Oliver Reed and Klaus Kinski chew the scenery in the kidnapping thriller cult classic Venom. Blue Undergrounds upgrades the film to 4K UHD filled with all new special features.
The Film
The one thing I love about Letterboxd is that I’m able to keep reviews from the past for “historical purposes”. This is what I wrote for a previous website back in 2016 about Venom.
“… Klaus Kinski vs. Black Mambas, and we’re not talking Kobe… though Kobe vs. Klaus Kinski I would definitely pay some pretty good money for. No, this is an early 80’s potboiler starring Kinski, Oliver Reed, William Nichols, Susan George, and Sterling Hayden… oh, and a bunch of snakes! The film is ripe in all the right ways. Seeing Reed and Kinski share screen time is like seeing a unicorn give birth… something very frightening, something scary but you can’t turn away from…”
All of this still applies to director Piers Haggard’s kidnapping hostage thriller. Haggard a journeyman director whose biggest claim to fame was the BBC version of the Dennis Potter scripted Pennies from Heaven. Understood the gambit he was about to throw down with Venom and kept everything soberingly serious.
Though one expecting a traditional when animals attack film will be disappointed. The script adapted from a novel by Alan Scholefield is more a crime film than a horror film. The black mamba in the film is another wrinkle in an already tattered kidnapping plan the trio has concocted that goes to hell. That isn’t to say the film is lesser for it, quite the contrary. Venom in this form manages to be a nasty bit of crime fiction that has its participants doing everything and anything to get out of a desperate situation.
The performances by Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed, William Nichols, Susan George, and Sterling Hayden are the right kind of overwrought. Yes, even Kinski who plays the criminal mastermind keeps himself in check until it is time. The way that the film slowly pits Kinski and Reed against each other in an ever-growing FUBAR situation is one of the film’s many pleasures. Placing Goerge between them as the femme fatale that pushes each of the men.
The below-the-line talent is as equally impressive as the cast. Cinematographer Gil Taylor (of Star Wars and Dr. Strangelove infamy) gives the film the right sort of Neo-Noir look that slowly escalates into a nightmarish vision of shadows and light. Michael Kamen’s score is shockingly lush for a film so… crassly exploitative but works in favor of the film giving it a big-budget feel.
Venom is as biting a kidnapping thriller as has been produced.
The Transfer
The all-new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from its 35mm IN, with Dolby Vision HDR is a marvelous upgrade from the 2017 Blu-ray edition. The image is a healthy sharp affair throughout. There isn’t a scratch or blemish present throughout the runtime. The transfer is gorgeously luminous showcasing Gil Taylor’s photography. The Dolby Vision allows for the retaining all the beautiful black and contrast levels without a hint of artifacting or crushing of the blacks making the 35mm shot film look beautifully representative of its origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
- Audio Commentary #1 with Director Piers Haggard
- NEW! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani
- NEW! Fangs For The Memories – Interview with Editor/Second Unit Director Michael Bradsell
- NEW! A Slithery Story – Interview with Makeup Artist Nick Dudman
- NEW! Mamba Memories – Interview with Author & Critic Kim Newman
- NEW! Pick Your Poison – Interview with The Dark Side’s Allan Bryce
- Trailers
- TV Spots
- NEWLY EXPANDED! Poster & Still Gallery
The first audio commentary is archival one with Director Piers Haggard with moderation by Jonathan Southgard begins with how Haggard came onto the project during beginning of the production from Tobe Hooper – how this effected the work and style of the piece. Some of the details include how the cast was filled with “big personalities and naughty boys” as he put it which made for much conflict and time away from the visuals; a joke that Oliver Reed played on Haggard – which wasn’t at all hilarious but to the mercurial Reed; a discussion of working with and history of Sterling Hayden; what was done with the cast and crew after he took over from Hooper; the lack of script changes he wanted and the reasons why; what separates this from other “animal attack” films – and how it feels dated, even at the time, to Haggard; the exact scene that Reed and Kinski fell out; what made Oliver Reed such a great actor to direct; the production schedule and budget they had; the other cinematographers he met with and also worked with on the film other than Gil Taylor – and their contentious relationship; a larger discussion of the various scenes where Kinski’s acting methods went too far and actually hurt people on set; a larger discussion of the on-set fights between Reed and Kinski; and much more. Haggard provides an engaging and transparent track where much of the onset issues are discussed.
