Haitian Voodoo/The Living Dead for Indy V?

Jonesy9906753

Well-known member
I Read a fascinating article on Voodoo sorcerers and the existence of the "Zombi" on the island nation of Haiti. And i couldn't help but wonder, May this be an interesting unexplored territory for Indy to get into for the next installment? :dead: :dead: :dead:

Article:
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/the-mysterious-real-zombies-of-haiti/

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Gwydion

New member
Could be a decent ingredient to an Indy adventure, and I'd really like to see something like it incorporated, but I don't see it being too central to the storyline.
 

Jonesy9906753

Well-known member
Raiders112390 said:
Too close to Live and Let Die.

Overall I think you are right,but hear me out here. I agree that if it steers too far in the direction of the hammy Blaxplotation/Bond structure, it wouldn't stand on it's own.But i'd say that if the concept of black magic in that region can be explored from a serious angle, the story has potential. The more you involve Indy with a mythology he doesn't fully understand, the more it adds interest and suspense to how he gets from A-Z in the story.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
Indiana Jones meets The Serpent and the Rainbow actually has a lot promise. My only objection is that Haiti isn't far enough geographically from where the last movie took place.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Udvarnoky said:
My only objection is that Haiti isn't far enough geographically from where the last movie took place.

Raiders112390 said:
That said, I don't think it'd be a good idea. Too close to Live and Let Die.

Thrilled to be here, standing on the same side of the fence as the two of you. These are my two initial thoughts as well.

There's also the fact that Temple of Doom drew extensively on zombie ideas.

And arguably, featuring zombies could feel too much like the classic James Bond move of seeing something that's popular out there in the zeitgeist and building the next installment around it, in the style of <I>Live at Let Die</I> and <I>Moonraker</I>, to take the most glaring examples.

It would be an exciting new cultural context, though; we've seen nothing Caribbean, African, or even French, really, up to now.

Jonesy9906753 said:
The more you involve Indy with a mythology he doesn't fully understand, the more it adds interest and suspense to how he gets from A-Z in the story.
 
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dr.jones1986

Active member
The topic was explored in the "Army of the Dead" novel but on screen there were a few elements of voodoo culture mixed into TOD.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
There's a lot of approaches - more grounded approaches, specifically - to handle Haitian voodoo other than Baron Samedi from Live and Let Die. That's why I bring up The Serpent and the Rainbow, the protagonist of which (and I'm referring to the novel here) is essentially an ethnobotanist spin on Indiana Jones.

As far as the novels, I don't think the expanded universe is going to be a consideration when Spielberg selects the film's story. Fate of Atlantis was a video game and a comic, but it didn't stop them from making a lost city story again in Crystal Skull. The idea of the Commies racing against Indy for a weapon that they believe will hand them a Cold War victory was done in Infernal Machine as well. (Actually, Hal Barwood had initially even envisioned UFOs for the story, but Lucas asked him to back off on that for reasons that would become clear later.)
 

dr.jones1986

Active member
Udvarnoky said:
There's a lot of approaches - more grounded approaches, specifically - to handle Haitian voodoo other than Baron Samedi from Live and Let Die. That's why I bring up The Serpent and the Rainbow, the protagonist of which (and I'm referring to the novel here) is essentially an ethnobotanist spin on Indiana Jones.

As far as the novels, I don't think the expanded universe is going to be a consideration when Spielberg selects the film's story. Fate of Atlantis was a video game and a comic, but it didn't stop them from making a lost city story again in Crystal Skull. The idea of the Commies racing against Indy for a weapon that they believe will hand them a Cold War victory was done in Infernal Machine as well. (Actually, Hal Barwood had initially even envisioned UFOs for the story, but Lucas asked him to back off on that for reasons that would become clear later.)

I didn't mean it in the sense that the movies can't go there because its already been done in another medium (they clearly did that with the crystal skull which was a part of the novels). I just meant it in the sense that we have seen an adventure revolving around zombies and voodoo. I am sure if they felt strongly about a plot they would disregard anything that wasn't featured in one of the films and the TV show.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
I wouldn't say Temple of Doom "revolved around" zombies and voodoo, but I take the point that brainwashing by any other name could feel like a retread of the black sleep of Kali.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Udvarnoky said:
but I take the point that brainwashing by any other name could feel like a retread of the black sleep of Kali.

Indiana Jones, and the Search for Project MKUltra:

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dr.jones1986

Active member
:mad: :mad: :whip:
Udvarnoky said:
I wouldn't say Temple of Doom "revolved around" zombies and voodoo, but I take the point that brainwashing by any other name could feel like a retread of the black sleep of Kali.

I meant the novel "Army of the Dead" revolved around it. Temple of Doom just featured it as a part of the story. I am sure they could reuse it if they felt there was an exciting story to tell.
 

Duaner

New member
I would be 100% opposed to the idea of voodoo/ living dead/ zombies. The whole zombie craze thing is getting really old and I would hate to see Indy venture down that path. If you're going to recycle an idea from one of the novels why not Noah's Ark or the Hollow Earth?
 

Jonesy9906753

Well-known member
Duaner said:
The whole zombie craze thing is getting really old.

I think where i'm getting at with this thought is more-so in the direction of voodoo and black magic. Less Walking Dead survival horror, more mixing Serpent and the Rainbow/Big Trouble in Little China mysticism with the pulpy Indy sensibilities. And you've got yourself a wild new adventure for a world weary/cantankerous Indiana Jones to navigate himself through.If handled properly, this idea could surely be an improvement from KOTCS. If not as a film, but as a Comic or Game?
 

Duaner

New member
Jonesy9906753 said:
I think where i'm getting at with this thought is more-so in the direction of voodoo and black magic. Less Walking Dead survival horror, more mixing Serpent and the Rainbow/Big Trouble in Little China mysticism with the pulpy Indy sensibilities. And you've got yourself a wild new adventure for a world weary/cantankerous Indiana Jones to navigate himself through.If handled properly, this idea could surely be an improvement from KOTCS. If not as a film, but as a Comic or Game?

I acknowledge that the voodoo zombies are different from the zombies we see on shows like The Walking Dead, I'm just not a huge fan of the idea. It's just my own personal opinion though. I could see your idea working if done right, but if not done right, it could easily make for one ridiculously bad movie.
 

Jonesy9906753

Well-known member
Duaner said:
if not done right, it could easily make for one ridiculously bad movie.
Here's a ridiculous idea:

In the Late 70's, Professor Jones is contacted by a former associate, Professor Raymond Knowby to join in on an archeological expedition to the Sumerian ruins of the Temple of Kandar, where they discover the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Also known as 'Book of the Dead'). They translate the book, things get real weird real quick and Indiana Jones fights deadites.

Just sayin'... :rolleyes:
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