Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Well, Dang.
I've never seen The Skeleton Key, but will soon!
Thanks for the great info about it, everyone.
I've never seen The Skeleton Key, but will soon!
Thanks for the great info about it, everyone.
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Been thinking about "The Skeleton Key," Miss Cat. How about a "skeleton key" lucky mojo page? If they didn't follow through, I say go ahead and write about all the elements of the movie that were included based on your consultations.
On the flip side, you could also mention the elements that are not accurate.
Just a thought, but go ahead --- toot your own horn!
PapaGee
On the flip side, you could also mention the elements that are not accurate.
Just a thought, but go ahead --- toot your own horn!
PapaGee
"You can't practice witchcraft while you look down your nose at it." - Practical Magic
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
"The United States of Hoodoo" film is available now as an Amazon Instant Video.
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
I second what papagee said, I just watched The Skeleton Key and it's very good!
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Excellent point. you should definitely consider this Miss Catpapagee_whitemojo wrote:Been thinking about this, Miss Cat. How about a "skeleton key" lucky mojo page? If they didn't follow through, I say go ahead and write about all the elements of the movie that were included based on your consultations.
On the flip side, you could also mention the elements that are not accurate.
Just a thought, but go ahead --- toot your own horn!
PapaGee
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
I agree. My mom says, "If you don't honk your own horn, nobody else is going to do it for you."
Student #1748
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Thank you Jesus and Yemaya!
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
The Skeleton Key happens to be one of my favorite movies, and I've recently started studying hoodoo and would've had no idea what to look for if I had not read through all of these comments. I also had no idea that Cat worked on the movie. That's amazing to hear, even if you didn't get the credit you deserved.
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Hi, Abigail Rose,
I watched the trailer and Jessabelle and Voodoo Man is not about hoodoo at all. It is a horror movie about white people enduring some sort of curse from a spirit. There are very brief intercuts of what appear to be black people performing a Voodoo ceremony (or being threatening; it is almost impossible to tell, even on a frame-by-frame viewing). The plot is fairly tyical of Anglo-American approaches to narratives of spiritual and locational curses. If it had been about hoodoo, we would have expected black people to be at the narrative center -- this movie is about white people and their cultural mores.
By the way, it is my experience that most movies filmed by white directors in which hoodoo is alluded to or mentioned tend to present hoodoo in one of three ways:
1) Hoodoo is presented as the Haitian religion of Voodoo.
2) Hoodoo is presented as a form of magical attack on white people by black people (see "The Skeleton Key").
3) Hoodoo is presented as a magical system whereby black people assist white people who are cursed (see "Apprentice to Murder")
A film may also mingle two of the three elements. I suspect that "Jessebelle" will be found to mingle (1) and (3). Very rarely a white director will present hoodoo as part of the culture of black Americans which is not performed in reference to white Americans -- that is, neither used to attack them, nor used to cure them of an attack.
For a better look at hoodoo, see this link instead -- it is a clip about hoodoo in Maxton, North Carolina in 2009 and is taken from a movie that actually documents Voodoo. The two are distinguished and shown separately in the movie. The film maker is a German anthropologist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3meQg_Q5Yg
In this clip we see a root doctor making a mojo, using easily identified John the Conqueror Roots and what seems to be Five Finger Grass, as well as a sachet powder and Court Case Oil.
I watched the trailer and Jessabelle and Voodoo Man is not about hoodoo at all. It is a horror movie about white people enduring some sort of curse from a spirit. There are very brief intercuts of what appear to be black people performing a Voodoo ceremony (or being threatening; it is almost impossible to tell, even on a frame-by-frame viewing). The plot is fairly tyical of Anglo-American approaches to narratives of spiritual and locational curses. If it had been about hoodoo, we would have expected black people to be at the narrative center -- this movie is about white people and their cultural mores.
By the way, it is my experience that most movies filmed by white directors in which hoodoo is alluded to or mentioned tend to present hoodoo in one of three ways:
1) Hoodoo is presented as the Haitian religion of Voodoo.
