"The Guardian of the Gates of Hell.. The ultimate terror as it rips into your flesh" So promises the British VHS release. Oliver Reed stars as a millionaire businessman living in the US who shares a psychic link with a giant South American snake that killed his brother. Yeap! This has got to be one of the silliest plots ever. As a big fan of Reed watching this film did give me a certain amount of pleasure and it is not his worst movie either. Peter Fonda also stars but for me Reed gives the better performance. The snake attacks are quite gory and fun, plus they employ POV shots. Although the snake itself is not very convincing some of the effects for the bite wounds are pretty good. The makers throw in a gratuitous naked girl in the shower scene for good measure. But the film is not terribly well made, microphone booms appear and although set in the US the Canadian filming locations are not convincing. I do believe that this snake even growls! There is no denying that Spasms is a bad movie, however I got some enjoyment from it and would watch it again.
31 Reviews
It's Ollie Reed vs Killer Snake time. Again.
BA_Harrison10 May 2020
The same year as starring in killer snake movie Venom, Oliver Reed also appeared in killer snake move Spasms (although this film would be released two years later, in 1983). I'm not saying that the actor was in a rut (okay, that IS what I am saying), but surely he was making these movies for beer money. Peter Fonda, whose career was hardly on the up either, co-starred, but the real draw was surely the massive reptile itself: what a shame, then, that the snake remains hidden for most of the film (the animal's attacks employing blue-tinted snake POV shots), and is quite laughable when it is finally revealed.
Directed by William Fruet, the man behind such mediocre thrillers and chillers as Death Weekend, Killer Party and Blue Monkey, this scary snake flick stars Ollie as Jason Kincaid, who has been cursed with nightmares ever since he was bitten by a supposedly supernatural snake that appears once every seven years in deepest Micronesia (the same part of the world where the strange plant in Blue Monkey originated). Wanting to put an end to his terrifying dreams, Kincaid has the creature captured and shipped to the States, and enlists help from expert in psychic phenomena Dr. Tom Brasilian (fnarr, fnarr!), played by Fonda. Unfortunately, an evil snake cult are keen to acquire the deadly serpent, and accidentally release it during a bungled raid on Brasilian's laboratory.
The ensuing chaos includes Brasilian and Kincaid's niece Suzanne (Kerrie Keane) coming face-to-fang with the escaped snake in a greenhouse (a scene that provides a 'parrot scare', a variation on the classic 'cat scare'), the snake going crazy in a sorority house (the reptile launching the body of one victim through a shower screen where another girl is washing herself), and the snake's hilarious slither through a crowded park, which allows Fruet to include a shot of a well endowed woman on roller skates (camera levelled at her chest) and a buxom blonde in a tiny pink bikini playing frisbee.
Hot woman in one-size-too-small swimwear aside, the film's most memorable moments come courtesy of make-up effects legend Dick Smith, who uses some terrific bladder effects to show the result of the snake's bite: as the victims go into shock, their veins bulge and their flesh swells until the pressure causes the skin to burst. I only wish there had been more of Smith's work, 'cos it's really good.
Fruet wraps things up leaving several plot threads unresolved: an incestuous relationship between Kincaid and his niece is hinted at and then totally ignored, while the snake cult conveniently vanishes. The rushed finale sees Kincaid using his psychic connection with the snake to track it down and try to kill it, Reed wandering around his house, having psychic flashbacks to the snake's previous victims (thereby padding out the runtime a tad), before meeting his scaly nemesis. Having only seen glimpses of the creature thus far, we finally understand why: it's rubbish. The Ollie vs Snake showdown is very disappointing: Kincaid is killed all too quickly, Brasilian arriving on the scene moments later to shoot the (now stationary) reptile in the head with his machine gun. It all sssseeems a little too eassssy for my liking (sssorry, I couldn't resssisssst).
Directed by William Fruet, the man behind such mediocre thrillers and chillers as Death Weekend, Killer Party and Blue Monkey, this scary snake flick stars Ollie as Jason Kincaid, who has been cursed with nightmares ever since he was bitten by a supposedly supernatural snake that appears once every seven years in deepest Micronesia (the same part of the world where the strange plant in Blue Monkey originated). Wanting to put an end to his terrifying dreams, Kincaid has the creature captured and shipped to the States, and enlists help from expert in psychic phenomena Dr. Tom Brasilian (fnarr, fnarr!), played by Fonda. Unfortunately, an evil snake cult are keen to acquire the deadly serpent, and accidentally release it during a bungled raid on Brasilian's laboratory.
The ensuing chaos includes Brasilian and Kincaid's niece Suzanne (Kerrie Keane) coming face-to-fang with the escaped snake in a greenhouse (a scene that provides a 'parrot scare', a variation on the classic 'cat scare'), the snake going crazy in a sorority house (the reptile launching the body of one victim through a shower screen where another girl is washing herself), and the snake's hilarious slither through a crowded park, which allows Fruet to include a shot of a well endowed woman on roller skates (camera levelled at her chest) and a buxom blonde in a tiny pink bikini playing frisbee.
Hot woman in one-size-too-small swimwear aside, the film's most memorable moments come courtesy of make-up effects legend Dick Smith, who uses some terrific bladder effects to show the result of the snake's bite: as the victims go into shock, their veins bulge and their flesh swells until the pressure causes the skin to burst. I only wish there had been more of Smith's work, 'cos it's really good.
Fruet wraps things up leaving several plot threads unresolved: an incestuous relationship between Kincaid and his niece is hinted at and then totally ignored, while the snake cult conveniently vanishes. The rushed finale sees Kincaid using his psychic connection with the snake to track it down and try to kill it, Reed wandering around his house, having psychic flashbacks to the snake's previous victims (thereby padding out the runtime a tad), before meeting his scaly nemesis. Having only seen glimpses of the creature thus far, we finally understand why: it's rubbish. The Ollie vs Snake showdown is very disappointing: Kincaid is killed all too quickly, Brasilian arriving on the scene moments later to shoot the (now stationary) reptile in the head with his machine gun. It all sssseeems a little too eassssy for my liking (sssorry, I couldn't resssisssst).
