User Reviews

I saw this movie at a screening as well and it must have been a different version than the reviewer who thought it was "pure $hite". While the acting for the most part is typical teenager and a little disappointing except for the bad guy, the film looks fantastic, the actions sequences are great as well as the kills, some of which were hard to watch due to their realism. In this version at least, the cheesy special effects seem to be gone or at least vastly improved from what the other reviewer saw. It moves pretty well except for a few scenes of obligatory explanations regarding the voodoo deal and "teen angst", but there are a couple of really good scares as well as a good sustained overall tension throughout. The kills are brutal for the most part with one exception thats kind of lame, but the fight sequence close to the end is especially effective and looks just great as well as what has to be some new scenes, possibly even a new ending, since the lighting and overall look is so different from the rest of the film, but it still looks great. In my humble opinion it's definitely worth seeing and an R rating based on the blood and gore if thats what you expect from a horror movie. Gillespie definitely knows how to make an audience squirm.

Of course this is no genre classic but once you've seen some more typical slasher flicks of this decade, you have to conclude that this movie is not all too bad in the long run. Nothing too memorable but just good enough to watch it.

People tend to call these type of movies new age horror but fact is that these type of movies have been around since the '70's, in which a bunch of hot looking teenagers are all getting killed one-by-one by a maniac/monster. Not much has changed since the '70's, except for its style and look.

Storywise this movie is of course very formulaic in every way thinkable. It's actually a very simple written story, in which basically nothing out of the ordinary happens and everything progresses and happens by the book. It's the type of screenplay that makes you go think; Hey! I could have written something like this! The story is perhaps the movie disappointing aspect of the movie, since otherwise this is basically a fine and well made movie.

I liked the movie its style. It kept the movie going, even though when nothing was happening in the movie. It makes sure that you never get bored. This is also thanks to the editing by Paul Martin Smith, who is a good editor but hasn't really been given good movies yet to proof his skills to the world. The directing was good and fresh and it seems to me that Jim Gillespie has some talent as a director, even though he hasn't really showed it with his movies yet. Perhaps he needs to stop working with Kevin Williamson, perhaps then he will get some better movie propositions to direct. Ever since "Scream" Kevin Williamson hasn't done a decent thing for the genre anymore but he's still active in the business, probably because he is the guy who wrote "Scream". For this movie he serves as a producer. He also wrote the previous Gillespie directed movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer", which became a success, though probably only because it got released so shortly after the success of "Scream" and the genre was hot and popular again at that time.

This is not the type of horror movie that should ever scare you, it's more a movie that entertains with its horror, perhaps of the reason that everything happens in such a predictable way. But Jim Gillespie obviously understands the genre though and knows what is important. So there is some gore and good make-up effects as well as a good 'killer'. You don't really ever start to care about the rest of the characters though, mainly because they remain so superficial and obviously also aren't being played by the most talented actors.

The movie brings zombie movies back to its roots; Voodoo. The earliest zombie movies, from the '20's on, always featured voodoo themes, whenever zombies were involved with the main story. Just too bad that the didn't really used much of the voodoo concepts to make this movie a bit more interesting and original to watch.

It's enjoyable enough for the fans of the genre and certainly not as bad as everyone tries to make you believe it is.

6/10

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So shoot me...I have a soft spot for slasher films, so "Venom" was a fun little horror film for me. I had never heard of it, but luckily I have access to rental screeners before they are released, otherwise I never would have seen this film.

Typical story, guy gets killed, guy comes back to life, guy starts killing people. Though this time it takes place in the swamps of Louisiana instead of Camp Crystal Lake. A bit of voodoo gets thrown in just for good measure.

Sure, the story isn't the greatest, and it's not going to win any Oscars for best actors, but the film still is a fun little time waster for all horror fans out there.

If you enjoy the slasher films of the late 70's and the 80's, be sure to check this one out. Could be a surprise for you. Otherwise, steer clear of this film.

Decent slasher film with fun young cast. Not too bad. Few decent death kills but noting that great. Wouldn't want to take a sand blaster to the face!!!! Haha.

I gotta admit it, I love horror films...especially 80s slasher films. Hell, I even love cheese like Sleepaway Camp and Night of the Demons. But, I didn't think much of this movie. The death scenes weren't very well done, the CGI was terrible, and the acting was ho-hum. Worst of all was the story which didn't make sense at all. I'd say save your money but chances are, if you want to see this movie...you're going to anyway. I didn't hate it...it's just not very good. Overall, it's just another bland, lifeless horror film that lacks life (it's no surprise that this one was on the shelf at Dimension for over a year after it was completed).

