Xie zhou

Attempting to honor their traditions, a family living in a remote house in the countryside runs afoul of a slew of supernatural misfortunes that signal a terrifying curse is coming to pass, and after discovering the strange origins of the curse must race to stop it from consuming the family.

Generally, there's quite a lot to like with this one. Among the better elements at work here is a highly effective and involved storyline that gives this a great base to go along from. The intricate backstory of the family curse involving the death of the original ancestors and their burial within a well located on their property is a fine working point, introducing a logical start as to the later supernatural happenings to occur. This is carried over to the family proper as their knowledge of what happened in the past and the utilization of several rituals that are meant to appease the spirits of their ancestors ties this backstory together rather well. As we can see how their actions have been influenced by this story as well as the series of impressive supernatural antics at play within the house have come together, it all creates a solid setup that's quite fun to see play out. Due to this setup, the supernatural events here come off as quite enjoyable. Starting off rather nicely with the incidents around the house that include unprovoked bird attacks, props coming to life when they shouldn't or individuals catching fire unexpectedly, the increase in attacks and strange behavior from there allows for some solid action scenes throughout. With the highlight undoubtedly being the slime-riddled monster that attacks and kills one of them in the middle of the night in front of everyone, there's undoubtedly some silly fun to be had which is only enhanced by the cheesy effects-work for these scenes as the monster prop figures and slimy gore effects look cheesy but still effective for this type of film. It all comes to a head in the frenetic finale that features a slew of action setpieces, some shocking revelations, and secrets getting revealed to go along with some great gore that provides a lot to like about it. While there isn't much wrong here, the film does manage a few issues. One of the biggest detriments is a hugely jumbled cast of characters here that makes it quite difficult to get a handle on what's going on around the house. There are way too many family members present with the grandmother, her son and his wife, their kids, and several cousins amongst the main group we're following, it's oftentimes nearly impossible to figure out who's who or managing to be clear on the lineage between everyone. Since most of the time everyone insists on calling each other by their family relation instead of a name, this tactic doesn't help much at all and really only enhances the confusion as to who everyone is. It does get alleviated once the curse has taken hold and some of the family members get knocked off but the initial struggle of keeping track of who's there is a hurdle towards getting into this. The other small issue with the film is that it manages to make it so obvious that there are supernatural shenanigans present that it's hard to justify the family continually being present and staying there. From the very beginning, we're treated to characters getting attacked by random animals, witnessing others die around them, or realizing that disastrous omens are present which should be more than enough to convince others that something's wrong. Even after witnessing the slimy monster attack or being around for other attacks that clearly point to something happening in the house, no one says or does anything to stop it or alert the authorities to what's going on. This makes it incredibly unlikely to root for them with how they willingly stay in the house without trying to take themselves more seriously which manages to bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Graphic Language, and several Rape scenes.

This insane Shaw Bros film is a must-see for fans of Seeding of a Ghost, Corpse Mania, The Seventh Curse. The plot is completely bonkers even for HK standards. A massacre in a Chinese courthouse disturbs a sleeping demon-one that looks like the tentacled being in Zulawski's Possession-who climbs out of a well and starts raping the women in the house. The surviving members of the extended family get bumped off one by one with a variety of sickening methods but nobody is in a hurry to leave. At some point a servant is bribed to leave the house but she gets raped the last moment. Despite the presence of several slimy creatures it's obvious this is more of a murder mystery than a supernatural horror film but it surely ain't your standard giallo. Lots of graphic rape scenes, gory murders, and disgusting little critters. You haven't seen anything till you see those funky "blood frogs." Celestial has yet to offer this unique film the high definition remaster it deserves. Luckily, it can be found on Youtube with English subtitles. If you're a fan of Hong Kong sleaze you can't do better!

The legendary Shaw Brothers were known first and foremost for their kung fu films, but they most certainly proved to be adept when it came to horror films, too. Director Chih-Hung Kuei was behind a good few of these, including 'Ghost eyes' and 'The boxer's omen,' both of which I highly enjoyed. 'Curse of evil,' released in 1982, definitely boasts some of the strengths as its kin, including excellent sets and costume design. The practical effects are outstanding, including some gnarly blood and gore, fantastic creature designs, and instances of strong violence. There are some splendidly imaginative, horrific story ideas on hand, and fine scene writing, and for as much as this is a tale of supernatural events, in some facets of that screenplay, Chih-Hung's direction, and Hsin-Yeh Li's cinematography I recognize an unmistakable influence from giallo flicks. There's much to like here, and the title certainly keeps us watching to see just where the tale is going to end up.

