CURSE OF THE VOODOO (us vhs)
Richard Gordon

First released: 1965

The film is presented in fullscreen ratio
Black & White
84 mins approx
Digitally Mastered Mono
Available on VHS

plot
Whilst on safari in the heart of the African jungle, big game hunter Mike Stacey knowingly kills a lion in the heart of the Simbazi tribe's territory.
The Simbazi regard the Lion as sacred, and angered, they place a voodoo curse on Stacey. Tormented he returns to the city where the curse follows him, his wounds refuse to heal and he suffers terrible hallucinations.
Slowly he seems to be heading for a terrible death at the hands of the curse...

review
A rather bizarre 1964 horror film, from that blend of voodoo pictures which circulated at the time, including the Roy Castle instalment in Amicus' Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1964), and Hammer's The Witches (1966).

The somewhat pedestrian course of events, is made all the more awkward by the ridiculous use of the English countryside for the African plains. The locations are all too obvious, and any merits with the actual film are instantly thrown by this.
The film plays up on all the 1960's stereotypes, with burly silent black men, the fear of the African's backward superstitions, and the bold white man in a foreign country is perhaps made a little too striking as Stacey is dressed throughout in striking white (though no doubt fits in with the Hunter image).
Although shot in black and white, it is perhaps to disguise the English landscape rather than for cost cutting reasons. Nevertheless, the black and white photography is used to success in a number of scenes in the city, as the nightmare visions catch up with the cursed hunter.

The use of rationalisation to explain away superstitious phenomena is a familiar tread of horror stories, and is played aptly here. The cast themselves do a splendid job. Throughout I could not help but despise Bryant Haliday as Stacey, but then one suspects that this is exactly how we should feel about him.
The supporting characters are played with the appropriate conviction, and the only figure who really stands out is Dennis Price. Given a sizable role, he is as enjoyable as ever, the stereotyped English gent.

An unusual film, in that its setting and location shooting seem so contradictory, and yet are pulled off suprisingly well considering, and in that for a voodoo story, it owes less to do with Zombies than mental curses. Curse of the Voodoo is more like Hammer's The Witches, though pre-dates it.

Strange, and intriguing. Worth a viewing or two...

RJES

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DETAILS:

Price: $9.99
Release date: /01
Feature length: 84 mins B&W
Audio: Mono
Year of 1st release: 1965
Rating: R
Fullscreen
Catalogue no: SV11341
UPC: 013131134131
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment Inc
Directed by Lindsay Shonteff