Voodoo Black Exorcist
The mummy of long dormant, but powerful Caribbean voodoo priest Gatanebo gets revived on a luxury South Seas ocean liner as a big buff bald guy and proceeds to terrorize the passengers. Gatanebo beheads several folks, occasionally reverts back to his prune-faced mummified state, and falls for the ravishing Sylvia, who reminds him of his old flame Kenya.
The film earned $7.4M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Voodoo Black Exorcist (1974) exemplifies deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Manuel Caño's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ancient Africa, 1790s: A voodoo priest lives peacefully in his tribal community, practicing sacred rituals and maintaining spiritual balance.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when The priest is betrayed and cursed by his rival, transformed into a living mummy and entombed alive as punishment for breaking sacred taboos.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 21 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to The cursed priest is accidentally revived aboard the cruise ship through a combination of scientific examination and residual voodoo magic, awakening after centuries., moving from reaction to action.
At 42 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The mummy successfully captures the woman and reveals his true identity and ancient love to her; she rejects him in horror, raising the stakes as he becomes more desperate and violent., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 63 minutes (72% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The woman he loves dies (or appears to die) in the chaos, and the mummy realizes his curse has repeated - his love is once again destroyed, making his resurrection meaningless., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 69 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Survivors discover the voodoo ritual or method that can reverse the curse or destroy the mummy, learning they must use his own ancient magic against him., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Voodoo Black Exorcist's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Voodoo Black Exorcist against these established plot points, we can identify how Manuel Caño utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Voodoo Black Exorcist within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ancient Africa, 1790s: A voodoo priest lives peacefully in his tribal community, practicing sacred rituals and maintaining spiritual balance.
Theme
A tribal elder warns that "love that defies sacred law brings eternal suffering" as the priest becomes infatuated with a forbidden woman.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the voodoo priest's world, his forbidden love for a tribal princess, the sacred laws he must uphold, and the jealous rival who seeks to destroy him.
Disruption
The priest is betrayed and cursed by his rival, transformed into a living mummy and entombed alive as punishment for breaking sacred taboos.
Resistance
Transition to modern era: the mummified priest's sarcophagus is discovered and transported aboard a cruise ship, setting up the contemporary horror scenario.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The cursed priest is accidentally revived aboard the cruise ship through a combination of scientific examination and residual voodoo magic, awakening after centuries.
Mirror World
The revived priest encounters a female passenger who is the reincarnation of his ancient love, representing his chance at redemption or repeated curse.
Premise
The mummy stalks the cruise ship, killing those who stand between him and his reincarnated love, while passengers slowly realize the supernatural threat among them.
Midpoint
The mummy successfully captures the woman and reveals his true identity and ancient love to her; she rejects him in horror, raising the stakes as he becomes more desperate and violent.
Opposition
The ship's passengers and crew organize to hunt the creature; the mummy becomes more monstrous and destructive, killing indiscriminately while obsessively pursuing the woman.
Collapse
The woman he loves dies (or appears to die) in the chaos, and the mummy realizes his curse has repeated - his love is once again destroyed, making his resurrection meaningless.
Crisis
The mummy rampages in grief and rage, becoming fully monstrous as survivors desperately search for a way to stop the seemingly unstoppable creature.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Survivors discover the voodoo ritual or method that can reverse the curse or destroy the mummy, learning they must use his own ancient magic against him.
Synthesis
Final confrontation between the mummy and survivors using voodoo countermeasures; the ancient curse is either broken or fulfilled, ending the mummy's tortured existence.
Transformation
The mummy is destroyed or returned to eternal rest, but the final image suggests the curse may be eternal, or survivors are left traumatized by the supernatural horror they witnessed.