This turned out to be a much needed palate cleanser after yesterday’s gore fest: a low-budget zombie movie starring a bunch of nobodies (with respect), featuring only mild scares and no blood to speak of. Newly married John returns with his bride to his family estate, a former slave plantation in the middle of the Louisiana bayou, where his deranged cousin Monica is clinging on to long-lost status and power. The estate has been in limbo for years since the older generation passed on, but now John has married, triggering a clause in the will that makes him sole owner of the plantation. Monica, desperate to remain mistress of the estate, is trying to resurrect her dead brother with the help of voodoo. Perhaps he can help? Surely this won’t complicate matters!
This is mostly a snooze. The setting is cool, all the locations are fun, and Monica Clayton is great as the white voodoo priestess diva Monica, all rage and bitterness. John and his wife are boring and stiffer than the titular One.
Apart from the plantation setting (with its sociocultural-historical implications) and Clayton’s hysterical villain, this is primarily interesting from a production standpoint — first, it’s a good example of a kind of regional American film that was produced independently in the 40s-50s-60s, outside of the studio system, and geared towards local markets, drive-ins, etc. Cast and crew are all locals (from in and around New Orleans). Second, it’s shot in Eastmancolor and Ultrascope — a cinemascope derivative — making it one of the first zombie movies shot in color. Another odd bit of trivia is that the production company who made this only has one more credit — the drama Face of Fire (1959), co-produced by Svensk Filmindustri and at least partly shot in Sweden. Dr. Runtime approved (68 mins).
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