Touch my snake. Don't be scared. He's nice.

That line never worked for me when I was young, but then I was never a hunky Italian woodcutter.

I wonder if they saved a lot of money by not moving the camera or using a movable tripod head or a zoom lens, and by not using any bright lighting. The effect was pretty stunning. The Baudelaire poem psychoteacher dictated - "Soon we will plunge ourselves into cold shadows. Farewell, bright warmth..." describes the look and the mood of the film very well.