The Snake People (1970)

   
Written & Directed by: Juan Ibáñez & Jack Hill

Starring:

Boris Karloff .... Carl van Molder / Damballah
Julissa .... Anabella Vandenberg
Carlos East .... Lt. Andrew Wilhalm
Rafael Bertrand .... Capt. Pierre Labesch
Yolanda Montes .... Kalea
Quintín Bulnes .... Klinsor
Santanón .... Dwarf

Release Date: Theatrical: March, 1970

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

In a remote island a bunch of satanic ceremonies happen as a madman Klinsor (Quintin Bulnes) and his Dwarf (Santanon) sacrifice a chicken to resurrect a woman who practises voodoo with a snake Kalea (Yolanda Montes) who carries on practising her witchcraft on other for her satanic events and changing some women with some snake charming moments into zombies.
Some of the army troupe lead by Captain Pierre Labesch (Rafael Bertrand) tries to discover some of the evil doings on the island in which a wealthy plantation owner Carl van Molder (Boris Karloff) but these zombies prey on the plice or any other unit who try to stop them.

 

I had a feeling that this film might be bland and I was right. In the beginning the moments looked pretty gothic and twisted with two supporting characters bringing in a chicken for a sacrifice and resurrecting a mummy from a coffin which lamost looked like one of those old fashioned drive in films as well as a pre-Grindhouse type of look to all that's going on but the story falls flat with too many rushed moments on dialogues with everyone and I couldn't understand all that was going on.
There is some good cult cermonies with the character Kalea having a snake wrapped around her doing a dance and chant which also looked fairly gothic on how all of it was put together and trying to hypnotise an innocent woman while sleeping so she can have a nightmare on her double self with a snake which looked a bit amusing. All of this looked twisted but in a good fashion which saves this film from bombing.
There's many good camera takes on Kalea doing a voodoo dance with a snake wrapped around her which looked impressive and almost gothic like.
A good intense shot on Dwarf whipping supporting character Mary Ann Vandenberg which looked very brutal and impressive making the moment a good drawing card to a horror flick.
A good moment shot on Mary Ann lying dead with Carl van Moldercovering her up talking about her being tortured to death as well as a nice raging moment on Capt. Pierre Labesch on what had happened which looked fairly energetic.
There's a good shot on Kalea walking in with Anabella Vandenberg sleeping and her holding a snake trying to do a chant towards her along with a good shot on Dwarf showing an evil grin.
A good moment with Anabella in a dream and going towards a coffin as well as opening it and spotting herself lying in a coffin holding a snake along with a good camera shot facing her watching this in shock and horror. Plus there's good moments with her spooked out and trying to get away from the area as well as shots on her walking as if in a trance holding a snake in her hand standing still looking like a statue.
There's many interesting cheesy camera takes on a snake appearing and disappearing in a bedroom with Pierre
looking shocked and tripping out when this happens.
A good moment with Klinsor controlling Mary Ann and telling her what to do which looked definetely twisted as well as Carl coming in with a rage and whipping him for doing this which looked a bit intense.
There's a good moment with Klinsor admiring himself in a mirror and acting nutty with good shots on zombies charging towards him and then freaking out. There are moments with zombie's attacking people which seemed to borrow a bit from George A. Romero's work which seemed to almost fall flat.
There's also a touch of romance between two of the main good people characters as that seemed awfully corny on how it was done in which seems to be suitable for a horror film and the horrible events happening. Alot of leaky holes here folks.
There's a good moment on Kalea approaching towards Pierre with a cheesy close up shot on the snake biting his arm which you can tell was totally fake.
Then there's the ceremony with the final soon sacrifice on an innocent woman which is typical for these satanic ceremonies in which is very forgettable.

Bottom line is there's the odd interesting moment in the film which had 1 bat in this review but the rest is crap and nothing original on this flick at all and too strange as well as complicated to be orerly entertaining. There's also very weak effects too I forgot to mention which mainly involves a snake attacking.

The acting is in average shape as this marks to be the last performance by horror icon an d legend Boris Karloff (Carl van Molder / Damballah) before his death in which he does well portraying scientist in the film with a deep dark secret. He's good by acting obnoxious when he needed to as well as behaving a bit unusual too in other spots of the film.
Julissa (Anabella Vandenberg) certainly had the clean cut girl next door type of attitude and really knew how to act serious with discussions as well as innocent like. She drew it all nicely for her part in it and made a perfect victim for the final sacrifice in the film.
Carlos East
(Lt. Andrew Wilhalm) was a bit cheesy with his performance as an outgoing type with a descent attitude in his role but he wasn't bad at all just a bit cheesy. He knew how to draw in by acting firltatious as well as showing some average energy for what is all happening. He was okay by portraying a heroic type of personality into all of this.
R
afael Bertrand (Capt. Pierre Labesch) really knew on how to portray a gruff behavior with his role as a Captain of his soldiers. He brought out alot of great energy as well as his frusterations with the creepy moments and violent moments too. He also had the great masucline and rough looks too to portray this role which was another bonus to his part in the film.
Yolanda Montes
(Kalea) stole the film with her performance in which she shows alot of great wicked expressions as well as her cold soft speaking too whenever she tries to put a curse on someone or doing a voodoo type of ceremony with a snake wrapped around her. She lived to portray this wicked voodoo character without a doubt by putting alot of wicked characteristics in which you wonder if she's really like this.
Santanón (Dwarf) was quite an attention getter as an evil dwarf in the film showing good ugly types of expressions and really acting evil and obnoxious with his character. He seemed to be a not so bad key role to the story. Does a good job suffocating and getting on top of a chair before falling down after his throat is slit.

There's alot of congas playing and jungle type drum beatings whenever a voodoo ceremony happens that involves snakes. There's also some piano playing in certain spots which sounds average as well as windy sound effects and other types of evil cheesy sounds for the plotlines.