Calamity of Snakes (人蛇大战; Ren she da zhan) is a 1982 horror film directed by Chi Chang (also known as William Cheung Kei). An international co-production of Taiwan and Hong Kong, the film concerns the residents of a newly built apartment building being attacked by thousands of vengeful snakes, which seek retribution for the killing and displacement of multitudes of snakes at the site of the building's construction.
Rather than utilizing special effects to depict violence against snakes, Calamity of Snakes features genuine footage of snakes being mutilated and killed, including being burned alive.[1]
Censorship
The film was banned in British Columbia, Canada, by the British Columbia Film Classification Branch in 1982.[2]
Reception
In 2023, Jeffrey Kauffman of Blu-ray.com called the film "a completely gonzo outing that has a few scattered moments of humor which are probably completely undercut (no pun intended) by the absolutely horrifying footage of snakes being killed in various ways."[3]
Home media
In April 2023, Unearthed Films released Calamity of Snakes on Blu-ray and DVD;[3][4] the release includes a "cruelty free version" of the film which omits shots that feature snakes being harmed.[3]
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