This was okay. The beginning was really good but as it kept going I thought that it was nothing special I've seen movies with plot like this hundreds of times but it was still nice to watch it sure had its suspense. The main character which I've seen in other movies really carried this whole film and saved it from complete disaster. I still think they should have done a better work in this it could have been a gem.

We've all seen them, films that you know instinctively what is about to happen. Someone hides in a room as the bad guy is there then hears their footsteps fade away and so they go out and "Oh"..they are dead... How about a film that is so generic that before 5 minutes have passed you know who will live, who will die and who the bad guy is? Sound interesting? Then you will love Venom. Venom is one of those films that if you have seen any other film of this genre (The horror Slasher) you can know before hand exactly what to expect. It is genericism on a whole new level. It starts nicely enough with the snakes and for one moment you think this could be a good supernatural horror then you realise it is in fact just Friday the 13 th all over again! Seriously, the bad guy is literally Jason Vorhees minus the mask! So all in all.....avoid like the black death unless you like your films as shallow as a paddling pool!

***May Contain Spoilers***

This movie is a pleasant surprise. While it is marketed to resemble a dozen movies similar to it, Venom has better than average plot development, an effectively eerie mood, and good suspense. The actors are unknowns, but they are believable. The film also avoids many horror movie clichés that would have otherwise dragged it down to a lower level.

Venom is evocative of many Wes Craven movies, especially Cursed, where another kind of "monster" is out attacking young people. In both, there is constant mayhem and suspense and the plots are easy to follow and moves quickly. I enjoyed the voodoo subtext here and even wished the story explained more of it and its role in motivating the killer.

Well worth a view on cable or DVD.

Overall it was a watchable movie. I didn't pause it or stop it to come back to it--a clear sign of a boring movie--so it passed the first test. Best of all, it got into the story fast, no boring unneeded back story for the characters.

It will never go down as a great movie. Nor as a great B movie. I would recommend this movie to slasher/horror fans who don't mind straight to video releases.

Unlike some movies of it's ilk, there is no nudity, only moderate language and rather subdued gore. There is violence though. The deaths were rather dry and unimaginative sadly. The computer special effects were actually pretty good. The way the 'creature' wielded his chains in some scenes reminded me of 'Spawn' and the 'Ghost Rider' comic books.

A little pet peeve...It's set in Lousinia, but no one seems to talk with any accent. I had to watch the credits to even realize it was filmed in Lousinia.

Like most low budget movies, there are small goofs in the filming. Lack of time and money would be the main factors for the goofs. For example in one scene it went from mid afternoon to pitch black in seconds...during a short car ride. The other instance was the stunt double for the 'creature' didn't have on the 'creature' makeup when falling out of the tow truck...it also looks like he's wearing a shirt in the scene.

In summary, I didn't hate this movie but I also didn't love it. I probably will never rent it again, but if a buddy owned it, I may watch it again in a few years.

When I read about this movie, I was expecting another low-budget, straight-to-DVD shaky-camera movie with corny music, lame actors, and a very predictable, repetitive plot. Of course, everyone knows, there's about a 1 in 100 chance that straight-to-DVD horror movies will be DECENT. But that 1 in 100 is a pleasant surprise. And this movie is a perfect example.

The movie basically centers around these two teenagers who witness the 'drowning' of the local rednecked trucker. He gets in an accident with the grandmother of one of their friends, who is a voodoo priestess. He opens her 'suitcase' and gets a nasty surprise, before her car falls off the bridge they crashed on into the water. Soon his body disappears, and so-on so-on.

The plot is very solid, with only minor "What the hell?"s every so often. The acting is really decent, and there are many great deaths scenes (meaning good special effects). There is actually a variation in the 'scary' music that they play, and the camera is solid, the lighting is generally great, and the actors SPEAK UP.

It is a really great movie. I started to watch it expecting NOTHING, but I was pleasantly surprised. Don't expect a million-dollar budget out of it, but its a darn good movie!

Yes this brings back memories, the times were movies that were classified under horror were rated R. It also gets credit for having two slasher movies come out in the same week, though technically speaking, Cry Wolf isn't a slasher.

The movie would have probably done much better during the 80s, a time when a Friday the 13th sequel hit the screens so many times, people lost count. The movie is your typical, teens outside in a wild area (this time a swamp instead of the woods) and are stalked and brutally murdered off by a killer who is literally unstoppable.

If you want to go see a movie were people get killed and their is a lot of blood and gore, then go see this now. If you want a movie that has good acting, great story, and is smart and suave, hold off of this and check out Cry Wolf.

Or better yet, try to go out and see booth.

Jim Gillespie transforms "Backwater" from computer game to horror movie with undeniable flair. Venom takes the best elements of "Backwater" and builds upon them to create an entertaining, if ultimately ridiculous, slasher film. If you don't spend too much time thinking about the plot and manage to overlook the general lunacy, Venom offers 90 minutes of dumb fun.

