The Flying Serpent

Rating:
Summary: The infamous flying bird/lizard monster movie from PRC
Review: "The Flying Serpent" terrorizing everyone in this infamous Poverty Row Company production is Quatzalcoatl, the killer bird god of Aztec legend. However, when the monstrous puppet on strings shows up it is something of a welcome relief from the overacting of George Zucco as Professor Andrew Forbes, a demented archeologist who discovers the monster really exists. When he makes the mistake of giving his wife (Hope Kramer) one of the bird's feathers, only to see the monster track her down and kill her, he decides this is a golden opportunity to take care of some of his enemies. My favorite scene is when the reporter covers a couple of the murders live on the radio. This is one of those gloriously bad horror movies from the past; you have probably seen the cheesy monster at some point, so you might as well check out the rest of the story. This 60-minute 1946 film is credited on screen to director Sherman Scott, but that is just one of the pseudonyms used by Sam Newfield (the other was Peter Stewart). Newfield needed the cover because he was turning out a dozen films a year at that point in a career where he made over 200 films including a high of 23 in 1943. The obvious double-feature choice for "The Flying Serpent" is "Q," Larry Cohen's 1982 cult classic that deals with pretty much the same story.

Rating:
Summary: The infamous flying bird/lizard monster movie from PRC
Review: "The Flying Serpent" terrorizing everyone in this infamous Poverty Row Company production is Quatzalcoatl, the killer bird god of Aztec legend. However, when the monstrous puppet on strings shows up it is something of a welcome relief from the overacting of George Zucco as Professor Andrew Forbes, a demented archeologist who discovers the monster really exists. When he makes the mistake of giving his wife (Hope Kramer) one of the bird's feathers, only to see the monster track her down and kill her, he decides this is a golden opportunity to take care of some of his enemies. My favorite scene is when the reporter covers a couple of the murders live on the radio. This is one of those gloriously bad horror movies from the past; you have probably seen the cheesy monster at some point, so you might as well check out the rest of the story. This 60-minute 1946 film is credited on screen to director Sherman Scott, but that is just one of the pseudonyms used by Sam Newfield (the other was Peter Stewart). Newfield needed the cover because he was turning out a dozen films a year at that point in a career where he made over 200 films including a high of 23 in 1943. The obvious double-feature choice for "The Flying Serpent" is "Q," Larry Cohen's 1982 cult classic that deals with pretty much the same story.

Rating:
Summary: The infamous flying bird/lizard monster movie from PRC
Review: "The Flying Serpent" terrorizing everyone in this infamous Poverty Row Company production is Quatzalcoatl, the killer bird god of Aztec legend. However, when the monstrous puppet on strings shows up it is something of a welcome relief from the overacting of George Zucco as Professor Andrew Forbes, a demented archeologist who discovers the monster really exists. When he makes the mistake of giving his wife (Hope Kramer) one of the bird's feathers, only to see the monster track her down and kill her, he decides this is a golden opportunity to take care of some of his enemies. My favorite scene is when the reporter covers a couple of the murders live on the radio. This is one of those gloriously bad horror movies from the past; you have probably seen the cheesy monster at some point, so you might as well check out the rest of the story. This 60-minute 1946 film is credited on screen to director Sherman Scott, but that is just one of the pseudonyms used by Sam Newfield (the other was Peter Stewart). Newfield needed the cover because he was turning out a dozen films a year at that point in a career where he made over 200 films including a high of 23 in 1943. The obvious double-feature choice for "The Flying Serpent" is "Q," Larry Cohen's 1982 cult classic that deals with pretty much the same story.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, bad audio quality
Review: A great classic PRC Pictures cheapie. The only drawback is the audio quality of the disc.

Rating:
Summary: Decent Devil-Bat imitation With Zucco.
Review: George Zucco is back in yet another PRC poverty row cheapie. Zucco Stars as professor Forbes a nutty archaeologist who discovers a hidden Aztec Treasure as well as a prehistoric giant Bird.

Believing others are jealous of his find, Forbes uses the feathers of the bird as bait. The Bird goes after whomever has a feather similar to the Devil Bat where Lugois attracted the devil bat with a special Perfume.

