Customer Reviews

Cursed

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone has to admit that a haunted 7/11 type store is a unique concept. The movie has a simpleton's plot, you don't need to have Tesla's IQ to figure this. You only have a few characters to deal with. The morbid couple who owns the store. The day shift clerk, and the night shift clerk. And last, the pretty lady from the Corporate Office doing an inventory of the store. I think this woman should have been the protagonist. And of course the innocent customers who get killed for committing the act of buying from the cursed store.

This movie is a fusion of what makes a horror movie. This includes the register ringing up totals of 666, 696, etc, a man chasing a lady customer (this was actually a good suspense part that left me breath taken and laughing for the sheer pleasure of being scared), the usual possession, and the couples maniacal laughter. You can actually slice these scenes out and figure, they'd all been borrowed from other horror movies. But you find these in one movie called the Curse.

They of course reveal the reason why that darn store is Cursed. And the explanation is very much like another movie, titled Poltergeist.

Yeah, it's entertaining. Enjoy.

I watched this film over the course of 2 nights, so I had time to ruminate over the things I'd watched... And I have to say this.... That after sleeping on it after watching 2/3 of the film, it occured to me that it is msking a play on conventional supernatural thrillers.

First, the plot: Nao has a part-time job at Mitsuya Mart, a store that is run by a whacked-out middle-age married couple, and has one other part-timer(forget his name), whom works at night. There isn't much of an actual plot, basically, the store is joining a chain of convenience stores called "Cosmo Mart", and a lady is taking inventory on their stock while Nao is repeatedly freaked out by the going-ons at Mitsuya Mart. Whether it be the creepy hooded dude or the crows crashing into the window, Nao is thouroughly freaked out.! And rightly so...

Although Cursed could've taken itself seriously,it doesn't, its always winking back at you, going "Haha!!!".! But its not self-indulgent, it just plays on a lot of this typical horror conventions, universal or strictly Asian conventions. For instence it plays on the whole "Scary" music trend. Only the "scary" music in this is REALLY BAD!!! The characters whom are posessed are soooo OVER the top!!! There is also a ghost whom "tries" to resemble the ghost from Ju-on as well(The fridge scene).

So overall, not a serious film, although it "appears" to be serious, there are some obvious clues to the contrary, such as: The laugh of the hooded character, the cartoonish eyeball effects of Nao's co-worker shortly after posession, and the overzealous insanity of a couple characters.

I would say, go in keeping in mind that this IS a horror film, so it has some good gore moments, and even some good scares, and is creepy, as long as you DON'T take it seriously.

God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy

This is one of the gems of receint horror movies. 95% of the ones I see, especially the American ones are over the top in gore, but not actually scary at all. This one, you only actually see one death. Every thing else is done with music, mood, or shot. Completely love this flick. Pays hommage to many other movies, but mostly feels Hitchcock to me.

Shots are completely georgous, music fits the mood completely.

Can't recommend this flick any more. Origional, fun, funny, tension building...

Want to shout at the dude in the ball scene every single time I see it, "Don't go down that freaking hall!!!!"... and have watched the movie like 30+ times now. Most other movies I buy, I think I might watch them like 5-10 times, but this one is the one I throw in when anyone is over... "Hey, have you heard of this one.. you have to see it!!!"

"Cursed," is an average 'B' horror film from Japan. And as many of the reviewers have noted, it doesn't take itself too seriously. The film was directed by Yoshiro Hoshino, and I personally don't think he meant the film to be taken too seriously. [However, I may be wrong]. Don't go into this film expecting too much, and you won't be disappointed. The films narrative revolves around a haunted mini-mart. The owners of the mini-mart are a very strange husband and wife. The owner (Etsuyo Mitani) and his wife (Osamu Takahashi) have a few screws loose: As they spend most of their time watching the stores video surveillance cameras.

Enter Nao Shinagaki (Hiroko Sato) who is a part-time employee in the store. The cash register is very strange indeed. Whatever the customers buy in the store, the same number pops up on the register: 666 or 999 yen. Moreover, anyone who buys something in this store eventually winds up dead. An evil spirit follows the victims home. However, each haunting is different, and the same spirit never follows the victims home. Furthermore, each of the hauntings and killings are completely different from each other.

