Pictures of My Life: the anacondas

Anaconda (1997) is a horror film. It was followed by the sequel Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.

The plot centered on a film crew for National Geographic who are kidnapped by a hunter who is going after the world's largest anaconda, which is discovered in the remote jungle. Though a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned.

Plot

Shooting a documentary about a long-lost Indian tribe on the Amazon River, director Terri Flores (Lopez) and members of her crew, including cameraman Danny Rich (Ice Cube) and Professor Steven Cale (Stoltz), come across stranded snake hunter Paul Sarone (Voight) and help him, believing he knows how to find the tribe they're searching for, but Sarone acts strangely and the crew suspect something. When Cale is bitten by a poisonous wasp which entered his mouth (leaving him unconscious for nearly the rest of the film), Sarone takes command of the boat...and the crew. They are then forced to help him achieve his true objective; hunting down and capturing a record-breaking Green Anaconda he had been tracking. During the process, several members of the crew are killed before the snake itself is shot dead and Sarone incapacitated by the newly awakened Cale. Later on, Terri and Danny, two of the surviving members of the crew, are captured when Sarone catches up to them. He dumps a bucket of animal blood on them and then uses them as bait in an attempt to capture a second, larger Anaconda.

The anaconda, Terri and Danny are caught in a net by Sarone, but escape when the snake breaks free. The survivors cut their bonds and break free as Sarone himself is killed by his quarry. The snake becomes trapped in the smoke stack, which Danny ignites and it seems to have died. As Terri and Danny recuperate on a nearby dock and the snake appears one final time. Danny beats the anaconda with an axe until it is finally slain. Afterwards, the survivors of the expedition reunite on the ship, and as they float down the river, accidentally locate the natives they were originally searching for. They realize Sarone was right and begin filming their documentary as the movie ends.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a 2004 horror thriller film, and sequel to the 1997 film Anaconda. It was directed by Dwight H. Little and was released in the United States in 2004

Plot

The film begins with a native of Borneo in the jungle. He appears to be unafraid as he is attacked by a tiger, but runs at the sight of a giant anaconda. He is eventually caught and dragged beneath the surface of a nearby river.

A team of researchers sets off into the jungle in Borneo to search for the fictional "blood orchid", which they believe could be an equivalent to the fountain of youth in its importance to life extension. Bill Johnson, their de facto guide, has misgivings, but Dr. Jack Byron bribes him to stay on the river. The team is soon parted from their boat and find themselves wading through the river. Ben attempts to scare the others with the infamous Jaws theme and is soon pulled underwater. The group thinks that he is joking until a giant anaconda emerges from the water and swallows him whole. The rest of the team makes it out of the river.

To the dismay of Dr. Byron, almost every member of the team wants to call off the expedition, in spite of Bill's reassurances that the snake was the largest he had ever seen and that it will take it weeks to digest their friend before it gets hungry again. The group decides to head back for the boat. However, even though anacondas usually are territorial, natures biological clock has struck midnight for them. It's mating season, and every anaconda for miles around will be coming in for a female. They find themselves in a small native village consisting of thatched huts with a dead and disembowelled anaconda prominently displayed. The team realizes that the snakes are unusually large in size because their lives have been extended because the orchids are a part of the local food chain, as is the chemical they contain that prolongs life (Anacondas keep growing until they die). Dr. Byron decides that they are close to the Orchids and should press on with almost maniacal determination. The others contend that there is no evidence that the orchids will have the same effect on humans and start building an escape raft.

Meanwhile, Gordon discovered Dr. Byron's radio and gun. Dr. Byron attempts to convince him not to use the radio, an act he claims will end the expedition, and paralyzes him with a spider when he cannot be dissuaded. As Dr. Byron joins the others by the raft, Sam discovers a paralyzed Gordon and notices the spider bite on his arm. Simultaneously, an anaconda drops down from the rafters and swallows Gordon alive. The others appear and Bill sets the building on fire, presumably killing the snake. However, in the commotion, Dr. Bryon steals the raft to pursue the Orchid on his own.

As the others realize that their raft has been stolen, and the last of the raft building materials have burned down, they realize that the only way to get their raft back is to beat Dr. Byron to the orchid (a feat they can accomplish through the jungle because of the numerous twists and turns in the river). On the way they fall into a cave trying to escape an anaconda. In the cave Cole gets lost and his flashlight stops working. He manages to make it work again, only to discover there is a skeleton in front of him. He freaks out and runs into Tran. He and Tran try to make it back to the others, but Tran is pulled trough a hole in the ground that leads to an underwater area. He tries to find a way back up, but is struck hard in the stomach by an anaconda and is subsequently dragged to the depths. His flashlight floats to the surface illuminating the water as it is stained a deep red with Tran's blood and Cole runs, panic-struck. Cole luckily locates the team as they escape the caves; just seconds before the pursuing anaconda would've caught him. The anaconda follows Cole through the hole they discovered, but becomes trapped. Seizing the opportunity, Sam is able to take the knife and beheads the gargantuan snake in one strike. Cole showers Sam with praise and adulation, but is unfortunately captured by yet another anaconda; fortunately, the snake had bit into Cole's rucksack, rather than Cole himself, and they immediately proceed after him. They find the anaconda coiled about a tree, in the process of constricting Cole. Thinking fast, Bill deftly throws his knife, impaling the snake through the head and saving Cole's life.

The group discovers the raft, just as Dr. Byron finds the motherload of Blood Orchids, which happens to hang precariously above the anaconda mating pit. Dr. Byron senses their presence, shoots Bill in the arm, and forces the party to accompany him to the orchids. Dr. Byron commands Sam to fill a backpack with orchids, a task which requires a perilous crossing of the mating pit via a thin log. As the log starts to crack on her way back, Dr. Byron orders her to throw him the backpack, and Sam counters by threatening to drop the flowers into the pit unless he drops the gun. As the log breaks, Sam and the backpack fall, ending up half way in the pit, perilously close to the immense snakes. Sam begins to climb out with the assistance of the others and Dr. Byron attempts to reach in for the backpack. In an act of poetic justice, Dr. Byron is bitten by a spider and becomes paralyzed. Dr. Byron falls into the pit and is devoured as Sam escapes.

Just as the group think they are home free, the lone female anaconda notices their presence. Gail tricks it into biting their fuel container, and Bill tries to shoot it, realizing the gun is empty. Then, Cole shoots it with a flare, causing a chain reaction which kills all the anacondas and presumably destroying all the orchids.

The surviving members of the team: Cole, Gail, Bill, and Sam make it back to the raft.