Das schwarze Reptil (1966)

Das schwarze Reptil: Directed by John Gilling. With Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Jacqueline Pearce. In a Cornish village, various locals die from mysterious snake bites, but the coroner rules the deaths as heart attacks, until a family of newcomers starts an investigation.

“A young couple, Harry and Valerie Spalding, inherit and move into a small cottage previously owned by the husbandu0026#39;s now deceased brother, Charles. Charlesu0026#39; death is something of a mystery, but none of the locals in the small Cornish village want to discuss it or any of the other deaths theyu0026#39;ve seen. Harry has seen some strange things in his time and believes that these deaths are similar to the cobra bite victims he saw in India. But a cobra in Cornwall – itu0026#39;s not possible. The couple meets their standoffish and odd neighbor, Dr. Franklyn, and his charming, but strange daughter, Anna. The Franklynu0026#39;s are hiding a secret, but is it a secret capable of killing Charles and others in the community? Is there a giant, snake-like creature hiding in the Franklynu0026#39;s house?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOf all the wonderful movies that Hammer made, Iu0026#39;m of the opinion that The Reptile is one of the most often overlooked gems in the catalog. Itu0026#39;s a really nice movie that doesnu0026#39;t seem to get near the attention I feel it deserves. Good acting from a rather small cast (with a big, meaty role for Hammer regular Michael Ripper), nice pacing, solid direction, and that Hammer u0026quot;looku0026quot; (for lack of a better word) that I always enjoy. But what really sets The Reptile apart is the atmosphere. Thereu0026#39;s a real sense of fear and mystery about the whole movie. Itu0026#39;s as creepy and suspense filled as anything Hammer ever made. And I just love the whole notion of a snake-cult putting a curse on Franklyn and his daughter. Itu0026#39;s a unique, original idea for a movie. Sure, there have been other snake-to-man movies, but none that Iu0026#39;ve seen are as well done as this one. Finally, Iu0026#39;ve read complaints about the make-up effects. Personally, I think theyu0026#39;re fine given the relative modest budget Hammer put-up for the movie. The snake appliances may not look as real as one might have hoped for, but at least theyu0026#39;re not some weightless CGI nonsense. Just go with it and have fun.”