Name: Retro Film Review: Voodoo (1995)
Item: Voodoo
Rating: 15
Author: @drax

(source: imdb.com)

Lack of accommodation is not the worst thing that could happen to young college student, at least not in the world inhabited by protagonist of Voodoo, 1995 horror film directed by Rene Eram. Andy (played by Corey Feldman) couldn't live apart from his girlfriend Rebecca (played by Diane Nadeau), so he transferred from UK to Los Angeles, where Rebecca studies medicine. Upon arrival it turns out that Andy can't find the place to stay, at least until he meets Cassian Marsh (played by Joel J. Edwards), mysterious leader of Pi Nu fraternity. Andy is more than willing to join the fraternity in exchange for bed in the frat house. Soon afterwards he is approached by Lewis (played by Jack Nance), seemingly crazy old man who claims that Pi Nu is just a cover for the group of zombies controlled by Marsh. Andy, of course, doesn't believe the old nut, but the series of strange incidents would change his mind.

Use of zombie motives in the plot is the only thing that has some semblance of originality in Voodoo. In any other aspect this film is indistinguishable from the flood of teenager slasher films that had dominated world of B-cinema in 1980s. Feeling of deja vu comes due to Brian Di Muccio and Dino Vindeni's script, which is full of cliches and easily predictable plot points. Low budget is matched with the poorly designed characters and even such noticeable faces like Jack Nance and Sarah Douglas get lost in their thankless roles. As a result, Voodoo in its present form would require some potent magic to be watchable.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on January 27th 2003)