History Main / HollywoodVoodoo

** The game has the Samedi, a bloodline of Vampires who are either (depending on your interpretation) descended from the actual Baron Samedi or a Vampire who [[BecomingTheMask thought he was]].

-->--Dennis Farina describing the difference between Voodoo and Obia in an episode of ''Unsolved Mysteries''

** The ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''White Darkness'' by David [=McIntee=] uses spelling as a distinguishing feature: American soldiers who don't know what they're talking about refer to "voodoo" and "zombies", native Haitans and the Doctor talk of "vodoun" and "zombi". Mind you, despite [=McIntee=] [[ShownTheirWork Showing His Work]] there's still an evil voudon priest who actually worships the [[EldritchAbomination Great Old Ones]]...

* ''Series/CloakAndDagger2018'': The series takes place in New Orleans, and provides an accurate view of Vodun. A local priestess is even the closest thing the main characters have to a mentor. It's also noted that a person can practice Vodun at the same time as more mainstream religions. Since season two we also know that at least in the Darkforce dimension (which kinda runs on metaphor) the loas are real as both Baron Samedi and Papa Legba made an appearance there.

* Creator/ShawBrothers dabbled in this trope in more than one of their films, including ''Film/SeedingOfAGhost'', ''Film/TheBoxersOmen'' and ''Film/BlackMagic''. More often than not, their attempts at portraying voodoo results in copious amounts of BodyHorror depicted onscreen and DemonicPossession that results in victims being DrivenToSuicide. ''Seeding'' in particular had a demon baby summoned by a voodoo ritual suddenly taking on a physical, OneWingedAngel form at the end which then goes on a brutal rampage, killing people left and right.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel crime]] [[TheDon boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have murdered people for HumanResources to use [[EyeOfNewt in his potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel crime]] [[TheDon boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have murdered people for HumanResources to use [[EyeOfNewt in his potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

This is a form of magic in either [[WelcomeToTheCaribbeanMon Caribbean]], [[TheBigEasy New Orleanian]], or [[{{Bulungi}} West African]] flavors. Many practitioners call themselves priests or priestesses, and they almost always do have magical powers, [[HowUnscientific regardless of whether or not the supernatural exists or is even mentioned elsewhere in]] TheVerse[[note]]Ironically, Voodoo is more likely to be a hoax in explicitly supernatural settings[[/note]]. Sympathetic {{Voodoo Doll}}s (ie, [[RealityChangingMiniature what you do to them appears on the person they represent]]) are a classic trick, as is making [[VoodooZombie zombies]]. Other practitioners simply use [[FortuneTeller tarot cards or other divination tools]] and they always work, even if they have to rewrite reality to do it. {{Shrunken Head}}s may also be present.

%% * The ''Series/BloodTies'' episode "Bad Juju".

-->--Dennis Farina describing the difference between Voodoo and Obia in an episode of ''Unsolved Mysteries'''

* Keep the distinctive [[MarkOfTheBeast skin markings]] and dark [[BloodMagic sympathetic magic]]. Ditch the Japanese aesthetic and trademark characters. ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'''s Hidan would belong in a Hollywood Voodoo movie, by accident or intent.

Compare GypsyCurse, CurseOfThePharaoh and IndianBurialGround, similar curse-related tropes with similar ethnic baggage. Also compare HollywoodSatanism for other religions subjected to {{Demonization}} and ReligionIsMagic. Additionally compare HollywoodDreamtime, MagicalNativeAmerican and EthnicMagician for magic associated with ethnic groups

* The ''Film/ChildsPlay'' film series, excluding the 2019 reboot[[note]]where Chucky is an unshackled A.I.[[/note]], is based on this. Serial killer Charles Lee Ray is mortally wounded by a Chicago Police Detective and uses a voodoo spell to put his soul in the body of a "Good Guys" doll, kicking off the film and the series. He frequently tries to invoke the same voodoo spell to enter a new body and in the first film, uses a VoodooDoll on his mentor in order to find out how to do so. He learns he can only enter the body of the first person he reveals his true identity to. In Film/BrideOfChucky, Tiffany reads a [[ParodiesForDummies ''Voodoo For Dummies'']] book to bring Ray's spirit back into the doll.

-->'''Loki:''' "I forgot my little voodoo doll."

-->'''Loki:''' "Wow. It really does look just like you. Maybe, if I believed enough..."

-->'''Loki:''' [laughs] "I don't believe in voodoo."

-->'''Loki:''' [re-enters with a gun] "But I do believe in this."

