All across Manhattan, people have been disappearing or turning up dead under mysterious circumstances. While police initially suspect this to be the work of a serial killer, the main culprit has actually been a soaring serpent, a seemingly resurrected version of the legendary Aztec deity named Quetzalcoatl. It's attacks are brief, yet horrific; they rain blood and limbs from a lacerated sky, scattering all over the city and shocking pedestrians down below. Perplexed as to how and why these gruesome assaults are taking place, the force suddenly finds that luck may be on their side after all. A wannabe conman named Jimmy Quinn knows of Quetzalcoatl's location, but isn't so willing to give up the information. Well, at least not for free.
Well hello Larry Cohen! I didn't realize that three whole years have gone by since you last made an appearance during Unseen Terror. Oddly enough though, his 1982 foray into the crossover realm of fantasy-based horror, the strangely-titled Q - The Winged Serpent (alternately known as simply Q), somehow feels the least like a production from the man himself. There doesn't seem to be any sort of underlying message about abortion or parental instincts like in It's Alive, or the anti-consumerism that permeated throughout the absurdly silly experience known as The Stuff. Instead, this tale about a flying, man-eating creature with ties to the Aztec civilization just feels like a big, gory love letter to bizarre science fiction and fantasy works from titans such as Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) and that individual's own mentor Willis O'Brien (King Kong).
The titular monster is brought to life by the use of stop-motion effects, which was actually considered to be an ancient and outdated method by the time that this film was released to cinemas (this criticism was also echoed for 1981's Clash of the Titans). Thankfully, Q's own screen time is primarily kept to brief glimpses and cameos (save for the final ten minutes), and that may end being a good thing, seeing as how suffocating the audience with too much of it could have actually detracted from the surprisingly enjoyable human cast that acts alongside of it (more on that below). Q's design resembles that of a larger version of a Dimorphodon, with Randall William Cook (Lord of the Rings) and David W. Allen (The Howling, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) providing some neat, if not sparse effects that ultimately do the forefathers of the genre proud. Old-fashioned as it may look to newer viewers, there is just such a unique charm to the thing that you can't help but grin at every time that she (yes, it is female) swoops down to feed on hapless sunbathers. Heck, when the freakish demigod isn't busy feasting on poor suckers or posing for that really awesome-looking poster that you see above (submitted by Heavy Metal Magazine notable Boris Vallejo), she even gets the opportunity to fight Shaft (Richard Roundtree) for a minute or so!
Oh, I did mention the collection of human actors above, didn't I? Well, yes, there are some delightfully entertaining performances to be found throughout Q. Its two main attractions (other than the airborne man-eater itself) are Michael Moriarty (Law & Order) and the late David Carradine (Kung Fu, Kill Bill). Both are pretty exceptional when you consider the subject matter here. The former tends to steal the show during every opportune chance that he is afforded. He's a real riot, playing the greediest, sneakiest of lowlifes who isn't evil per se, but in reality, is just a gigantic asshole. You are most certain that you would never wish to be friends with the guy, but his charisma and delivery of some occasionally cringe-worthy dialogue is just undeniably fun. I legitimately had to stop and rub my eyes when I saw the name Malachy McCourt pop up during the opening credits, since I was apparently unware that the brother of Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt had delved into the world of acting after his family endured and survived one of the most hellacious childhoods that I have ever read about. Seeing him smoke a pipe, sport an ill-fitting, in & out English accent, and playing a hardened police commissioner is so peculiar.
Before I watched Q, I was trying to wash the taste of the mediocre The Girl on the Train out of my mouth. Thus, even with the amount of fun that I was provided with Cohen's killer dragon movie, I feel as though this might require another viewing in the next few months. There are more than a handful of enjoyable moments and surprises to keep you glued to the screen (and come on, that tagline is way too gnarly to ignore), even if the unfortunate side story involving a string of murders related to human sacrifice does distract a bit from what you have paid to see. Personally, I would not be completely opposed to seeing Q receive the revival or remake treatment one day (technically, this is a reimagining of a 1946 motion picture bearing a similar title), but if you want to keep the same magic alive, you should retain the same stop-motion animation that made this so beloved by fans of cult classic cinema. Q - The Winged Serpent is readily available to rent on Amazon Prime and ITunes, streaming for free on YouTube, and can be purchased on Blu-Ray for less than ten dollars on the aforementioned Amazon as well.
Besides, if this were to receive an update, there isn't any way in hell that it could be worse than the redoing of Cohen's own It's Alive, right? At least the possibility of Bijou Phillips appearing again is slim to none.
Tomorrow (well, technically today), I am turning 31. Hooray. To celebrate, I shall be discussing something special that crosses horror with one of my other favorite hobbies and interests that has surprisingly stood the test of time!
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