London Voodoo (DVD)

When a young businessman named Lincoln (Doug Cockle) relocates his family from Manhattan to London, his wife Sarah (Sara Stewart) goes down into the basement a discovers a voodoo altar and a couple of moldy, mummified bodies. Then – whomp! – she’s possessed by the spirit of a long-dead voodoo priestess with an attitude. This is a actually an improvement, as the regular Sarah was rather a whiny dishrag who couldn’t even abide having “modern contrivances”, like a FAX machine, inside the flat.

Even though Sarah doesn’t like the FAX machine, the sexy au pair (Vonda Barnes) who is taking care of the couple’s baby is A-OK – that is, until she tries to drug Sarah and sleep with Lincoln. Meantime, the local voodoo welcoming committee is knocking on the door, trying to warn Lincoln that Sarah has been possessed, and the damn baby won’t stop crying.

Quite obvious at first glance and as the film progresses, London Voodoo is a real low-budgeter. It rips off several elements from Rosemary’s Baby, The Believers, The Omen and Amityville Horror, but it never quite puts them together well enough to keep the viewer interested. Having done a lot of research on voodoo for a book I wrote last year, I was impressed by the authenticity of the religious aspects of the story. However, if you are looking for a real horror film with more than a few interesting moments strung together, you might be somewhat disappointed. I found the film tedious and the acting a bit over the top in places, but it has done quite well on the film festival circuit (garnering several prizes) so for the right audience, and the right mood (for slow-paced, psychological terror), it does have a place. If nothing else, it does offer a good, straight-forward look at the Caribbean religions in all their gory glory.

Special Features:

Making of Documentary

Interview with a Voodoo Priest

Director Commentary

10 Deleted Scenes

Theatrical Trailer

Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound

(by Staci Layne Wilson)