As a horror fan, the most interesting aspect of the film for me was the joining of two horror sub-genres (for want of a better description) - the voodoo/hoodoo and slasher genres. There are better voodoo films, Wes Craven's "The Serpent and the Rainbow" comes to mind, and certainly many better slasher films, but it was fun to watch the director mix the genres.

Ray, originally known as "Jangles" in the computer game, makes for an interesting villain. He's the town outcast, who dies while trying to rescue a voodoo priestess from a car crash. Unfortunately, the old lady's possessed snakes attack Ray and he turns into a voodoo powered zombie with a really bad attitude. Ray is no Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees, but he's also a step up from most of the clowns polluting American horror movies these days. Ray's weapon of choice is a crowbar and he busily uses it to impale, spear and slash anyone he comes across.

The film also gets extra credit for having Bijou Phillips in the cast. I have no idea why this woman isn't a bigger star, she manages to steal every movie that she appears in. Bijou doesn't have a big role and she really is way too cool to be believable as a small town bimbo. However, she is a beacon in the sea of pretty but wooden actors that make up the rest of the cast.

The film starts well but becomes increasingly improbable. The character of Cece is so idiotic that it defies belief - Apparently every resident of Louisiana keeps a spare voodoo priestess robe in their wardrobe. Oh, and nice idea to use your dead friend as a voodoo doll. The director also gets carried away with CGI effects as the film progresses and spends far too much time making snake eyes move under Ray's skin than concentrating on the good, old fashioned gore that makes the first half of the film so enjoyable.

The film's finale is fairly predictable and by then I had lost interest. Nevertheless, Venom is a fun horror film and should please less discerning genre fans.

If this movie comes on on TV, you might as well watch it. But paying for it isn't really worth it.

It isn't as bad as some reviews suggest. More or less watchable. Obviously, nothing original or remarkable about it, but watchable.

It's a typical teen slasher, like many before it. If you've seen one, you've seen them all.

The acting was sub-par, obviously. The story line, as expected, was not very plausible. The killing scenes were less than creative. But all this is to be expected from this type of movies, so no surprises there.

Everything about it is just average or below that.

Will do to pass time if there's nothing better and it's free.

Venom is your typical horror movie with some guys and hot girls still in their teens getting in trouble. The story: a bad dude gets revived by some voodoo mambo jumbo (including some snakes) and of course the amount of dead bodies rises in a small town, lost somewhere in Louisiana. No masterpiece but solid stuff for a little horror snack. Recommended if you like to watch such movies like House of Wax (2005), Ruins (2008), or of course all horror movies involving snakes like Snakes on a Plane (2006). My exact rate: 5.5.

In the mysterious bayous of Louisiana, a rugged outcast perishes in an odd accident in the swamp, but there's evidence that he's still alive & well. Meanwhile deaths start mounting. Agnes Bruckner, Jonathan Jackson, Laura Ramsey and Rick Cramer head the cast.

"Venom" (2005) was directed by the man who helmed the mega-successful "I know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), which gives you an idea of what to expect. The boggy locations and cinematography are top-of-the-line, making this possibly the best-looking film shot in the Louisiana bayous. Meanwhile Bruckner, Jackson and Cramer are effective in their roles.

The story starts off compelling enough, but the Voodoo origin of the antagonist is too contrived and there are too many slasher clichés. It doesn't help that the characters aren't fleshed out enough to make them interesting. The tow truck driver is the most intriguing one until such-and-such happens. Then the flick becomes a tedious slasher comic book, although one macabre bit in the last act is well done.

Agnes is pretty much the only highlight on the feminine front.

So everything is here for a great slasher in the swamp, but the script needed revamped with imagination. We're left with an awesome LOOKING movie that's sadly banal, dull and forgettable.

The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot in Louisiana at Amite, Choctaw, Hammond, and New Orleans.

GRADE: C.

I give a 5 because it's got an OK idea, but didn't really scare me. It's basically another idea to get a guy running around killing people. The best thing about the movie would have to be the directing. It looks very high budget, even though it probably wasn't. The lighting and mood are pretty good compared to most B movies out there. People were ragging on this movie bad in the theater, but hey....I don't think they know what a BAD movie really is. There are some truly TERRIBLE horror films out there. I'm picky, but at least I liked the overall idea.....they tried something different at least. I think that if the director was given a more promising script and group of characters like I know what you did last summer, he could have made a better film. That movie made a lot more than this one did and was actually more "Unoriginal" in many ways. It was scarier though because you cared more about the characters and what they were going through.

