LosAngelesTimes
Kevin Thomas
As if Louisiana has not been through enough, according to Venom all the evil spirits captured by an elderly rural voodoo woman have inadvertently been unleashed. Assuming the form of snakes, they attack a mechanic (Rick Cramer), setting him off on a lethal rampage. Smartly directed by Jim Gillespie from a script by various hands, Venom is from Dimension Films and follows its stylish, energetic and darkly amusing horror movie tradition. As usual for Dimension, the film -- shot largely on atmospheric locations in Louisiana -- focuses on a group of teens, especially a resilient young woman (Agnes Bruckner) who's just landed a pre-med scholarship to Columbia University and is not about to let some tire-iron-wielding bayou monster spoil her plans without a fight.
Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times