More Like a Bowel Movement than a Spasm...
BaronBl00d15 July 2009
I think I liked this a whole lot more than most as it is indeed riddled with the most obvious flaws - all of which somehow come back to a script that doesn't work completely nor is allowed to due to budgetary problems. Oliver Reed plays a wealthy businessman who had gone on a hunting trip with his brother seven years ago. While there he was bitten by this supernatural snake whose venom mysteriously didn't kill Reed(though did his brother) but rather made a psychic connection with him instead. ? Anyhow, the film opens with Reed having some hunters capture the beast in Micronesia and bring it to him in San Diego. Reed enlists the help of Peter Fonda as a psychic specialist giving him a full laboratory and underwriting for research. While this is going on a snake cult leader wants to abduct this snake(how they initially knew about it is even a greater mystery)and they have hired Warren Crowley(Al Waxman) as the sleazy man who will get them the snake for their cult - not to be worshiped but because the snake is the great Satan or some crap like that. The story quickly erodes however into the snake being unleashed in San Diego and going on a killing spree. What exactly do we see? It surely isn't the snake. We get some angles of his head but never a body shot. We do get these color muted scenes that are suppose to be things from the snake's POV as well as Reed's once the psychic hot-line is stronger. Believe it or not, this POV stuff works and is not really that bad. But the rest of the film cannot carry these small moments terribly far nor a plot that just wasn't finished. We never get any closure with the snake cult - it just disappears at some point in the film. Peter Fonda is barely in the film despite a prominent role. Oliver Reed, looking like he could use a trip or two to the gym, walks(with a cane) through his role with unrealistic calmness at some points and unbelievable hysteria at others until the end comes and it is the low point of the film in every definition of that word. Despite all those things, I kind of liked Spasms. Director William Fruet has obvious skills though he doesn't always share them with us. Reed and Fonda are indeed bad but in an enjoyable manner. Al Waxman is a hoot. There are some weird, inexplicable plot threads beyond explanation - what about Reed's relationship with his niece? Were they going for some incest thing or something else? We never do find out though the foundation had been laid much earlier. The biggest problem with the film is not the acting, the direction, or the ridiculous story but the misnamed title. This film should never have been called Spasms. Yes, we some faces bloated and popping all over when bitten by this snake. The effects are intriguing to say the least. The film would have been better served if called something that was more closely related to what the film was about. How about The Seven Year Snake Meets the Seven Year Itch. Snake Eyes. Snake in my Head. Okay, a more serious attempt might be Venom or something simple. Again, I concur this is a very bad film but one that I liked for being somewhat fun. There are a couple scenes which stand out: the darkened opening scene where you see(barely due to the poor lighting) the men Reed has hired to catch the serpent looking on when the serpent opens assault on the natives. How about the greenhouse at the university where Fonda and niece run from the snake. The three girls being snaked to death in their home(catch the pretty blonde in the shower sans clothing) Or my favorite scene is the girl in the bikini catching a ball in a park. Man was that a snug fit...uh hummm...Spasms is a fun trashy film to some degree...take it from me.
Yes, it's a 6
HughBennie-7777 December 2019
Nothing qualifies such bad reviews of a movie called "Spasms". It's about a giant snake and Oliver Reed shares telepathic powers with it. What more is there to expect? Not likely another early 80s director with a diminished Canadian budget could have done better. There's lovely gore effects, some effective shocks, and Oliver Reed emotional and tormented by his predicament. Unfortunately, there is also Peter Fonda and his terrible female costar. But at least one man undergoes such massive spasms he first tranforms into Robert Z'Dar, then pops. Not much more I can ask for than that. For all its sloppy editing and a plot which contains too much unresolved material, the movie delivers its share of drive-in quality thrills. Plus, the Tangerine Dream end credits piece rocks.
It's pretty spastic, alright!
Coventry5 November 2006
Unimaginably lame and cheap 80's movie that has Oliver Reed (in his, hands down, worst performance ever) obsessing over some kind of gigantic serpent he's inexplicably connected with. He arranges the animal to be sent over to university professor Peter Fonda's laboratory, where it naturally escapes and goes on a rampage in the nearby park and housing estate. This crap movie won't appeal to fans of grotesque creature features, nor will it to lovers of typically cheesy 80's horror. The inventors of the story were stupid enough to use an unreal snake-species, so don't expect to actually see the creature as nobody knows what it looks like. Instead, the screen turns blue when the events are supposedly seen through the snake's eyes and its victims just try to look terrified as the camera rapidly approaches them. William Fruet, who's actually a personal favorite horror director of mine because he made the very competent "House by the Lake" and "Funeral Home", totally messes things up here, as he never manages to create any tension and completely fails to make the viewer emphatic with the characters. There wasn't enough money to finish the film, so they seemingly also cut back on lighting and set pieces. The whole thing is extremely dark and lacking decors. I bet Peter Fonda is still wondering to this day what purpose he served by accepting this role, as he adds absolutely nothing at all.
They ran out of money!
Maciste_Brother21 August 2003
I had hopes that the negative buzz surrounding SPASMS would prove exaggerated once I finally saw it. I mean, how bad can this movie really be? The beginning starts off promisingly: the whole part with the natives summoning the snake is well made. I was impressed by the fluidity of the snake's POV shots (which have been copied in many movies since, like in ALIEN 3). But then the story moves to San Diego (or Toronto, in this case) and the whole thing fell apart. It actually has one good moment, the one that takes place at the cult which venerates snakes. The music and the mood were effective. But then the snake escapes from its box and the film becomes worse and worse by the second. The scene at the sorority is remarkably exploitive and gratuitous, and it's one of the most over-directed moments ever caught on film. It's fun to watch because it's so over-the-top silly and exploitive that you can't help but laugh at it all. But the whole moment doesn't add anything to the movie and they could have spent the money that cost to shoot that fun but useless moment on a better ending or a better snake.
