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" (2020 release; 85 min.) is a documentary about the strange Alabama folklore of snake handling during religious "Pentacostal" services, and how things got out of hand. After introducing us to East Tennessee State University folklorist Thomas Burton, we go to Chapter 1 "Bite Nite", and it is "October 4, 1991, Scottsboro, Alabama", where the paramedics are called on the scene with a woman (Darlene) claiming that her husband Glenn tried to kill her with snake bites. Say what?!?

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from producer-director Theo Love, who just last year produced the enjoyable "McMillions" mini-series. Here he digs (with a major assist from Thomas Burton, on whose research the film is based) into the strange but still thriving subculture in pockets of communities that use snake handling in their religious services. Along the way we get the story of Glenn Summer ford, who is accused of attempted murder of his wife. The two appear separate and parallel stories, but you just wait and see how it all comes together. The movie is divided in 5 Chapters and an Epilogue, and flows by quickly. One reason that I don't rate this movie higher is the dearth of archival footage, and instead the film has plenty of 'reenacted' scenes, which I am not a fan of.

"Alabama Snake" premiered on HBO last month, and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming platforms. If you are curious about the strange folklore of snake handling in religious services,. or are simply looking for a decent documentary to watch, I'd suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

This is a true story and yes he did it. He tried to kill her. Take it from someone that is blood related to them. I was only 11 at the time it happened and still remember it like it was yesterday. I wish they wouldn't have made this movie. Our family has been trying to hide from this and now they did a movie about it and it reopens old hurt and hatred for our family.