History Film / QTheWingedSerpent

The two plot lines come together when Shepard figures out that an Aztec Cultist priest has been convincing victims to be somewhat willing human sacrifices as he prays the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl back into existence. Quetzalcoatl appears in the form of an [[GiantFlyer enormous]] [[MixAndMatchCritters snake-bird thing with six limbs]], and nests in the top of the Chrysler building, flying out to snatch victims off of skyscrapers under construction, rooftop swimming pools, and snacking on the occasional skyscraper window-washer.

The cultist priest is chased down and killed by Shepard and his DaChief Sergeant Powell (Creator/RichardRoundtree). Jimmy disposes of his fellow crooks by leading them to the nest and cheering as the bird eats them, then informs Shepard where to find the nest in exchange for a promise of immunity and one million dollars, tax free. A team of NYPD cops waits at the top of the Chrysler building, and when the bird-snake-god thing returns from a hunting flight, they shoot the thing to death in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLOyp_7X7K0 surprisingly cool action sequence]]. Jimmy gets his one million dollars, tax free.

** The cultist sub-plot gets neatly wrapped up when the cultist goes after Jimmy (understandably blaming him for Quetzalcoatl's death) and Shepard puts five bullets in him (one gets him in the head and he looks dead for a moment, Shepard empties the rest of the gun when the cultist pulls off one final NotQuiteDead scare).

A 1982 fantasy/horror movie movie written and directed by Larry Cohen, starring David Carradine, Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, and Creator/RichardRoundtree.

* MultipleGunshotDeath: Unusual for a monster film that has an alleged god as the central threat, Quetzalcoatl and its progeny are not destroyed by some special spell or enchanted item or "chosen one", but rather [[MugglesDoItBetter by having a dozen NYPD SWAT troopers]] (and Shepard) unload sub-machineguns onto them (in Quetzalcoatl's case, non-stop for a few minutes as it flies around trying to kill them in the climax).

* FanserviceExtra: The rooftop sunbathers qualify, particularly the one who takes off her bikini top and lotions herself right before being snatched away by the monster.

%%* DirtyCoward: Jimmy.

A 1982 fantasy/horror movie movie written and directed by Larry Cohen, starring David Carradine, Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, and Richard Roundtree.

The cultist priest is chased down and killed by Shepard and his DaChief Sergeant Powell (Richard Roundtree). Jimmy disposes of his fellow crooks by leading them to the nest and cheering as the bird eats them, then informs Shepard where to find the nest in exchange for a promise of immunity and one million dollars, tax free. A team of NYPD cops waits at the top of the Chrysler building, and when the bird-snake-god thing returns from a hunting flight, they shoot the thing to death in a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLOyp_7X7K0 surprisingly cool action sequence]]. Jimmy gets his one million dollars, tax free.

* HateSink: Jimmy, who's a money-grubbing, obnoxious coward who doesn't care that innocent people are dying.

Shepard (Carradine) is a {{New York City Cop|s}} investigating a series of ritual homicides. Bodies turn up [[FlayingAlive skinned alive]], with the heart cut out, decapitated, and otherwise mutilated in disturbing ways.

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu?: At the end of the movie the NYPD manage to kill Q, an Aztec God. Somewhat justified in that modern weapons such as sub machine guns didn't exist in the Aztec's time.

!!"Q is all you'll have time to say before it's tropes tear you apart":

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Q_The_Winged_Serpent_9725.jpg]]

1982 movie starring David Carradine, Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, and Richard Roundtree.

->''"Its name is Quetzalcoatl... just call it Q... that's all the time you'll have to say before it tears you apart!"''

The two plot lines come together when Shepard figures out that an Aztec Cultist priest has been convincing victims to be somewhat willing human sacrifices as he prays the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl back into existence. Quetzalcoatl appears in the form of a [[GiantFlyer enormous]] [[MixAndMatchCritters snake-bird thing with six limbs]], and nests in the top of the Chrysler building, flying out to snatch victims off of skyscrapers under construction, rooftop swimming pools, and snacking on the occasional skyscraper window-washer.

* HiddenDepths: Michael Moriarity's petty criminal is also a talented jazz pianist, and plays an original song composed by the actor for the film, called "Evil Dream".

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Q_The_Winged_Serpent_9725.jpg]]

->-- {{Tagline}} for the movie

Shepard (Carradine) is a {{New York City Cop|s}} investigating a series of ritual homicides. Bodies turn up skinned alive, with the heart cut out, decapitated, and otherwise mutilated in disturbing ways.

!!! "Q is all you'll have time to say before it's tropes tear you apart":

* DirtyCoward: Jimmy

* HateSink: Jimmy

* HumanSacrifice: How the god is prayed back into existence.

* SequelHook: The final scene is a slow camera pan through an abandoned building, ending with a zoom in on a second nest, complete with gigantic egg that hatches as the screen fades to black. No sequel was ever made, sadly.
** Also an example of TheEndOrIsIt.

** In UsefulNotes/AztecMythology, Quetzalcoatl was one of the only gods that ''did not'' receive human sacrifices. In fact, he harshly condemned the practice.

** Also, he wasn't a dragon.

Shepard (Carradine) is a NewYorkCityCop investigating a series of ritual homicides. Bodies turn up skinned alive, with the heart cut out, decapitated, and otherwise mutilated in disturbing ways.

!!Tropes:

* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Until people start praying to him and offering him sacrifices again, Quetzalcoatl can't fly around biting people's heads off.

David Carradine is a [[BigApplesauce New York City]] cop investigating a series of ritual homicides. Bodies turn up skinned alive, with the heart cut out, decapitated, and otherwise mutilated in disturbing ways.

Meanwhile, Michael Moriarty is a piano player and petty criminal who gets caught up in a jewelry-store heist caper. When things go badly, he takes the stolen jewels and flees, abandoning his fellow crooks, and hides the jewels in a disused attic space at the top of the Chrysler building. There he finds a humongous nest near a hole in the roof.

The two plot lines come together when David Carradine figures out that an Aztec Cultist priest has been convincing victims to be somewhat willing human sacrifices as he prays the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl back into existence. Quetzalcoatl appears in the form of a [[GiantFlyer enormous]] [[MixAndMatchCritters snake-bird thing with six limbs]], and nests in the top of the Chrysler building, flying out to snatch victims off of skyscrapers under construction, rooftop swimming pools, and snacking on the occasional skyscraper window-washer.

The cultist priest is chased down and killed by Carradine and his DaChief played by Richard Roundtree. Michael Moriarty disposes of his fellow crooks by leading them to the nest and cheering as the bird eats them, then informs Carradine's character where to find the nest in exchange for a promise of immunity and one million dollars, tax free. A team of NYPD cops waits at the top of the Chrysler building, and when the bird-snake-god thing returns from a hunting flight, they shoot the thing to death in a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLOyp_7X7K0 surprisingly cool action sequence]]. Moriarty gets his one million dollars, tax free.

!!Tropes seen in ''Q: The Winged Serpent'':

* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: A giant snake-bird thing terrorizes New York City.

* SadlyMythtaken: In AztecMythology, Quetzalcoatl was one of the only gods that ''did not'' receive human sacrifices. In fact, he harshly condemned the practice. Also, he wasn't a dragon, [[RuleOfCool but who cares?]]