An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Jaime Pina Gautier
- Julio
- (as Jaime Piña Gautier)
Kimberleigh Aarn
- Margrite
- (as Kimberleigh Burroughs)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDue to political strife and civil turmoil in Haiti during the production, the local government informed the film crew that they could not guarantee their safety for the remainder of the shoot. The crew subsequently relocated to nearby Dominican Republic to complete filming.
- GoofsAt Captain Peytraud's first meeting with Dr. Alan, Peytraud wears his full Haitan Tonton Macoute uniform including a row of several award ribbons. All of these ribbons are in fact United States armed forces decorations - clearly visible are the Vietnam Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Ribbon, and the Army Good Conduct Medal.
- Quotes
Dennis Alan: Don't let them bury me! I'm not dead!
- Crazy credits[Opening card] In the legends of voodoo the Serpent is a symbol of Earth. The Rainbow is a symbol of Heaven. Between the two, all creatures must live and die. But because he has a soul Man can be trapped in a terrible place Where death is only the beginning. The following is inspired by a true story.
- Alternate versionsUK video and DVD versions are cut by 5 seconds by the BBFC to remove shots of cock-fighting (illegal animal cruelty).
- SoundtracksMadame Marcel
Performed by Le Roi Coupe Cloue
Courtesy of Chancy Records
Featured review
Death is not the End in Haiti
In 1985, after a successful research in Amazonas, Dr. Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) from Harvard is invited by the president of a Boston pharmaceutics industry, Andrew Cassedy (Paul Guilfoyle), to travel to Haiti to investigate the case of a man named Christophe (Conrad Roberts) that died in 1978 and has apparently returned to life. Andrew wants samples of the voodoo drug that was used in Christophe to be tested with the intention of producing a powerful anesthetic. Dr. Alan travels to meet Dr. Marielle Duchamp (Cathy Tyson) that is treating Christophe and arrives in Haiti in a period of revolution. Soon Alan is threatened by the chief of the feared Tonton Macuse Dargent Peytraud (Zakes Mokae), who is a torturer and powerful witch. Alan learns that death is not the end in the beginning of his journey to hell.
"The Serpent and the Rainbow" is one of the creepiest and most originals zombie movie ever produced. Directed by Wes Craven, the story uses the background of political environment of Haiti and entwines horror and politics. Bill Pullman has good performance and Cathy "Mona Lisa" Tyson completes the romantic pair of the story. But Zakes Mokae "steals" the movie with a scary performance in the role of the wicked Peytraud. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Maldição dos Mortos-Vivos" ("The Curse of the Living Dead")
"The Serpent and the Rainbow" is one of the creepiest and most originals zombie movie ever produced. Directed by Wes Craven, the story uses the background of political environment of Haiti and entwines horror and politics. Bill Pullman has good performance and Cathy "Mona Lisa" Tyson completes the romantic pair of the story. But Zakes Mokae "steals" the movie with a scary performance in the role of the wicked Peytraud. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Maldição dos Mortos-Vivos" ("The Curse of the Living Dead")
helpful•102
- claudio_carvalho
- Mar 7, 2015
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $7,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $19,595,031
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,848,700
- Feb 7, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $19,595,031
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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![Bill Pullman in The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjEzZjdjMzMtMGM5Mi00Y2JmLWFjYTEtYjcxNjA3NjdkNGQ3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUzOTY1NTc@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)