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...

Cat Girl (1957)

Directed by Alfred Shaughnessy
Written by Lou Rusoff

Unrated

"Cat Girl" has been made available to watch for free online by AMCTV here!

I went into "Cat Girl" with meager expectations. What I found was a funny, quirky little tale of the macabre.

"Cat Girl" stars Barbara Shelley, a Hammer Horror regular, as Leonora Brandt, a newly married woman who is returning to the home of her uncle Edmund, who she hasn't seen for years. In spite of her uncle's insistence that she come alone, she brings her new husband Richard, and her friends Alan and Cathy. It is clear early on that Richard and Leonora married more for convenience than love. Richard can't keep his hands off of Cathy, and Leonora is obviously still in love with her ex-boyfriend Dr. Brian Marlowe, who the group runs into on their way to Leonora's uncle's house.

When they arrive, Leonora's uncle Edmund separates her from her friends and tells her of the "Brandt Curse", which has been passed down through the family since time immemorial. Edmund Brandt has reached the age at which he must die and the curse passes on to Leonora, his only living relative. The curse makes it's victim savage and wild, like an animal, and can project itself in the form of a deadly leopard. Leonora dismisses the tale as dementia on her uncle's part until he's brutally slain by a leopard. Leonora begins to feel the blood-lust as the curse takes effect.

 Leonora catches Richard and Cathy snogging in the woods and summarily summons her leopard pal to eat him. Confused and now husbandless, Leonora seeks out the assistance of her old crush Dr. Marlowe. She makes it clear that she'd like more than strictly professional treatment, but Brian Marlowe fends Leonora off valiantly as he has a wife himself. Leonora shows immediate and intense hatred for Marlowe's wife Dorothy. Marlowe sets Leonora up in an asylum for a few nights to monitor her. She begins to transform nightly into a cat-person, but cannot repeat the transformation when Marlowe is present, even to prove her sanity.

Marlowe decides that what Leonora needs is a day out with Dorothy. Why exactly he thinks sending a very jealous, mentally unstable woman out shopping with his wife is a good idea, I'll never know. It's worth it though, for the cat-and-mouse dynamic of Leonora and Dorothy. Dorothy is clearly terrified of Leonora, but tries admirably to hide her fear. One of my favorite scenes involves Leonora eating Dorothy's canary.

Leonora lures Dorothy into a bad neighborhood near the London docks, where she stalks her like a cat with a mouse. Dr. Marlowe hears a report of a leopard in the area and races to the docks. In a memorable ending, Marlowe slays the leopard by hitting it with his car just as it's about to attack Dorothy. The leopard's body disappears, and Leonora is found dead nearby.

I'd give "Cat Girl" a 7/10. There were several clever bits of dialogue that made me smile. The special effects were cheap yet serviceable. Barbara Shelley as Leonora was a special treat. While perhaps not the greatest actress, she plays this role with style and grace, slipping into the feline mentality with ease. All of her wardrobe shows off her sexy shoulders and back. She even moves like a cat. I am anxious to see more of her films.

Unfortunately, "Cat Girl" is as yet unavailable on DVD. Luckily, you can watch it for free right here:


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