Venom

_Awesome swamp sets/photography, but prosaic story with too many slasher clichés_ In the mysterious bayous of Louisiana, a rugged outcast perishes in an odd accident in the swamp, but there’s evidence that he’s still alive & well. Meanwhile deaths start mounting. Agnes Bruckner, Jonathan Jackson, Laura Ramsey and Rick Cramer head the cast. "Venom" (2005) was directed by the man who helmed the mega-successful “I know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), which gives you an idea of what to expect. The boggy locations and cinematography are top-of-the-line, making this possibly the best-looking film shot in the Louisiana bayous. Meanwhile Bruckner, Jackson and Cramer are effective in their roles. The story starts off compelling enough, but the Voodoo origin of the antagonist is too contrived and there are too many slasher clichés. It doesn’t help that the characters aren’t fleshed out enough to make them interesting. The tow truck driver is the most intriguing one until such-and-such happens. Then the flick becomes a tedious slasher comic book, although one macabre bit in the last act is well done. Agnes is pretty much the only highlight on the feminine front. So everything is here for a great slasher in the swamp, but the script needed revamped with imagination. We’re left with an awesome LOOKING movie that’s sadly banal, dull and forgettable. The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot in Louisiana at Amite, Choctaw, Hammond, and New Orleans. GRADE: C