Review #82: Cursed (2005)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Wes Craven (Director)

Christina Ricci (Ellie): The Addams Family 1 (1991) & 2 (1993), Casper (1995), Sleepy Hollow

Joshua Jackson (Jake): Urban Legend

Shannon Elizabeth (Becky): Jack Frost

Portia de Rossi (Zela): Scream 2

Jesse Eisenberg (Jimmy): The Village (2004)

Mya (Jenny): Chicago (2002), Musician

Derek Mears (Werewolf): The Hills Have Eyes 2, Friday the 13th

Judy Greer (Joanie): Jawbreaker (1999), Arrested Development T.V. series

Milo Ventimiglia (Bo): Stay Alive (2006), Rocky Balboa (2006), Heroes T.V. series

Kristina Anapau (Brooke): Cruel Intentions 3 (2004)

Craig Kilborn (Himself): Old School (2003)

Eric Ladin (Louie): Toolbox Murders (2003), Left in Darkness (2006)

Michelle Krusiec (Nosebleed co-worker): Dumb & Dumberer (2003), Daddy Day Care (2003)

Lance Bass (Himself): Musician NSYNC*

Scott Baio (Himself): Happy Days T.V. series, Zapped! (1982)

Trailer:


Plot:

An orphaned sister (Ellie) and brother (Jimmy) are involved in a car crash that involves a wild animal and another oncoming car in the hills of Los Angeles. The second car is hit and rolls off the road. Ellie and Jimmy climb down the embankment to help survivors. There is a single female trapped in the car. Jimmy crawls into the overturned car to help the female.

Once freed, an unknown beast...hint: a werewolf...pulls the female from the wreckage and out of the wreckage. Jimmy grasps onto the woman and Ellie holds onto Jimmy as the werewolf drags the three into the woods. Eventually the beast attacks the three, killing the woman, biting Ellie on the arm and slashing Jimmy across the chest before fleeing into the darkness.

Soon afterwards Jimmy and Ellie start experiencing weird physicals phenomenons as they slowly change into werewolves. They learn that they must find and kill their attacker to break the "curse" or fully become the legendary beast themselves. Jimmy, still in high school, uses his new found abilities to defeat the school's wrestling bully, Bo, and snag his girlfriend, Brooke. While Ellie, an assistant on the famed "Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn", battles through her own personal soap operas involving a mysterious boyfriend, Jake, and vicious female coworker, Joanie.

Ellie denies the possibility of becoming a werewolf, while Jimmy engulfs the "cursed" idea. He researches and constantly points out clues to his sister as she denies it. Eventually Ellie comes to the notion of whats going on as the city becomes under heat with mysterious random animal attacks. They also learn that someone close to them is the attacker and must be killed to free the of the curse.

Despite being made and distributed as a PG-13 to entice younger audiences, I liked this movie. Of course, I've only seen the unrated version, so throw that PG-13 crap out the window, but I found this to be an enjoyable werewolf movie. It has a "soft spot" in my heart...including Shannon Elizabeth (Pictured below).

I love the cast to the movie. Especially the lead female. I love Christina Ricci in general. She's an awesome actress and cute as a button. Unfortunately she does show off her body in this one, but wears some smokin' hot dresses to make up for it. Her performance as a psychological troubled older sister taking care of her younger brother was okay. But she gets a pass for being...Christina Ricci...pictured below.

Jesse Eisenberg portrays the geeky, goofy looking younger brother Jimmy. His character is dorky enough to be someone that I can root for and relate with. He's quick to embrace the werewolf idea as everyone around him doesn't believe him and chalks it up as "that's just the sci-fi geek talking".

Jimmy slobbers over the school's hottie, Brooke, only to be tripped up by her "over-manly" wrestling boyfriend, Bo. Bo's character is played by actor Milo Ventimiglia. Who? Geeks around the world, knows him best as Peter Petrelli from the hit television show, Heroes. It's kind of funny seeing a much younger Milo play a "tough" wrestler and school bully. Even better, the film turns him into an "out of the closet" gay kid wanting to embrace his new found sexuality. Back to the cutie Brooke...actress Kristina Anapau pictured left.

Speaking of "out of the closet", Portia de Rossi pops up in the film as a psychic gypsy woman. Portia herself, is most famous for being the love squeeze to Ellen DeGeneres. Man she's hot. I liked to see her in more of those lesbian make out scenes. Also starred in one of my favorite cancelled television shows, Arrested Development.

The other cast members of the movie are pretty good. Joshua Jackson plays the mysterious boyfriend, and Judy Greer plays the mean, evil, bitch assistant. She's also a Arrested Development alumni. Craig Kilborn, Lance Bass (NSYNC*), and Scott Baio make cameo appearances as themselves. Scott Baio? WHYYYYYYYYY? Shannon Elizabeth and musician Mya, appear in the film to boost the "eye candy" category. Sorry, "no raped to death by a snowman" ending for Shannon.

On a personal anticipation note: Derek Mears plays the man behind the werewolf suit. Many people wouldn't recognize Derek in his movie roles, mostly because he's always that man behind the mask and make-up. Why is he relevant on a personal note? Well just in case you haven't heard, he'll be playing a certain machete wielding, hockey mask wearing psychopath in an upcoming movie that opens on Friday, February 13th, 2009. Other hints: check out the picture on the right hand side of the blog. NOT the current hot chick, but the one below it. Or look at my horror movie reviews # 2-13.

This film almost died and never got off the production line because of script problems. After a year of script revision, re shoots, recast, the film finally hit the big screen. I would like to see all the changes that were done. A little disappointed by the cast that was sacrificed off the film (see list below). Despite the numerous problems this film had getting on track, it was in my opinion a good movie to sit down and watch. It wasn't too bizarre or off the charts, and stayed true to some simple werewolf ideas and plot points.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on February 25, 2005 and made $19.2 million at the Box Office ($9.6 million opening weekend)
-The film was delayed for over a year due to a major script re-write and many re shoots
-Actors/actresses left out/dropped from film due to scheduling conflicts/re-writes:
* Mandy Moore (role of Jenny); scenes filmed. Jenny was replaced with Mya. Pictured right. What do you think? Good or Bad?
* Heather Langenkamp; scenes filmed
* Corey Feldman; scenes filmed
* Skeet Ulrich; dropped out - character re-written