RATTLERS (1975)
Director: John McCauley
Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment

Among other things, the 70s was the decade of nature's various creatures taking their revenge on man, and films like NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, FROGS, DAY OF THE ANIMALS, SQUIRM, FOOD OF THE GODS, THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION, KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, KISS OF THE TARANTULA, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS and THE SWARM flooded the drive-in screens. The subject of deadly snakes had already been addressed in STANLEY and SSSSSSS, and RATTLERS later arrived in the mix and seemed to get lost in it.

RATTLERS was produced by Harry Novak's Boxoffice International Pictures, and it's probably the most mainstream and least sleazy entry in the company's rooster. The film begins in the desert with two boys bringing their daddies cans of beer so that they could run off and climb some rocks. Bad idea, as the lads are bitten by a bunch of vicious Rattlers immediately before the credits role.

What starts off as disturbing and promising effort turns into a "movie of the week" look-alike, with a waspy herpetologist (Sam Chew Jr.) and a liberated but tender photographer (Ann Bradley) brought in to investigate the sudden rash of aggressive snake attacks. Most of the film dwells on their investigation, and even though they make a nice couple, they're quite dull. Highlights include a sexy mom (giving us a flash of PG-rated skin) having snakes invade her bath, instigated by a plumber trying to fix the pipes underneath the house and getting one up his pants in the process. Some of the snake attacks are scary and will probably make you hate these slithering critters after viewing it, but most of the scenes are sloppily shot, substituting unconvincing Rattler stock footage in some instances. RATTLERS is a passable time waster that doesn't compare to the more fun AIP films of this sort.

The full frame DVD transfer for RATTLERS is clean and looks pretty decent despite occasional picture softness. Colors are stable, but sometimes look muted. The mono audio is clear and background noise is minimal.

Although it's not heavily advertised on the packaging, Something Weird has added a second snake-related feature, THE SNAKE PEOPLE (aka ISLE OF THE SNAKE PEOPLE), one of four Mexican features where Jack Hill shot inserts with Boris Karloff in California. Due to its title and frequent airings on late-night TV, THE SNAKE PEOPLE is probably the most popular of the four, but not one of the better ones (and that's still not saying much!).

Karloff plays a plantation owner on an island inhabited by a strange snake cult that transforms women into zombies. One of the henchmen likes to have sex with the pasty-fasted ghoul girls until Karloff puts a stop to the semi-Necrophilia activities. There's a lot of trippy dance sequences (with erotic belly dancing by Yolanda Montes aka "Tongolele"), a nasty dwarf that looks like a reject from Howard Stern's radio show, and a Karloff double who sports a black hood and cigar and is much more spry than his elderly alter ego. Like with most of his Mexican-made thrillers, Boris is better than the material and even though the film has its moments, it's mainly a botched effort.

Something Weird's full frame transfer for THE SNAKE PEOPLE has a Columbia Pictures logo at the beginning and looks passable even though the print has flaws such as scratches, lines, marks and several jump cuts. Colors are generally strong, although fleshtones tend to be on the pink side. The mono audio is adequate for a title of this ilk. By the way, this feature does not sport a "SWV" mark in the lower corner as do the other extras.

There are lots of short subjects here, some color and some black & white, all snake-related and/or being of a burlesque nature. These "Snake-O-Rama" shorts include "Snake Charmer," "Dina Newell the Cobra Girl," "Snake Dream," "Esmeralda at the Cafe d'Artist," "Snake Lover" and "Snake vs. Snake" (mondo footage of snakes battling each other). There are trailers for RATTLERS, ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES, THE BLACK CAT, THE CRAWLING HAND, CREATURE OF THE WALKING DEAD, DEVIL WOMAN, DON'T OPEN THE WINDOW, THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH, THE KILLER SHREWS, NIGHT OF THE COBRA WOMAN and "Spasmitus Midnight Thrill Show." (a spookshow double bill). There's also a hidden feature showcasing some vintage Dave Friedman footage and a gallery of horror comic cover art with music by the Dead Elvi. (George R. Reis)

BACK TO REVIEWS

HOME