Alabama Snake (HBO Documentary)

(2020)

Available Now

Synopsis

Alabama Snake explores the mystifying events leading up to October 4, 1991, when an unusual violent crime was reported in the otherwise sleepy town of Scottsboro: Darlene Summerford had accused her husband, Pentecostal preacher Glenn Summerford, of forcing her hand into a rattlesnake bed in an attempt to kill her. Employing dramatic recreations and interviews with those who knew Summerford best to depict his history of abuse and spiritual redemption, the documentary weaves between the past and present to unravel the details of the controversial investigation and trial that unfolded. Featuring local historian and folklorist Dr. Thomas G. Burton – who has dedicated his career to studying the culture, beliefs, and folklore of Pentecostal snake handlers – Alabama Snake is a chilling Southern Gothic portrait of a man whose demons have haunted his family and their community for decades.

Cast

Thomas G. Burton