History Film / TheSerpentAndTheRainbow

* CutLexLuthorACheck: Mozart is amused when Alan confesses to him how his zombie powder, used to poison or inconvenience rivals for money, has legit smite potentially life saving medical effects. Unlike most examples of this trope he actually likes the idea of his creation doing so much good (and the idea of getting credit for it of course) and this knowledge only makes him more helpful.

* SnakeOilSalesman: Zigzagged with Mozart, who ‘’can’’ make the mysterious zombie powder, but due to the effort and expense involved (plus how it’s mainly put to elicit use) gives most of his customers a substitute.

* BigDamnHeroes: [spoiler: Christophe]]. Rescuing [[spoiler: Alan]]. After he’s BuriedAlive.

Anthropologist Dennis Alan (Creator/BillPullman) travels to Haiti to investigate rumors of a drug used by {{black magic}} practitioners: one allegedly capable of transforming the living into zombie slaves. He meets with Marielle Duchamp, a Haitian medical doctor who has been working closely with cases of zombification. One of her most recent cases is a man named Christophe, a fresh zombie with a better memory than usual. In their investigation, they meet with Louis Mozart, who, despite being something of a {{con man}}, is willing to provide them with the mysterious zombie drug.

Meanwhile, Haitian [[SecretPolice paramilitary]] leader Dargent Peytraud notices Dr. Alan's investigations, and seeks to intimidate him into leaving the country. Alan stands up to the man, only to have his dreams haunted by visions of Peytraud, and the living dead.

Anthropologist Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) travels to Haiti to investigate rumors of a drug used by {{black magic}} practitioners: one allegedly capable of transforming the living into zombie slaves. He meets with Marielle Duchamp, a Haitian medical doctor who has been working closely with cases of zombification. One of her most recent cases is a man named Christophe, a fresh zombie with a better memory than usual. In their investigation, they meet with Louis Mozart, who, despite being something of a {{con man}}, is willing to provide them with the mysterious zombie drug.

* TookALevelInBadass: Allan at the end.

** In fact, the author, Harvard ethnobotanist Wade Davis, was extremely unhappy with the film, because it ended up [[TheyJustDidntCare presenting voodoo in the sensationalist]] BlackMagic sideshow light that he notably avoided in the book. There are several passages in the book in which he condemns the way [[HilariousInHindsight Hollywood has demonized ''vodoun'' religion in film]].

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Peytraud is pretty blatantly based on both Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier (being a voodoo sorcerer) and Luckner Cambronne (being the head of the Tonton Macoutes). Given that the Duvalier family still had many supporters when the film began production in Haiti despite Papa Doc's son and heir Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier's recent ouster, one suspects they were more concerned about harm coming the the celebrities acting in the film.

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

''The Serpent and the Rainbow'' is a 1988 horror film directed by Creator/WesCraven. It is, in a broad sense, [[OurZombiesAreDifferent a zombie movie]], but one of the more traditional, pre-''NightOfTheLivingDead'' voodoo types. Originally filmed in UsefulNotes/{{Haiti}}, where a majority of the action takes place, the political and social unrest meant [[CaliforniaDoubling moving the entire production to the nearby country of Dominican Republic]] midway through production for the safety of the cast and crew.

''TheSerpentAndTheRainbow'' is a 1988 horror film directed by Creator/WesCraven. It is, in a broad sense, [[OurZombiesAreDifferent a zombie movie]], but one of the more traditional, pre-''NightOfTheLivingDead'' voodoo types. Originally filmed in UsefulNotes/{{Haiti}}, where a majority of the action takes place, the political and social unrest meant [[CaliforniaDoubling moving the entire production to the nearby country of Dominican Republic]] midway through production for the safety of the cast and crew.

''TheSerpentAndTheRainbow'' is a 1988 horror film directed by WesCraven. It is, in a broad sense, [[OurZombiesAreDifferent a zombie movie]], but one of the more traditional, pre-''NightOfTheLivingDead'' voodoo types. Originally filmed in UsefulNotes/{{Haiti}}, where a majority of the action takes place, the political and social unrest meant [[CaliforniaDoubling moving the entire production to the nearby country of Dominican Republic]] midway through production for the safety of the cast and crew.

* EvilSorcerer: Peytraud.

** In fact, the author, Harvard ethnobotanist Wade Davis, was extremely unhappy with the film, because it ended up [[TheyJustDidntCare presenting voodoo in the sensationalist]] BlackMagic sideshow light that he notably avoided in the book. There are several passages in the book in which he condemns the way [[HilariousInHindsight Hollywood has demonized ''vodoun'' religion in film]].

* CompleteMonster: Peytraud. He's the leader of the violent Death squad Tonton Macoutes and also a sadist witch doctor who uses the zombification process to keep people under his control, breaks in Allan's dreams and making'em the stuff of nightmares. After Allan ignores his warnings of stay out of his buisness he has him tied on a chair in a dark room. When Allan asks him what he wants he coldly answers "I want to hear you scream" before drive a nine-inch nail into his groin. Also, when Allan returns he tries to bury him alive in a coffin with a tarantula.

* CompleteMonster: Peytraud. He's the leader of the violent Death squad Tonton Macoutes and also a sadist witch doctor who uses he uses the zombification process to keep people under his control, breaks in Allan's dreams and making'em the stuff of nightmares. After Allan ignores his warnings of stay out of his buisness he has him tied on a chair in a dark room. When Allan asks him what he wants he coldly answers "I want to hear you scream" before drive a nine-inch nail into his groin. also, when allan returns he tries ti bury him alive in a coffin with a tarantula.

* TookALevelInBadass: Alan at the end.

* TheDragon: Gaston, Peytraud's right hand (and also the one who dresses as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Samedi Baron Samedi]).

Meanwhile, Haitian dictator Dargent Peytraud notices Dr. Alan's investigations, and seeks to intimidate him into leaving the country. Alan stands up to the man, only to have his dreams haunted by visions of Peytraud, and the living dead.

* BadassBoast: After purchasing a vial of zombie powder from Mozart, Dennis Alan loudly calls him an idiot, says "You want to know what I think of your powders?", pours the entire vial into a drink, then chugs the mixture. Before leaving, he hisses: "It's piss." [[spoiler:He actually used slight of hand to switch the real vial out for one of his own; ultimately, it was a move meant to psyche out Celine enough to give him the real powder]].

* ColdBloodedTorture

* GroinAttack: With a [[NailEm nail]]. "I want to hear you ''scream!''"

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Peytraud is pretty blatantly based on Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Given that the Duvalier family still had many supporters when the film began production in Haiti despite Papa Doc's son and heir Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier's recent ouster, one suspects they were more concerned about harm coming the the celebrities acting in the film.

* ScaryBlackMan: Peytraud.
* SecretPolice: the Tonton Macoute.
* TookALevelInBadass: Alan at the end.

Meanwhile, [[CompleteMonster Haitian dictator Dargent Peytraud]] notices Dr. Alan's investigations, and seeks to intimidate him into leaving the country. Alan stands up to the man, only to have his dreams haunted by visions of Peytraud, and the living dead.

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