The film is not too high on the scare factor, but there is a creepiness to the film nonetheless. Just don't expect too much in the scare factor. Also, the film is very low budget, and this shows in the film. The films main protagonist Nao (Hiroko Sato) begins to notice the strange happenings at the mini-mart, not to mention the odd and very strange owners of the store. There is not much in regards to great special effects. However, the film is worth watching. Also, there are no special features on the DVD, as it is pretty much bare bones. Recommended for those who love J-Horror. However, you might want to rent it first.

A lot about this movie is bizarre. I'm not sure if it's purely from the cultural divide or what, but it's very refreshing. Most films in this genre fail miserably by either trying solely to gross you out or are just boring carbon copies of the many other horror films out there. A great quirky horror flick, don't miss this one.

In America, low-budget B-horror movies are, for the most part, open invitations for people like me to write scathing reviews trying to be as hilariously witty as possible while describing just how bloody awful they are. In Japan, low-budget B-horror movies are, for the most part, innovative, unique, and memorable. 2004's Cursed (not to be confused with the embarrassingly awful American werewolf film of the same name) is a great example of this. This is one weird movie - actually, surreal would be the word for it. The opening scene (the kind of jolting start we've come to expect from Japanese horror) may lead you to believe that there will be a good bit of blood involved in this one (and there is some), but this film is primarily all about atmosphere.

It's far too simplistic to say this is the story of a haunted mini-mart. This little store is so bizarre that even Ahpu from The Simpsons would refuse to work here. It's nothing obvious (well, not to most people, anyway), but the negative vibes this place puts out makes for quite an oppressive atmosphere, one that everyone who spends any time there can't help but feel (although, in some cases not for very long). The owners are beyond strange. I would call them robotic, but robots actually seem more human than this husband and wife. They spend almost all of their time sitting in the back of the store, watching security camera footage of their part-time workers, convinced that at least one of them is pilfering money from the cash drawer. They are no help at all to poor Ryôko (Kyôko Akiba), the representative of a large chain who comes to help inventory and pave the way for the store's transition to new management. Thankfully, we do have one ray of sunshine in this disturbingly dark atmosphere, and that is part-time worker Nao (Hiroko Sato) - but she is increasingly disturbed by the goings-on there. Only she and Ryôko are sensitive enough to see what others cannot see. I really like Sato and hope to see more of her in the future.

Cursed serves up a virtual buffet of creeps and scares, as those having shopped at the mini-mart are stalked and attacked by a number of different entities, while Nao and the night clerk Komori (Takaaki Iwao) see and experience some pretty nasty things themselves. I won't describe any of those things here, but trust me - these folks have more to worry about than some girl with stringy wet hair hanging down her face crawling out of a television set.

I'm really not sure how to explain Cursed, apart from calling it a unique cinematic experience. Its undeniable weirdness means some viewers will hate it, simply because they won't "get" the slow-moving story. I personally don't understand everything about the film after just one viewing (there are lots of strange little details scattered throughout, such as the amounts of different purchases, that may or may not mean something important to the story), but I found it mesmerizing from start to finish. I don't care what several film critics have to say - in my opinion, first-time director Yoshihiro Hoshino definitely knows what he's doing.

The original Japanese title for this film is Chô' kowai hanashi A: yami no karasu. It is part A of the Chô' kowai hanashi (Extremely Scary Stories) series of five films by five different directors, with "yami no karasu" meaning Dark Crow. Personally, I think Extremely Scary Stories: Dark Crow is a much better English title for this film than Cursed, but I guess some guy in a suit somewhere decided otherwise. Whatever you call it, the film is the equivalent of an urban legend story based on the short fiction of the increasingly influential Hirayama Yumeaki. It's a classic example of yet more innovation in the horror film genre by the Japanese, and I'm pretty much loving every minute of it.

I'm starting to get the feeling that Asian Horror is getting old. Ringu, Ju-on: The Grudge, The Shutter, and Gin Gwai were top-notch. Kairo: Pulse and One Missed Call had flaws, but they still had very good moments. After that, things started to go downhill. Movies like Apartment 1303 didn't have an enduring effect on me. Maybe it's because I don't believe in ghosts, or I've grown annoyed by the cliches which are now more noticeable. But whatever the reason, it feel as if Asian horror films are turning into self-parodies. There was one (I can't remember the title) that featured a Japanese pop group that ventured into a haunted school. It wasn't scary at all, and the mainstream pop music became a constant pain to the ears.

