While the film’s plot centers on a kidnapping gone wrong involving a lethal snake, the production was famously chaotic:

: Features English SDH , French , and Spanish subtitles.

: The film used a real black mamba from the London Zoo, handled by a specialist named David Ball.

The most interesting feature of the 1981 horror-thriller is that the real-life tension between its lead actors, Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed, was reportedly more dangerous than the live black mamba used on set . The Real Terror on Set

: Legendary hellraisers Oliver Reed and Klaus Kinski despised each other and fought constantly throughout filming.

: The original director, Tobe Hooper ( The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ), left the project early; Kinski later bragged about driving him off the set.

: Stars an ensemble of heavy hitters including Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed, Sarah Miles, and Sterling Hayden.