After the scene when Al Waxman is killed in the van (the scenes before his death are long and pointless), SPASMS suddenly becomes a one-man show: we only see Oliver Reed overacting and walking around, with flashbacks of all the POV shots of the killing or attacks the snake had made previously. The flashback scenes of the snakes POV shots are PADDING and the producers needed to extend the movie for a little longer before the stupid abrupt conclusion because they ran out of money. So for almost 10 long minutes, we see Reed walking about like an imbecile, the whole moment intercut with the flashback scenes, which are useless because the initial scenes were still fresh in my mind. The sub-plot with the snake cult is completely forgotten. Except for a few seconds at the very end, Peter Fonda is nowhere to be seen. Everything and everyone disappeared for a big chunk of the movie because the producers ran out of money and they seemingly only could afford Oliver Reed for the ending, which they had to wrap up quickly. The result is truly deadening. The snake fx at the conclusion are laughable. The whole thing stinks!!!
Except for a good beginning and some nifty POV shots, SPASMS is as jaw-droppingly awful as everyone says it is.
After the scene when Al Waxman is killed in the van (the scenes before his death are long and pointless), SPASMS suddenly becomes a one-man show: we only see Oliver Reed overacting and walking around, with flashbacks of all the POV shots of the killing or attacks the snake had made previously. The flashback scenes of the snakes POV shots are PADDING and the producers needed to extend the movie for a little longer before the stupid abrupt conclusion because they ran out of money. So for almost 10 long minutes, we see Reed walking about like an imbecile, the whole moment intercut with the flashback scenes, which are useless because the initial scenes were still fresh in my mind. The sub-plot with the snake cult is completely forgotten. Except for a few seconds at the very end, Peter Fonda is nowhere to be seen. Everything and everyone disappeared for a big chunk of the movie because the producers ran out of money and they seemingly only could afford Oliver Reed for the ending, which they had to wrap up quickly. The result is truly deadening. The snake fx at the conclusion are laughable. The whole thing stinks!!!
Except for a good beginning and some nifty POV shots, SPASMS is as jaw-droppingly awful as everyone says it is.
An unusually bland film given the subject matter
Leofwine_draca29 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The ultimate in cheesy monster movies, this low-budget oddity is blessed with a better-than-average cast for the genre, but otherwise it falls mostly sub-par. It's a slow-moving and often boring mess, with long passes of dialogue about nothing in particular, an unintelligent script which often repeats the same words and passes, and direction which shows absolutely no flair for visual art. Its also one of those movies which ran out of money during production, meaning that at the end we get lots of padded footage from earlier in the movie which doesn't make much sense being inserted where it is. The simple storyline involves a giant snake being transported to America where it escapes (of course – the film wouldn't exist if it didn't) and wreaks havoc on a university campus.
The best and most hilarious part of the movie sees the snake invade a sorority house, where it stalks the screaming naked girls like an ultra-cheesy Michael Myers impersonation. Here's a film which utilises a dated 'snake cam' (often used since in monster movies and such), where we see the bloody deaths through the snake's tinted blue vision. The sappy Tangerine Dream theme song only adds to the weirdness of the proceedings. For the blood and guts fan, the film reaches about an average level of grue, with some bloody snake bites and attacks and at least one bit of fun, rubbery special effects which shows a victim swelling and disintegrating as a result of a snake bite! The snake itself is a cheesy, papier-mâché type model, but it serves its purpose well and at least looks fairly imaginative.
Heading the cast is Peter Fonda delivering a typically bland, laid back turn as an investigating doctor. However, his character hangs around in the sidelines and doesn't actually achieve much as a hero. The heroine is also extremely bland, so its left to our favourite ham Oliver Reed to deliver the performance goods. From trancing out in a static box to slashing at the venomous serpent with a knife come the abrupt (but powerhouse) climax, he's in control and he makes the movie. The only other cast member of note is Al Waxman, typecast as a slimy villain, who hams with gusto. Aside from a few fun performances, a handful of decent action bits, and some slimy special effects, however, SPASMS is an unusually bland movie and for the most part a disappointment.
The best and most hilarious part of the movie sees the snake invade a sorority house, where it stalks the screaming naked girls like an ultra-cheesy Michael Myers impersonation. Here's a film which utilises a dated 'snake cam' (often used since in monster movies and such), where we see the bloody deaths through the snake's tinted blue vision. The sappy Tangerine Dream theme song only adds to the weirdness of the proceedings. For the blood and guts fan, the film reaches about an average level of grue, with some bloody snake bites and attacks and at least one bit of fun, rubbery special effects which shows a victim swelling and disintegrating as a result of a snake bite! The snake itself is a cheesy, papier-mâché type model, but it serves its purpose well and at least looks fairly imaginative.
Heading the cast is Peter Fonda delivering a typically bland, laid back turn as an investigating doctor. However, his character hangs around in the sidelines and doesn't actually achieve much as a hero. The heroine is also extremely bland, so its left to our favourite ham Oliver Reed to deliver the performance goods. From trancing out in a static box to slashing at the venomous serpent with a knife come the abrupt (but powerhouse) climax, he's in control and he makes the movie. The only other cast member of note is Al Waxman, typecast as a slimy villain, who hams with gusto. Aside from a few fun performances, a handful of decent action bits, and some slimy special effects, however, SPASMS is an unusually bland movie and for the most part a disappointment.
Oliver Reed and Peter Fonda in their worst film
barnabyrudge9 January 2003
Oliver Reed and Peter Fonda have both appeare in some appallingly bad films during their careers, but this is the worst of the lot. In fact, there's a strong case to be argued here that this might be the worst film ever made. Yes, it honestly is that bad!
The plot is stupid. It concerns a gigantic serpent captured on a far-off island which is brought to America for experiments. The beast escapes and goes on a killing rampage, but Reed is able to track it down because he shares a psychic link with it after it bit him on a hunting expedition years previously.
I watched this movie with a girl who was terrifed of snakes. Even she found it awful. The snake looks so fake, and the scenes in which it attacks victims are so devoid of tension, that there is nothing remotely scary about the film. Reed and Fonda are in this purely for the money. Their performances are neither interesting or interested, and the chemistry between the pair is nonexistent. I felt insulted by this movie and I wanted my money back after hiring it. Don't make the same mistake as me: steer clear of this film!
