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.
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.
HumanoidOfFlesh
"The Killer Snakes" is surely one of my guilty pleasures.This incredibly sordid horror film mixes gore,perverse sex,torture and animal cruelty.Chen Zhihong lives a miserable existence in a rundown hovel next to a snake emporium(where the owner removes and sells the live animals' gall bladders as an aphrodisiac).His only friend is Xiujuan,a pretty and sympathetic girl who sells toys in the local outdoor market.One evening Zhihong receives a most unusual visitor who becomes his closest confidant.A mutilated reptile from the neighboring shop slithers in and allows the youth to nurse it back to health.Naming the snake Xiaobiao,Zhihong soon finds that he has gained the trust of several other reptiles as well.However,his troubles with humans continue unabated,as he is beaten,robbed and humiliated by a prostitute and her cohorts.Even his faith in Xiujuan is shattered when she stands him up one evening for a date(though,unbeknownst to Zhihong,it is for a legitimate reason).With the help of his snakes he decides to take a gruesome revenge on everybody,who humiliated him."The Killer Snakes" is an ugly little film with several unpleasant characters.The atmosphere is incredibly sleazy and there is plenty of nudity,bondage and perverse sex to keep fans of exploitation happy.9 out of 10.
rufasff
This seventies Hong Kong import is about as unpleasant as it gets. An unsanitary, screwed up uber loser befriends some snakes to get back at everyone; for Everyone is mean, stupid and cruel in this film. Except his virginal girlfriend of course, and well, don't ask.I thought it was interesting that you are never really sure if this guy has trained the snakes, or if they just feel sorry for this miserable soul. At any rate, when he's not using live snakes to rape his tied up whores, he is not above zapping them with a Kamoto dragon. It's a fun filled frolic for the whole family! Some of the trained Cobras are impressive to watch. The letterboxed print from "Something Weird" is awful, blotched and stained all the way through. If you want to see this, however, you better go for it, I don't think Criterion will get to this one for awhile.