Snake People

Year: 1971

IMDb Rating: 3.4/10

Genres: Horror, Mystery

Directors: Jack Hill, Juan Ibáñez

Cast: Carlos East, Julissa, Boris Karloff

The inhabitants of a small, remote island have been practicing voodoo rites and worshipping an evil priest named Damballah for years, but the local law officials generally turn a blind eye to this death cult's bizarre activities. Captain Labesch arrives from the mainland determined to crack down on the island's lawlessness and clean up the ineffectual, hard-drinking police force. He appeals for assistance from wealthy plantation tycoon Carl Van Molder, who owns nearly half of the island and wields a great deal of influence over the population. Van Molder has made the study of parapsychology his life's work and believes in the secret powers of the mind; he warns Labesch not to interfere with this forgotten island's ancient ways. Also visiting is Van Molder's niece Annabella, a temperance crusader who wants her uncle to help fund the International Anti-Saloon League. She falls in love with handsome police lieutenant Andrew Wilhelm, despite his fondness for rum. Meanwhile, beautiful native girls are being transformed into zombies, and sinister snake dancer Kalea leads them to attack and devour any meddling policemen who get too close to their unholy rituals. When Annabella is kidnapped and prepared to be the cult's latest human sacrifice, Labesch and Wilhelm must infiltrate their ranks to save her, and they finally learn the secret identity of the all-powerful Damballah.

Snake People a.k.a. La muerte viviente and Isle of the Snake People, is a 1971 Mexican horror film directed by Juan Ibáñez and starring Boris Karloff and Julissa. It was filmed in May 1968, but was only released theatrically in March 1971, 2 years after Karloff had died. Snake People is one of four low-budget Mexican horror films Karloff made in a package deal with Mexican producer Luis Enrique Vergara. The others are Fear Chamber, The Incredible Invasion, and House of Evil. Karloff's scenes for all four films were directed by Jack Hill in Los Angeles in the spring of 1968. The films were then completed in Mexico. The film was produced by Juan Ibáñez for Azteca Films. The film was released as La muerte viviente [The Living Dead] in Mexico and in the United States in Spanish-language theatres only. It was eventually dubbed in English but received little theatrical distribution, and was then released direct to U.S. television in 1971 as Isle of the Snake People. The film is also known as Cult of the Dead (in Hungary) and Snake People (in the United Kingdom).