The plot is stupid. It concerns a gigantic serpent captured on a far-off island which is brought to America for experiments. The beast escapes and goes on a killing rampage, but Reed is able to track it down because he shares a psychic link with it after it bit him on a hunting expedition years previously.
I watched this movie with a girl who was terrifed of snakes. Even she found it awful. The snake looks so fake, and the scenes in which it attacks victims are so devoid of tension, that there is nothing remotely scary about the film. Reed and Fonda are in this purely for the money. Their performances are neither interesting or interested, and the chemistry between the pair is nonexistent. I felt insulted by this movie and I wanted my money back after hiring it. Don't make the same mistake as me: steer clear of this film!
Satanic snake from hell.
HumanoidOfFlesh27 July 2012
A gigantic serpent from hell is captured on a remote island and shipped to an American college for some sort of scientific experimentation.An American scientist played by Peter Fonda tries to help wealthy Jason Kincaid(Oliver Reed),who has some kind of telepathic link with ghastly serpent.Snake called N'Gana Sunbu escapes from scientific laboratory and promptly begins killing people.It's up to Fonda and Reed to stop satanic snake from hell...I must say that William Fruet did some great exploitation thrillers like "Death Weekend","Funeral Home" or "Trapped".On the other hand,"Spasms" is his stab at animal attack sub-genre.The special effects are cheesy and the snake looks ridiculous.Still there is enough campy fun and bloody violence to satisfy any self-respecting fan of 80's horror cheese.7 serpents out of 10.Vastly enjoyable piece of trash.
"I believe these legends are true."
lost-in-limbo26 March 2013
What could have been promising in a silly, entertaining manner ends up being rather mediocre rushed and seriously confined. "Spasms" is a daft, cheaply made creature feature shocker from the early 80's with two recognizable stars attached; Oliver Reed and Peter Fonda collecting their pay cheques, but delivering two extremes in their acting. Reed hauntingly hams it up "I really believe I'm bounded to it", while Fonda keeps it cool and collected. Outside of those two, there were some other familiar names involved. Director / co-writer William Fruet is no beginner to the genre with making films like "Death Weekend" and "Funeral Home" before this one. Cinematographer Mark Irwin shows up. Then you have the Tangerine Dream adding to the score. Although these curious inclusions don't add too much and it shows in the final product.
A gigantic, deadly serpent is transported from a Pacific island back to the States and is kept boxed up at a university where Dr. Brazilian is hired by wealthy businessman Jason Kincaid to experiment on the telepathy link Kincaid shares with the serpent. However before doing so, it comes loose and goes about terrorising the community.
The systematic plot actually starts of rather well setting up the mood, but it really does lose its way when it goes on the rampage becoming simple-minded, outrageous and ending on a very lousy, incoherent climax. Neither is it that fun when the rampage transpires or in its tackiness. Even the muddled script has a few story threads, which are incompatible and abrupt like the sub-plot involving a religious snake worshiping fanatic. Director Fruet's handling is cramp and rudimentary in its execution with lopsided pacing by lingering on many talky exchanges.
Supposedly the production run-out of money towards the back-end and its shows by padding it out with recycled snake-vision shots that happened early on in the film. The attack sequences are too little and the ones that occur are vicious and jolting in an exploitative manner, but rather tensionless with the snake mainly staying off-screen and the victim being thrown around. We only get glimpses of the serpent, until it comes to the final reel when the rubber beast is fully shown. It doesn't look that great and you could see why the lighting was mostly dim. On the other hand blue-filtered serpent vision got a real work out and was well-done. The most memorable thing about this production would have to be the aftermath of the serpent's attacks, as the ghastly make-up FX was vivid in its depiction of the skin bubbling and blistering. Outside the two stars there were decent support from Kerrie Keane and Al Waxman.
"Spasms" has a poor reputation and rightfully so, but I was slightly entertained.
A gigantic, deadly serpent is transported from a Pacific island back to the States and is kept boxed up at a university where Dr. Brazilian is hired by wealthy businessman Jason Kincaid to experiment on the telepathy link Kincaid shares with the serpent. However before doing so, it comes loose and goes about terrorising the community.
The systematic plot actually starts of rather well setting up the mood, but it really does lose its way when it goes on the rampage becoming simple-minded, outrageous and ending on a very lousy, incoherent climax. Neither is it that fun when the rampage transpires or in its tackiness. Even the muddled script has a few story threads, which are incompatible and abrupt like the sub-plot involving a religious snake worshiping fanatic. Director Fruet's handling is cramp and rudimentary in its execution with lopsided pacing by lingering on many talky exchanges.
Supposedly the production run-out of money towards the back-end and its shows by padding it out with recycled snake-vision shots that happened early on in the film. The attack sequences are too little and the ones that occur are vicious and jolting in an exploitative manner, but rather tensionless with the snake mainly staying off-screen and the victim being thrown around. We only get glimpses of the serpent, until it comes to the final reel when the rubber beast is fully shown. It doesn't look that great and you could see why the lighting was mostly dim. On the other hand blue-filtered serpent vision got a real work out and was well-done. The most memorable thing about this production would have to be the aftermath of the serpent's attacks, as the ghastly make-up FX was vivid in its depiction of the skin bubbling and blistering. Outside the two stars there were decent support from Kerrie Keane and Al Waxman.
"Spasms" has a poor reputation and rightfully so, but I was slightly entertained.
Good story ...a bigger budget would have helped
MonteCarloMan12 July 2010
Spasms stars Oliver Reed as Jason Kincaid, a wealthy big game hunter who, while hunting in the jungle of a remote island, becomes cursed by a demonic serpent. Since the encounter, the hunter is telepathically linked to each attack done by the snake by way of an all-blue color perspective. The serpent is eventually captured after a vicious rampage against the island's native inhabitants and smuggled to North America for research when it escapes it's handlers. From there all hell breaks loose setting up a final, fateful confrontation with Reed's character. Spasms is a fairly decent suspense movie that will keep you riveted as you follow the snake's indiscriminate path toward each doomed victim it encounters. Special effects are generally good for it's time, showing some of the damage impact of the serpent's poison on it's victims but shots of the rarely shown snake itself does reveal some limitations due to lack of budget...this movie would be a good candidate for a CGI enhanced remake with increased budget to tie up the original's loose ends; mainly the believability of the snake itself. The movie is loosely adapted from the novel "Death Bite". Spasms is an increasingly hard to find title which so far is only available in it's out-of-print VHS format.