2) Hoodoo is presented as a form of magical attack on white people by black people (see "The Skeleton Key").
3) Hoodoo is presented as a magical system whereby black people assist white people who are cursed (see "Apprentice to Murder")
A film may also mingle two of the three elements. I suspect that "Jessebelle" will be found to mingle (1) and (3). Very rarely a white director will present hoodoo as part of the culture of black Americans which is not performed in reference to white Americans -- that is, neither used to attack them, nor used to cure them of an attack.
For a better look at hoodoo, see this link instead -- it is a clip about hoodoo in Maxton, North Carolina in 2009 and is taken from a movie that actually documents Voodoo. The two are distinguished and shown separately in the movie. The film maker is a German anthropologist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3meQg_Q5Yg
In this clip we see a root doctor making a mojo, using easily identified John the Conqueror Roots and what seems to be Five Finger Grass, as well as a sachet powder and Court Case Oil.
catherine yronwode
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
I'm ordering Jessabelle and Voodoo Man right now. This will be useful. 
Doc Murphy
St. Paul, MN
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Hello,
I really liked the movie "Skeleton Key."
Miss Aida
I really liked the movie "Skeleton Key."
Miss Aida
Reason: I was not in that movie! Thanks! Training
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
That was a really interesting clip! Is there a reason why he smashed up the JTC roots?
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Hello, veggiekiller88 ,
So, we will have to wait for cat to see this post
Take care
So, we will have to wait for cat to see this post
Take care
HRCC Graduate #1631
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
May be a little bit of Blackhawk in Avenged 2015 amazon has it on instant video and free if you have prime .
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
veggiekiller88,
It is quite common to smash up roots of all kinds to carry in a mojo. When a root is used whole it must either be very small to fit into a combination hand or it must be used solo as a pocket piece. We sell pre-crushed John the Conqueror Root chips for those who wish to add small pieces to a mojo or an oil.
It is quite common to smash up roots of all kinds to carry in a mojo. When a root is used whole it must either be very small to fit into a combination hand or it must be used solo as a pocket piece. We sell pre-crushed John the Conqueror Root chips for those who wish to add small pieces to a mojo or an oil.
catherine yronwode
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Interesting ... p;After a run of movies that mentioned hoodoo in the early 2000s-2010s, the trend seems to have dissipated.
catherine yronwode
teacher - author - LMCCo owner - HP and AIRR member - MISC pastor - forum admin
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World of Warcraft and the Diablo series of video games have endless quests for mojo bags, but they don't seem to know anything about the subject and conflate them with voodoo pretty consistently. The "Witch Doctor" character in Diablo is pretty much the most racist thing I've ever seen in video games in decades.
The Disney cartoon "The Princess and the Frog" has Doctor Facilier, who is also laid out as a voodoo practitioner but his dolls, bags and tarot readings are all hoodoo in usage and design. He seems to work exclusively with ancestors rather than loa so that just doubles down.
The Disney cartoon "The Princess and the Frog" has Doctor Facilier, who is also laid out as a voodoo practitioner but his dolls, bags and tarot readings are all hoodoo in usage and design. He seems to work exclusively with ancestors rather than loa so that just doubles down.
HRCC Student #2174G
To Sleep With Anger
Great example of hoodoo in film. Danny Glover, Mary Alice and others. Film opens with mystical imagery. Black family drama. Patriarch upset that he's lost or misplaced his toby. Very interesting.
Rapacia
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
The Skeleton Key
I enjoyed the heck out of The Skeleton Key, have seen it more than once. However, one thing I didn't like about it, other than the fact that Miss Cat was not credited as promised, was the way they wrote Kate Hudson't character. She was a good person. The ending, what happened to her, would have been much more enjoyable had she been written as an asshat, maybe someone who was trying to use the couple or sin against them in some way. This way I could have been rooting for Mr. and Mrs. Rootdoctor. I'd love to see a remake with Hudson's character as a stinker who deserves what she gets. That would have been SO much more fun.
