Alabama Snake

A story about a Pentecostal minister who may have used a snake to try to kill his wife! She certainly was bit, but the question is - did she do it herself or did he make her? Don't be put off by the fringe religious practices. While featured, this isn't a story about them, or religion in general. There is some actual film from the incident - which is pretty helpful. Several cages holding many rattlers. The film explores the seedy (that's generous) past of the minister, and hints at a troubled past in his second wife's past. Both are quite uneducated. The film does a great job of unearthing many living witnesses and legal transcripts, but most of all the interviews of the first 2 wives and the minister himself.

Alabama Snake is a tight-if extremely unbalanced-documentary that gets to the root of the bizarre and unsettling tale of Pentecostal preacher Glenn Summerford, accused of attempting to murder his wife using a rattlesnake. It gets across an eerie atmosphere in rural Alabama and the dark undercurrents of religious fanaticism throughout the narrative. The documentary does, at times, feel a bit disjointed; its pacing suffers from a lack of focus and coherence. The reenactments, while quite evocative, sometimes veer into melodrama and become a distraction from the really compelling real-life drama at the core. Even with its flaws, Alabama Snake is a haunting exploration of faith, fear, and the thin line between them.

This doc lays out a story of accounts from those in or around the attempted murder of an Appalachian mother, and they tell their stories as to how events unfolded before them almost 30 years ago.

The most interesting accounts being from the convicted husband, and the abused wife (who, unfortunately, was most likely high on meth in this doc). He laid out what he knew from prison when he was interviewed decades ago - she laid out what she knew in this doc (while she was tweaked out of her mind.).

It's not really a doc with firsthand footage, it's a doc with firsthand / secondhand / thirdhand accounts explaining what they remembered, saw or knew. And I must say, everyone told their stories very well.

While oral history is told, you'll frequently have acted footage shown - one of the rare instances where this didn't take away from the doc, but rather added to it. The small amount of historical footage shown paints the scene at the time, while the spoken accounts tell the actual story.

Side note: Religion is interesting, good or bad. With that said... this isn't a movie about religion, nor is this a move about politics. This is more of a human interest doc - real folklore if you will.

The fact there's a review claiming this is a "left wing" doc with an "anti religion agenda" is mind boggling to me. That's not the case at all, and it's sad to see people claiming such - so much so that I decided to create an account just to make this review...

Documentary fans, you will enjoy this story, and it'll keep you hooked as the story unfolds.

Darlene is 100% off her rocker on drugs, let's get that out of the way. I don't know what happened but everybody somehow was a witness to a demon at some point in this film. Not real sure what I just watched lmao his first wife seemed to be the only semi sane person. "I had a demon in him. I seen it. Done banished the demon out the room, he told me to call it back so I did, and it took him" it was like I was watching a scene out of Trailer Park Boys only not as funny. Nobody in this documentary had above a grade 10 to quote Ricky of TPB. Just utter nonsense the whole time. 5 stars bc it was entertaining for a late night laugh.

There are documentarists out there that sweeps the historic field of peculiar and heresays, lets call it urban legends. so if you take a look at this hbo docu directed by theo love you will get crocodile shoes oiled with snake oil and a bit of venom to reach the highestlevel of resurection and as close as it can get to god, the holy father, used as a religious relique in a sect down in the blessed old state of alabama usa, like you eat oblat and drink wine in a church sermony.

but snakes as a murder weapon??? clever and clueless, in fact a perfect murder if you ask me. so hang on to this all absorbing documentary, you will gawp your jaw just as the grumpy old miself did. higly recommended.