screenplay is written by Hal Dresner who also penned the script for The Eiger Sanction (1975). 'Sssssss' may not be the greatest horror/sci-fi film to grace the silver screen, but it's a heck of a great ride. At first I was put off by the sounds the snakes made, assuming they weren’t realistic and were added for dramatic effect. It definitely has the appeal of classic schlock, right down to that goofy title, but it's made with skill, with Bernard L. Kowalski ("Attack of the Giant Leeches") in the directors' chair. Movie Reviews; PG, 1 hr 39 min Tell us where you are Looking for movie tickets? 5 star 78% 4 star 11% 3 star 7% 2 star 1% 1 star 3% How are ratings calculated? For instance, in 1973, he was also in High Plans Drifter. Benedict plays a college student to perfection with an air of youthful acceptance to whatever Stoner tells him. Sssssss is now available on bluray from Shout Factory, Tags 1973 Bernard L. Kowalski Dirk Benedict Heather Menzies-Urich Jack Ging Richard B. Shull Sssssss Strother Martin Tim O'Connor. I also enjoyed the acting. I was really tempted to just copy+paste “Sssssss” until it filled up the page and have that be my review for this garbage, but I ultimately decided against it (and it almost went the other way). A review of the Bernard L. Kowalski horror science-fiction snake transformation B-Movie Sssssss (1973) on BasementRejects.com. When Kevin Smith released his now -notorious horror comedy Tusk, many reviewers took issue with the ludicrous premise in which a mad scientist takes … The script plods along, but screenwriter Hal Dresner Mad science. If you're terrified of snakes, it will most likely scare the hell out of you. Several times, we see Strother Martin handling live snakes using the tools of a snake handler. Heather Menzies-Urich may be the most interesting of the leads. Strother Martin is probably best known for his roles in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and a half-dozen John Wayne vehicles. Sssssss (1973) trailer. First, there will be SPOILERS. Much to the dismay of the doctor's young daughter... "SSSSSSS" is an interesting but ultimately too slow creature feature. It’s hard to imagine the same Strother Martin from Cool Hand Luke or Butch Casssidy and the Sundance Kid playing a lab coated scientist, but he does a fine job. A.D. V Super Reviewer. I think cobras are the coolest of any snakes, deadly as they are! There really is not a whole lot going on in this one either, but they manage to have a full length feature at 99 minutes. I have fond memories of watching this film as a kid. David’s “immunization” begins immediately when he is hired. In Sssssss, he plays Steve Randall, a stereotypical dumb jock. A brilliant doctor has the formula to help mankind survive the event of the holocaust and other cataclysmic proportions. 1:05. A missing student named Tim, we later find, was a tragic victim of Stoner's experiments in "tampering" with evolution so that civilization would continue after mankind was long past(..he's paranoid with the fact that mankind, as we know it, is certainly on the verge of collapse and extinction which fuels his obsessions with his work). Presumably, the producers or studio wanted a PG rating, so the nudity was covered up by placing leaves and branches in the foreground after the scene was shot. Next Post. He wants to use it on young David Blaine (Dirk Benedict)...but his daughter (Heather Menzies) is falling in love with him. This film is like numerous science fiction/horror films from the 1950's, 60's and 70's as it features a mad scientist with a bizarre experiment he wishes to conduct. EQD Exclusive: Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks 30 Second Shout Factory Promo. The story is absurd and rather difficult to follow. It’s crazy and silly but well worth a watch and if you’re not laughing as you watch this, you haven’t drank enough. In his retrospective review he wrote, "Sssssss fails because it emulates the films that inspired it all too closely: the story moves forward at a laboriously slow pace, and its threadbare plot makes it all too easy for the viewer to pick apart its plot holes and implausible elements. Stupid...yes! Horror...No. Sssssss is an enjoyable homage to countless monster movies of the 1950s that never takes itself too seriously. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets In fact, Sssssss is the first Zanuck-Brown production. Movie Review. Originally this was titled SSSSNAKE, but someone in Universal's publicity department thought SSSSSSS was clever. I have to say I'm surprised that this little film doesn't have a higher rating. One of the hardest calls I’ve ever had to make. The litany continues with the three lead actors. to survive the extinction of mankind that no one thinks is going to happen except for him. Despite its lack of focus, it still delivers a cohesive whole and is certainly never dull. I would have liked it sober too…I think. Fandango FANALERT® Sign up for a FANALERT® to find out when tickets are available in your area. Good job! I'm tempted to believe that SSSSSSS was never all that scary, even back when having live snakes on the set was all it took to make a scary movie. Sssssss was released in 1973 and has generally received mixed reviews. There is very little gore in this one, but it does have its moments...granted, most of the gore comes from a couple of snakes being dispatched and not by people. statement. A big part of that love has a lot to do with the people involved in its making, but more about that later. SSSSSSS is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination; it