Editorials
Celebrating 30 Years of Wes Craven’s ‘The Serpent and the Rainbow’
Looking back through Wes Craven’s filmography, the realization of just how ambitious he was as a director and artist hits hard. While his voice was always distinct, he consistently sought to try something new and different. From the grimy exploitation of The Last House on the Left to the self-referential teen horror classic Scream, Craven’s clear pulse on the ever-changing horror genre continues to make his loss immeasurable. Perhaps one of his most ambitious projects ever was The Serpent and the Rainbow, released 30 years ago in theaters on February 5, 1988.
The opening card describes the Serpent as voodoo symbolism for the Earth and the Rainbow as Heaven, which means everything living exists between the two. It’s an ironic parallel for the film as a whole; Wes Craven’s film exists in a strange in-between of horror and adventure. Released between directorial efforts Deadly Friend and Shocker, The Serpent and the Rainbow was far more serious in tone. Craven also didn’t intend for it to be a horror film at all. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Wade Davis, and adapted for screen by Richard Maxwell and Adam Rodman, Universal Pictures pressed for more horror based on Craven’s usual work. The result is a sort of a grim Indiana Jones-like adventure narrative set against the tense backdrop of deep political unrest with a lot of brilliant gruesome horror moments and imagery. The plot is simple; an archaeologist heads to Haiti to get to the bottom of rumors that there’s a drug used by Voodoo practitioners that turns people into zombies.
While the political unrest of Haiti played prominently in the story, it existed simultaneously during filming as well. While the cast and crew initially began filming there, the government let them know they couldn’t guarantee their safety during the shoot, and so they had to relocate to the Dominican Republic. Because they filmed on location, there’s a lot of authenticity in the film, especially where the extras are concerned. Much of the scenes featuring Voodoo practitioners are real; the behind the scenes featurette on Scream Factory’s fantastic special edition release reveals that the scene that features a woman eating broken glass was a legit practitioner in a trance.
The insane setting during filming and the realism of the Voodoo practitioners used on screen was further enhanced by the father and son FX duo Lance and Dave Anderson. The creepy ghost bride with the snake in her mouth, the decimation of protagonist Dennis Alan’s few allies, and the surrealistic nature of Alan’s nightmares were bolstered by fantastic practical effects crafted by the Andersons, with Craven taking a hands-on approach in their work for the film.
The Serpent and the Rainbow is the type of film made better by happenstance; Davis originally sold the rights to his book on the condition that Peter Weir helm the project and that it star Mel Gibson as hero Dennis Alan. When neither happened, the film shifted into something else entirely when Craven signed on. Dennis Alan likely became a much more endearing, likable character in the capable hands of then-newcomer Bill Pullman. Pullman turned out the type of committed performance that made Alan an intelligent fish-out-of-water that played well to the narrative, whereas it’s easy to imagine that Gibson would’ve turned the character into another ‘80s action hero.
Between the stunning locations, the commitment for realism in hiring actual Voodoo practitioners, the gorgeous work by cinematographer John Lindley, Craven’s desire to turn out a much more sophisticated film, the great effects work, and a stellar cast, The Serpent and the Rainbow is an underrated masterpiece that endures the test of time. As with most things that Craven worked on, studio interference that he add flourishes more on brand with his name, i.e. horror, meant a very different film than what he originally set out to do. Yet, he took those studio mandates and applied them in a way here that meant a much more refined film than what Universal likely expected from the director of Deadly Friend.
It’s bittersweet now to watch The Serpent and the Rainbow, whose entire premise hinges on a zombification drug and cheating death, and think of Craven. A true master of horror with a long roster of films that worked, regardless of style of tone, because of his absolute sincerity given to each and every one of them. Very few directors have many films in their roster that stands up to time well, and Craven is one of them. The Serpent and the Rainbow is still just as effective as it was 30 years ago, and here’s to 30 years more.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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