Short for Quetzalcoatl, a prehistoric winged serpent of Aztec mythology, now nesting atop the Chrysler Building, and as if it weren't doing enough damage on its own, several diehard worshippers of the beast are conducting ritualistic human sacrifices to it and then (a more repulsive effect than any of the bird's selective decapitations) peeling the skin off the victims as off an orange. The monster itself is on a level with 1950s special effects, and rather than flaunt this as a charming archaism, director Larry Cohen seems to want to cover up the inadequacies; the bird's-eye-view helicopter shots that fill in most often are all right, but there is never a decent buildup or payoff to any of the various aerial attacks. Bits of comedy compensate somewhat, especially the manic performance of Michael Moriarty as that special breed of New Yorker who is in the habit of talking to himself. With David Carradine, Candy Clark, and Richard Roundtree. (1982) — Duncan Shepherd