The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Wes Craven

Writers:

Wade Davis (book)
Richard Maxwell (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

5 February 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Don't bury me...I'm not dead!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Haiti | Zombie | Magic | Anthropologist | Woman On Top

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Kimberleigh Aarn	...	Margrite (as Kimberleigh Burroughs)
Philogen Thomas	...	Priest
Ana Rosa Smith Avila	...	Mulatto Nurse
Francis Guinan	...	American Doctor
Sally-Anne Munn	...	Nurse / Intern
Jean-Baptiste Rosvelt	...	Black Waiter
Robert De James	...	Old Lame Peasant
Jackson Delgado	...	Possessed Dancer
Barbara Guillaume	...	Mozart's Whore
Betty García Rodríguez	...	Pretty Whore
Luis Tavare Pesquera	...	Kyle Cassedy
Claudia Pimentel	...	Old Crone
Michael Jackson	...	Newscaster
Diamanda Galas	...	Voices of the Dead (voice)
Ti-Blanc	...	Lucien's Dancers Master of Ceremonies
Marie Carmel Noel	...	Glass Eater
Frantz Thomas	...	Coal Eater
Johnny Pephanon	...	Man With Needles (as Johnny Pephanor)
Lucienne Charles	...	Houngan Dancer
Suzette Cajusle	...	Houngan Dancer (as Suzette Cajuste)
Rosemary Sylvain	...	Houngan Dancer
Iversose Beuville	...	Houngan Dancer (as Iverose Beuville)
Maxo Fercilien	...	Houngan Dancer
Jacques Achilles	...	Houngan Dancer
Francesco Chavez	...	Houngan Dancer (as Francisco Chavez)
Saveur D'Orlean	...	Houngan Drummer (as Sauveur D'Orlean)
Maurice Altenor	...	Houngan Drummer
Miguel Valdez	...	Houngan Drummer
Elías Gastavo	...	Houngan Drummer (as Elías Gustavo)
Harold Désiré	...	Houngan Drummer
Buche	...	Bizango Dancers Master of Ceremonies
Providenia Alcántara	...	Bizango Dancers Lead Singer (as Providencia Alcántara)
Dikatel Charles	...	Bizango Dancer
Ana Ramirez	...	Bizango Dancer
Rosa Bautista	...	Bizango Dancer
Juliana José	...	Bizango Dancer
Josiana Sant Louis	...	Bizango Dancer
Jean Pierre	...	Bizango Dancer
Otilio Nerius	...	Bizango Dancer
Venat Ruis	...	Bizango Dancer
Ramon Cherry	...	Bizango Dancer
Rosa Charles	...	Bizango Dancer
Luis Telemako	...	Bizango Drummer
Federico Núñez	...	Bizango Drummer
Americo José	...	Bizango Drummer
Gérard Matonbe	...	Bizango Drummer
Robert Regaldo	...	Bizango Drummer

Directed by
Wes Craven

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wade Davis		book
Richard Maxwell		writer
Adam Rodman		writer

Produced by
Keith Barish	....	executive producer
Doug Claybourne	....	producer
Rob Cohen	....	executive producer
Robert Engelman	....	co-producer
David Ladd	....	producer

Original Music by
Brad Fiedel

Cinematography by
John Lindley

Film Editing by
Glenn Farr

Production Design by
David Nichols

Art Direction by
David Brisbin

Costume Design by
Peter Mitchell

Makeup Department
David LeRoy Anderson	....	special makeup effects artist (as Dave Anderson)
Lance Anderson	....	special makeup effects artist
Jeffrey S. Farley	....	makeup technician
Robert Hallowell II	....	key hair stylist
James Kagel	....	makeup technician
Leonard MacDonald	....	makeup technician
Jim McPherson	....	makeup technician

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rob Cohen	....	second unit director
Robert Engelman	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Ken Counts	....	construction cordinator
Chris Snyder	....	construction foreman: reshoots
Charles Stewart	....	property master

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	sound effects recordist
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Jay Boekelheide	....	sound designer
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Fortune	....	sound editor
Dorian Harris	....	adr editor
Cliff Latimer	....	dialogue editor
Mary Helen Leasman	....	foley editor
John Morris	....	sound editor
Dean Okrand	....	sound re-recording mixer
Troy Porter	....	foley mixer
Don Summer	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Peter Chesney	....	special effects coordinator
Robin L. D'Arcy	....	special effects coordinator: Image Engineering
Emmet Kane	....	special effects technician
Sandra Stewart	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Japhet Asher	....	visual effects producer
Gary Gutierrez	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunt coordinator
Tony Cecere	....	stunts: fire gag
Eric Chambers	....	stunts (as Erik Chambers)
Dane Farwell	....	stunts
Al Lee	....	stunts
Irving E. Lewis	....	stunts (as Irwin Lewis)
Eric Mansker	....	stunts (as Erik Mansker)
Perry Nichols	....	stunts
Mark Orrison	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Marvin Walters	....	stunts
Ray Woodfork	....	stunts
Dane Farwell	....	stunt double: Bill Pullman (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
George A. Hock	....	electrician
Lawrence Karman	....	first assistant camera
Dwight Joseph Lavers	....	dolly grip
Larry McCarron	....	grip
Michael A. McFadden	....	electrician
Rick Fee	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shawn Barry	....	costume supervisor
Lynda Foote	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Peter Amundson	....	first assistant editor
James A. Brewer	....	apprentice editor
Mike Murphy	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Mary Patrao	....	assistant music editor
Robert Randles	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Hugh Kelly	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Nora Dunfee	....	dialect coach
Patrick Kohouten	....	utility stand-in (as Patrick Kohoutek)
Marianne Maddalena	....	assistant: Mr. Craven
Trish McCall	....	utility stand-in
Ren Navez	....	location manager
Musset Payant	....	utility stand-in
Jill Simpson	....	assistant to producers
Carmen Soriano	....	script supervisor
Gerry Therrien	....	animal coordinator
Robbie Tucker	....	production associate

Production Companies

• Serpent and the Rainbow
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• Colossal Pictures (special visual effects)
• Image Engineering (special mechanical effects)
• USFX (special visual effects)

Also Known As:

The Wes Craven's Serpent and the Rainbow (Australia)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Norway:18 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | Finland:K-16 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Serpent and the Rainbow

Trivia:

The CD Soundtrack to this film is extremely rare, as it was pressed in limited quantities. Part of this was due to the film's poor release and the fact that the market was transitioning from LP to CD as a mass format, meaning that the number of copies is much smaller than an average soundtrack album run.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Just before the spider starts crawling on Bill Pullman's face, you can see the crew member in the left background who placed it there.

Quotes:

Dargent Peytraud: I want to hear you scream!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Madame Marcell

Zombies in modern times, would you expect the movie to be good?

Much to my surprise, this film was actually an excellent horror flick, one that I plan to watch again some day. I am glad a friend of mine recommended the movie to me, I am just hoping others will find the time to look into it.

Even more, if the story actually is based on a "true story", I will shudder at the thought of it...