October 3 was the anniversary of the premiere of “The Curse of the Snake Valley”. The work of Marek Piestrak – creator of, among others, the horror film “She-Wolf” and the science fiction film “Pirx’s Pilot Test” – forever divided the audience into two extreme groups. Some consider it the worst Polish film of all time. Others, on the other hand, claim that it is a cult item, absolutely not to be missed.
What is the phenomenon of “The Curse of the Snake Valley”?
Taking into account data from the Filmweb portal, currently “The Curse of the Snake Valley” from 1987 does not enjoy much sympathy among viewers. The work received only 3.7 stars (out of 10). The adventures of Professor Tarnas and commando Traven, who decipher a Thai manuscript and go to Vietnam to find the Valley of the Snakes, once caused a lot of controversy. It turns out that the film starring, among others, Krzysztof Kolberger, Roman Wilhelmi and Ewa Sałacka, gained the reputation of “so bad that it’s good”. Interestingly, it was from this title that the inspiration for the name “Snakes”, i.e. awards for the worst Polish films, was taken. In short: to anti-rewards.
At one time, the work broke popularity records
People who criticize “The Curse of the Serpent Valley” focus primarily on poor special effects, unconvincing set design and shortcomings in the script. – I agree that many tricks, for example from “The Curse of…” or “The Return of the Wolf”, may look funny today. I can’t help it that we worked in such and different realities. Shooting entertainment in Poland, which is dominated by the cinema of moral anxiety, was really difficult – admitted the director in one of the interviews.
Nevertheless, 30 years ago it was not such a problem for viewers. In the Soviet Union alone, Piestrak’s work was seen by 25 million viewers and over a million people in Poland, not to mention the other countries of the Eastern Bloc. – When I came to the USSR a year after the premiere of “The Curse…”, Russian actors told me: “Marek, we owe everything to you.” They received huge royalties and roles in many important films – recalled director Marek Piestrak in an interview with Stopklatka.pl. For many, appearing in “The Curse…” turned out to be a ticket to a better world.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
