With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
Five years before director Lam Nai-choi ushered forth gory cult hit Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky into the world, he demonstrated a knack for extreme gore and grand spectacle insanity in The Seventh Curse, a genre mashup that feels a bit like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom meets Krull. Even then, that doesn’t really prepare you for what’s in store. Martial arts, action, fantasy, adventure, and horror occupy the same space as The Seventh Curse forgoes too much logic and explanation in favor of just plain fun. In other words, this underseen gem is best viewed among a rowdy group of friends.
The movie opens with an action-filled SWAT team standoff, with Dr. Yuen assisting in the takedown of terrorists. Later that night, veins on his leg pulsate and boils quickly appear only to erupt with blood. He consults his friend Wisely (Chow Yun-fat), who tells him he has a blood curse that will continue to cause burst vessels and veins each day until he finally dies on the 7th day. Cut to flashbacks, where we see how Dr. Yuen gets the curse in the first place, from traveling to Thailand and rescuing a beautiful maiden from being sacrificed to the gods of the Worm Tribe. As thanks, she gives him an antidote to hold off the curse for a full year. So, clearly, Dr. Yuen must return to face off against the evil sorcerer if he hopes to live- but the Worm Tribe is up to evil and the land is in turmoil.
Besides massive gunfights and multiple showcases of martial arts, Dr. Yuen and his allies also have to deal with reanimated skeletons, a flying bloodthirsty demon-baby thing, a dinosaur-bat Alien monster, and of course an evil sorcerer. Remember how I mentioned this is the same director as Riki-Oh? The deaths can get delightfully gory. And ballsy. The sorcerer grinds up children to bloody juice in the quest to appease his god, like it’s not a big deal.
Dr. Yuen and Wisely have a clear history that precedes this film, though the story never expands on it. That’s because both characters came from popular novel series by Ni Kuang, a prolific Hong Kong-American novelist and screenwriter. The Wisely novel series is around 156 novels strong, and follows the Van Helsing type Wisely on his science fiction-based adventures. Dr. Yuen is more the Indiana Jones type, and his novel series is much smaller by comparison. As for film adaptations, The Seventh Curse appears to be the first among them, at least of the films to feature Wisely, though The Legend of Wisely tv series preceded it.
The ‘80s marked the golden age of practical effects and bigger budgeted filmmaking, which was the case for Hong Kong cinema as well. Something that Nai-choi, using his lengthy experience as cinematographer, utilized quite well. The Seventh Curse is a unique mix of surprisingly well-made in parts and pure high-camp in many other parts. The creature effects don’t exactly rival what was being achieved stateside in horror during 1986 (Aliens, The Fly), but it adds to the fun. If you’re in the mood for warped speed fun without much care for detail or traditional narrative, then The Seventh Curse is a must. What it lacks in technical achievement or even traditional narrative, it more than makes up for by being so endlessly entertaining. Don’t stop to ask why or what is happening, just enjoy the ride.
