| Jaws of Satan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Bob Claver |
| Screenplay by | Gerry Holland |
| Produced by | Bill Wilson[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Dean Cundey[1] |
| Edited by | Len Miller[1] |
| Music by | Roger Kellaway |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Jaws of Satan, also called by its working titleKing Cobra, is a 1982 Americanhorror film directed by Bob Claver, and starringFritz Weaver,Gretchen Corbett,Jon Korkes, andChristina Applegate, in her feature film debut. Its plot follows a preacher from a cursed family who is forced to battle Satan, who has taken the form of a hugeking cobra and is also influencing other regular snakes in the area.
A largeking cobra escapes during transport and kills two railroad workers before reaching a small town in Alabama. That night, Father Tom Farrow, the town's Catholic priest, is warned by librarian Evelyn Downs that an ancient enemy has come to claim his soul. The next day, two tree loggers are attacked by arattlesnake, prompting Dr. Maggie Sheridan to call inherpetologist Dr. Paul Hendricks after discovering a body with unusual puncture wounds.
Observed by the Cobra, Maggie encounters a rattlesnake in her home, which Paul kills, and he stays overnight to comfort her. Following Evelyn's death, Farrow learns from his uncle, the Monsignore, that his family has a cursed bloodline linked to violent deaths and strange occurrences every third generation. The Monsignore warns Farrow that ifSatan has arrived in the form of a snake, unnatural events will follow.
As the town deals with snake attacks, including the death of a deputy, the Monsignore reveals a family member once defeated a serpent. After the Cobra attacks Farrow, he manages to fend it off with a cross, but the Monsignore dies. During a town meeting, the mayor dismisses the threats and pushes to proceed with a dog race, prompting Maggie and Paul to investigate.
Maggie encounters a mugger, and they both escape an attack by the Cobra. Paul discovers the Cobra's lair and is knocked out. The mayor eventually cancels the dog race after a series of events, including a child being attacked. Maggie finds Paul but is captured by the Cobra.
In the climax, Farrow confronts the Cobra in the caves, offering himself in place of Maggie. He prays, and his cross glows, leading to the Cobra's demise via being engulfed in fire. Farrow, Paul, and Maggie manage to escape the cave alive.
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Filming took place in the fall of 1980 inAlabama, in the cities ofTuscaloosa,Demopolis,Eutaw, andChildersburg.[2] The film was shot under the working titleKing Cobra.[2]
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Jaws of Satan premiered inBirmingham, Alabama, on January 15, 1982.[2]
Scream Factory released the film onBlu-ray as a double-feature withEmpire of the Ants (1977) in 2015.[3]
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Jeffrey Kauffman, writing for Blu-ray.com, opined that "Jaws of Satan is at times a risibly awful motion picture, but it deserves a few bonus points for being one of the oddest mash-ups in horror cinema history, with elements drawn from entries as disparate asJaws ... andThe Exorcist (and, no, thatisn't a typo)."[4]