Rapacia
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Miss Cat, do you know why they screwed you over on the credits for The Skeleton Key? I'm not in the movie business, but I can't see why it would be such a big deal to put someone's name in the closing credits when their contribution was so great. It's just weird. Were there any discussions about this? Did they say, "Duh...we forgot" or what was their reason for leaving you out?
Rapacia
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
I love The Skeleton Key!
Such a disappointment they didn’t credit Miss Cat though-I knew they must of consulted with someone in the know as there were so many nice little real touches to add some authenticity( along with the usual Hollywood OTT stuff)
Such a disappointment they didn’t credit Miss Cat though-I knew they must of consulted with someone in the know as there were so many nice little real touches to add some authenticity( along with the usual Hollywood OTT stuff)

Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Daenerys, I agree - that film is really atmospheric. But I still want to see a remake in which Hudson's character is not so likeable and Miss Cat is used and credited as all-over advisor!
Rapacia
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
"Forget not in the darkness what you have seen in the light".
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
I am currently reading through the HRCC Lesson Clarifications and Answers and read several old posts about Miss Cat being hired as a Hoodoo Consultant for the film and providing a whole shop worth of products for a scene! So, I watched The Skeleton Key and thoroughly enjoyed it! I also, like many commenters above, watched the credits to see Miss Cat's credit and was so disappointed that there wasn't one!
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Greatmother,
Yes it’s unfortunate indeed! Reading though the entire thread, you would know not to look for her name because it’s been discussed at length that she got snubbed. I believe someone said though, that on the DVD Commentary, they did mentioned her- I don’t know if it was by name though. She actually had a role in changing the script too, to better reflect the authenticity of the story.
Yes it’s unfortunate indeed! Reading though the entire thread, you would know not to look for her name because it’s been discussed at length that she got snubbed. I believe someone said though, that on the DVD Commentary, they did mentioned her- I don’t know if it was by name though. She actually had a role in changing the script too, to better reflect the authenticity of the story.
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Re: Movies That Mention Hoodoo
Greatmother,
Yes Ms. Cat has mentioned it on the radio show a few times. I watch the movie the other day to prepare for the interview. Why are there raccoon penis bones hanging everywhere and the seal of Jupiter carved into the floor? Giant cow tongue in a tapa boca jar. I will say around 5 years after the movie came out I was talking with someone and said you "got dat hoodoo done to you", basically saying they got jinxed. They immediately said oh no I got the red brick dust. So it did have an impact, and Skelton Keys redbrick dust trumps Supernaturals circle of salt any day. The early seasons of The Dead Files were pretty spot on when Amy would give them a remedy, of tar water, or wash the walls with saltwater. Take a bath with protection bath salts. When it became you need to find a Shamon, Baptist Minister, Physical Medium, and Wicca High priests, they have the meet on sundown of the new moon following the summer solstice, that was a bit too much. The sad part is I know someone from each of those categories.
Yes Ms. Cat has mentioned it on the radio show a few times. I watch the movie the other day to prepare for the interview. Why are there raccoon penis bones hanging everywhere and the seal of Jupiter carved into the floor? Giant cow tongue in a tapa boca jar. I will say around 5 years after the movie came out I was talking with someone and said you "got dat hoodoo done to you", basically saying they got jinxed. They immediately said oh no I got the red brick dust. So it did have an impact, and Skelton Keys redbrick dust trumps Supernaturals circle of salt any day. The early seasons of The Dead Files were pretty spot on when Amy would give them a remedy, of tar water, or wash the walls with saltwater. Take a bath with protection bath salts. When it became you need to find a Shamon, Baptist Minister, Physical Medium, and Wicca High priests, they have the meet on sundown of the new moon following the summer solstice, that was a bit too much. The sad part is I know someone from each of those categories.