Unintentionally laughable, what a mess! (SPOILER)
nam221 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Horrendously bad film about a giant, telepathic snake gone berserk. Reed and Fonda insist on bringing N'Gana Simbu, the Demon Serpent, to the US, and surprisingly- the Demon Snake escapes! All "hell" breaks loose: much chomping and mauling of unsuspecting victims, everyone involved is baffled (audience included). After plenty of bad acting and confusing plot, our heroes finally confront this dreadful beast (in person this time, not thru ESP), culminating in the ultimate battle of man vs. supernatural snake! The movie bills itself as using "the most advanced techniques in the field of cinematic special effects", which obviously must have included employing alot of fake blood and constructing large snakes out of papier mache. The film's abrupt ending leads me to believe the film's budget suddenly ran out, or maybe the actors just stormed off the set in complete embarrassment. It's a mystery as to how Fonda and Reed got mixed up in this debacle.
Not totally bad as you've heard... but still not good
Wizard-824 March 2003
For years I heard reports about how utterly bad this movie was, so when I finally got a chance to see it, I wasn't expecting much - especially knowing the movie was also shelved for two years before getting a release.
As it turns out, I didn't find it completely bad. For starters, the production values were above average for a Canadian movie of the time (except for when we see the snake at the end - it does indeed look like it was made out of paper mache.) There are a few impressive gore effects (though not as much as you might think), and the sorority house attack sequence is pretty amusing. It was slow at times, but seldom could you find it boring.
But I won't deny that the movie is filled with problems. The editing is quite bad at times, with scenes cut short and some information seemingly missing. The whole "snake cult" subplot turns out to be for NOTHING - the movie would need very little additional rewriting if it was completely cut out. The scenes are mixed together with clumsiness - after Peter Fonda's character is introduced, it takes about half an hour before he returns! Ultimately the movie completely falls apart around the last 20 minutes or so, leading to an awful climax and ending. Not just awful, but abrupt - it's pretty clear the ending was considerably tinkered around with in the editing room for some reason. Could it originally have been even more awful than this? Quite possibly.
As it turns out, I didn't find it completely bad. For starters, the production values were above average for a Canadian movie of the time (except for when we see the snake at the end - it does indeed look like it was made out of paper mache.) There are a few impressive gore effects (though not as much as you might think), and the sorority house attack sequence is pretty amusing. It was slow at times, but seldom could you find it boring.
But I won't deny that the movie is filled with problems. The editing is quite bad at times, with scenes cut short and some information seemingly missing. The whole "snake cult" subplot turns out to be for NOTHING - the movie would need very little additional rewriting if it was completely cut out. The scenes are mixed together with clumsiness - after Peter Fonda's character is introduced, it takes about half an hour before he returns! Ultimately the movie completely falls apart around the last 20 minutes or so, leading to an awful climax and ending. Not just awful, but abrupt - it's pretty clear the ending was considerably tinkered around with in the editing room for some reason. Could it originally have been even more awful than this? Quite possibly.
Extremely silly giant snake-on-the-loose horror film.
poolandrews23 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Spasms (which as a title means nothing) begins on an island somewhere near New Guinea. A bunch of Aboriginal natives are performing some kind of tribal ritual dancing around a bonfire, complete with severed pigs heads on poles. Suddenly a giant snake appears, well according to the film it does as we don't actually see it at this point, it kills a few natives and then gets itself captured in a net by a hunter named Mendes (Miguel Fernandez). Mendes works for rich businessman Jason Kincaid (Oliver Reed) and sends the giant snake back to the U.S. via a cargo ship, before his untimely death. However, Warren Crowley (Al Waxman) works for a secret snake worshipping religious cult run by Rev. Thomas Thanner (George Bloomfield) who wants the giant snake for himself as he believes it's the 'reincarnation of our leader'. Thanner has hired Crowley to obtain the snake, by any means necessary. Crowley bribes a Sailor (Patrick Brymer) to steal the snake. While trying to do just that the Sailor is bitten by the snake and after his arm expands and bubbles he throws himself overboard. Kincaid wants the snake because while he was out hunting, it killed his brother and bit him. Now Kincaid has a telepathic link with the snake, Kincaid hires psychologist Dr. Tom Brazilian (Peter Fonda) to try & figure out the hold the snake has with him. Tom feels that telepathy is caused by a virus & and that the virus may have been present in the snakes venom therefore spiritually connecting both of them. Hey, I didn't write this stuff OK? So the snake arrives in America & Tom convinces a friend, Dr. Claire Rothman (Marilyn Lightstone) to keep it in her laboratory at the local University. That night Crowley & one of his goons Duncan Tyrone (Angus MacInnes) break into the University to try and steal the snake but only succeed in letting it escape into the night! A giant venomous snake is loose, Tom, along with Kincaid's niece Suzanne Cavadon (Kerrie Keane) decide they are responsible. As the snake starts to kill local residents they set about locating & destroying it, but Kincaid & Crowley have other plans for it. Directed by William Fruet this is one silly excuse for a film. The script by Don Enright from the novel Death Bite by Micheal Maryk & Brent Monahan is an absolute mess as you can probably tell from my plot synopsis which makes it sound a lot better than it actually is. The main problem is that Spasms has no sense of it's own absurdity, bizarre snake worshipping cults, giant serpents attacking naked women in the shower, telepathic links between humans & snakes are taken 100% seriously and played totally straight. It simply doesn't work & comes across as extremely silly. Having said that it moves along at a fair pace & isn't too boring at only 85 minutes. The ending was a bit of a disappointment too, rather lazy & predictable. The snake itself isn't seen in it's entirety, just glimpses to start with & by the end Fruet gives us a chance to scrutinise it's head which wasn't a good idea considering the cheapness of the effect. Spasms stand out moment has to be the part where Crowley is bitten, his body and face starts to expand & bubble in a very impressive & gross special effect by Dick Smith among others. There isn't any other gore or violence worth mentioning besides this. The shower scene is wholly gratuitous, did the female victim really need to be undressed taking a shower for the scene to work? Acting wise what on Earth are Oliver Reed & Peter Fonda doing in this complete & utter nonsense? All I can think is that they needed beer money badly, if you know what I mean. The film is generally well made with nice production values & cinematography, although director Fruet fails to inject the film with much flair or imagination. Spasms as a horror film fails totally, as a piece of so-so entertainment it's OK, as a bizarre head shaking curiosity it can't be bettered. Just about worth watching if your a die hard horror fan (like me), otherwise don't bother.