While more recent horror films are lacking the edginess and atmospheric eeriness that Ringu and The Shutter have been known for, there are a few that have at least some effort put into it. Cursed is one example. Despite its flaws, it has its moments. There are several scenes that are genuinely creepy, and the lack of loud music in some scenes adds to the tension. However, there are also some silly moments. For example, the striped shirts that the managers of the market are amusing to look at. The bright green/white colors don't fit a film like this at all. Also, the plot can be easily figured out if you've seen various other horror films.

Cursed is basically an average Asian horror film. It's not great, but it's not terrible, either. It'll be good for a rental to those who have seen numerous horror films, but if you're specifically a diehard J-Horror fan, then you might as well buy this one.

Grade: 5.9 out of 10

I have over 150 Asian Horror movies and this one is one of my favorites.There is so many sub-plots going on that it stays entertaining till the end.The scene with the creepy guy with the axe stalking the asian woman is the best scene in the movie.I have to say that the long haired creepy crawly asian girl movies are getting a little over played.So this movie is a breath of fresh air.Dont make this the first Asian horror movie you see or you might not understand it.Young kids will not understand it either so dont believe there reviews.This movie can be enjoyed over and over again.

I've seen so many of them, from the well known (Ju On, Ring, etc) to the more obscure (Organ) but this is my personal favourite. I would have liked to have seen more of the crows, the picture on the box leads one to believe that the shop may have been bombarded with them, but this is not so, you only get a few, but nevertheless, that aside, this is a brilliantly inventive movie, very different from the usual format of Japanese horror movies, in that you don't get the creepy ghost stood silently looking down with hair hanging over its face, hovering around, but instead you get a shop that seems to have a menacing atmosphere even in the broad light of day, no mean feat to pull that off in a movie! I loved the fact that there was not loads of dialogue to keep up with, and it didn't need it, the visual appeal alone told the story. I was very intrigued by the shop owners who seemed powerless to do anything about what seemed to be happening, especially the wife, who stared silently out into space with a vacant expression, whilst stood behind the counter to serve people and wore a neck brace, for no reason that was explained, this was a nice touch to add, and fitted in well with the bizarre nature of the movie. Full marks to the makers for creating such an unsettling atmosphere in such an unlikely setting, the oddness was made even more so for it being such an otherwise ordinary, mundane setting. I guess it's one of those movies that you either 'get' or you don't and I feel I see very well what the director intended to achieve, and achieve it he does, admirably so. The feeling of hopelessness and being ultimately trapped, no matter how one thought to find ways to escape, was conveyed very well, and it's one of those movies I could watch again and again and still find more to like in it.

Sorry for the lame title.

Anyway, here we have another J-Horror movie involving some sort of curse. It is very similar to Ju-On (or The Grudge for you simpletons) where people die after visiting a cursed place, this time a little convenience store run by two very strange owners and their two unfortunate part-timers.

The scares build a lot of intensity and anxiety (especially the chase scene). There is also one scene that focuses on three of the characters simultaneously, and the horror that they each encounter. Unfortunately, there is much left to be desired upon the conclusion of those scenes, despite the dramatic build-up. There isn't a lot of character development, so it's really hard to care for the things that happen to them. Some parts also left me thinking - "That was it?"

The plot is very simple. They give little explanation to the events that occur, but they never follow through with it. If you're looking for something deep, you might want to try a different film. This movie seems to be intended just for a few fun scares, but nothing mind-blowing or jaw-dropping. Just a simple curse and the outcomes of those unfortunate enough to shop at that store.

The CGI wasn't too compelling, but it's kept to a minimal. The music sounds really good, though. However, they sometimes used music that was inappropriate or silly for a scene, sometimes involving comedic sounds and such. Obviously the filmmakers weren't looking to make a serious film, but sometimes the awkward comedic sounds hurt the film more than it helped show that "Cursed" shouldn't be taken too seriously.

But if you're looking for a fun time, perhaps with friends who are looking for something that wouldn't require the use of more than two brain cells, than you might want to give this movie a try. It's mindless fun, but don't be expecting everything to be wrapped up tight by the end of the movie.