The Snake [Spoilers] - The Kings of Summer (2013) Discussion

[–] zuckerberg 11 years ago

I believe it was a copperhead snake - they made reference to a copperhead skin so Im assuming its the same snake

Treating me like Judas. Judging me like Judy.

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[–] SkyfireX 11 years ago

It wasn't a copperhead, that I'm 100% sure of.

My job is to watch stupid movies and complain about them on IMDB

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[–] dogville888 11 years ago

It was a Gopher snake also known as a Bull snake. They are non venomous and harmless. I've held them a few times. That scene ruined the movie for me a bit as it was hard to take seriously. I could understand them being scared if they didn't know what kind of snake it was...but having it bite Biaggio and having his leg swell up the way it did with him foaming at the mouth....I was just shaking my head. They could have had it bite him and give him a panic attack and then reveal later at the hospital that it wasn't a poisonous species....

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[–] SkyfireX 11 years ago

Thanks for confirming mate, that's exactly what I thought.. It was really stupid.

My job is to watch stupid movies and complain about them on IMDB

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[–] imNOTmad 10 years ago

could they even put a venomous snake in there? like legally? I'm not so sure. it's probably why they used a harmless one and thought maybe the audience (the ones who could actually identify it) would just let it pass

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[–] blaircam 10 years ago

I have no idea what the snake used in the movie ACTUALLY was but I am pretty sure we were meant to assume it was a copperhead.
I guess the director didn't take into account all you amateur herpetologists out there.

"They who... give up... liberty to obtain... safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

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[–] drb19810 10 years ago

Although copperheads are found throughout the Continental United States, and although they are poisonous, they are never fatal. (I don't think there has ever been a recorded death due to a copperhead). Also, copperheads are notoriously shy, and would avoid humans at all cost. It would have only struck if it was cornered - its primary instinct would be to escape, not strike.

I agree that this kind of ruined the movie a little. Other than copperheads, coral snakes (only found in Florida) and Water Moccisins (only in deep south marshy areas - aka "cottonmouths"), the only venomous snakes found in North America are various species of rattlesnake. I think the scene would have worked better with a rattlesnake - they are certainly more aggressive than copperheads, and although they are rarely deadly, they could cause the kind of reaction shown in the movie.

Also - copperheads are very distinctive with their "hour glass" pattern. The snake in the movie was definately no copperhead.

I am not an amateur hepetologists, just a former Boy Scout.

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[–] leanne-kershaw1 10 years ago

On David letterman in a interview with Nick Robinson (Joe) he said it was a Gopher snake

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[–] richard-zitrick 10 years ago

Exactly. Every Boy Scout learns that there are only four poisonous snakes in the United States.....Rattlers, Copperheads, Water Moccasins and Coral snakes. The first three all have triangular, flat heads and the Coral snake, while having an oval head. is very brightly banded. The snake in the scene had none of these characteristics and was obviously non-poisonous. That scene also ruined the movie a little for me. Surely there must be someone out there who could have provided the director with a rattler or copperhead with the venom producing process disabled.

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[–] Gabe1972 10 years ago

Actually, it's possible for pretty much any snake in the US to be anywhere, even if it's for a fluke of a reason. The reason I say this is because the day I started fifth grade, which was in 1982, I had the wonderful experience of nearly stepping on a water moccasin, or cottonmouth. This is in Western NY state, just south of Buffalo. How it got there, God only knows, as this is WAY too far North, but nevertheless, it was there. A neighbor cut it's head off with a shovel. Nice, eh?

BTW, it occurred on Sept. 8th, 1982, at about 12:45pm. There are specific reasons I remember the date and the time, but that really doesn't matter. Perhaps there was a global outbreak of cottonmouth water moccasins that day and the government covered it up. LOL.

The plural of mouse is mice. The plural of goose is geese. Why is the plural of moose not meese?

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[–] WilltoPower 10 years ago

This is a movie. In movies they have these things called actors, who are people who pretend to be other people. Because movies aren't real, they like to minimize actual danger to the actors in them. This is why they will use a harmless snake as a stand-in for a dangerous one. In other words it was a harmless snake portraying a deadly snake.

How can you not understand that?

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[–] dogville888 9 years ago

Ooooh I get it! The Bull snake (Gopher snake) was an *Acting snake* and was just *Acting* like a deadly venomous snake....By your logic we should get tabby cats to *Act* as lions and tigers in movies.

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[–] blakkdog 9 years ago

As if weve never seen a cobra or a rattle snake or various other poisonous animals in movies because of the danger to the actors... What? Its like saying we never see car accidents in movies because they are dangerous and someone might get hurt. Movies have ways of making things look real without having to actually BE as dangerous as it looks...

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[–] bhartley1024 7 years ago

The snake scene ruined the movie for me a bit. Pretty sure snake venom doesn't "attract other snakes". If anything they should have taken the snake with them to the hospital so someone could identify it properly and decide if an antivenom was necessary.

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