Tobe Hooper was originally set to direct Venom. It is unclear exactly when he backed out. It was far enough into production that his name appears as co-director in the IMDB credits, but Piers Haggard who took over for him notes that not a single frame that Hooper shot appears in the released film. It doesn’t matter as Haggard handled the bulk of the actual directing, but it does leave one to wonder what a Tobe Hooper-directed version of this film would look like. What we got is a sturdy little thriller with a ridiculous plot held together by a stacked cast and solid, if not particularly wow-inducing, direction.
Buy Venom (1981) 4K UHDThe first half hour is all set up. International criminal Jacques Müller (Klaus Kinski) plots to kidnap the grandson of Howard Anderson (Sterling Hayden), a wealthy hotel-chain owner and renowned big-game hunter. He’s somehow managed to get his girlfriend Louise (Susan Geroge) working at the house as a maid and she’s seduced the chauffeur Dave (Oliver Reed) onto their side. When the boy’s mother leaves for Rome, Müller devises a way to lure Anderson out of the house long enough for him to snatch the boy and ask for a ransom. Naturally, the plan immediately goes wrong. The boy rushes out of the house to pick up a harmless pet snake just as Müller was supposed to snatch him. By the time he gets back to the house, Anderson has returned forcing Müller to change his plans. But before they can leave, a cop appears, and Dave shoots him out of fear. Led by Commander William Bulloch (Nicol Williamson), more cops arrive and quickly surround the house, forcing a standoff.
Oh, and that harmless pet snake is actually a deadly black mamba. There was a mix-up at the pet store. The harmless snake was given to Dr. Marion Stowe (Sarah Miles), a toxicologist who has been studying black mambas. She’s the one who sent the first police officer to the house to warn everybody about the terrible mistake. Naturally, the snake gets out adding an additional deadly item to our thriller.
Haggard notes in his audio commentary that Kinski and Reed did not get along at all. This isn’t the least bit surprising as both actors were known for their huge egos and reputations for being difficult to work with. Apparently, Reed regularly pranked Kinski, causing his famous hot temper to flare up. That antagonism works as the characters are pretty quickly at odds with one another and their natural hatred towards one another shows clearly on the screen.
The rather convoluted and ridiculous plot doesn’t work as well. The snake, which winds up acting like a killer in a slasher movie, complete with several point-of-view shots, wanders about the house via the air ducts randomly surprising our characters with its deadly fangs. Müller and Bulloch develop a nice rapport, chatting back and forth through the windows. Sterling Hayden always looms large but he’s given far too little to do here. For reasons I’ll let you discover, Dr. Stowe winds up in the house as another hostage. Sarah Miles is always great and she makes a far more interesting hostage than the little moppet who is relegated to sitting on the couch looking sad.
It is all pretty standard stuff. Haggard gives it enough energy to keep me interested, but mostly I’m there for the cast who, even in something as goofy as this killer snake thriller, give it their all.
Blue Underground is releasing Venom with a new 4K transfer. It looks great though I’m not sure anyone was clamoring for a UHD presentation of this film. But who am I to complain? God bless them for it.
Extras include the following:
Disc One – 4K UHD
- Dolby Vision/HDR Presentation of the film.
- Dolby Atmos Remix, plus DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks
- Audio Commentary with Film Historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson, and Eugenio Ercolani
- Audio Commentary with Director Piers Haggard
- Trailers
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Two – Blu-ray
- Audio Commentary with Film Historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani
- Fangs for the Memories – Interview with Editor/Second Unit Director Michael Bradsell
- A Slithery Story – Interview with Makeup Artist Nick Dudman
- Mamba Memories – Interview with Author & Critic Kim Newman
- Pick Your Poison – Interview with The Dark Side’s Allan Bryce
- Poster & Still Gallery
- Audio Commentary with Director Piers Haggard
- Trailers
- TV Spots
- Collectible Booklet with an essay by Michael Gingold
- Limited Edition includes collectible booklet, embossed slipcover and reversible sleeve with alternate artwork (First Pressing Only)
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Venom is a ridiculous silly film with a backstory full of last-minute personnel changes and clashing actors. It shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does, but with some solid direction and a stacked cast, it comes out quite well. Still, I wonder what that Tobe Hooper version would have looked like.
