Remade by director Larry Buchanan as "Curse of the Swamp Creature"

kevinolzak

1956's "Voodoo Woman," shooting title "Black Voodoo" (no relation to Bela Lugosi's 1944 "Voodoo Man"), promised a Paul Blaisdell monster which turned out to be a slightly modified version of "The She-Creature," from the same producer Alex Gordon, the only horror film scripted by AIP regular Russ Bender (the possessed general in Roger Corman's "It Conquered the World"). Retained from "She-Creature" are top billed Marla English (in her final role), Tom Conway, Lance Fuller, and of course Blaisdell playing the monster again, Conway's Dr. Roland Gerard the white scientist tucked away deep in the African jungle near Bantalaya where the native witch doctor provides voodoo to his serum in trying to transform a beautiful priestess into a 'perfect being,' neither man nor beast but featuring the 'best characteristics' of both, a murderous slave to Gerard's evil will. Once he learns that the girl's innate kindness will not allow her to kill even under a spell he must find a more suitable subject for domination. As it happens she's already on her way, Marla English as Marilyn Blanchard, a tough cookie who escaped the slums of Pittsburgh for a life of luxury searching for gold and riches in Africa (it could happen). She guns down geologist Harry West (Norman Willis) so she and slimy boyfriend Rick (Lance Fuller) can accompany his expedition into voodoo country, rugged guide Ted Bronson (Mike Connors) unconcerned about anything but getting paid. We go back and forth between the marching troops and the doctor's long suffering wife Susan (Mary Ellen Kaye), virtually a prisoner of her husband for seven long years, until their inevitable meeting, Marilyn eagerly killing Rick to show Dr. Gerard how serious she is. The doctor convinces her that all the tribal riches can be hers if she accedes to his request to use her in his final experiment, which frightens off the superstitious natives but does at least guarantee the wealth she has craved all her miserable life. The same Blaisdell costume is used both times, a sarong covering the bulky She-Creature, topped with skull mask, blonde wig and huge bulging eyes, as unbelievable as the tired old studio jungle, easily Alex Gordon's worst effort. Incredibly, this AIP black and white item later underwent the uncredited Larry Buchanan/Azalea color remake treatment as "Curse of the Swamp Creature," so few changes made that it would be obvious to those familiar with each. The locale is changed from deep in the heart of Africa to deep in the heart of Texas, bayou country in the isolated locale of Uncertain, the name West still in use, a tired John Agar in place of Mike Connors as the guide, now searching for oil rather than gold. Mad scientist Jeff Alexander's intent here is to create a 'beautiful, indestructible fish-man' (having tired of surgically adding gills to gators) to the constant pounding of voodoo drums, his crowning achievement again a greedy, avaricious woman clearly asking for what's coming to her, Francine York as the captive wife.

score 3/10

kevinolzak 4 April 2019

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4761161/