* The ''Film/ChildsPlay'' film series, excluding the 2019 reboot, is based on this. Serial killer Charles Lee Ray is mortally wounded by a Chicago Police Detective and uses a voodoo spell to put his soul in the body of a "Good Guys" doll, kicking off the film and the series. He frequently tries to invoke the same voodoo spell to enter a new body and in the first film, uses a VoodooDoll on his mentor in order to find out how to do so. He learns he can only enter the body of the first person he reveals his true identity to. In Film/BrideOfChucky, Tiffany reads a "Voodoo For Dummies" book to bring Ray's spirit back into the doll.

%% * The ''Film/ChildsPlay'' film series.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel crime]] [[TheDon boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have murdered people for HumanResources to use [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in his potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel crime]] [[TheDon boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have [[HumanResources murdered people]] for [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel mob]] [[TheDon boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have [[HumanResources murdered people]] for [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel mob boss]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have [[HumanResources murdered people]] for [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in potions]]. His crimes were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], a [[TheCartel crime lord]] and {{cult}} leader in [[UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} Matamoros]], was a SerialKiller known to have [[HumanResources killed people]] for [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in potions]]. His murders were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Constanzo Adolfo Constanzo]], the head of a [[TheCartel drug cartel]]/{{Cult}} in Matamoros and a SerialKiller known to have killed people for [[EyeOfNewt ingredients in potions.]] His murders were eventually stopped after he [[BullyingADragon abducted an American medical student to use his brain in a spell]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' uses plenty of this, to enhance its [[TheBigEasy N'Awlins]] setting. Just watch Dr. Facilier's VillainSong "Friends on the Other Side" and you'll see how "voodoo" means the same as "magic" to Disney. Though, really, it's ''[[DisneyAcidSequence Disney]]''. [[RuleOfCool Everything is going to be magical, with or without the voodoo.]] And to the films credit, it also manages to avoid this trope at times. The villain seems to have ''some'' grounding in Hoo-Doo ritual. By his behaviour, he seems to be a bokor (a sort of professional DealWithTheDevil middle man) — dealing with baka (not ''that'' UsefulNotes/{{baka}}) "bribable spirits" as opposed to a voodoo priest who would commune with the loa. This is supported his comment that he can't conjure anything for ''himself''. His good opposite is Mama Odie, a voodoo priestess, who is mostly a "Fairy Godmother" kind of character but also wears the signature white clothing of voodoo priestesses. Plus while Mama Odie's magic is fairly standard Disney magic, her benevolent usage of it is a nice aversion of the common "Voodoo is pure evil" trope prevalent in other entries. What also helps is when Facilier says "I've got voodoo, I've got hoodoo, I've got things I ain't even tried." implying he isn't stuck on any one tradition; he'll work with anything and anyone that can give him power.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' uses plenty of this, to enhance its [[TheBigEasy N'Awlins]] setting. Just watch Dr. Facilier's VillainSong "Friends on the Other Side" and you'll see how "voodoo" means the same as "magic" to Disney. Though, really, it's ''[[DisneyAcidSequence Disney]]''. [[RuleOfCool Everything is going to be magical, with or without the voodoo.]] And to the films credit, it also manages to avoid this trope at times. The villain seems to have ''some'' grounding in Hoo-Doo ritual. By his behaviour, he seems to be a bokor (a sort of professional DealWithTheDevil middle man) — dealing with baka (not ''that'' UsefulNotes/{{baka}}) "bribable spirits" as opposed to a voodoo priest who would commune with the loa. His good opposite is Mama Odie, a voodoo priestess, who is mostly a "Fairy Godmother" kind of character but also wears the signature white clothing of voodoo priestesses. Plus while Mama Odie's magic is fairly standard Disney magic, her benevolent usage of it is a nice aversion of the common "Voodoo is pure evil" trope prevalent in other entries.

* ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'', In "Recap/TalesFromTheCryptS2E4TilDeath 'Til Death]]", Psyche is voodoo priestess who can make {{Love Potion}}s that work (even beyond the grave) and raise zombies.

* The Series/AuctionHunters found a collection of voodoo relics in a storage locker that they sold to some local practitioners. The practitioners warned Alan and Ton that they might have been cursed by handling the objects, and did a purification ceremony to dispel any curses they picked up.

* [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged]] in ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' with the Sons of Samedi, a Caribbean-based [[TheCartel drug cartel]] with [[GangOfHats a Vodou shtick]]. While they milk the image for all it's worth, their soldiers are mostly just local college kids who joined the gang for cheap drugs. Mr. Sunshine, the Samedi's [[TheDragon top enforcer]], seems to be a true believer, however, and the creepy asshole is referred to as a "WitchDoctor" by several characters. Sunshine's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane unexplained mystical powers]] come to bear in his boss fight, where he uses a VoodooDoll to [[MindOverMatter toss the Boss around the room]] and [[RasputinianDeath keeps rising back up after several killing blows]] until he's finally decapitated with his own machete.