The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) (Blu-Ray) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $17.98

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Australia ( Blu-Ray/Region B )

Running Time:
98 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1988 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Wes Craven

Written By:
Wade Davis
Richard Maxwell

Actors:
Bill Pullman ..... Dennis Alan
Cathy Tyson ..... Marielle Duchamp
Zakes Mokae ..... Dargent Peytraud
Paul Winfield ..... Lucien Celine
Brent Jennings ..... Louis Mozart
Conrad Roberts ..... Christophe
Badja Djola ..... Gaston
Theresa Merritt ..... Simone
Michael Gough ..... Schoonbacher
Paul Guilfoyle ..... Andrew Cassedy
Dey Young ..... Mrs. Cassedy
Aleta Mitchell ..... Celestine
William Newman ..... French Missionary Doctor
Jaime Pina Gautier ..... Julio
Evencio Mosquera Slaco ..... Old Shaman

Synopsis:

Horror maven Wes Craven attempted a slight change of pace from his usual slasher movie milieu with this chiller loosely based on a true story. Bill Pullman stars as Dennis Alan, a Harvard researcher sent to Haiti by a pharmaceutical company to investigate the zombie legend and any possible connection it might have to a rumored drug that could be used as a new breed of powerful anaesthetic. Once on the Caribbean isle, Alan is aided by a good voodoo priest or "houngan" (Paul Winfield) and his daughter (Cathy Tyson), who runs a local clinic. Alan's search also pits him against an evil houngan, Dargent Peytraud (Zakes Mokae). Peytraud also controls the Tonton Macoute (the Haitian secret police), who are involved with soon-to-be-deposed dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier. The Serpent and the Rainbow was based on the book of the same name by Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist whose real-life hunt for the zombie drug was credited with cracking the medical mystery behind the myth.

Dennis Allan is a scientist who visits Haiti on the strength of a rumour of a drug which renders the recipient totally paralyzed but conscious. The drug's effects often fool doctors, who declare the victims dead. Could this be the origin of the "zombie" legend? Alan embarks on a surprising and often surreal investigation of the turbulent social chaos that is Haiti during the revolution which ousted hated dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Often a pawn in a greater game, Alan must decide what is science, what is superstition, and what is the unknown in a anarchistic society where police corruption and witch-doctory are commonplace.

An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 09 December, 2022.