VOODOO MOON

Voodoo has long been a staple of the horror genre, used for both its exotic, macabre atmosphere and as an immediate symbol of congress with the otherworld. At least since Lugosi ordered undead plantation slaves to do his bidding in White Zombie, Voodoo has been milked for its sensational appeal to a Western world unfamiliar with its true mystical significance. Save for the recent London Voodoo, which went to at least some pains to accurately suggest Voodoo's intricacies as a religion, this traditional merging of African belief systems/magic and American Catholicism has rarely been treated with respect or accuracy, exploited for its shock appeal rather than used as an integral part of any story into which it adds life. Voodoo Moon, the newest offering from Anchor Bay, doesn't exploit this ancient system of spiritual communion with the same crassness or disrespect expected of popular entertainment. In fact, it rarely explores Voodoo proper at all. While the occult menacingly surrounds the tragic lives of its central characters, with black magic serving as both central plot-point and atmospheric tool, authentic Voodoo itself is rarely (if at all) entered into, making the title somewhat misleading. Despite this inconsistency, the film evokes a satisfying level of primal fear, coating action-packed scenes of spectral revelation and survival with an almost mythic (if clearly low budget) resonance.

In a plot that manages to burrow from a variety of filmic and folkloric sources, spinning several archetypes into a generally pleasing story of demonic threat, this generally satisfying example of pulp fiction centers around the malevolent power that the past exerts over the future. A spectral massacre in a quiet, rustic Southern town twenty years ago leaves a brother and sister mentally and emotionally wounded, robbed of spiritual security. An adult Cole (Eric Mabius) and Heather (Charisma Carpenter), his sister, have been robbed of a life of comfort or well being, always alert for the faint scratching of unseen things against the rim of their fragile sense of reality. Obsessed with the occult influence that ruined their lives, they have forsaken a normal life for an existence draped in shadow and the threats of an upcoming apocalypse. Tormented by their parents' satanic slaughter, Cole establishes a psychic link with a group of outsiders unstable in their own right. This motley crew includes a criminal biker (John Amos), a cop tormented by the past (Jeffrey Combs) and a mystically enshrouded 'healer' (Dee Wallace), and together, they face the unholy dimensions where the demonic powers of Hell are released, players in an eternal conflict waged between good and evil . . .

While Voodoo Moon lacks something of the ambiguity, subjectivity, or awe-inspiring intimacy inherent in the complex practice of magic, and ignores the authentic rites of Voodoo which comprise its very title, the result is anything but boring. An obvious degree of B-movie mentality runs through the plot, but this is part of its charm. The director allows his impressive cast of characters to bring authenticity (and a sense of spontaneous fun) to their roles. Neither is the story or direction crass, diluting emotional poignancy by making fun of the material. Surprisingly touching themes of culpability and sacrifice are given ample time to develop, not standard in low budget films which usually exploit the occult as a simple filler between scenes of breasts and blood. A sense of urgency -- of destiny -- runs throughout these believably depicted character's lives, with the occult supporting instead of replacing the touching intricacies of each person's relationships with one another. The result? A fast-paced, atmospheric scare-fest that combines carefully filmed surface shocks and disquieting moments of suspense with authentic emotional revelation. In short, Voodoo Moon is a fear flick that evokes pathos and panic within its generic, modest framework.

Enhanced for 16x9 TVs, the picture quality of Voodoo Moon is routinely professional, and from Anchor Bay we expect nothing more. In this 1.78:1 print, surface flaws, such as scratching, blurriness, or grain, are absent. Audio is featured in crisp Dolby Surround 5.1 and 2.0. Extras provide a historical and cultural sub-text for the feature without overshadowing the feature itself -- something that appears to occur with increasing regularity of late. A surprisingly large number of supplements include "Black Magic: The Stunts, Make-up and Visual Effects of VOODOO MOON," an instructive, friendly look behind the scenes of the film's more demanding eye candy, describing in colorful detail some of the major effects and visuals for key scenes. The light-hearted fun continues with assorted Deleted Scenes, each of which provides a better appreciation of particular nuances of the film without altering in any great shape the meaning. A appreciated if unsubstantial Photo and Still gallery is next, followed by "You Reap What You Sow: The Making of Voodoo Moon," which, while not as instructive as the above featurette does manage to share with viewers the hustle-and-bustle of being on a film set. A trailer and DVD-ROM assessable Screenplay conclude the burnt offerings for this frightfully fun 89 minutes.

Review by William P. Simmons