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Released by: Cinema Epoch
Released on: 8/14/2007
Director: Tom Tavee
Cast: Thai people and snakes. Lots of snakes. Year: 2007
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The Movie:
Ban Kok Sa-Nga is a tiny village in Thailand far removed from the modern metropolis of Bangkok. In this insanely remote and rather humble little town live a group of men who call themselves King Cobra Snake Boxers. Why? Because they mess around with King Cobra snakes. They put snakes down their pants. They kiss them. They flex and pose with them. They don't really appear to ever actually box with them - don't expect to see dudes in puffy red gloves punching snakes in their stupid snake faces - but they definitely do strange things with them.
Tom Tavee was wise enough to grab a camera and head to that village to capture this odd group of men doing their thing. Along the way we learn a little about some of the more unique aspects of Thai culture, and we discover how the King Cobra Snake Boxers developed this rather strange and insanely dangerous art of 'snake boxing' to bring tourists to their village - that's right, these guys are basically in it for the money. It doesn't look like there's a lot else to do as a tourist in Ban Kok Sa-Nga as it's very small and appears to be out in the middle of nowhere, so in that regard, it's a fairly ingenious plan. If you don't have nightlife or tourist attractions but want to cash in on some of the tourist dollars coming into the country, then create your own with what you have and what the citizens happened to have plenty of were poisonous snakes and guys who just so happen to be crazy enough to want to poke those snakes on the head.
To give us a glimpse into what makes these men do what they do, Tavee interviews a few of the guys and records their thoughts on what they do. Along the way, we're treated to some genuinely amazing footage of men dodging, poking and handling these very pissed off and completely poisonous snakes. Every once in a while, someone gets bitten (one poor bastard gets bitten twice in as many days), but to the villagers it's all just part of the gig. A scene early on where a small boy has a snake put down his shorts perfectly demonstrates the villager's 'ain't no big thing' attitude towards their own special brand of entertainment, even if it seems shocking and, to be blunt, rather stupid to those of us looking in on them. If someone does get bit, they suck out the poison and treat the wound with cold water, local herbs, and a whole lot of praying though more serious instances do land the odd snake boxer or two a stint in the local hospital.
It's interesting to see how the parents in the area encourage their children to take up the sport. We do see a father discussing how he got a cobra for his son to practice with and there is some genuinely eerie footage in here of youngsters and cobras interacting in ways that youngsters and cobras should probably never interact. All in all it's fascinating look at a really rather baffling phenomena.
Video/Audio/Extras:
This production was shot on digital video under less than ideal circumstances in remote areas of Thailand so it doesn't look perfect, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn't really need to - it looks good enough. Colors are pretty bright and there aren't any issues with print damage. Some mpeg compression pops up in spots but aside from that, the image is fine.
The English narration is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and it's nice and clear sounding. The ambient noise and Thai language in the background is obviously meant to add atmosphere rather than context and so it's not really translated but the narrator keeps us in the loop and it all sounds fine.
We get a few brief text pieces on those involved in the film, menus and chapter stops. That's it.
The Final Word:
Kiss My Snake is an interesting look at a very unusual aspect of Thai culture. It's fascinating and presented in a manner that is both respectful and entertaining. Cinema Epoch's disc is light on extra features but it looks and sounds pretty good, making this worth a look for fans of Mondo style entertainment or bizarre documentary features.