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| Blue Underground (USA). All Regions, NTSC. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1, English DTS 6.1, English DD 2.0. 92 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Piers Haggard
Starring: Sterling Hayden,
Klaus Kinski, Sarah Miles, Nicol Williamson, Cornelia
Sharpe, Susan George, Lance Holcomb, Oliver Reed
Screenplay: Robert Carrington
Country: UK |
This is very exciting! No, not Venom's
shiny cover, though that's pretty cool, too.
What's really exciting is that Venom marks the first, and probably last, time where I
can compare a film to the book that inspired it.
I hate reading, so it's very rare that I ever
pick up a novel. One of the hardest parts of writing
for this site is the editing of the reviews, 'cause
that means I have to read them. I hate reading even
more than I hate Liv Tyler. Well, maybe not that
much.
Anyway, in Venom, a young
boy from a wealthy family goes to a local pet
shop to pick up a harmless African house snake
he ordered. In a mix up, he accidentally gets
a mamba instead. The snake-in-a-box gets opened
at a horrible time for some would be kidnappers,
releasing the snake into the house. As they try
to flee, the police arrive, so they're stuck
in the house, and have to worry about the darned
snake appearing in whatever area they happen to
be in. HERE IT COMES, the film to book comparison:
The filmmakers had to simplify the book a bit.
HA! Now that's reviewing!
While the climax is a bit overblown, altered
from the novel's ending presumably because
that would've been hard to capture on film, Venom is still very good. Not
brilliant, but very good. Thank God Tobe Hooper
got replaced, or it would've really stunk.
From director Piers Haggard's commentary
track, it sounds like Hooper's footage didn't
look good. I don't know why that would surprise
anyone, but whatever. The film isn't flawless,
despite having lost Tobe "I'm a horror
icon! I made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre!"
Hooper. There's some baaaaaaad ADR, particularly
involving the boy's grandfather going up
some stairs and yelling. I thought my DVD had
skipped and the sound got out of sync, it was
that far off. Speaking of the grandfather, he
and the boy suck. The rest of the cast are quite
good and made up of familiar faces, most notably
Oliver Reed and a very thin Klaus Kinski. Kinski
evidently turned down a role in Raiders
of the Lost Ark for a role in Venom,
so everyone should be really appreciative of his
commitment to parts that paid more money.
The mamba footage is a mixture of a real snake
and models, and almost everything involving the
snake is excellent. Haggard thinks that the snake
and model date the film, citing flowing, uninterrupted
CGI of modern cinema. I say if this is dated,
dated is good because CG sucks. The only thing
I really didn't like was one attack that
didn't really make a lot of sense in terms
of the story. I'm not sure how realistic
the mamba's behaviour is. In a more recent
film, Fair
Game, it is said that mambas are only
abnormally aggressive during the mating season.
I was going to look up this bit of trivia, but
then realized that unless I could come across
a book on tape, that would require reading. So,
I guess we'll never know how mambas act
in real life. Or at least I won't. Someone
might write in and tell me, I suppose, but, again,
that reading block will cause a problem. |
| Video |
| The film is presented at 1.85:1 and looks great.
There is some slight grain at times, and the rare
speck, but this is a lovely transfer with a clear
and sharp picture. |
| Audio |
| Audio is available in a DTS track, a 5.1 mix,
and a two-channel mix. I'm still using the
cheap ass player they were giving away at Sanity
a few years ago, so I can't listen to DTS.
However, I do have 5.1 capabilities, and did find
the 5.1 track to be fuller in sound than the two-channel. Venom isn't a film with a
lot of dynamic range, but the audio is spruced up
where it could be. Cars go past, screams come from
a distance, and the score sounds richer. I also
found dialogue a bit clear on the 5.1 track, but
the two-channel track is slightly quieter, so that
may be all there was to that. |
| Extra Features |
| As I mentioned, the DVD has a shiny cover, which
almost makes it worth buying alone. I like shiny
things. The DVD also includes the trailer, TV spots,
a still/poster/promo book gallery, talent bios for
Reed and Kinski, and a commentary with the director.
Moderating the track is Jonathan somebody or other,
who REALLY needs to pronounce his name more clearly
next time. The speakers go quite a few times, but
I don't think any of the gaps ran for more
than a minute. The commentators have a good, dry
wit, making for much entertainment. I particularly
like all the humorous anecdotes about Reed and Kinski
not getting on, which also explains why their characters'
hostility towards each other seemed so fierce. Kinski's
lack of professionalism is covered as well, amidst
the tales of Reed's hijinks against the silly
German man. Haggard also explains that he came in
late, replacing Hooper, so he couldn't change
the script significantly. He wanted to make the
set-up "richer," which actually would've
dramatically improved one the film's few weaknesses.
It's too bad Hooper wasn't nixed sooner. |
| The Verdict |
Good film, solid release, shiny cover.
Comment Script
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"The speakers go quite a few times"
"quite" should be "quiet"