SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Chase_Witherspoon Bizarre tale of a reclusive young man whose chronic inhibitions have been shaped by his tormented childhood, during which he witnessed his prostitute mother being subjected to degrading acts and mistreatment by clients. He grows up to become a sexually repressed loner, the ridicule of others, repetitively robbed and humiliated until he discovers an injured snake whom he cares for and then rears to fight his battles. Sadistic shocks reign supreme in this over-the-top Hong Kong thriller; there are two scenes in particular in which the sexually deviant content would challenge the censorship regulations to the limit, so it's surprising that "Killer Snakes" even manages an R rating.In context, the cast all perform their roles well, and the lead character can to some degree elicit sympathy for his misguided crimes. Maze-like poverty-stricken alleyways, bustling, diverse markets and ram-shackled rat-hole dwellings look authentic, and the mood is consistently dark and sinister, striking an effective chord throughout.But the sadism with which the characters are mercilessly dispensed might offend the average punter, even where it seems as though the victim has earned their punishment. The scene in which the sleazy playboy is taunted by the snakes in his plush apartment is a particular example where I was comfortable with the comeuppance meted out; contrast this with the scene in which the girl's sister (whose only crime was to discourage her sister from dating snake-boy) is tortured S&M style using the snakes (use your imagination) is a graphic example where shock value goes beyond proportionate justice (within the perverted context). Undoubtedly well made and engaging if just a little excessive at times.

TheExpatriate700 The Killer Snakes is definitely a step above your typical mid-1970s animal horror film, combining the threat of venomous snakes with a grim tale of alienation in an urban environment. All the sexual frustration and sleaze that was implied in films like Willard and Stanley comes to the fore here.The film focuses on a young man suffering from psycho-sexual scars stemming from witnessing his mother engaging in sadomasochistic activity as a child. He is constantly tormented by street thugs and prostitutes. Unfortunately, the man also has the ability to communicate psychically with snakes, which he ultimately uses to punish those who have offended him, particularly women.Many viewers will find this film difficult to watch. It features extremely graphic, sexual violence against women, as well as actual scenes of snakes being mutilated. Nevertheless, if you like extreme horror, this is definitely a film for you.

BA_Harrison Snakes seeking fame and fortune in the Asian film industry are advised to read their contracts carefully: it's not rare for an over-eager reptile to be duped into partaking in 'snake snuff', ending up mangled, mashed, burnt, chopped, mutilated, or in some cases, even batted to death by a monkey, all for the sake of art.Those who do risk signing up without reading the fine print certainly have guts, as is graphically demonstrated by the cobras at the beginning of Killer Snakes, who have their skin split open and gall bladders yanked out before being cast aside to die. Fortunately for these cold-blooded critters, they narrowly escape death (well, in the film they do—for a while; in reality, they most likely carked it straight away) when they are found and cared for by Chen Zhihong (Kam Kwok-leung), a meek but messed-up young man who has an affinity with snakes (and just a few screws loose, thanks to a very disturbed childhood).Whilst nursing his scaly pals back to health, Chen suffers daily physical abuse at the hands of local bullies; eventually, however, he is able to turn the tables on his tormentors when his newfound, fork-tongued friends decide to lend him a hand in exacting revenge (metaphorically speaking, of course; I know that snakes don't have hands!).Time flies by as our luckless chump and his slithery chums set about settling the score (which includes abusing female bullies by abducting them, tying them up, and letting his snakes find a nice warm place to hide); meanwhile, pretty market girl Xiujuan (Maggie Li Lin-lin), the apple of Chen's eye, has fallen on hard times and is being groomed by Madam FangFang for prostitution. When Hu Baochun, a wealthy slime-ball, sets his sights on breaking in the new girl, Chen and his hissing homeboys (hey, I'm running out of things to call them) attempt to stop him before he can successfully sample Xiujuan's as-yet untouched delights.Now available on Region 1 DVD in its uncut form, this sordid slice of Shaw Brothers snakesploitation is a top contender as 'Most Unsavoury Reptilan HK Horror Ever', even rivalling the excellent Calamity of Snakes for the title. Set in an inner-city slum, where Chen lives in a particularly squalid hovel, the film is unapologetically grubby, wallowing in its own filth and depravity and delighting in its sexual violence and animal cruelty. It's obviously not a film for animal lovers or the politically correct, but thicker-skinned fans of outrageous and excessive Asian oddities should definitely check out this film for its sheer craziness, which includes Chen's all-too-brief visit to a local whore, an attack by vicious Komodo dragons, mucho mid-air serpent slicing, some sleazy flashbacks to Chen's childhood that explain his predilection for bondage, and a nifty nihilistic ending that sees the snakes turning on their master.

Michael_Elliott Killer Snakes (1975) ** (out of 4) Shaw Bros./Hong Kong horror flick in the same mode as Willard has a nerdy man using deadly snakes to seek revenge against those who torment him. This here is certainly more mean spirited and stylish than those American films but we've still seen this type of thing way too many times. This film also adds some sexual abuse as the man torments various hookers by having the reptiles biting certain areas of theirs but this isn't enough to keep the film interesting. The incredibly slow pace also hurts matters.