Curse of the Voodoo (1965)

Directed by Lindsay Shonteff
Written by Brian Clemens and Leigh Vance

Rated PG for mild violence

"Curse of the Voodoo" is available to watch for free online here.

"Curse of the Voodoo" is one of the many classic b-films available to stream for free online at AMCTV.com. I was tempted to skip it because it looked horrible, but for the sake of thoroughness, I went ahead and watched it. Guess what? It didn't suck too bad! It's not a great film, but it was an enjoyably moody and moderately suspenseful voodoo thriller.

"Curse..." stars Bryant Halladay as Mike Stacey, an alcoholic colonial safari guide who splits his devotion between big-game hunting in Africa and endless bottles of whiskey, leaving no time for his estranged wife and son. The film starts in Africa, where Mike leads a big-game hunting trip that veers into Simbazi tribal land. Mike has killed many lions on hunting trips before, but never while in the territory of the Simbazi, who worship lions as gods. According to legend, anyone who kills a lion on Simbazi land will be cursed with death. Mike's companions warn him not to follow the lion into Simbazi territory, but being a staunch western cynic, Mike ignores the warnings, chasing a lion deep into Simbazi land and killing it.

Upon returning to the states, Mike spends most of his time at a night club that features African-American musicians and dancers. The film grinds to a halt for an impromptu dance performance by a curvy African dame. I'm all for some good booty-shakin', but this dance scene lasts at least five minutes and contributes absolutely nothing to the plot progression. While the African night club entertainers serve as a valuable commentary on how colonial societies co-opt native culture for their own use, five minutes of mad gyrating was completely unnecessary.

Mike's friend Major Lomas, who was also with him in Africa, encourages Mike to try to set things right with his wife, who moved (with their son) to her mother's while he was on his last safari. Mike visits his family, but it is clear that after years of playing second-fiddle to Mike's other pursuits, his wife Janet is sick of waiting for Mike to need her. He tries to make a date to meet at his hotel bar and discuss things further, but Janet stands him up.

Like the horrible person that he is, Mike goes home with the first floozie he finds. Unfortunately for her, he promptly passes out on her bed and has loud, screaming nightmares about the Simbazi.The next day, Mike is haunted by phantom Simbazi tribesmen who chase and torment him, but leave no evidence of having been there. He tries to reconcile with his wife, but ends up abandoning her to chase an imaginary tribesmen.

The Simbazi chase scenes are somber and surrealistic. They make this film very much a mood piece. Like the ghouls in one of my favorite cult horror films, "Carnival of Souls" (click link to watch "Carnival of Souls" for free at AMCTV.com), the phantom Simbazi tribesmen that haunt Mike Stacey in "Cult of the Voodoo" are more threatening and ominous than they are harmful. For some reason it is rather disquieting to see a man in a trench coat chased through a park in the London fog by loincloth-clad, spear-bearing African natives.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the film is the commentary on colonialism and the unethical misuse of other cultures. Mike Stacey is a good metaphor for western colonialism; a drunk, ambitious hunter who kills what he doesn't understand. The tribesmen then represent African culture, or rather the common western stereotypes of African culture; primal, mystical, untamed and dangerous. A somber voice-over at the beginning of the film tells us as much:

"Africa; where primitive tribes still practice evil religions which weave a dark web of death around all who sin against their gods."          -Narrator

At one point in the film, an African American scholar makes a reference to "the psychology of the guilt-ridden" when attempting to explain Mike's phantom illness. Given white man's long, abusive history with Africa (which includes, but is not limited to slavery) it makes sense that we have an innate sense of "white guilt". The phantom tribesmen that haunt Mike are like Freudian anxiety nightmare manifestations of Mike's white guilt.

I gave "Curse of the Voodoo" a 7/10. It's beautifully shot in black and white, and while the acting is often laughable, it is good enough to carry the plot. Some have complained that this film is racist, for which a case could definitely be made. I read it as an intelligent, fairly progressive, irony-laced dark satire on colonialism and white guilt. Watch it for free online right here:

If you liked "Curse of the Voodoo", here's another big cat/curse movie for a dark and stormy night: "Cat Girl". Click on the link to see my "Cat Girl" review and to watch "Cat Girl" online for free.













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*****SPOILERS BELOW*****




I particularly enjoyed the way Mike Stacey lifts the "Curse of the Voodoo" by hitting the tribesman who'd cursed him with his Jeep. "Cat Girl" also featured a curse that was lifted by hitting something with a car. I guess modern engineering trumps ancient curses in most situations. This may be important to remember...