New Alcatraz

New Alcatraz (named Boa on VHS and DVD), is a 2002 American direct-to-video science fiction action horror film. It was directed by Phillip Roth and starred Dean Cain. In the middle of Antarctica, a high maximum-security prison called New Alcatraz is fully operational. When a mining crew inside the prison accidentally drills into a strange rock formation, a giant, violent prehistoric boa constrictor with a voracious appetite is unleashed within their prison walls and goes on a killing rampage. It is up to the prison staff, inmates, two paleontologists, and a group of soldiers to hunt down and eliminate the beast, with their only choice being escape or become its prey, leaving the humans on the bottom of the chain.

New Alcatraz
DVD cover
Directed byPhillip Roth
Produced byJeffery Beach
Ken Olandt
Written byTerri Neish
Phillip Roth
StarringDean Cain
Elizabeth Lackey
Mark Sheppard
Dean Biasucci
Craig Wasson
Grand L. Bush
Richard Tanner
Amanda Reyne
Greg Collins
Gary Hershberger
Dana Ashbrook
Robert Madrid
Music byRichard McHugh
CinematographyTodd Barron
Edited byRandy Carter
David Flores
Production
company
UFO International
Cell Block Productions
Distributed byColumbia TriStar Home Entertainment
Release date
  • May 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

In New Alcatraz, the world's most secure prison located in Northeastern Antarctica, a drilling operation occurs which inadvertently releases a giant boa constrictor from the ice. The snake chews a hole through the ice, and security discovers it days later. However, during an inspection of the hole, the snake is let loose into the prison, killing three workers in the process. The prison sends out a distress call which is received by the United States military. They hire paleontologist Robert Trenton, and his wife Jessica to assist a military team in the search. When they arrive at the prison, they discover the only survivors to be head of security Quinn, and prison warden Fred Riley.

After one troop is killed by the snake, the rest of the team, and Quinn go to search for him. However, a gas explosion occurs that kills the rest of the military team, as well as Quinn. This attracts the snake, which chases Robert, and Jessica, and Jessica is seemingly killed. Robert returns to the security room, and convinces Riley to release the prisoners for help. Riley then releases the prisoners, and the group devises a plan to escape. During the escape, one of the prisoners, Kelly Mitich, attempts to save himself, only to be killed by the snake that accidentally causes another gas explosion which kills Riley. Meanwhile, the other group led by Russian prisoner Yuri Breshcov finds Jessica alive, and they take her in. The snake then kills two of the prisoners, and Yuri, and Jessica escape to the surface. Meanwhile, Robert, and prisoner Patricia O'Boyle attempt to escape, although the snake kills Patricia while Robert escapes to the surface. Robert, Jessica, and Yuri attempt to escape on the military plane, although the snake sneaks onto the plane, and kills one of the pilots. In the ensuing battle, Yuri is sucked out of the plane, and falls to his death, as does the snake. Robert, and Jessica, bewildered, ask the remaining pilot if he can still fly, to which he responds to by asking if the snake is still in the back of the plane.

Cast

Critical reception

Boa was released to compete with Python II (2002), a sequel to one of the most popular made-for-television snake movies of all time, Python. Boa was a critical failure, with reviews citing bad acting and poor special effects.

Sequel

Boa vs. Python was released after the success of the Python franchise and the failure of Boa; Boa vs. Python was also a critical failure. The filmmakers had decided to make a crossover with Python and Boa, involving the two types of snakes fighting each other. It has been noted that Boa vs. Python was inspired by Alien vs. Predator (2004).

Release

Both the DVD and VHS versions have been out of print as of 2010, but they can be found online and at Netflix.

See also
  • List of killer snake films
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