Venom

Unworthy of theatrical release and unfit for viewing by even the most forgiving horror buff, filmmaker Jim Gillespie's Venom is a flagrant waste of celluloid in which a bunch of Louisiana teenagers are methodically killed off (usually impaled) by a tow-truck driver named Ray (Rick Cramer) who's—follow me closely here—been bitten by voodoo-cursed snakes that injected him with the evil souls of their previous bite victims (?!?). Although Scream writer Kevin Williamson serves as producer, none of his trademark humor enlivens the fangless proceedings here, and despite the film's slick production values, this uninspired hackwork easily lives up to its title: it's numbing and toxic. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the nine-minute “making-of” featurette “Voodoo Nightmare,” four storyboard-to-film comparisons (7 min.), six cast auditions (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fangless extras package for a dumb horror flick.] (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 2, 2011—Echo Bridge, 87 min., R, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2005's Venom sports a decent transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including the “making-of” featurette “Voodoo Nightmare” (9 min.), four storyboard-to-film comparisons (7 min.), cast auditions (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: better looking, yes; better film, no.]