What do you get when you mix notorious actor Klaus Kinski, temperamental actor Oliver Reed, last-second director Piers Haggard and the world's deadliest snake? Well, that would be the cult film VENOM, of course. Rarely seen since its release, this hybrid action/horror film has been issued on DVD by the fine folk at Blue Underground.

For those of you who prefer the "short & sweet" synopsis of a film: some guys do some things to some other guys and some stuff happens. For those who like a bit more detail, without giving the whole shebang away, read on...

Animal loving 10-year-old Phillip is picked up from school by his over protective mother Ruth. She frets over him more than usual because she's going on vacation and leaving him home with his grandfather, and the boy has an asthma condition. Their townhouse in London is undergoing renovations, and is hot as a greenhouse. Grandfather Howard, a safari leader, reassures Ruth he can take care of Phillip with the help of Louise the maid and chauffer Dave. But there's something up between the servants - Dave tells Louise he's having "second thoughts", so she gives him sex to keep him in line. Later, Dave drops Ruth off at the airport, but picks up the mysterious Jacmel. He drives the stranger to a house in the country, and gives the foreigner a gun. Louise arrives at the house, and obviously has some history with Jacmel. Phillip suffers an asthma attack that night, but Howard is able to help him through it.

The next day, Howard sends Phillip off alone to the pet shop, much against Louise's wishes. At the shop, Phillip picks up his new animal, but there's trouble a-brewin'. Dr. Stowe at the Toxicology Institute realizes her newly arrived snake is only a common house snake - the crates at the pet shop must have been mixed up! Frantically, she phones the police, who send a car around to Phillip's house to warn him that his snake is actually a black mamba, the world's deadliest reptile! Back at the townhouse, Louise tries to get Phillip into Jacmel's car, but the boy flees into the house with his new animal. In the resulting confusion, Phillip's crate is opened - the snake inside strikes and bites Louise several times before slithering off. Jacmel pulls out his gun and takes over the situation, ordering Dave to lock Howard in the basement and Louise to bring the boy to his car. However, Louise isn't feeling too well. With police reinforcements on the way, Jacmel, Dave, Howard and Phillip are now trapped in the townhouse with the black mamba.

VENOM has a very interesting history behind it. The DVD includes commentary by director Piers Haggard, who explains originally the film was to be done by Tobe Hooper, but he backed out due to mental problems. When Piers came on board at the last minute, he found he had to shoot the script "as is"; so his input to his own film became minimal. Also, the egos of the cast were constantly conflicting, especially Kinski and Reed, so Piers had his hands full getting them to do their jobs. Plus, the producers used real black mambas for several scenes, and they really are the world's deadliest, and fastest, snakes. All this behind-the -scenes strife, coupled with an odd mishmash of genres script could have resulted in a real lousy film. However, Venom manages to be a rather entertaining flick, as long as you suspend your disbelief for the entire running time. The acting at times is so over-the-top as to be comical, and the "human vs. animal" fight (which was bound to happen) is the worst since Bela Lugosi's fight with the octopus in "Bride of the Monster." I'll just say there is a plot - but don't look too hard for it. The "gimmick" at the end of the film is also totally unbelievable. Still, there are some well-directed suspense scenes (Howard searching the upstairs room) and the supporting cast does a credible job, so VENOM is worth a look for genre fans.

Blue Underground has done a suburb job in preparing VENOM for DVD release. The picture is very clean and clear - there is little if no fading of colors. The movie is presented in 1.85:1 wide screen, and is enhanced for 16X9 TVs. The audio has been redone as well, so you can watch in Dolby Surround, Dolby 5.1, or Dolby 6.1 DTS, if you have the set-up. It's obvious whoever did the tech work loved this movie and insured the best possible print was released. In addition to the director's commentary (a must-listen for fans) and the audio options, the DVD also includes the theatrical trailer, four TV spots, a poster/stills gallery and bios of Kinski and Reed.

With last minute director changes and actor's ego run rampant, VENOM could have easily been another forgettable genre film of the early '80's. But with good supporting performances and some well-paced suspense scenes, it turns out to be pretty entertaining. Just put your brain on "pause", and check behind the curtains before you begin...