SSSSSSS (1973)- Snake Movie on a confusing DVD package.

[66Crush]

Has anyone ever seen this piece of crap? It stars Dirk Benedict as an assistant to a scientist who studies snakes. The scientist gives him what he claims are anti-venom injections. But what the professor is really doing is slowly turning him into a snake. The professor's daughter falls in love with Dirk's character and figures out her father's plan when she finds one of his rejects as the snake man in a carnival. The transformation is laughable. I found it on a DVD 4 Pack with "Serphant and the Rainbow," "Phantasm II," and "Funhouse." All well known horror films. Since I had never heard of "SSSSSSS" I watched it first and later thought "What the hell is this doing on DVD with good movies?" Ironicly the same day I bought an 8 pack DVD which featured seven b-movies along with "Prom Night." I know "Prom Night" was an independent, but should it really be on the same DVD pack as "Evil Bong" starring Tommy Chong?

[Skull]

The movie was interesting also in the late 1960's to early 1970's there was a bunch of horror films of mad doctors in the country (typically the desert) conducting some kind of crazy experments.

[claws]

Love it. Campy but decent flick in my opinion.

[Raffine]

I saw SSSSSSS (Hiss It! Don't Say It! the ads suggested) at the theater during it's initial release. It was on a double bill with THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF (1973) which had Kerwin Matthews (THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD) as a werewolf who gets to fight hippies.

We were puzzled by Strother Martin's remark about how he was upset "even one drop of blood" got into his daughter after he found out she had rolled around naked with the soon-to-be snake man. We were not quite clear as to what went on when people rolled around naked so we figured she must have bit him.

The werewolf movie was a bigger hit with my crowd because it featured a monster, not just a stupid snake. We were also disappointed when Tim o'Connor turned out not to be that funny guy on The Carol Burnett Show.

I have to admire the fact that even almost 40 years later this film is still quite capable of inflicting pain and confusion on an audience. 

[WingedSerpent]

Saw it one day when the Sci-Fi Channel had one of those marthons were the movies all have simialar themes (Reptile Rampage or something like that.)  I have an affinity for reptiles so  I watched it and I found myself really noticing it's flaws right off the bat.

For instance, the scientest says the snake/human hybrid will be superior. Having the body of a snake and the mind of a human. Well, one of the adaptaitions that make humans successful is the opposable thumb.  How would the snake people buld homes and technology that make up so much of human existence.

Then there was the fact that he had a mongoose around.  That's like trying to raise chickens but keeping a fox around. Just asking for trouble. Also, I've heard mongooses are illegal to import to the US (Not sure if it's true, and then again the guy probably wasn't concerned about stuff like that.)

I guess what disappointed me most is that the final form lookes just like a normal king corba.  I would have perfered either a snake man or at least some sort of styleized monster snake.

There were moments I liked, such as the man apparantly forgetting he locked up a python in the basement, which eventually kills someone.  If I had got it in a pack like yo, I don't think I would have been too disappointed.

[Mike From BBandBCs]

Great flick indeed 

[WilliamWeird1313]

I actually picked up the same 4-pack as you, 66Crush, mainly to add the other 3 flicks to my collection for a bargain. I'd heard of Sssssss (love that title, lol) but never saw it. I still haven't gotten around to watching it all the way through. Started it a few times, but it always loses my interest. I figured it was just some random addition that they threw into the 4-pack so as to make SOME money off it, figuring that people would likely pick up the set for Phantasm 2, The Funhouse, or Serpent & The Rainbow, or all 3, so they just slapped this fourth flick that no one really wants on there so as to get SOME mileage out of it. ::shrugs:: Whatever.

I must remember to get around to watching it so I can put my two cents in regarding the film itself.

[ghouck]

I haven't seen it since the late 70's, it was on TV and it seemed like everyone was talking about it.

[claws]

And remember, don't say it - hiss it! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnasfM3UtDc

[Hammock Rider]

  I saw it on tv when I was about 7 and it scared the crap out of me. I loved it back then. Sure now it seems silly as hell but back then it was mind numbingly terrifying, causing nightmares not to be believed. And that was just Reb Brown's performance. Wokka Wokka

   Now it's just a nostalgic favorite, although I did pick up one useful bit of information. "Red touch yellow will kill a fellow, red touch black, my friend Jack." I've never had a problem distinguishing coral snakes from king snakes since then.

Please enjoy this helpful illustration.


   

[Flick James]

Really creeped me out when I was a kid. Haven't seen it since. That one really tapped the ol' memory banks. I'll have to check that one out again one of these days.

[The Burgomaster]

I think this movie is very entertaining.  I own the DVD!

[venomx]

I think Sssssss was my 1st horror movie. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) was right after.

[RCMerchant]

Of the snake/horror movies that came out in the '70's,I enjoyed it the most!  Yeah it was stupid...but I quite like stupid movies.
The half snake man (created by John Chambers of PLANET OF THE APES fame) was cool.
Director Bernard Kowalski is also resoponsible for NIGHT of the BLOOD BEAST (1958) and ATTACK of the GIANT LEECHES (1959)!



Other killer snake horror movies of the 70's...

RATTLERS (1976) Very low budget and very boring.
STANLEY (1972) Fun. Kinda like WILLARD with snakes.
NIGHT OF THE COBRA WOMAN (1972) Don't recall much about this.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Then there was the fact that he had a mongoose around.  That's like trying to raise chickens but keeping a fox around. Just asking for trouble. Also, I've heard mongooses are illegal to import to the US (Not sure if it's true, and then again the guy probably wasn't concerned about stuff like that.

WingedSerpent is correct. It is illegal to import them into the United States. That while they are great at killing off snakes and rats, when they finish with the snakes and rats, they go after any ground based local fauna. Which people learned much to regret, when they were imported into the islands of the West Indies and Hawaii.

They are also illegal in the U.K., which was pointed out to me by friends I have in the U.K., when I showed them "Lair of the White Worm," which features a mongoose in the film.

And being something of a language geek, the plural of mongoose is apparently mongooses and not mongeese.