IMDb RATING
5.8/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Terrorists in the process of kidnapping a child get trapped in a house with an extremely deadly snake.Terrorists in the process of kidnapping a child get trapped in a house with an extremely deadly snake.Terrorists in the process of kidnapping a child get trapped in a house with an extremely deadly snake.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Directors
- Piers Haggard
- Tobe Hooper(replaced by Piers Haggard) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Piers Haggard said in a 2003 interview for 'Fangoria' magazine, "I took over that at very short notice. Tobe Hooper had been directing it and they had stopped for whatever reason. It hadn't been working. I did see some of his stuff and it didn't look particularly good plus he also had some sort of nervous breakdown or something. So anyway they stopped shooting and offered it to me. Unfortunately I had commitments, I had some commercials to shoot. But anyway I took it over with barely ten days of preparation - which shows. It doesn't become my picture, it's a bit inbetween . . . [actor Oliver Reed was] scary at first because he was always testing you all the time. Difficult but not as difficult as Klaus Kinski. Because Oliver [Reed] actually had a sense of humour. I was rather fond of him; he could be tricky but he was quite warm really. He just played games and was rather macho and so on. Klaus Kinski was very cold. The main problem with the film was that the two didn't get on and they fought like cats. Kinski of course is a fabulous film actor and he's good in the part, the part suits him very well. They were both well cast but it was a very unhappy film. I think Klaus was the problem but then Oliver spent half the movie just trying to rub him up, pulling his leg all the way. There were shouting matches because Oliver just wouldn't let up. None of this is about art. All the things that you're trying to concentrate on tend to slip. So it was not a happy period."
- GoofsWhen Dr. Stowe is told to get up by Kinski, she anticipates the terrorist's action by grabbing the scarf before Kinski wraps her hand in it.
- Quotes
Commander William Bulloch: Look, could you tell me just how dangerous very dangerous is?
Dr. Marion Stowe: The most dangerous snake in the whole world, that dangerous.
- Crazy creditsThe Producers wish to extend their thanks to David Ball, overseer of reptiles at London Zoo, without whose skill and courage in the handling of the deadly Black Mamba, this film could not have been made.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sneak Previews: Personal Best/The Border/Venom/Zoot Suit (1982)
Featured review
A predator even more deadly than Klaus Kinski
Engaging tale of a band of thieves whose plan to take a child and his grandfather hostage in their plush London townhouse, to extort money from the child's wealthy mother, is short-circuited by a rampaging Black Mamba that's been mistakenly brought into the mix. Intriguing to see how the plan unravels as the inimitable Klaus Kinski and his accomplices fall prey one by one to the elusive predator, its venom more deadly than any other species of snake. Cornered by the law on the outside, and the aggressive asp from within, they must adapt and improvise to affect a miraculous escape, no longer concerned with money, but basic survival.
Taut little suspense-thriller enabled by a strong cast, decent dialogue and well-paced direction. Kinski as the main protagonist is chilling, and he's well supported in Oliver Reed as the boozy henchman and Susan George as an unlikely (and unlucky) accomplice. Also noteworthy is Nicol Williamson as the dedicated police inspector who finds himself at the helm of a tense stand-off between the bandits, their captures and the unpredictable rogue reptile. While Sterling Hayden's characterisation of an aging ex game hunter is somewhat vague and incidental to the plot, it does add another dimension to the proceedings that stirs the curiosity and colours the complexity of an otherwise straightforward yarn.
Effective use of sets, lighting, music and tight editing nicely complement the occasional sadistic and surprisingly graphic violence. The snake itself, sometimes portrayed by a replica, is also well staged and looks convincingly hostile. Understated and somewhat obscure considering its impressive credits (Tobe Hooper was also linked with the film early on, but parted ways with the project), "Venom" is a compelling hostage thriller, cleverly bolstered by an unorthodox twist, and is well worth the time.
Taut little suspense-thriller enabled by a strong cast, decent dialogue and well-paced direction. Kinski as the main protagonist is chilling, and he's well supported in Oliver Reed as the boozy henchman and Susan George as an unlikely (and unlucky) accomplice. Also noteworthy is Nicol Williamson as the dedicated police inspector who finds himself at the helm of a tense stand-off between the bandits, their captures and the unpredictable rogue reptile. While Sterling Hayden's characterisation of an aging ex game hunter is somewhat vague and incidental to the plot, it does add another dimension to the proceedings that stirs the curiosity and colours the complexity of an otherwise straightforward yarn.
Effective use of sets, lighting, music and tight editing nicely complement the occasional sadistic and surprisingly graphic violence. The snake itself, sometimes portrayed by a replica, is also well staged and looks convincingly hostile. Understated and somewhat obscure considering its impressive credits (Tobe Hooper was also linked with the film early on, but parted ways with the project), "Venom" is a compelling hostage thriller, cleverly bolstered by an unorthodox twist, and is well worth the time.
helpful•141
- Chase_Witherspoon
- Apr 28, 2011
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,229,643
- Gross worldwide
- $5,229,643
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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