Stoopid Dumb Monster Movie With A Few Laughs
Steve_Nyland19 September 2006
Oh come on, yes this is bad. This movie is so bad I just had to come here and tell everyone about it. It's not even bad on a "so bad it's good" level: I put this on the other night while some of the guys were over. They left at about the twenty five minute mark for the art bar, which should have spoken volumes. First impressions are usually correct. Instead of some tripped out perverse creature feature epic, what starts out as a kind of intriguing voodoo revenge crossed with nature striking back drama quickly devolves into a giant rampaging rubbery monster movie.
The tipoff should have been the Point-Of-View photography meant to show the snake's view of the world as it stalked & attacked it's prey. When handled correctly (i.e. ALIENS 3 or even RATMAN with David Warbeck) P.O.V. photography can add an element to a film by showing people reacting to a genuine menace. Here it is just a relatively cheap gimmick meant to take the place of showing the monster, however, and nothing really important or revealing is seen during the P.O.V. shots to indicate that hey! this is a big, weird, freaky snake on the rampage. SPASMS could have been a movie about a monster kitty cat on the loose or maybe a runaway vacuum cleaner. Come to think of it, now THERE is an idea!!
The choice of having the monster be a snake was arbitrary, and raises a couple of silly, nagging questions about the thing: How was it able to send pretty brunette coeds flying through the air with enough force to not just smash into a bathroom door, but fly clean through the door to smack against the shower stall? Snakes have no arms or fingers, no feet to dig into the ground to get a firm purchase on the floor and use momentum to get a 125lb human body into motion. Maybe it was smacking people around with it's head like a baseball bat. Evidence to the contrary, the snake was also intelligent enough to have seen horror movies and know where to go to kill people, most notably a college dormitory. It also knew where Oliver Reed lived, suggesting access to a roll-a-decks. This is some snake.
The one thing I was pleased by in regards to the film is that while some live snakes were used during the early voodoo/mystics scenes, none were used in the big horror finale. None appear to have been used to ill ends during the course of the film, let alone exploited for their sexual connotations. Which when you think about it isn't exactly an easy thing to do in a horror movie about snakes, especially those with naked shower scenes set in coed dormitories. Stripped of it's latent phallic horror the snake becomes just another juggernaut of animal-friendly destruction. The producers instead relied on a cheap looking giant rubber snake puppet which got laughs even when attacking the coed in the shower -- which is never shown by the way. How can you fault a movie for not being exploitational enough? Next time anyone asks, point them in the direction of SPASMS. Great, sleazy name for a movie, but if you are looking for lurid thrills forget it, the people who made this film had something else in mind.
Just what it is I haven't a clue: It doesn't really work as a monster thriller until about the final 15 minutes by when most people would have followed the boys out the door to the art bar, where you can't even smoke anymore. Fans of Peter Fonda will like the movie, and devotees of dumb, rubbery grade C monster movies will be well served, though I will personally qualify this film as an enigma who's existence can only be explained by contract obligations.
4/10: Has about a half dozen good laughs, two really nice breasts, and a conclusion rather than an ending.
The tipoff should have been the Point-Of-View photography meant to show the snake's view of the world as it stalked & attacked it's prey. When handled correctly (i.e. ALIENS 3 or even RATMAN with David Warbeck) P.O.V. photography can add an element to a film by showing people reacting to a genuine menace. Here it is just a relatively cheap gimmick meant to take the place of showing the monster, however, and nothing really important or revealing is seen during the P.O.V. shots to indicate that hey! this is a big, weird, freaky snake on the rampage. SPASMS could have been a movie about a monster kitty cat on the loose or maybe a runaway vacuum cleaner. Come to think of it, now THERE is an idea!!
The choice of having the monster be a snake was arbitrary, and raises a couple of silly, nagging questions about the thing: How was it able to send pretty brunette coeds flying through the air with enough force to not just smash into a bathroom door, but fly clean through the door to smack against the shower stall? Snakes have no arms or fingers, no feet to dig into the ground to get a firm purchase on the floor and use momentum to get a 125lb human body into motion. Maybe it was smacking people around with it's head like a baseball bat. Evidence to the contrary, the snake was also intelligent enough to have seen horror movies and know where to go to kill people, most notably a college dormitory. It also knew where Oliver Reed lived, suggesting access to a roll-a-decks. This is some snake.
The one thing I was pleased by in regards to the film is that while some live snakes were used during the early voodoo/mystics scenes, none were used in the big horror finale. None appear to have been used to ill ends during the course of the film, let alone exploited for their sexual connotations. Which when you think about it isn't exactly an easy thing to do in a horror movie about snakes, especially those with naked shower scenes set in coed dormitories. Stripped of it's latent phallic horror the snake becomes just another juggernaut of animal-friendly destruction. The producers instead relied on a cheap looking giant rubber snake puppet which got laughs even when attacking the coed in the shower -- which is never shown by the way. How can you fault a movie for not being exploitational enough? Next time anyone asks, point them in the direction of SPASMS. Great, sleazy name for a movie, but if you are looking for lurid thrills forget it, the people who made this film had something else in mind.