The second audio commentary is an all-new one with Film Historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson, and Eugenio Ercolani opens with their credentials and their respective love for. Some of the other details include the great cast and how they were able to get them in this film; a discussion of director Piers Haggard his work here and how it lines up throughout his career; a discussion of if the film is truly an animal-horror film – including a discussion of other animal-attack horror films; a discussion of how the film was marketed around the world; a discussion of the various cast members and their other animal-attack films they appear in; a discussion of the adaptation of the book by Alan Schofield – including what they added and what they took away from the source material for the film; the score by Michael Kamen – and how it was just recently released in 2024; a discussion of producer Martin Bregman – where he was during this point in his career; the work and a discussion of Sarah Myles – and just how difficult she was; how Kinski was chose this film – as opposed to Raiders of the Lost Ark which Spielberg wanted him for the Ronald Lacy role, and Kinski thought of the script for Raiders; the troubles with the production – primarily because of the actors (many of them having personal troubles) and their clashes; the critical response at the time – including Siskel and Ebert’s response; a discussion of the production/development process of the film; a discussion of Tobe Hooper’s (who was the original director of the film) career at this point and how much trouble he was having during this era; a discussion of the various cast members, anecdotes from the production and their careers; and much more.
Fangs For The Memories (26:12) – is an all-new interview with Editor/Second Unit Director Michael Bradsell that begins with how he became involved with the project. Bradsell goes on to discuss how the production began fine and slowly started to get behind schedule eventually leading to Tobe Hooper leaving and how Haggard eventually came on board. The reshoots and accommodations that Haggard and crew had to make with reshoots – including Reed’s accent and Kinski’s costuming. The how and why he became the Second Unit Director and also what he specifically shot. Working with Oliver Reed and Klaus Kinski and much more.
A Slithery Story (21:00) – is an all-new interview with Makeup Artist Nick Dudman that begins with his mentorship by Stuart Freeborn which led to working with Basil Newall learning traditional makeup which led to working on Venom. Dudman discusses the shutdown and changes over from Tobe Hooper to Pier Haggard; the “atmosphere” and challenge of having to do makeup for Oliver Reed and Klaus Kinski – the experience that he called a “baptism by fire”; the way the fights would erupt almost every single day – including the physical altercations by Reed; a wild story of Reed during a shot driving the limo driving off and not coming back to set; and much more.
Mamba Memories (23:29) – is an all-new interview with Author & Critic Kim Newman dissection of the film and novel Venom is based on. Newman discusses the animal-attacks subgenre and the novels that came before Venom that were turned into film and some that weren’t and the various animals, they were based on; how the novel was not intended to be an animal attack novel but rather something more akin to Fredric Forsyth; the adaptation to screen – the differences they made some for the better and some for the worst; the empathy that’s imbued into the snake in Venomthat the film either purposely or mistakenly gives it; the various other snake films that have made before and since the film; the reasons why Tobe Hooper was hired for the film – including a great deep dive into the early career of the director including Venom being the second film that he left the production of; the combustible nature of Kinski and Reed; the work of Kinski in the film; the work of Oliver Reed – include a nice discussion of the actor’s career and rising to Stardom and his troubles with alcohol; the various cast members and how they all had their troubles off screen which made them difficult to work with; what brought director Pier Haggard came to the film – coming off the bomb The Fiendish Plot of Fu Manchu; and much more. Newman provides a great entertaining discussion of Venom.
Pick Your Poison (15:26) – is an all-new interview with The Dark Side’s author and critic Allan Bryce opens with a discussion that Venom is very much a British Horror film – which there was a lack of the genre in the UK. Bryce discusses the melding of genres but how he thinks it is very much a horror film; the personal and professional history of director Pier Haggard – whose career was mostly TV based; his first experience seeing the film – which was not in the theater; how the film was a success on VHS/Home video; the casting what if of Sean Connery being offered the Oliver Reed’s role; stories about Reed’s legendary debauchery; the various actors that appear in Venom and how good they are; and much more.
Trailers – Theatrical Trailer (1:25) and Teaser Trailer (0:31)
TV Spots – Three 30-second TV spots that can be played individually or all at once with a “Play All” option.
Poster & Still Gallery – includes 125 stills and movie posters. The gallery can be controlled by using your Next and Back Chapter Stop buttons on your remote.
The Final Thought
Blue Underground has outdid themselves with their 4K UHD upgrade to Venom adding not only a new transfer but new special features. Highest possible recommendations!!!