Cursed (2005)

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Williamson (written by)

Release Date:

25 February 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Plot:

A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults, who, after being mauled by the beast, learn they must kill their attacker if they hope to change their fate to avoid becoming werewolves too.

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | Car Accident | Death | Attack | Costume Party

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Portia de Rossi	...	Zela
Mya	...	Jenny
Shannon Elizabeth	...	Becky
Kristina Anapau	...	Brooke
Daniel Edward Mora	...	Jose (as Daniel Mora)
Solar	...	Zipper
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Jimmy
Milo Ventimiglia	...	Bo
Jonny Acker	...	Earl
Eric Ladin	...	Louie
Christina Ricci	...	Ellie
Joshua Jackson	...	Jake
Derek Mears	...	Werewolf
Nick Offerman	...	Officer
Ken Rudulph	...	Newscaster

Also Known As:

Verflucht (Germany)
Wes Craven's Cursed (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for horror violence/terror, some sexual references, nudity, language and a brief drug reference. (edited version)

Runtime:

97 min | 99 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #41126) | New Zealand:R13 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) (edited for re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (original rating) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:Unrated (DVD version) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Germany:16 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The original plot line had three strangers brought together by a car accident in the Hollywood Hills and the subsequent attack of a werewolf. The three characters were named Ellie Hudson (Christina Ricci), Vince Winston (Skeet Ulrich) and Jimmy Myers (Jesse Eisenberg). When the script was re-written, the plot changed and focused on two estranged siblings who had to fight a curse after a werewolf attack. Skeet Ulrich's character was totally re-written and renamed Jake. Since Ellie and Jimmy became brother and sister, Ellie's surname was deleted and became Myers.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Joanie is killed as a werewolf, she is lying flat on her back with her chest and hips visible to the camera. When the officers return to the scene, Joanie is now human but lying on her side with her back to the camera.

Quotes:

Kyle: Okay, all psychics back in their seats please.
Zela: [to Ellie] The beast is human, too. Don't forget that. And it's closer to you than you think.
Kyle: Maybe you can just follow me...
[dragging her away]
Kyle: Shouldn't you psychically know when you're annoying someone?

Movie Connections:

References "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999)

Soundtrack:

On the Edge of the World

Pretty Cool Little Werewolf Movie.

Every once in a while, Wes Craven comes out with something new that I enjoy. Scream was the last noteworthy movie I can recall (and that I have seen) that was good. While Cursed was no Scream, it was a pretty good little werewolf movie, despite what Wes, himself, thinks of it. I think it would have been better if it was left uncut, but I still thought pretty highly of it, even if most do not agree.

Cursed is about a brother and sister named Ellie and Jimmy (Christina Ricci & Jesse Eisenberg) who get into a car accident and end up getting bit by something while helping the other motorist. Neither knows what it was, but Jimmy saw the creature directly and describes it as a wolf-like creature. Slowly, they begin to feel the changes one makes when turning into a werewolf and they have to solve the mystery of how to stop it.

I do have to say that Christina Ricci was absolutely stunning. I love the way she looks with her hair down. Also, Kristina Anapau as Brooke was also quite a knock-out.

The plot does take a few turns, some of them not so good but overall, not too bad. The good far outweighed the bad with me. The werewolf itself was awesome, with the exception of the one time you get to watch the transformation. It was OK but could have used a little flair or a bit of violence in the change- maybe something along the lines of Van Helsing's vampire change would have suited me better. Also, the little gay sub-plot thrown in for no apparent reason could have been left out. I realize this sounds weird to say about a horror film, but coming out of the closet in the way shown in this movie was completely unrealistic. Even more so than the fact they were running from werewolves.

I was also a bit disappointed with the ending but I was truly entertained throughout the film and can recommend it with an 8 out of 10.