Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 31, 2018

1995’s “Serpent’s Lair” is marketed as another offering for the erotic thriller scrapheap, with its ready-made Blockbuster Video elements making it catnip for fans of the subgenre scanning the bottom shelf for something saucy. However, screenwriter Marc Rosenberg and director Jeffrey Reiner aren’t committed to a prolonged display of bare skin and orgasmic faces, trying to bend the material into more of a horror experience, finding inspiration from the succubus, a demon who uses sexuality to attract victims. Rosenberg and Reiner aren’t exactly making “Hellraiser” here, but they have the right idea for the first hour of the movie, keeping “Serpent’s Lair” stocked with strange lustiness and potential threat, while using star Jeff Fahey’s talents wisely, keeping the actor in eye-bulging meltdown mode. The film eventually takes itself a bit too seriously, but there’s something resembling a ride provided here, working through crazy seductions and demonic paranoia with reasonable speed and enthusiasm.

A hotshot mortgage banker, Tom (Jeff Fahey) is eager to move into to a new apartment with his wife, Alex (Heather Medway), and start a family. Receiving a real estate tip from partner Mario (Anthony Palermo), Tom decides to purchase a large dwelling that was previously owned by Steven, a demonologist who ended up committing suicide in one of the rooms. Ignoring the grim event, Tom and Alex move in, making friends with a black cat who refuses to leave the premises. With this cat comes some dark magic, finding Tom plagued by erotic thoughts, soon separated from his spouse when the cat causes an accident that sends her to the hospital for a lengthy stay. Arriving at the apartment is Lillith (Lisa B), a sultry woman who claims to be Steven’s sister, hoping to claim her late brother’s belongings. When Tom welcomes Lillith into his home, she decides to stay, using strange voodoo to bewitch her host, soon working to drain his very essence through intercourse. Powerless to stop what’s happening, Tom turns to research, learning about the dangerous influence of the succubus, which is driving him to madness.

While Fahey has done some fine work during his erratic career, he’s never been one to successfully convey vulnerability. He has an odd screen presence, and such weirdness fits perfectly into “Serpent’s Lair,” where he’s tasked to play a loving husband who can’t keep his pants on when Lillith is near, engaging in a hyper-sexual relationship that poisons his mind and destroys his body. However, before the bedroom (and hallway and office and kitchen) Olympics begin, Fahey is tasked with making Tom seem like an okay dude with a promising future, planning to have babies with Alex once they secure a family dwelling. He’s also a kindly banker during the day, tolerating piggish behavior from Mario, who’s a skirt-chasing goon, encouraging his buddy to have an affair despite possessing knowledge that Alex is a wonderful, sweet woman and more than enough for Tom to handle. Fahey is really the best thing about “Serpent’s Lair,” achieving a sense of bewilderment about Tom that makes his slide into violent infidelity somewhat credible, with the average man suddenly confronted with seductive powers he doesn’t understand.

“Serpent’s Lair” spends lots of time on feline events, with the black cat working to get Alex out of the apartment, leaving her gifts of dead rodents on her pillow before actively trying to kill her. Once the wife goes into the hospital, the cat is replaced by Lillith, who meets Tom and quickly decides to take a shower in his place, because that’s what sexual demons do. Her efforts to tempt the married man prove successful, but Reiner keeps matters surprisingly tasteful. Sure, there’s plenty of grinding and moaning, with Lisa B’s entire performance centered on her ability to simulate pleasures of the flesh, but nudity, which is the erotic thriller’s bread and butter, is limited to a few passing shots. Reiner is more interested in the occult aspects of Lillith’s existence, making her a plague that won’t quit until she saps Tom’s essence in full. And there are weirdo neighbors to add pressure, finding Sam (Patrick Bauchau) especially attentive to Alex’s hospital situation, while one of Steven’s colleagues stops by for a visit, inspiring Tom to figure out why Lillith keeps offering a full court press when it comes to their carnal collisions.

Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Boasting a "Brand new 2016 scan of archival elements," the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Serpent's Lair" arrives with clarity, but also pronounced darkness. While a shadowy picture to begin with, black levels are very heavy during the viewing experience, providing delineation issues, making some evening shots and even dark office wear impossible to see. When fully illuminated, detail is quite good, surveying skin textures as seductive efforts and madness sets in, and locations are open for inspection, permitting the viewer to get a good look at the oddity of Romania trying to pass for New York City. Colors are also compelling, with natural skintones and livelier costume hues, securing a period feel. Greenery also comes through clearly, along with set decoration, with blood red emphasis. Source is in decent shape, but judder is detected, and some wear and tear is found, with scratches and chemical blotches encountered along the way.

Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles very nicely, delivering a full feel of production elements, finding dialogue exchanges emerging with authority, capturing performance nuances and genre escalation. Scoring cues are defined, supplying a sharper synth atmosphere, while a few musical passages offer crisp instrumentation. Sound effects are strong, selling violent encounters, and atmospherics are healthy, keeping the bustle of apartment life and office activity alert. A few louder pops are encountered during the listening event.

Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (:46, SD) pairs actress Heather Medway with a man in a banana costume who stumbles through his introductory statement.

• Interview (20:28, SD) with Medway examines her early career as a model, with one persuasive individual pushing her towards acting after sensing her screen presence. Medway briefly discusses the making of "Serpent's Lair," which was shot in Romania soon after the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu, which left behind a half-built city for the production to use. The actress describes working with her co-stars, finding most professional, but she emphasizes Jeff Fahey's commitment to character, even overcoming an allergy to cats to play the part. While some talk of her personal life in included, Medway is soon quizzed on her career, discussing parts in movies such as "The Fear" and "Vibrations," along with work on TV shows like "Viper" and "Models, Inc."

• A Trailer has not been included.

Serpent's Lair Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Eventually, "Serpent's Lair" becomes fully committed to explaining everything that's going on, which is a downgrade from the first half, which charts Tom's descent into a sexual fantasy gone wild. Mystery replaces oddity, leading to a conventional finale, but up to this point, Reiner does a decent job launching curious acts of attraction and Lillith's forward demeanor. As this type of entertainment goes, "Serpent's Lair" is decently crafted, and while it isn't fully aware of its exploitation possibilities, it doesn't slow down very often to page through banal details of possession. And for Fahey fans, he's right here, as sweaty and crazed as ever.