The Sci Fi Channel has brought the chill and the thrill back to Saturday night, family friendly scary fare that harkens the days of Saturday night Chiller Theater or Tales from the Crypt (a PG-13 version).
Snakes! EPA/SANJEEV GUPTA
“Mega Snake” is Sci Fi’s Saturday night original movie featuring a special appearance by “Feedback” (a.k.a. Matthew Atherton), last year’s winner on the hit Sci Fi original series “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” and stars Michael Shanks, of Stargate SG-1 fame.
"Mega Snake" premieres Saturday, August 25 @ 9 PM ET/PT, on Sci Fi.
Producer Boaz Davidson conjured up an interesting southern gothic yarn of two brothers and their parents, Pentecostal snake handlers in the Tennessee hills, and a crisis of faith moment during a snake handling service that renders the stricken father left to die in front of his family.
Cut to twenty years later, and the brothers are still at loggerheads.
"My character has been scarred for life ever since from witnessing this and has a deathly fear of snakes," Shanks said to Sci Fi. "And, of course, the way the chain of unfortunate events happens, a giant snake starts attacking the town, and he must overcome his own fears to fight the horrible beast.”
"The title says it all," Shanks said with a laugh during an interview. He added: "If you can believe it, it's about a very large snake, and, believe it or not, there's actually a realistic quotient to it."
The story continues of the supernatural snake that was unwittingly unleashed (by the "devout" brother) upon the residents of the rural hamlet. Before long, the reptile is massive and aggressive to boot, wreaking havoc on everything in its path.
"What could be badder than a 30 foot snake?" asks Shanks character Les, getting the answer he does not want to hear, a snake that is growing even bigger.
When the snake threatens the lives of a group of children at a carnival, it’s up to Superhero Feedback to save the day. A campy moment, but kids will eat it up with a spoon.
Notable is the exceptional camera work of cinematographer Emil Topuzov and director Tibor Takács, and the beautiful Bulgarian countryside that the location manager scouted that does a good job mimicking the verdant American southeast.
Popcorn fun for the family. It is much too scary and slithery in action for the younger kids, and people who are truly afraid of snakes should just wait for "Flash Gordon" or "Stargate: Atlantis."
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