Q - The Winged Serpent

Amazon.com

OK, who's Q, anyway? "Q" is short for Quetzacoatl, an enormous winged serpent and Aztec deity who's called back to life after a series of ritual human sacrifices in Manhattan. It takes a lot to keep a critter like Q satisfied, so he flies around and lops the heads off sunbathers, window washers and swimmers as handily as popping grapes off the vine. The police are confounded by the murders, decapitated bodies (blood rains from the skies on NYC denizens) and Q-sightings. The solution comes in the unlikely form of Jimmy (Michael Moriarty), a petty thief. After a heist goes bad, he hides from his cronies in the uppermost spires of the Chrysler Building and stumbles on the giant bird's nest and egg. He leads the NYPD up to the lair for a big showdown with Q, but it's not quite as easy as anybody thought, of course. Director/screenwriter Larry Cohen was one of the more inventive, original voices of Seventies B-movies, with credits that include God Told Me To, Black Caesar, It's Alive!, Hell Up in Harlem and The Stuff. With Q, Cohen put together an interesting, entertaining mix of Fifties sci-fi homage (complete with great stop-motion special effects for the terrifying beast), action movie, and crime drama. It also touches on the metaphysical question of how exactly one goes about killing off a god. It'd be difficult to think of a more compelling performance from Moriarty; as the piano-playing, scat-singing small-time crook Jimmy, he's repellent and sleazy. However, he's struck on something that will give him 15 minutes to bask in the spotlight ("I'm the most important man in New York!", he gloats) and give him a chance to redeem himself and save thousands of lives. Moriarty brings a depth to the character that makes him absorbing, if not quite sympathetic, and gets to come across with the choice line, "Stick it up your…brain! Your small little brain!". With plenty of humor, suspense, a gallon or two of gore, and great performances from Moriarty and David Carradine and Richard Roundtree as his cop nemeses, this is great, original, entertaining sci-fi fare. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

Serpent was the only good thing about this flick.......2007-09-13

Based on the reviews I've read about this film, I thought it would be better. The bird, Quetzalcoatl, was a bit on the cheesy side in terms of effect. But that's not the thing that bothered my about this little-known movie, at least little-known to me, it was how Carradine reached conclusions and suspended disbelief so easily. The flow of logic or lack thereof really annoyed the hell out of me.

Moriarty has a face that also annoys me. But I didn't give this movie two stars because of that.

But overall, an enjoyable horror film worth a rental. I bought it.

The transfer was pretty decent for the most part. There was, however, some minor artefacts which could've been cleaned up but I guess it wasn't worth the extra funds.

The killings, by the way, were gory enough to hold my interest.

B Movie Heaven.......2007-05-06

I saw this at the cinema in 1982 and enjoyed it then. Now I get the DVD to see it again after 25 years and its still good. The script is pretty good, witty and OK occasionally a bit clunky.

The cast are excellent. Carradine is cool, Richard Roundtree is believeable and best of all Michael Moriarty is nuts! You wouldn't believe this was the same actor who co-starred in Eastwoods 'Pale Rider' four years later. In that film he was a dignified decent man, here he is an odious small time time crook who accidently discovers the beast of the title. Its a brilliant performance that raises the film to a higher level.

Larry Cohen the director and writer makes full use of New Yorks dramatic buildings with some great ariel photography. Q itself now looks completely unrealistic as the special effects available for a low budget movie in 1982 were very limited. It really doesn't matter though.

My only criticism is the quality of transfer on the DVD. Its not bad, but its not great either. Probably its the best available but I suspect they could have done better with a digital remaster.

However with the extras, which include a commentary from the director and some interesting DVD-ROM material this is a fine release.

a must have !!!.......2007-03-13

This is a classic B movie I saw this movie went I was 10 or 11 my dad new I loved monster movies so he told to watch this movie he had rented so I did I loved it...fast foward to 2007 and I saw this dvd on my home page from amazon and wow I remember this movie so I had to get a copy what a treat to sum the movie in a nut shell giant dragon eats people in NY and people try to kill it....there is more to the movie then that but you will have to get a copy to find out what the really treat to this dvd..well no there is not extra things on the disk but when you open the dvd you get a smaller poster of the French release that is really cool to have so all in all a must have for all who enjoy B movies....Oh if you can check out the movie THE HOST great monster movie in theaters know thanks

First time in a long time I've seen a movie so amazing.......2006-12-08

I enjoyed watching this movie. It features well-devloped charatcers played by good actors, a good plot with some plot twists, and a great monster. Also, this movie is probably the first time I've actually liked a twist ending instead of being left thinking 'The filmmakers put that twist ending there for the heck of it'.

Overall, great movie, definitely deserving of being largely considered a classic monster movie (if I understand correctly, it is in fact considered the most recent 'classic monster movie')and its a good thing Larry Cohen's standards are too high for him to cheapen his movies by making a bunch of sequels.

A classic!.......2006-11-25

We all love a good B-movie, and "Q" tops my list of guilty pleasures. It is, simply put, a good old-fashioned B-movie romp, with all of the requisite ingredients- a fabulous monster, a scenery-chewing cop, an oblivious public, and an anti-hero (you can't decide if you love Michael Moriarty or hate him). I would definitely recommend "Q" for viewing on a laid-back Saturday evening with a bowl of popcorn.

The Larry Cohen Collection: Q-The Winged Serpent/God Told Me To/Bone

Average customer rating:

Ignore the gentleman below...

The Larry Cohen Collection: Q-The Winged Serpent/God Told Me To/Bone
Starring: Bone , God Told Me to , and Q-the Winged Serpent
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Blue Underground | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Horror | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B0001ZDM0O
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Customer Reviews:

Ignore the gentleman below..........2005-07-14

The one calling this the Cohen Trash collection, especially since he's obviously not seen "Bone", which I would note that, while it is strange, it is also not in black and white.

Honestly, "Q: The Winged Serpent" and "Bone" are more cult items than good films. "Bone" I don't buy the sudden change, but it's got its moments and Cohen deserves credit for getting into the heads of his characters. "Q" is more an exploitation flick, but one has to love Michael Moriarty's performance and how this is a mix of "Five Million Miles to Earth" and "A Face In The Crowd."

But the gem of this collection is undeniably "God Told Me To." Sure, it's rough in places (that sudden blaxploitation subplot came out of where, exactly?) but it is a B-movie with good special effects and an interesting concept...and that's not even the best part.

The best part is that this is a film where the best scenes are actually the emotional ones between actors, and it's a disturbing portrait of a man having his faith pulled from him by slow degrees. The scene with the father is disturbing just for how straight the actor plays his monologue. The scene between Tony Lo Bianco and Sylvia Sidney is jolting, and the emotional confrontation between the two women in our hero's life at the end is amazingly well-handled.

"God Told Me To" is a B-movie about a man having his faith pulled from him by slow degrees. And when was the last time they dealt with something as serious as THAT?

Average customer rating:

Serpent was the only good thing about this flick
B Movie Heaven
a must have !!!
First time in a long time I've seen a movie so amazing
A classic!

Q: The Winged Serpent
Starring: Michael Moriarty , Candy Clark , David Carradine , Richard Roundtree , and James Dixon
Director: Larry Cohen
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

( Q ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 630505102X
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Serpent was the only good thing about this flick.......2007-09-13

B Movie Heaven.......2007-05-06

a must have !!!.......2007-03-13

First time in a long time I've seen a movie so amazing.......2006-12-08

A classic!.......2006-11-25

DVD:

DVD

DVD