‘Cursed Films II’ Recap: ‘The Serpent and the Rainbow’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Cursed Films’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

It is definitely safe to say, that the Shudder series, Cursed Films II, has offered up a masterclass in examining how our imagination and our curiosity can in essence… run wild when it is presented with the possibility that motion pictures can be cursed. Because every single episode this season has offered up a fascinating contrast regarding how ‘bummer’ or sour moments during or following a film… can motivate people to believe that dark forces can easily surround a particular movie and punish those involved in the worst way imaginable. When in fact, such surprises are clearly nothing more than unfortunate coincidence that really did bring about some genuine suffering for those involved.

But for its next episode, the series opted to focus on a motion picture that truly blurs that particularly stark line between our imagination and coincidence, courtesy of the fact that the movie and its cast and crew more or less surrounded themselves in forces that few of us understand and that made the show’s examination of The Serpent and the Rainbow, the most fascinating entry in this saga to date. Simply because… this motion picture, which was made in 1987 (and released in 1988) and focused on the nature and power of voodoo… immersed itself in this age-old Haitian religion in every way imaginable. For not only is the movie about such matters and features rituals and mysticism surrounding it, but one of the first acts the cast and crew took part in before filming… was a voodoo ritual.

One that was of course, designed to be nothing short of a blessing, but dabbling in such matters… and of course touching parts of this world that weren’t meant to be touched, since there were concerns, that ancient sites were upended to shoot… added an air of negative mystique to the film. One that led to some odd occurrences amongst the cast and crew. Since the film’s writer seemingly had a breakdown and believed that he was possessed by something dark, and was so lost and despondent that he was sent back home, when the script was in a solid enough place. Not to mention, actor Bill Pullman spoke a bit to his own odd experiences while on set, the kind that made him uncomfortable for certain and those types of strange occurrences and concerns that perhaps this film had invited in dark forces, were only further enhanced by an important moment that happened later on in the shooting schedule.

For the big festival scene that occurs in the movie, basically went from a fun epic shoot, to an outright disaster. For more extras than expected came down to be part of the Hollywood experience and they also rightfully expected to be paid. But when violence broke out because of silly rumors that were spread around regarding pay and pay scales, the crew was basically forced to pack up and get the hell out of there and move the production to the Dominican Republic in order to finish the movie. Making it clear to those involved behind the scenes, that dark forces and toying with voodoo in any capacity, led to this kind of chaos and strife for the cast and crew. The kind that one crew member, special effects guru David LeRoy Anderson believes… was gentle in nature courtesy of the blessing they received.

If anything, this really is the most fascinating episode of this series to date, largely because, it genuinely blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Because let’s be honest… all the coincidence here ties right into the fact that the crew was toying with voodoo, and since so many people involved with the production here spoke with conviction over a curse, it's hard to call this mass psychosis. But perhaps the point of going that route from a storytelling perspective is less meant to mess with the audience, and is instead designed to hammer home another unique point about these types of films. In that, when people are genuinely convinced something is cursed, they will defend that angle with every fiber of their being, and really in the end, it is up to the viewer to decide if toying with dark forces brought about strife here… or if the cast and crew were so immersed in the story, that it came to life for them in an unsettling manner. Until next time.

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