Jaws of Satan (AKA King Cobra) is notable for being the acting debut of Married With Children sexpot Christina Applegate, but there's nothing to see in that respect-- she's like ten or something here. Applegate aside, the film features decent cinematography from Halloween DOP Dean Cundey, a fun performance from Fritz Weaver (Creepshow), and lots of slithering snakes, but suffers from seriously sloppy storytelling.
Released the same year as Oliver Reed killer snake movie Venom (and two years before Oliver Reed killer snake movie Spasms), Jaws of Satan mixes two popular genres -- the killer animal movie (popularised by Jaws) and the Satanic horror film (popularised by The Omen and The Exorcist) -- to tell a muddled tale of a town terrorised by snakes, the critters controlled by a massive King Cobra that could well be the embodiment of pure evil, Satan himself. The devil has apparently taken on the form of a serpent in order to claim the life of a priest whose ancestors were cursed by druids. Investigating the spate of snake attacks in the town are hot doctor Maggie Sheridan (Gretchen Corbett) and herpetologist Paul Hendricks (Jon Korkes); meanwhile, mayor Matt Perry (Bob Hannah) tries to downplay the problem and cover up the deaths for fear that they will affect the success of the new dog track, the grand opening of which is imminent.
From the opening snake attack on board a locomotive, where the cobra is clearly separated from its victim by a plexiglass screen (which the snake audibly bumps into), to the finale in which Satan in reptile form is defeated by the holy cross, Jaws of Satan is a complete mess, not just in terms of story, but in the direction, the acting and the editing. Not one person involved seems to acknowledge the sheer stupidity of the plot, the cast performing with an absolute seriousness that renders many a supposedly tense scene laughable. If only the film had been played with tongue firmly in cheek, it could have been a blast; instead, we get a movie that earnestly sets out to terrify, but which generates more groans than screams (unless you have a morbid fear of snakes, I suppose).
3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.
Released the same year as Oliver Reed killer snake movie Venom (and two years before Oliver Reed killer snake movie Spasms), Jaws of Satan mixes two popular genres -- the killer animal movie (popularised by Jaws) and the Satanic horror film (popularised by The Omen and The Exorcist) -- to tell a muddled tale of a town terrorised by snakes, the critters controlled by a massive King Cobra that could well be the embodiment of pure evil, Satan himself. The devil has apparently taken on the form of a serpent in order to claim the life of a priest whose ancestors were cursed by druids. Investigating the spate of snake attacks in the town are hot doctor Maggie Sheridan (Gretchen Corbett) and herpetologist Paul Hendricks (Jon Korkes); meanwhile, mayor Matt Perry (Bob Hannah) tries to downplay the problem and cover up the deaths for fear that they will affect the success of the new dog track, the grand opening of which is imminent.
From the opening snake attack on board a locomotive, where the cobra is clearly separated from its victim by a plexiglass screen (which the snake audibly bumps into), to the finale in which Satan in reptile form is defeated by the holy cross, Jaws of Satan is a complete mess, not just in terms of story, but in the direction, the acting and the editing. Not one person involved seems to acknowledge the sheer stupidity of the plot, the cast performing with an absolute seriousness that renders many a supposedly tense scene laughable. If only the film had been played with tongue firmly in cheek, it could have been a blast; instead, we get a movie that earnestly sets out to terrify, but which generates more groans than screams (unless you have a morbid fear of snakes, I suppose).
3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.