The Seventh Curse


The Seventh Curse is a 1986 Hong Kong action horror film directed by Lam Ngai Kai. The film is based on Ni Kuang's novel series Dr. Yuen Series. The film stars Chin Siu-ho as Dr. Yuen Chen-hsieh, and Chow Yun-fat as Wisely, the protagonist in Ni's Wisely Series who appears as a supporting character in the Dr Yuen Series, while Ni serves as the film's narrator and making a brief appearance as himself.

Plot

Dr. Yuen attempts to rescue a beautiful girl from being sacrificed to the "Worm Tribe" she belongs to. Yuen is damned with seven "Blood Curses" which burst through his leg periodically. He will die when the seventh bursts, but Bachu, the girl he saved, stops the curse with an antidote. The antidote only lasts one year, so on the advice of Wisely he heads back to Thailand to find a permanent cure. Yuen and his allies battle the evil sorcerer of the Worm Tribe, a hideous bloodthirsty baby-like creature, and "Old Ancestor," a skeleton with glowing blue eyes that transforms into a monster.

Alternative versions

This film has at least three different endings for each of its official releases:
  • In the original theatrical release, after the monster-killing climax, there's another by-the-pool-party scene in which Maggie Cheung's character makes up with Dr. Yuen. Then, we cut to the original party-scene that starts off the movie with Dr. Yuen, Wisely, Ni Kuang and a bunch of beautiful girls. As the author finishes telling the movie's story to the girls, one of them asks if he has another adventure story to tell. The author replies, "Well, we have to see what exciting adventures Dr. Yuen and Wisely are going to have." The two main characters come into frame, toast and finish their drink. Freeze-frame, then comes the end-title music and credits.
  • In the first video release available in Hong Kong during the late 1980s-early 1990s, the last two scenes were completely cut out, so as the very last close-up of Bachu, the native girl. Instead it is replaced with a two-shot of her and her lover, while the end credits roll partly over its freeze-frame, partly over black. Also, in that video release, the native girl's nude scenes were partly censored with the explicit body parts blacked out to make the film more "family-oriented".
  • In the DVD-edition, the second-to-last scene in the original theatrical release is cut out, whilst the final scene is retained, but with the end credits rolling over. The original dialogues are replaced with the end-title music.

    Cast

  • Chow Yun-fat as Wisely
  • Chin Siu-ho as Dr. Yuen Chen-hsieh
  • Dick Wei as Black Dragon
  • Maggie Cheung as Tsui Hung
  • Sibelle Hu as Su
  • Chui Sau-lai as Bachu
  • Elvis Tsui as Sorcrer Aquala
  • Chor Yuen as Chu
  • Yasuaki Kurata as Captain Ho
  • Ken Boyle as The Professor
  • Kara Hui as Inspector Chiang
  • Ni Kuang as himself/narrator
  • Joyce Godenzi as Pool Party Girl
  • Wong Jing as Would-be Playboy
  • Wang Lung-wei as Head Terrorist
  • Derek Yee as SDU Officer
  • Nina Li Chi as Champagne Girl