Hoodoo For Voodoo

Hoodoo For Voodoo was shot in New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina hit, and as such it offers a bit of a different point of view, especially from what’s common from low-budget films. The film takes us on a wild chase through houses and backyards, but also through live Mardi Gras footage and through an airport for what’s viewed as a quality high-end direct to video film. While Hoodoo For Voodoo has a bit of amateur acting going on, it did manage to collect the “Scream Queen Hall of Fame” for various appearances throughout the movie.

If you’re a cult film fan, you should take note, as Debbie Rochon makes several appearance throughout the film, and it casts Linnea Quigley as the Voodoo Priestess. Tiffany Shepis makes an appearance alongside these two, appearing in a few scenes, one of which is a lesbian makeout death scene, similar to what you’d find in Wicked Lake, only reversed. If it wasn’t for the small budget of the film, you’d likely have a killer hit on your hands with Hoodoo for Voodoo.

The problem with having such great names mixed in with amateurs is the fact that your great names are going to act circles around your average cast. This serves to hinder the film and the script, which has some pretty funny moments which the amateur actors in the film tend to flub up more often than not. There is a bit of situational humor peppered throughout the film, but the satire and the pop culture references offer more insight into the wit of the writers. With such a great cast and a solid script, you’d expect a great horror film, but this is where Hoodoo comes up just a bit short. There’s plenty of killing to be hand throughout the film, but it’s pretty standard slasher stuff. There’s no really creative ways of people dying, which is a shame. If you’re looking for cutting edge kills which make you cringe, you’re not going to find it in Hoodoo For Voodoo. Since it is a direct to DVD release, it’s hard to make films stand out, but those who enjoy performances by Shepis and Rochon should definitely pick this one up. While the film is pretty light on horror and heavy on pop culture references, their performances are the highlight of the film and essentially serve to save it from a dull death by suffocation in Target Bargain Bins.