Cursed (2004)

Movie Info

How close are we, sis?

A werewolf is stalking Hollywood and Jimmy Myers (Jesse Eisenberg) and his sister Ellie (Christina Ricci) have just survived an attack.  Both Ellie and Jimmy find themselves changing under the effects of the werewolf’s bite and the source of the attack might be closer than they thought.  As the full moon rises, Ellie and Jimmy fight the urge to change and must kill the original source of the infection if they hope to destroy the beasts within them.

Directed by Wes Craven, Cursed is a horror werewolf film.  Following Craven’s Scream 3 in 2000, the movie written by Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Dawson’s Creek scribe Kevin Williamson.  The movie faced tons of production problems and delays and was released to harsh criticisms.  Though it bombed at the box office, the film has gained a small cult following over the years.

I’m good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people fear me!!!

I love werewolf movies and was excited to hear Craven was coming out with one.  Though the whole “smart teen” from the Scream movies was getting old at this point, I had some hope this movie…my hopes were dashed by a script that tried to do too much.

The story of Cursed is all over the place.  Williamson didn’t seem to know if he wanted to do a Hollywood picture (Ellie works for Craig Ferguson), a romance (Ellie and Jake) a high school movie (Jimmy’s crush and problems), or a family picture (the relationship between Jimmy and Ellie).  I don’t feel like any of these stories are truly developed or explored and that the whole werewolf throw-down ending sequence which goes on-and-on is poorly done.

I…am…not…Pacey!!!

Cursed does have a great cast.  Both Ricci and Eisenberg do what they can with the script and they are backed by some great supporting characters.  The movie is a who’s who of mid-2000s cast with Scott Baio, Craig Kilborn, and Bowling for Soup playing themselves.  Judy Greer and Joshua Jackson end up playing the heavies as the “evil” werewolves, and Heroes’ Milo Ventimiglia playing Eisenberg’s bully then friend.  There are a number of small roles throughout the film like Portia de Rossi, Kristina Anapau, Shannon Elizabeth Nick Offerman, Mýa, and Michael Rosenbaum.

It’s Zipper…the wonder Were-Dog!

With a werewolf movie, you expect great werewolves.  Cursed really fails on this role too.  There aren’t very many great werewolf scenes in the film and the scenes are really bad computer generation, but I do like the werewolf dog…I would have watched a whole movie about a werewolf dog.  It probably would have been more entertaining.

Cursed isn’t a very good film.  The movie doesn’t have much laughs or scares.  I need at least a good werewolf in a werewolf movie, and Cursed in its attempts to try really hard fails to show up.  If you want a good werewolf movie in the same vein, stick with something like An American Werewolf in London.  Craven followed Cursed with Red Eye in 2005.