SSSSSSS (1973)
"Don't say it; hiss it," the trailer admonishes. This flick has a certain swagger to it, an inherent showmanship that would have made William Castle blush. It winks at the viewer without showing its hand and fully embracing the cornball folly of its premise. That's a good thing. I know I didn't need to be reminded that I was watching a b-movie. It would have been easy for the contrivances beneath the storyline to fall apart, but Strother Martin plays it cool as Dr. Stoner (sic), an unhinged herpetologist bent on turning his assistant into a cold-blooded monster (or "snake man," as a carnival barker puts it). The cast takes the script seriously, which makes it easier to swallow all of the loopy trimmings.
I guess Sssssss isn't that ridiculous. I've alluded to the pragmatic tone, but the film is more somber than one might expect. Maybe that's just 1973 leaving its dent in the proceedings. Visually, we're in "made for TV" territory. Not surprising, considering director Bernard L. Kowalski forged a career on the small screen. The special effects are noteworthy. Makeup artist John Chambers would go on to devise greasepaint tricks for Phantom of the Paradise and Planet of the Apes. I have no qualms about giving Sssssss a seal of approval. It's commensurate with the previous year's Stanley, though I wouldn't say it's on a level playing field with 1983's Spasms. There isn't nearly enough Oliver Reed to go around.
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