The Seventh Curse

The Seventh Curse (Yuen Chun Hap Yu Wai See Lee) (1986)

Runtime: 81 minutes

Directed by: Ngai Choi Lam

Starring: Chin Siu-Ho, Dick Wei, Maggie Cheung, Elvis Tsui... and Chow Yun-Fat!

From: Golden Harvest

Like Indiana Jones... on mescaline.

I cannot recall the first time I had heard of this “only in Hong Kong” movie; however, the impetus of me seeing this last night was (as sometimes happens) a messageboard conversation. It is now on Prime and as I discovered, the print not only looks real good, but it is subtitled.

The plot revolves around a young doctor who has to return to Thailand as the “blood spell” he received a year ago is finally coming to fruition. That is my greatly simplifying what actually occurred. Let me give you some bulletpoints as to what occurred:

* This doctor (named CHESTER) is first seen assisting the police with a hostage situation in an abandoned building. As it's a Hong Kong movie, the action starts right away as there is plenty of gunfire and martial arts as their version of a SWAT team storms the building.

* There is wackiness involving a female reporter and someone taking a pratfall into a swimming pool. Yet a little later I realized that this has some quite graphic, gory moments as if Fulci was the director. In hindsight, it should not have been a surprise, as the director was also the one who gave us... Riki-Oh!

* Chester receives the curse when he unwisely gets involved in a sacrifice involving The Worm Tribe in northern Thailand; while he saves a young woman, he is caught and a guy who speaks with a Michael Jackson voice is not happy. Note that sometimes this guy (a sorcerer) unleashes a fetus-like worm creature that mauls everything in its path. This sacrifice was to “Old Ancestor”, a skeleton w/ glowing blue eyes who does change after consuming blood... into a creature I've seen not inaccurately described as a cross between Rodan and a xenomorph.

* A giant stone Buddha statue is climbed, and suddenly orange-robed kung-fu monks appear.

* Amongst all this lunacy, the doctor is assisted by Wisely (or Wesley), a character from a long-running series of Hong Kong novels, and portrayed here by... CHOW YUN-FAT. To be honest, another draw for me watching this lunacy was that Fat was in such a bonkers picture. His role was rather small yet that is alright as this is only 80 minutes long so the pacing is lightning-quick and that does excuse how the narrative is all over the place and you do not want to examine the plot too closely.

The action and special effects are both cheesy and well-done in equal measure; the print is so good that sometimes “you can see the wires”, which in this case only adds to its charm. Honestly there is plenty I have not spoiled and this was a gas to watch, especially the finale; now that is absolutely berserk. I am not familiar with the entirety of Chow Yun-Fat's filmography by any means but I suppose this is the closest he has come to appearing in a ripoff of Indiana Jones. A missed opportunity was him being the lead in such an adventure... something like the serials of the 30's which inspired Lucas & Spielberg to create such a legendary character.


Anyhow, those that love those insane Hong Kong pictures of old, this is a must-see.