Other than Zucco who chews the scenery with his usual zeal, no other cast member is worth noting. It's as technically bad as a PRC movie ever got. The bird is awful looking with the strings that control him clearly visible all the time.

Add to that flubbed lines, poor looking sets, and horrid acting and this certainly was one of PRCs worst movies (no small feat to be sure!).

Still, being a Zucco fan I really enjoy him and the movie is worth watching to see him hamming it up. Just don't go into it with any high expectations.

Rating:
Summary: great horror film from poverty row's best studio
Review: George Zucco is excellent(again) as a mad scientist is this adapation of PRC's earlier effort Killer Bat (starring an aged Bela Lugosi). By leaving a beautiful feather from an ancient Mayan prehistoric bird by any intended victim, the angry bird kills that person in order to retrieve it's coveted feather. Great atmosphere shots with Zucco in cave with caged bird, and cool but clumsy shots of the serpent flying and attacking. This is not a B picture, but a Z picture (my favorites)and it's tops in that catagory. The wonderfully ill finaced PRC studio(Producers Releasing Corp)also gave us the Z horror classics: Black Raven, Man made monster, the Monster maker and the above mentioned Killer Bats. If you think Blair Witch Project was done on the cheap, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Rating:
Summary: Bird-Brains...
Review: George Zucco is the nefarious Dr. Forbes, archeologist. He's got Quetzalcoatl (yep, the aztec bird / lizard god) trapped in a cage in some old ruins. Forbes has found out that the creature will hunt down and kill anyone in possession of one of it's feathers (the first victim was the Dr.'s own wife). He uses the beast to knock off his enemies and protect the millions in aztec gold he's discovered. It's up to Forbes' step-daughter and a radio show host to stop the madness and mayhem. Yes, this is a remake of Bela's DEVIL BAT, with feathers instead of after-shave lotion, and Quetzalcoatl replacing the monstrous bat-mutant. TFS stands on it's own though, with plenty of fun and George Zucco's wide-eyed glare. A good, SHORT time-passer...

Rating:
Summary: What an Interesting Feather...
Review: George Zucco plays the villain in this little film. The story is very similar to Lugosi Devil Bat but more rural.

Zucco has found a Quetzalcoatl and keeps it captive. The serpent bird is very protective of its feathers. Zucco collects them and gives them to those he has a grudge against. The creature is then released which attacks the holder of the feather. Of course good triumphs over evil as it usually does in these old films.

The effects of the creature and its flights are actually quite sophisticated. Zucco does his usual good job as the villain and gets good support from the rest of the cast.

A fun old B-film that holds together well even after all these years.

Rating:
Summary: What an Interesting Feather...
Review: George Zucco plays the villain in this little film. The story is very similar to Lugosi Devil Bat but more rural.

Zucco has found a Quetzalcoatl and keeps it captive. The serpent bird is very protective of its feathers. Zucco collects them and gives them to those he has a grudge against. The creature is then released which attacks the holder of the feather. Of course good triumphs over evil as it usually does in these old films.

The effects of the creature and its flights are actually quite sophisticated. Zucco does his usual good job as the villain and gets good support from the rest of the cast.

A fun old B-film that holds together well even after all these years.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat passable, for a grade Z effort
Review: THE FLYING SERPENT has no aspirations of greatness. But it does have the coolly sinister George Zucco! A bargain-basement remake of another poverty row classic THE DEVIL BAT, this film passes the hour (running time: 59 minutes) serving up mild amusement. Zucco pretends to be innocent, but we all know (and so should everyone else in the movie) that he's behind the strange killings that are always preceded by the discovery of an unusual feather. Zucco's (admittedly average) performance really is the only thing that makes it worth a view.

As a lover of old low budget horror films, I give this one a "weak but fun". I'd recommend a rent instead of a buy, though, because the DVD is not a good value for the money. The picture quality is decent but the source material's quality is not very good. There are no significant extras included. It's only an hour long. Add those facts to a too-high list price, and you're best advised to buy it only if you KNOW you must have it.