The foundations are undeniably strong, including a narrative that tosses together supernatural horror, monster madness, crimson and viscera, and very human greed and scheming machinations. In this case, however, I'm not fully convinced. The pacing is overly brisk in terms of both plot development and in how individual scenes are executed. The editing and sequencing seem a bit sloppy at points. Some of the thoughts in the screenplay don't completely fit together, and major weaknesses and incongruencies are observed in a few crucial examples of scene writing; even granting allowances for difficulties of translation, some of the dialogue is bad even in conception. The substantial plot reveals to come in the last stretch of the length, elucidating the entire course of events, feel rushed, somewhat incohesive, and less than fully convincing. And even Chih-Hung's direction has its troubles, for at those same especial points where the scene writing raises a skeptical eyebrow, the filmmaker enforces a tone and guides his cast into an outcome that defies all good reason, primarily with nonplussed reactions to some of the violence.

I do like 'Curse of evil' all the same, and if one is looking for horror violence and effects above all, one will not be disappointed. Yet I feel this is an instance where the storytelling is noticeably weaker, not to mention the direction and editing, so if one is looking for a more balanced, well-rounded, and lastingly impactful viewing experience, I don't believe this is the picture to supply it. It's still worth watching on its own merits, and also as a Shaw Brothers horror flick, but sadly it's just not as sturdy as some of its kin. Watch 'Curse of evil' if you have the chance, but don't go out of your way for it, and may you get a little more out of it than I did.

During an attack by bandits, thirteen members of the wealthy Shih family are murdered; afterwards, their bodies are thrown down a well (cheaper than a funeral, I suppose). The only survivors of the massacre are Madam Shih (Lai Wang) and her infant son. A couple of decades later Madam Shih is celebrating her 50th birthday when her son suddenly dies, leaving her to raise his two daughters, Yu-lan and Yu-mei. Scoot forward a decade or so, and Madam Shih, Yu-mei (Lily Li) and Yu-lan (Liang Chun Tai) share their home with their in-laws and their children, Ming-Ming (Chic Lau) and her perverted stepbrother Chin-Hua (Fei Ai), who practises hypnotism so that he can get rapey. Also living at the Shih residence are loyal servant Uncle Kuan (Ching-Ho Wang), and a couple of maids.

Things start to get weird when a dead bird falls on Uncle Kuan's head and one of the maids catches fire, but events take a serious turn for the worse after the appearance of a 'bloody frog' (the critter equipped with steel teeth and covered in human blood), an omen of bad fortune. Soon after, a slimy, tentacled monster emerges from the well to rape and kill eldest grand-daughter Yu-mei. Meanwhile, Chin-hua and his mother plot to kill Madam Shih so that they can inherit her fortune. Together with her tutor Hsu (Frankie Chan), Yu-lan investigates the mysterious happenings, descending into the well to discover the truth about her family.

So, lots of characters to keep track of, and a ridiculous plot that culminates with a surprise Scooby Doo-esque finalé, but the film does offer up some wonderfully daft moments that are guaranteed to entertain, with plenty of rubbery creatures, gratuitous female nudity, and unconvincing gore. The first appearance of the tentacled monster is incredibly gloopy, the creature oozing great globs of pink slime over its naked victim before taking a chunk out of her. There's a couple of attacks by bloody frogs (rubbery puppet creatures). Two characters are decapitated. Someone gets their eyes plucked out. And one of the villains is boiled alive!

Curse of Evil perhaps spends a bit too much time on the familial drama when it could be giving us more monster madness, but although it isn't quite as memorably daft as director Chih-Hung Kuei's Bewitched and The Boxer's Omen, or as exploitative as The Bamboo House of Dolls or The Killer Snakes, fans of the director's work will still find this an entertaining watch.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.