Just what it is I haven't a clue: It doesn't really work as a monster thriller until about the final 15 minutes by when most people would have followed the boys out the door to the art bar, where you can't even smoke anymore. Fans of Peter Fonda will like the movie, and devotees of dumb, rubbery grade C monster movies will be well served, though I will personally qualify this film as an enigma who's existence can only be explained by contract obligations.
4/10: Has about a half dozen good laughs, two really nice breasts, and a conclusion rather than an ending.
Didn't Bite Me in the Right Place
Tweetienator11 October 2020
The beginning with that tribal dance is indeed very promising, sadly the movie can't hold the level. Spasms is not a bad movie, but somewhat the middle part just drags on and on. Even Peter Fonda and Oliver Reed can't save Spasms for me. Below average, my opinion.
Alrighty then...
paul_haakonsen19 November 2023
I had never heard about this 1983 movie prior to stumnbling upon it by random chance here in 2023. And with it being a movie that I had never seen or heard about, of course I opted to give the movie a chance. And then I saw that the movie had the likes of Peter Fonda and Oliver Reed on the cast list, and I must admit that I thought that there might actually be something to the movie, despite of never having heard about it.
The storyline in "Spasms", as written by Don Enright and William Fruet, just wasn't overly impressive. The narrative was rather sluggish and slow paced, and there wasn't hardly enough snake action throughout the course of the 90 minutes that the movie ran for to even keep the movie somewhat afloat.
Sure, the acting performances in "Spasms" were good, but nothing outstanding actually. And not even Peter Fonda or Oliver Reed stood out in this 1983 movie.
I am sure that "Spasms", from director William Fruet, might have been a more enjoyable movie back in 1983, but it is not a movie that has aged particularly well, and thus isn't overly enjoyable today.
My rating of "Spasms" lands on a four out of ten stars.
The storyline in "Spasms", as written by Don Enright and William Fruet, just wasn't overly impressive. The narrative was rather sluggish and slow paced, and there wasn't hardly enough snake action throughout the course of the 90 minutes that the movie ran for to even keep the movie somewhat afloat.
Sure, the acting performances in "Spasms" were good, but nothing outstanding actually. And not even Peter Fonda or Oliver Reed stood out in this 1983 movie.
I am sure that "Spasms", from director William Fruet, might have been a more enjoyable movie back in 1983, but it is not a movie that has aged particularly well, and thus isn't overly enjoyable today.
My rating of "Spasms" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Just As An Aside
torgo712 May 2008
Wanted to drop a quick note here in defense of Brent Monahan, a high school buddy and friend of my husband's. Brent has stated that the movie's script was altered at least 75% from the original story that he had penned--a common practice in Film Land. Even "An American Haunting" suffered a deviation of 30% from his original story. He will be having a new film produced from one of his works, but only on the stipulation that his own script is used. So lets hope that we will finally get the chance to see his entire novel as it was written.
In my experience, unless the original author gets to write the script, stories are often massacred beyond recognition.
In my experience, unless the original author gets to write the script, stories are often massacred beyond recognition.
Sssssuperior sssssnake ssssstory
udar559 October 2009
SPASMS tops my list for the best killer snake movie out there. Jason Kincaid (Oliver Reed) has this massive serpent captured and brought to the US because it killed his brother and he now shares some kind of psychic link with it (!). He enlists the help of psychologist Tom Brazilian (Peter Fonda) to study the animal and the mental connection, but they don't count on a group of snake worshiping Satanists (!!!) to complicate matters by accidentally setting the beast free. Amazingly, director William Fruet (FUNERAL HOME) gets the cast to play this entirely straight with Reed - who shot the snake themed VIPER (1981) the same year - really throwing himself into his crazy part (even if he seems to be whispering every line). The attack scenes are really well staged (a sorority house siege being the highlight) and DP Mark Irwin makes the movie look way better than it should. Dick Smith handled the gooey special effects; the bursting bodies are great 80s bladder effects but the snake is kept offscreen for the most part. Tangerine Dream supplied the "Serpent's Theme" for the soundtrack.
Spasms
Scarecrow-8824 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Conjured up by a tribe of primitives, a giant snake returns to kill anyone in it's path. Big game hunter Jason Kincaid(Oliver Reed) is plagued by "viral telepathy"(he was bitten by the snake, whose potent venom he was immune, his brother wasn't so lucky)and seeks the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Tom Brazilian(Peter Fonda) experimenting with extra sensory perception, hoping for an antidote to cure his "link" to the snake. Kincaid can see through the snake's eyes and even feels the pain of it's victims. Kincaid's niece, Suzanne Cavadon(Kerrie Keane), attempts, futilely, to keep the snake from entering Stateside, and her efforts to kill it fails(..she turns up the temperature of the box containing it) but a former CIA agent, Warren Crowley(Al Waxman, in all his sweaty, lecherous glory) who is paid by a Snake cult leader to kidnap it(..a member of the cult frees it while attempting to tame it), fails at the job, barely escaping with his life while the fiend is set loose on civilization. Anyway, the snake is loose on the streets as the police comb the area looking for it while Tom hopes to find it through Kincaid, by using whatever device or tool he might have at his disposal in finding it's whereabouts before more and more innocents are stalked and destroyed. Kincaid decides he must end it's reign of terror once and for all, even if it means his life. Crowley, himself, must also find it or suffer the wrath of the scorned cult leader who demands for the snake to be in his possession or else.
While the attacks are ferocious, the snake is mostly shot off-screen, with director William Fruet opting to show the bodies of victims hurled around like a battered toy in the hands of a child. A lot of the film is shot in point-of-view, the screen tinted blue as we see through it's eyes as it pursues potential victims. The plot will inevitably be viewed as rather nonsensical, and rightfully so, the whole idea of a man being telepathically linked to a devil snake. The creature itself looks like a rubber snake, so perhaps it was best not to show him too much. Fonda looks and acts very disinterested; I imagine he has disowned this movie, and perhaps Oliver Reed had as well. Probably the most memorable suspense sequence occurs as Fonda and Keane search for the snake in a university greenhouse. Also, perhaps memorable is a scene involving a pretty naked girl showering as her friend is being torn to pieces by a snake in the room next to the bathroom, before it bursts through the glass door to get her. Pretty embarrassing movie for Fonda and Reed known for much better than this, a low point for two really impressive careers.
