Cursed Films II has made it a point to expand its wings with its latest set of movies. The Serpent and the Rainbow is a forgotten film from the library of Wes Craven. The movie is about a Harvard anthropologist named Dennis Allen who goes to Haiti to investigate a Voodoo drug supposedly used to create zombies. He finds much more than he bargained for.
The premise does not jump off the page and while the movie is an entertaining watch, there is a reason it is one of Craven’s lesser known works. What truly makes it different is the fact that it is based on a non-fiction book. There have been plenty of horror movies that have been based on true events, but few of them featured zombies.
This alone is enough to make Cursed Films II intriguing. Wisely, the show does not insult the intelligence of the audience and expect anyone to believe The Serpent and the Rainbow is a retelling of events. Wade Davis, the author of the source material, is featured prominently. Many times, he states how the movie distorted what his book was trying to convey.
The series usually has experts comment on the movie it is about. All of the people interviewed here were somehow connected with the film. From star Bill Pullman to makeup artist David LeRoy Anderson, Cursed Films II covers a wide swath. It adds credence to the stories being told when it is done by people who were actually there.
From Voodoo blessings to near riots, the filming of The Serpent and the Rainbow was far from the normal film shoot. Cursed Films II does a nice job of building to it chaotic conclusion. What starts with a trip to the Banana Republic ends in a scary moment that is the exclamation point on an episode that is a mix of fanciful storytelling and frightening truth.
Cursed Films II airs Thursdays on Shudder
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