Very Bad Moon Rising (Cursed [2005] (DVD))

Member Name: utero

Product:	Cursed [2005] (DVD)
Date:	06/12/05 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sound and Vision are good but that's it

Disadvantages: Watered down version of film, no entertainment value, average extras

Back in 1996 Wes Craven took a Kevin Williamson script and made Scream. The movie was a big success and opened the floodgates for a whole new batch of horror films, some good, a lot bad.

In 2005 the writer and director re-united to once again put a sly spin on the genre with an all-knowing werewolf movie called Cursed. This time the golden hand that touched Scream would be replaced by one riddled with arthritis and very dry skin. Take a glance at any review for the movie and each one of them will mention the numerous production problems this shoot encountered. Half way through shooting the movie, production was halted and the script was re-written. This meant cast members dropped out, characters were removed, complete scenes lost and new ideas thrown in.

The end result is a complete mess of incoherent plot, blandness and generally bad ideas.

In the final version, a brother and sister are driving along Mulholland Drive at night. They end up in car accident and get attacked by something in the dark undergrowth. In the days after they both find strange things happening to them, soon they discover that both have inherited werewolf tendencies and people around them are encountering nasty demises. It’s clear there’s a werewolf on the loose in Hollywood but is it one of them or is someone else feeling the bad moon rising?

Along the way there is some naff digs about the entertainment industry, some very lame cameos and of course, spooky fortune teller woman who pops up to tell Christina Ricci that she’s in grave danger – Woooooooo! I’d love to give you more idea of the plot but it darts from one place to another without any idea of where it’s going, so its hard to know what the story was when all is said and done.

I’m not sure there was ever a good film waiting to get out with Cursed. They obviously stopped production when it was apparent there were severe problems and things needed to be salvaged. Needless to say the whole experience left Director Wes Craven pretty disillusioned with Dimension Films and Miramax. One the decision was made to water down the content you can see that anything decent the film had to offer was lost. The original adult orientated cut is now just a piece of suggestive gore. I’d like to say it has some good scares but unfortunately it doesn’t. The werewolves are nicely done for the most part, it’s too bad the characters suck on every level. The only decent moment comes when one of the wolves gives the finger.

Cursed is a complete waste of your time, energy and possibly money. Wes Craven deserved better but also should have known better. The film is every bit as suckey as you may have heard. I’m glad I saw it as a part of a free rental trial.

- IS THERE A SAVING GRACE -

Sadly even the nice 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer can’t make the film any better. Cursed looks nice on the small screen despite its bland production design.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is pretty punchy and full of scare moments throughout. Unfortunately you may be asleep when the time comes to fully appreciate it.
- MY PALMS ARE HAIRY -

The film may have bombed but surprisingly there are a few extras on the disc, one of them is actually better than the final movie.

‘The Making Of’ is sadly a bland affair where cast and crew talk about how they’re making a smart fun movie. Everyone is great and everything is fine. If there were an executive with any sense then a true making of would have been included. I’m sure many people would have bought the DVD if it included a warts and all documentary on the actual production and what went tits up.

A small amount of time is spent looking at the effects in the movie. It’s good to see the practical werewolves being created; it’s too bad they’re spoiled but some ropey CGI in some parts of the movie.

There is also a featurette on the editing of the movie. It’s worth pointing out that there is footage here that doesn’t end up in the movie. In fact it’s probably some of the best stuff, namely the gore. It just goes to show that the watered down version lacked the intended bite –so to speak.

‘Becoming A Werewolf’ is an amusing little film that follows actor Jesse Eisenberg as he goes through the make-up process of becoming a werewolf. It’s an amusing little film and I actually preferred it to the movie.

-FINALLY-

Is Cursed worth any of your cash. In short I wouldn’t spend a couple of quid on it, I doubt I’d spend a pound on it. You should be thankful that I have warned you about the dangers of encountering such as mess as this.

Summary: The movie where the production took the mantle of the film title