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Cold-Blooded: Five of the Most Unnerving Reptile-Centered Horror Films

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Reptile-Centered Horror Films

So here’s the thing…I don’t like reptiles. I know, I know. I can hear some of you groaning out there as we speak, but it’s true. Further, it’s not that I just don’t like snakes, but I’m actually completely phobic. Naturally, reptile-centered horror films rarely make my watch list.

The funny thing is that even though they freak me out, I’ve seen a surprising number of the films in my life. Some of them I watched out of sheer internalized masochism. If you want a movie to scare you, going with something you’re phobic of is the best shortcut, after all. Sometimes, I was just so damned curious after hearing about a film that I had to see it for myself. Sometimes, they were just what was on TV when you were a kid growing up and your parents had yet to buy their first VCR.

Either way, let’s look at five of the most unnerving reptile-centered horror films I’ve ever seen in no particular order…

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

Okay, before you jump my case, hear me out. I know this film is on the dumb side. The whole idea of a group of scientists looking for an orchid that will supposedly prolong life that can only be found in the jungle surrounded by hungry, and quite frankly, mean-spirited giant anacondas is a stretch even for a creature feature.

Furthermore, I know the snake doesn’t even look particularly real. You know what? When it shows the giant mating ball toward the end of the film and I started hyperventilating, it didn’t matter one bit! Ophidiophobia, folks. It’ll get you every time. Even thinking about it, now…shudder…no thanks!

Venom (1982)

You know what’s scarier than a bunch of giant snakes in the jungle? One snake…one very venomous snake…hiding in your house…

Klaus Kinski, Susan George, and Oliver Reed star in this film about international terrorists who set out to kidnap the child of a wealthy couple. There’s only one problem, the boy’s pet snake he ordered was accidentally swapped with a deadly black mamba which promptly attacks one of the kidnappers before disappearing into the house. As the night wears on, they slowly fall prey to the silent killer.

Check out the trailer below if you’re into that sort of thing.

Crawl

Okay, let’s leave the snakes behind for a moment because I need a break.

Crawl was one of those movies that turned out to be far better than it had any right being and is actually one of the more engaging, tension-filled alligator centered films I’ve ever seen even if some of it is entirely unbelievable. Alexandre Aja’s film about a woman attempting to rescue her father during a category 5 hurricane ratchets up the action quickly as she realizes their home has been infested with very large, very hungry alligators as the floodwaters continue to rise.

From there, you’re off to the races on one of the most entertaining and unnerving reptile-centered horror films I’ve seen in a number of years.

Jennifer (1978)

Jennifer Baylor (Lisa Pelikan) was raised in a rural community where she attended one of those mysterious snake-handling churches. Now in high school, she manages to grab a scholarship to a fancy prep-school, but the other girls treat her badly, bullying her and making her life a living hell. They realize far too late the mistake they’ve made, of course.

You see, Jennifer has a very specific power which manifested in her as a child in church. The girl has a psychic link to snakes and they’re all too willing to do her bidding. You just know the pitch meeting went something like, “It’s like Carrie, but with snakes!”

Still, some of the scenes are downright unsettling especially those images of Jennifer, dressed in a white gown, arms outstretched to heaven, calling out to her slithering servants.

Rogue

Loosely based on a real-life crocodile in Australia, Rogue tells the story of a group of tourists on a “crocodile-watching” boat ride. When their guide (Radha Mitchell) notices smoke in the distance, she decides to investigate to see if someone needs help only to end up stranded with her charges on a small island and the crocs are moving in with the tide.

There are moments of genuine unsettling tension throughout this film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Honorable Mention: Alligator (1980)

Possibly one of the best “gators in the sewer” films ever made, this film combines tight action with the terror of finding a 30-foot alligator loose in the streets of New York in ways that are both hilarious and disturbing. The swimming pool at the fancy party will stick with you long after it’s over.

Honorable Mention: Lake Placid

You just can’t talk about reptile-centered horror movies without bringing up this horror comedy gem. Mixing sarcasm with genuinely terrifying creature and a foul-mouthed Betty White, this film is utterly entertaining and perfect for a night in on the couch.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Melissa Barrera Says ‘Scary Movie VI’ Would Be “Fun To Do”

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Melissa Barrera might literally get the last laugh on Spyglass thanks to a possible Scary Movie sequel. Paramount and Miramax are seeing the right opportunity to bring the satirical franchise back into the fold and announced last week one might be in production as early as this fall.

The last chapter of the Scary Movie franchise was almost a decade ago and since the series lampoons thematic horror movies and pop culture trends, it would seem they have a lot of content to draw ideas from, including the recent reboot of slasher series Scream.

Barerra, who starred as final girl Samantha in those movies was abruptly fired from the latest chapter, Scream VII, for expressing what Spyglass interpreted as “antisemitism,” after the actress came out in support of Palestine on social media.

Even though the drama wasn’t a laughing matter, Barrera might get her chance to parody Sam in Scary Movie VI. That is if the opportunity arises. In an interview with Inverse, the 33-year-old actress was asked about Scary Movie VI, and her reply was intriguing.

“I always loved those movies,” the actress told Inverse. “When I saw it announced, I was like, ‘Oh, that would be fun. That would be so fun to do.’”

That “fun to do” part could be construed as a passive pitch to Paramount, but that’s open to interpretation.

Just like in her franchise, Scary Movie also has a legacy cast including Anna Faris and Regina Hall. There is no word yet on if either of those actors will appear in the reboot. With or without them, Barrera is still a fan of the comedies. “They have the iconic cast that did it, so we’ll see what goes on with that. I’m just excited to see a new one,” she told the publication.

Barrera is currently celebrating the box office success of her latest horror movie Abigail.

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Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody

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Radio Silence Films

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.

They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.

We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.

We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.

#1. Abigail

An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.

Abigail

#2. Ready or Not

This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.

Ready or Not

#3. Scream (2022)

While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.

Scream (2022)

#4 Southbound (The Way Out)

Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.

Southbound

#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)

The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.

V/H/S

#6. Scream VI

Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.

Scream VI

#7. Devil’s Due

Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.

Devil’s Due

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