Venom Movie Review

Trailer here.

Venom is a 1981 thriller directed by Piers Haggard and starring Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Nicol Williamson, Sarah Miles, Susan George and Sterling Hayden.

The film begins with a woman called Ruth and her son Philip. Ruth's father is Howard Anderson(Hayden) who is a very wealthy man. Working in the house is a maid called Louise(George) and a chauffeur, Dave(Reed). They are part of a scheme orchestrated by Jacques Muller(Kinski) to kidnap the kid and get money. Jacques calls Howard and tells him that he is filming a movie and he needs his expertise. Philip goes to a pet shop and he collects a pet snake which was supposed to be sent to the toxicology institute where Dr. Marion Stowe(Miles)is waiting. She has the pet snake instead. Philip has a black mamba.

Marion calls the police and she tells them what has happened. She tells them that the boy will die if he is bitten. Louise wants Philip to come with her and Jacques. The snake attacks her and bites her in the face. Howard returns home and Dave stops him calling the police. Jacques tells him that he is in charge. Dave locks Howard in the cellar. A policeman calls at the house and Dave shoots him. Jacques is angry with him. Louise is very ill. More police  and ambulances arrive at the house. Jacques talks to Commander Bulloch(Williamson). He tells him that he wants to leave. The snake emerges from its hiding place. It goes into the vent. Howard realises that it is a black mamba. He looks for it. The police cordon off the street. Marksmen arrive. Bulloch talks to Jacques. The criminal wants money and a car. Bulloch finds out about the killer snake. He wants to know who is in the house. Dr. Stowe shows up and she fills him in about black mambas.

Bulloch wants Marion to tell Jacques about the snake.She instructs him to call a man called David Ball(Michael Gough) who happens to be a snake expert. Jacques tells them that Louise will die if they don't send in a doctor with the antivenom. Marion takes it in and she is taken hostage. Bulloch finds an old entrance to the house. Marion tells them that snakes don't like the cold. She says that there should be no heating. The cops are working on getting the money. Ruth arrives home. Bulloch finds a way into the house and he takes Ball with him. Dave and Howard are in the cellar and Dave gets shot by Bulloch. The snake appears and it kills Dave.

Jacques is alone now as both his partners in crime have been killed by the snake. Bulloch and Ball are stuck as the snake is keeping them from entering the house. The snake catches up with Jacques and attacks him. Howard and Philip don't help him. There is a struggle and Jacques ends up on the balcony where he and the snake get shot. Howard and Philip are okay. Everything looks good until we see that the snake laid some babies and they are hatching.....

This was a good film. The cast is impressive. I will say that I felt that there isn't enough snake in it. I wanted more of it and some more killings. It was a good thriller though and it seems like it is more of a hostage drama than a thriller. It is worth seeing though and it has Oliver Reed in it, which is a bonus. I will give it a 5/10.