SSSSSSSS!

(vt Ssssnake!) Film (1973). Zanuck-Brown/Universal. Prod Dan Striepeke. Dir Bernard L. Kowalski, starring Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict, Heather Menzies. Screenplay Hal Dresner, based on a story by Striepeke. 99 mins. Colour.

   In a period when most MONSTER MOVIES were spoofs, this competently made film is unusual for playing it straight (despite the title). An obsessed scientist (Martin) believes that only ophidians (snakes) will survive what he sees as coming ecocatastrophe, so he works on developing snake-like properties - e.g., cold blood - in humans, early failures being sold to the carnival freak-show. He finally succeeds in transforming his daughter's boy-friend (Benedict) into something like a king cobra (rather good make-up by John Chambers). Then along comes a mongoose . . .

   JB/PN