While the attacks are ferocious, the snake is mostly shot off-screen, with director William Fruet opting to show the bodies of victims hurled around like a battered toy in the hands of a child. A lot of the film is shot in point-of-view, the screen tinted blue as we see through it's eyes as it pursues potential victims. The plot will inevitably be viewed as rather nonsensical, and rightfully so, the whole idea of a man being telepathically linked to a devil snake. The creature itself looks like a rubber snake, so perhaps it was best not to show him too much. Fonda looks and acts very disinterested; I imagine he has disowned this movie, and perhaps Oliver Reed had as well. Probably the most memorable suspense sequence occurs as Fonda and Keane search for the snake in a university greenhouse. Also, perhaps memorable is a scene involving a pretty naked girl showering as her friend is being torn to pieces by a snake in the room next to the bathroom, before it bursts through the glass door to get her. Pretty embarrassing movie for Fonda and Reed known for much better than this, a low point for two really impressive careers.
Bite me
moycon9 September 2008
The story in a nut-shell. Oliver Reed has a psychic link to a satanic super snake which emerges from hell every seven years and kills people on a tropical island. He can see through the snakes eyes when it kills! Obviously the best thing to do in a situation like this is to bring the snake to the US (Actually Canada filling in for California) Naturally the snake gets loose and continues doing what giant venomous satanic super snakes do best. BITING PEOPLE!!! Good stuff.
The FX are done on the cheap. Lots O POV shots, inter-cut with VERY quick shots of a GIANT balloon-y snake head on a too thin looking body, inter-cut with screaming bloody people tossed around. The whole thing was done on the cheap for the most part. There is one well done super venomous bite that makes a guy break out a little. They probably spent half the budget on that one shot. You'll know the scene when you see it. If you like bad horror flicks from the 80's. You'll probably dig this movie. If the snake doesn't scare you, Oliver Reeds mustache will.
The FX are done on the cheap. Lots O POV shots, inter-cut with VERY quick shots of a GIANT balloon-y snake head on a too thin looking body, inter-cut with screaming bloody people tossed around. The whole thing was done on the cheap for the most part. There is one well done super venomous bite that makes a guy break out a little. They probably spent half the budget on that one shot. You'll know the scene when you see it. If you like bad horror flicks from the 80's. You'll probably dig this movie. If the snake doesn't scare you, Oliver Reeds mustache will.
Not the Greatest Killer Snake Movie, Not the Worst Either
Lebowskidoo25 March 2017
Giant snake hunter survives an attack, but is psychically linked to the snake afterwards, and can see every attack the snake makes. Sounds ridiculous, but really not as bad as it sounds, thanks to Oliver Reed who anchors the film. This is not even his first killer snake movie, he also appears in Venom (1981).
The movie is set in California, but obviously filmed in Toronto, it doesn't even try to disguise this, with one beautiful shot of the CN Tower, some very Canadian accents, not to mention the cast is full of great Canadian actors of the era such as Kerrie Keane, Al Waxman, Gerard Parkes, Marilyn Lightstone and Angus MacInnes.
If you're a horror fan like me, the late 70's-early 80's was a definitive time in the genre, and we are very forgiving of a lot of goofs, as long as the film delivers in other ways. Yes, there is a bit of gore, such as when victims react to the snake venom. I appreciate all that went into doing such an effect now, in the age of quick CGI effects.
The film is slow in places, the snake is barely seen for most of the film (and may not impress too much once you've seen it), but overall I enjoyed it as a product of its time and had fun with it. Also, early 80's soundtrack contributors Tangerine Dream supply the song over the closing credits, that's worth checking out on its own.
The movie is set in California, but obviously filmed in Toronto, it doesn't even try to disguise this, with one beautiful shot of the CN Tower, some very Canadian accents, not to mention the cast is full of great Canadian actors of the era such as Kerrie Keane, Al Waxman, Gerard Parkes, Marilyn Lightstone and Angus MacInnes.
If you're a horror fan like me, the late 70's-early 80's was a definitive time in the genre, and we are very forgiving of a lot of goofs, as long as the film delivers in other ways. Yes, there is a bit of gore, such as when victims react to the snake venom. I appreciate all that went into doing such an effect now, in the age of quick CGI effects.
The film is slow in places, the snake is barely seen for most of the film (and may not impress too much once you've seen it), but overall I enjoyed it as a product of its time and had fun with it. Also, early 80's soundtrack contributors Tangerine Dream supply the song over the closing credits, that's worth checking out on its own.
Sneaky Slithery Snake
ladymidath20 October 2022
I have to be honest here, I only watched this for Oliver Reed. He has made some good horror movies like Burnt Offerings so I thought, this could be good too. Well, not so much, it's your typical creature feature, which is okay, I like movies with some terrifying creatures on a rampage. This wasn't one of the better offerings though, Venom was much better, not as bad as Rattlers though, so there is that.
Oliver Reed does a good job as does Peter Fonda but there is nothing that really stands out. The special effects aren't that great and it's easy to see that it was done on a budget. I think with a slightly better script and more of a budget, this could have been a better film. Still there are worse ways to spend an evening and Oliver Reed is always good value.
Oliver Reed does a good job as does Peter Fonda but there is nothing that really stands out. The special effects aren't that great and it's easy to see that it was done on a budget. I think with a slightly better script and more of a budget, this could have been a better film. Still there are worse ways to spend an evening and Oliver Reed is always good value.
* *1/2 out of 4.
brandonsites19817 June 2002
Underrated thriller about a serpent that is shipped off to a college for a rich trophey hunter (Oliver Reed), but the serpent escapes and begins murdering people. Reed also has a psychic link to the serpent and witnesses the murders through the eyes of the serpent. Scary, exciting thriller with a good cast and some good shock effects. Rated R; Graphic Violence, Nudity, and Profanity.
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