July 22nd: THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (Wes Craven, 1988)

An American scientist travels to Haiti to investigate a drug used in Voodoo rituals that may be turning people into zombies.

Wade Davis is a Harvard alumnus, a worldwide explorer, and scientist of various fields who spent years in the Amazon and Andes studying local cultures and flora. His non-fiction book The Serpent And The Rainbow was an international bestseller, and was originally optioned to be a film with Australian collaborators Mel Gibson and Peter Weir.

The project made its way to director Wes Craven, best known for his slasher hit A Nightmare On Elm Street and at the time looking for more serious material within the broader horror genre. The story's Haiti location was tumultuous at the time, coming off a recent revolution and the deposing of the controversial longtime dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier, giving the production even more social-political depth.

The film was shot on location in Haiti despite the volatile climate, working in tandem with the army as well as local Vodoun leaders with much power over the citizenry. Many Vodoun practitioners acted in the film and oversaw the authenticity of portrayed rituals. Eventually, the political situation made conditions too unsafe for the cast and crew, and the production relocated to Dominican Republic.

The cast is headed by Bill Pullman (Lost Highway, Spaceballs), with veteran American actor Paul Winfield (Mars Attacks!), British actors Cathy Tyson and Michael Gough (Tim Burton's Batman films), and other local actors.

Relying less on shock value and more on atmospherics and expressionism, Craven's approach drew comparisons to classic influential horror works by producer Val Lewton (Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie), setting it apart from the director's oeuvre.

Released in the traditional "dumping ground" of February, the film nearly tripled its budget at the box office.  It is now regarded as one of Craven's best films.

Running time is approx. 100 minutes.