Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would have put this on the crotalus forum but it's D.O.A... Soooo, in the new feature film "Soul Survivor" I was surprised to learn that "rattlesnakes" are a problem in the Afghan snow country... But darned if a large Eastern Diamondback wasn't shown just to demonstrate the credibility of film.

They did it again.

Gotta love Hollywood filmakers' wonderful "attention to detail". I've seen "venomous" Cornsnakes in HBO's "Rome", and deadly Nelsons Milksnakes in one of those "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, "The Mummy" and "Lemony Snickett". Wondering if anyone else remembers non-venomous (commonly kept as pet) snakes used as venomous snakes in any other movies.

reako45

reako45

In a new movie yet to debut a movie filmed here in Oregon called "Wild" starring Reese Witherspoon a large female Eastern Diamondback belonging to me was used (venomoid) and at some point she held a harmless snake in some scene. I wasn't on set so can't say with certainty what species it was though I was told a "ratsnake'. I would have lobbied for a Dumeril's Boa frankly as a stand-in had I known! The fact that no EDB's occur high in the Cascade Mountains naturally seemed to be of no concern

The original True Grit used a real rattlesnake as did Halloween II: Season of the Witch. The B-movie "Frogs" is basically a filmed herping trip where they went out and killed snakes to show the effects of human impact; and of course they macheted a blacksnake in Friday the 13th. I was watching "The Believers" with Martin Sheen and they removed (get this) ringnecks from Jimmy Smitts' stomach. The retro station here shows episodes of the horrible 70's show "Secrets of Isis" where a live rattlesnake was filmed, then Isis freezes time and picks up a very dead rattler, restores time and the original crawls away.

Ever seen "Snakes on a Plane"? I'll give some credit to them though for using a Cobra. Most of it though is just "I wish that was real, I wish I was there" haha.

Also--in the movie "Holes," the main character is trapped with a friend in a desert pit filled with "deadly" venomous lizards, expertly portrayed by bearded dragons painted with yellow spots.

Given that the target demographic of the movie was preteen/teenagers, I wonder how many of the moviegoers noticed, and/or how many kids who went to the movie with their parents were then told they couldn't get a pet bearded dragon because they're venomous. :/
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

In a rather new movie MUD they used what looked eels for Cotton Mouths. It was a good movie except for that and even show marking the swelling and time around the bite. Best rescue of a snakebite victim with a motorbike I've seen. VM pic Yellow Mamba I found in my Fl. back yard!