The legendary Shaw Brothers were known first and foremost for their kung fu films, but they most certainly proved to be adept when it came to horror films, too. Director Chih-Hung Kuei was behind a good few of these, including 'Ghost eyes' and 'The boxer's omen,' both of which I highly enjoyed. 'Curse of evil,' released in 1982, definitely boasts some of the strengths as its kin, including excellent sets and costume design. The practical effects are outstanding, including some gnarly blood and gore, fantastic creature designs, and instances of strong violence. There are some splendidly imaginative, horrific story ideas on hand, and fine scene writing, and for as much as this is a tale of supernatural events, in some facets of that screenplay, Chih-Hung's direction, and Hsin-Yeh Li's cinematography I recognize an unmistakable influence from giallo flicks. There's much to like here, and the title certainly keeps us watching to see just where the tale is going to end up.
The foundations are undeniably strong, including a narrative that tosses together supernatural horror, monster madness, crimson and viscera, and very human greed and scheming machinations. In this case, however, I'm not fully convinced. The pacing is overly brisk in terms of both plot development and in how individual scenes are executed. The editing and sequencing seem a bit sloppy at points. Some of the thoughts in the screenplay don't completely fit together, and major weaknesses and incongruencies are observed in a few crucial examples of scene writing; even granting allowances for difficulties of translation, some of the dialogue is bad even in conception. The substantial plot reveals to come in the last stretch of the length, elucidating the entire course of events, feel rushed, somewhat incohesive, and less than fully convincing. And even Chih-Hung's direction has its troubles, for at those same especial points where the scene writing raises a skeptical eyebrow, the filmmaker enforces a tone and guides his cast into an outcome that defies all good reason, primarily with nonplussed reactions to some of the violence.
I do like 'Curse of evil' all the same, and if one is looking for horror violence and effects above all, one will not be disappointed. Yet I feel this is an instance where the storytelling is noticeably weaker, not to mention the direction and editing, so if one is looking for a more balanced, well-rounded, and lastingly impactful viewing experience, I don't believe this is the picture to supply it. It's still worth watching on its own merits, and also as a Shaw Brothers horror flick, but sadly it's just not as sturdy as some of its kin. Watch 'Curse of evil' if you have the chance, but don't go out of your way for it, and may you get a little more out of it than I did.