is rather heavily flawed and definitely very silly, but it's also rather original, very inventive and certainly makes for an interesting watch, so the bad reputation is baffling! There is a bit of an oddity in a couple scenes that were originally shot containing some nudity. The effects were impressive, although, I would like to see a snake man with arms. | There are only a couple shots where a model or puppet is used in place of the king cobra. External Reviews I mean mad science— science that doesn’t just run counter to everything accepted by reputable practitioners in the field, but which also would serve no imaginable sane purpose even if it could be made to work the way it’s supposed to. Sssssssee thissssss film! The practical effects and makeup were pretty good for the era. Learn more. So this film has its good points, but a lot of bad points too. The story line sounds like it could really be good; but then you realize the project goes limp. Striepeke has makeup department credits on a long list of Hollywood blockbusters, including Oscar nominations for Forrest Gump (1994) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards in 2004. Genre fans may also recall his roles in The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) and Nightwing (1979). He lives in his combination home and laboratory with his daughter, Kristina (Heather Menzies-Urich), who helps him care for his snakes. The plot is simple, the acting respectable and the make-up effects surprisingly solid, all of which are a pleasant treat considering the campy nature of the material. Martin's over-the-top performance saves this film from being utterly mundane and makes it fun to watch. Audience Reviews for Sssssss. Ging is one of those omnipresent character actors that has appeared in a long list of TV shows and movies. The ending is also a bit of a letdown as it feels rushed, abrupt and boosts totally gratuitous footage of animal cruelty. Dr. Stoner lures David to his secluded mansion where he injects gallons of serum into his veins. Earn 125 points on every ticket you buy. Bernard L. Kowalski HORROR-SCI-FI-movie USA 1973 cast: Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict, Heather Menzies-Urich aka(s): Sssssss, Cobras Venenosas, Hissssss description: A college student becomes lab assistant to a scientist who is working on a serum that can transform for it's Time The movie delivers some Top notch special effects particularly in The make up. In terms of direction and storytelling, Sssssss is well-paced and the dialogue comes off as very natural. His first attempt is a failure and the resulting half-man, half-snake is sold to Kogan (Tim O’Connor), who operates a carnival freak show. Well, talk of an omen! Leave a Reply Cancel reply. This movie is more Sci-Fi than horror. So, when you watch a film like "Sssssss" and your reaction is to yawn, you know things are not working. As were told by Dr. Stoner in the movie snakes can survive many times as much radiation as humans can and eat once a month compared to people having to to eat three times a day. She payed Louisa in The Sound of Music (1965), but was also in Logan’s Run (1977-78), the TV movie Captain America (1979), and Piranha (1978). Will he use this on the college student who has just became his new assistant? NEW My Reptilian Past – An Interview With Actor Dirk Benedict, NEW The Herpetologist’s Daughter – An Interview With Heather Menzies. WHY he wants to do this is never fully explained. Designed by John Chambers he had astounded movie audiences earlier with his work on The Planet Of The Apes movies. So the name was changed, and the movie did poorly in the theaters. Ok, I've got to qualify that "Ssssssscary as Hell!!!" Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. SSSSSSS is an awesome movie. Stoner, however, has grown diabolical and will kill one male behind the death of his pet snake and another quack doctor/professor, behind the school's granting him the annual grant that keeps his career going, who understands what he's up to regarding David, becoming lunch to his pet boa. Connoisseurs of fun, campy creature features have such a battle trying to find one worth watching again and again out of all the horrible ones. Not surprisingly, the good doctor is convinced that this improved state of existence will include a mutually beneficial melding of snake and human DNA. The performances are excellent, as is the convincing makeup devised by John Chambers (the "Planet of the Apes" series), Nick Marcellino, and Mr. Striepeke. I HIGHLY reccomend this movie to all King Cobra lovers and Ickybodies. 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I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Reb Brown. You know what you just don’t see in movies anymore? – The Impact of Horror on Rock Music, My Top 10 Horror Movies of 2020: Quarantine Edition, An Appreciation of Roger Spottiswoode’s Terror Train, The 3 Best, and Only, Thanksgiving Themed Horror Movies. Sssilly, ssstupid and ssslow ssso do yourself a favor and ssskip it. Second, I love this movie far more than it deserves. PLANET OF THE APES showed a bare butt and it was rated G! He also appeared in Howling II (1985) and Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983). Uncategorized. Probably best known for Krakatoa, East of Java (1969) and extensive work in television, Kowalski began his career with Night of the Blood Beast (1958) and Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959). We saw it back then in the seventies and were promptly scared to death by it.
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