When Good Snakes BOA Bad Part One

By: John Thonen
Date: Friday, June 07, 2002

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New to video is BOA, the latest in a string of direct-to-video (DTV) snake movies spawned by the theatrical success of ANACONDA. While being released by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, BOA is actually a production of the Unified Film Organization or U.F.O. who have been generating a number of surprisingly high quality, effects-driven, DTV titles for the home video market over the past few years. BOA is the company's second entry into sinister snake cinema, their first having been the highly successful PYTHON. U.F.O.'s CEO, Jeff Beach, recently took time out from overseeing the eleven films in various stages of pre-, actual and post-production at the company to discuss BOA with CINESCAPE, as well as the company's growth and future.

Like most of U.F.O.'s productions, BOA is heavy on CGI effects, short on plot and characterization and largely an action hybrid rather than being pure sci-fi or horror. The film, Beach explains, was originally entitled NEW ALCATRAZ. "The concept is an internationally owned prison where the world's worst prisoners will be totally isolated in an escape-proof environment, because the prison is in the middle of the Antarctic."

Construction on the facility is still underway when the film opens, but a handful of particularly dangerous prisoners are already incarcerated there, along with a skeleton security force. But the guards and the prisoners both are about to encounter a threat beyond any even mankind's worst villains could offer. "While working underground," he continues, "the construction crew finds this cavern which is filled with nitrogen. They penetrate it and our prehistoric snake emerges." The beast in question is labeled a "Raptor Para Arian," which the film identifies as the enormous, ancient ancestor of today's boa.

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While U.F.O. relies on their effects as the stars of their films, most of their productions typically feature a name performer or two. In the case of BOA, Jeff explains, the arrival of the enormous snake provides the justification for the entrance of the film's star. "Dean [TV's LOIS AND CLARK] Cain plays a scientist who, along with his wife, is brought in to help a team of soldiers to understand what they can expect and how best to deal with it."

Beach says that he was particularly happy with Cain's work on the film. "He's just a great guy. You want to do another picture with somebody like that." Thus, it's no surprise that the company has already signed the actor to an upcoming production, DRAGON FIGHTER. However, Beach doesn't feel that name performers are necessarily a requirement for the type of films he produces. "Sometimes it can help. If an actor has a link to a particular genre, like Dean or Lance Henriksen [appearing in two upcoming U.F.O. films] have with science fiction, or Olivier Gruner [of U.F.O.'s INTERCEPTOR FORCE film franchise] has with action, then it can make a difference. If the concept is strong enough though, we may not feel we need a name to enhance it."


"Then again," the executive officer adds with a laugh, "if the concept is really good, then we might feel a name is what's needed to push it to be a major success. It really just depends on the film. In drama or comedy, the cast can be crucial. But in science fiction, horror, thrillers, the concept is really the star."

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Columbia TriStar made the decision to re-title NEW ALCATRAZ, and Beach admits he was little surprised. "I think it was the better title, but they're the experts at this. I'm sure their marketing department decided that was the better title to sell it under." When asked if the snake is actually a major element in the film's storyline, or if Columbia TriStar was just jumping on the popularity of snake movies in the video arena, Jeff quickly makes the emphasis of the film clear. "Oh yeah, it's the real catalyst for the story. It's the reason the soldiers have to come in. Why Dean Cain has to come in. Why the prisoners are in danger and have to be allowed to be able to defend themselves, even though they are potentially some of the most dangerous men alive. There's a point where it basically becomes a monster movie and the snake is our monster."

Knowing that U.F.O. has already produced an as yet unreleased sequel to their DTV hit PYTHON, the question of why snake films have been so popular on video was certain to be asked of the likable CEO. "Well, monsters have been popular since the very first movies were made, and snakes have been seen as representing evil in most of the cultures of the world. So, combining the two is a natural choice. As to their recent popularity, they just seem to appeal to that average moviegoer or renter. That prototypical male in the 18-40 age range that everybody wants to appeal to."

Be sure to check back for part two of our BOA profile.

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