The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) (feat. Kyle Leone of The Gory Days)

To start off spooky month, we’re exploring the Haitian-Vodou origins of the zombie in the 1988 Wes Craven film, “The Serpent and the Rainbow.” Hannah takes the lead, diving into the real-life story of zombification and the years of scientific study on the phenomenon that inspired the film. With our friend and fellow podcaster Kyle Leone, we have a fascinating conversation about the brutal historical context and rich folklore of the original zombie as it’s explored in this equally fascinating zombie film.

 

Check out Kyle Leone and his podcast The Gory Days on Kyle-Leone.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

 

Research for this episode:

• The Serpent and the Rainbow (film) - Wikipedia
• Slavery and the Haitian Revolution - Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (George Mason University)
• Haiti (Saint-Domingue) - SlaveryandRemembrance.org
• The Secrets of Haiti’s Living Dead - Harvard Magazine
• Clairvius Narcisse - Wikipedia
• The Serpent and the Rainbow (book) - Wikipedia
• “The Tragic Forgotten History of Zombies” by Mike Marian -, The Atlantic

 

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Research & Writing by Hannah Sylvester. 

This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester.

 

Cover Art by William Callaghan

Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.