I liked it and thought it had a good story line. I really liked the Ray character he was pretty scary right from the start and just makes you think about the don't judge a book by its cover saying. The effects where done well, the snakes were cool, and the acting was better than some of the low budget movies I have seen. I've seen a lot of horrors as I love a good horror and I enjoyed this one. People should stop being so fussy and just enjoy the movies, unless it is a shocker like low budget ones usually are, Example: Vampire Assassins.

I would recommend people that like horrors to see this movie.

Kat.

Just an awful horror movie. It was just a hodge-podge of standard horror fare. Missing people, gory deaths, obnoxious teens, and silly back-story that attempts to explain things. This movie starts with an implausible accident that kills an old woman (who turns out to be a voodoo priestess) and also a town loner who is scraped up, creepy, and huge. I mean really, with a story like this, it would be refreshing if the killer was a three foot midget. That would be truly creepy. You ever seen those people, I mean they're like walking bobble-head dolls. Scary stuff. I can see it now. A buxom teen running through the woods being chased by a chainsaw wielding killer. Sure not exactly feasible, a midget can't really carry a chainsaw, so maybe they could carry a cordless electric knife instead. You know, the kind Ron Popeil hocks for carving turkey. Also, a midget gets winded pretty quick too, so the chick would either have to fall/trip about forty times as much as they do in a typical slasher film, or be in a wheelchair. Anywhoo, this is your standard killer/zombie. Possessed with the evil intentions of dozens of people, or so they say in the film. It's quite ridiculous, involving supernatural snakes, and swamps, and the most nonsensical characters I've ever seen in a film. They make all the classic horror mistakes. Prying where one shouldn't, turning one's back on a supposedly dead killer, not having a cell phone on one's person so as to call for help. I mean who doesn't carry a cell phone? Hillbillies, and Axe murderers thats' who! Skip this film least you fall prey to Venom (or indigestion. Yeah that's more likely. I just wanted to cleverly work the title in my review)

This is made by some of the main people who brought us I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, and compares favorably to that film and in some ways is better. It has a more novel creation of the slasher set up, it is from the get go a supernaturally based film,which I prefer. It features some of the same atmosphere but more cleverness and Gore than the recent SKELETON KEY. The characters are young and hot but also fleshed out enough that they seem like real people and their deaths are treated with the proper shock and horror. The filmmakers know how to make the villain cool without resulting in making him campy or most importantly forgetting the make him scary--the fact he doesn't speak once he's the villain helps. They set up some nice jeopardy situations and there is some real sacrifice involved. The action is well handled, I guess it has to be said there is no nudity but there is some sex appeal. It is also not a jokey SCREAM type of film--not that SCREAM wasn't good but the rip offs of it have stunk as have most of it's own sequels. This is really well produced, photographed and staged by people who know how to make a film like this be scary and exciting. There are a couple of missteps and continuity gaps but they are really pretty minor. There are big limits to the slasher genre but if you're a fan of it definitely see this movie, which already seems to be getting no respect from its distributor.

"Venom" is one of the more unique horrors to come out in recent years in that it feels just like you are watching a horror flick from the reigning hey-day of horrors, the 1980's. While the premise is nothing new, it is done in a slick fashion that keeps the viewer entertained.

The cast is a mixed bunch, admittedly I am not familiar with some of them, they either are not very good, or they just played their characters poorly. Take Agnes Bruckner for example. She plays the "heroine", Eden, but she is about the most uninteresting character in the whole film, not to mention as far as horror-heroines go, she is not very resourceful. Similarly, Jonathan Jackson seems like an unusual choice for male-lead, but he is rather surprising in that his character is very well-rounded in terms of personality and resourcefulness. Laura Ramsey is terrific as Rachel, Eden's best friend - that is, until she goes rather crazy, then her character is just annoying. D.J. Cotrona plays Sean, the resident hottie, and he is also one of the more interesting characters due to his connections with the teens' enemy, giving him more story than several of the others, and making him more interesting than the leads. Meagen Good doesn't get much screen time, but due to her connections also, she plays one of the more interesting characters, Cece. Rounding out the main group of teens is Pawel Szajda who plays Ricky, and worthy of note not simply because Ricky is gay, but because he is a normal gay character, something still rare in films (where gay characters are either ugly, victimized constantly, or only there as comic relief), though increasingly in horror films gay characters are being depicted as normal, and often more interesting than other characters (see also the recent film Tobe Hooper's "Mortuary").

Rick Cramer plays the possessed villain in the film, Ray, and does a very good job. An interesting location, nice scenery, some frightening scenes and a cool score make for a fun film that pays tribute to the horror of the 80's. Also, just when you think you know who is going to survive (the terrible unfortunate motif of recent years when you already know the heroine and the hero will survive) there is a surprise turn. Highly enjoyable, albeit somewhat underplayed.