Python (film)
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| Python | |
|---|---|
 Python DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Richard Clabaugh |
| Produced by | Jeffery Beach Ken Olandt Phillip J. Roth James Hollensteiner Thomas J. Niedermeyer Jr. Richard Smith |
| Written by | Phillip J. Roth Chris Neal Garrison Hershberger Paul Bogh |
| Starring | Frayne Rosanoff Robert Englund Casper Van Dien William Zabka Dana Barron Wil Wheaton Sean Whalen Gary Grubbs |
| Music by | Daniel J. Nielsen |
| Cinematography | Patrick Rousseau |
| Editing by | Christian McIntire |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | January 16, 2000 |
| Running time | 99 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Python II (2002) Boa vs. Python (2004) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Python (2000) is a horror movie directed by Richard Clabaugh. The film features several cult favorite actors, including William Zabka of The Karate Kid fame, Wil Wheaton, Jenny McCarthy, Keith Coogan, Robert Englund (best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series of films), and Sean Whalen, forever memorable as the character with the unintelligible, peanut-butter-impeded answer in the "Who shot Alexander Hamilton?" Got Milk? commercial.
The film concerns a python that pursues and eats people. It includes the classic Final Girl scenario evident in films like Friday the 13th.
Python was followed by two sequels: Python II (2002) and Boa vs. Python (2004), both made-for-TV films.
[edit] Plot Summary
The crew of a plane flying at night gets nervous when the mysterious cargo its containing starts "thumping." When one of the crew opens the crate to take a look, he gets eaten by a huge snake which then eats the rest of the crew causing the plane to crash near a little town called Ruby. The snake survives the crash and begins snacking on the Ruby citizens, starting with a lesbian couple camping in the woods that night.
Meanwhile, Scientist Dr. Anton Rudolph (Englund) is chatting with NSA Special Agent Parker (Van Dien) explaining about the cargo that was on the plane. Not just any snake, this one is a genetically engineered snake bio-engineered in Southeast Asia by blending several species that is "A one hundred and twenty-nine foot all terrain vehicle. Capable of speeds exceeding fifty miles an hour, with skin that can deflect an antitank round, enhanced night vision, and voracious appetite for human flesh." They begin planning a massive assault against the snake as quickly as possible in the hopes of keeping it quiet.
While out at a local swimming hole, John (Rosanoff), his girlfriend Kristen (Barron), Tommy (Wheaton), and his girlfriend Theresa (Mornell), find a pet python belonging to one of the dead girls, Lisa. When Lisa's body is found, appearing to be eaten by acids, John ends up getting suspected because: he had the snake, he works at a factory with big vats of acid, and he was one of the many men who'd "known" the girl. It doesn't hurt that Greg (Zabka), one of the investigating officers, is also Kristen's ex-fiancée who left him as soon as her first love came back to town.
The snake enjoys another snack of a real estate agent and beheading his potential client, which John finds shortly afterward. The snake left behind the body of the other dead lesbian, again looking like it was dipped in acid, further building the cops suspicion against John. John and Deputy Greg get into a fist fight over Kristen across a street and through a playground which ends with their broken friendship seemingly mended.
The body of the real estate agent is found next and the Sheriff orders John arrested. The NSA team and Dr. Rudolph arrive and feed the Sheriff a story about a psychotic escaped prisoner doing the killings. He doesn't believe them, but leaves them to do their hunt. They make their plans while hiding in a water treatment center, then go on the attack, only to waste their entire ammo on the snake's recently shed skin. The snake then kills the entire team except the doctor.
Meanwhile the Sheriff frees John, and he goes off to be with his girlfriend at her house since they have plans to meet go on a trip the next morning with Tommy & Theresa. Tommy and Theresa wake up early the next morning. Theresa's shower is interrupted by Python who can't fit its head into the shower to eat her, and she manages to get away. Tommy gets eaten when he comes to her rescue after hearing her scream. Theresa manages to get in the truck and drive away but the snake catches up and rips the rear axle off. Theresa manages to hide in some nearby rocks in an opening too small for the snake to get in.
When Tommy & Theresa don't show, John and Kristen head their way and spot the disabled truck. As they call out their friends' names the snake hears them and comes to attack. They manage to escape on their bicycles to the water treatment center where they find Dr. Rudolph, in shock and muttering about Python. Theresa, having seen her friends get chased by the snake, manages to catch up to them and together the four of them come up with a plan. They call Deputy Greg on the radio, whose just discovered another Deputy has also become snake food.
They get the snake to come into the water plant by having it chase John while they set a bomb near the entrance. The other three escape through the door they came through where Greg is waiting to drive them around to the exit. They drop a line down for John, pull him out, trapping the snake in the tunnels. When Python gets back to the entrance, they hit the trigger on the bomb, but it doesn't go off. Dr. Rudolph says the snake must have pulled out the cord while it slithered through the tunnel, so he runs in to plug it back in. The python eats him as soon as he gets it done. The charges go off and the other four celebrate their success when the Python emerges.
They flee in Greg's police car, and come up with a new plan: get the snake in the acid bath at the plant. The snake is in close pursuit and follows them to the factory. Once there, John again acts as the bait to get the snake to chase him through the plant while Kristen mans the controls to drop metal beams on the snake's back, pulling its tail into the acid. The acid works and Python dies screaming.
Cut to six months later. Greg just got accepted into Quantico to be an FBI agent, the plant has been reopened as a bar/bike shop where the snake thing is used as a sales tool, and Kristen let's John know they are pregnant. Movie ends.
[edit] Trivia
The movie poster and movie covers use the tag line of "sixty feet of pure terror" but the movie gives the snake's length as 129 feet. This is because the movie was changed after the promotional materials were made, and the company never reprinted the materials. A similar issue resulted in the movie summary claiming Dr Rudolph made the snake but the movie dialog saying it was made in Southeast Asia and acquired.
Python does not really refer to the snake's species but to its name.
The snake doesn't really look like a real python, but looks more like a gigantic viper.
