The Curse

1987 "It took seed...now it needs to feed"
5.1| 1h32m| R| en| More Info
Released: 11 September 1987 Released
Producted By: Trans World Entertainment (TWE)
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Nathan Hayes is a religious man trying to hold onto his farm and keep his family in line. A real estate developer is trying to buy most of the farm property in the area, including Mr. Hayes family farm, in the hope that the Tennesse Valley Authority will choose the town for the site of a new dam and recreational area. The night of a terrible storm, an unidentified, glowing object crashes on the Hayes farm and with it comes a horrible curse for the Hayes family and the members of the community.

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Director

David Keith

Production Companies

Trans World Entertainment (TWE)

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The Curse Audience Reviews

Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...
Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Leofwine_draca A number of things attracted me to this film. Firstly, the pretty artwork on the cover, showing a huge hand coming out of the ground clutching a house. Secondly, the fact that it was an Italian/American production, making the status a little bit more intriguing than the typical all-American crew. Thirdly, the fact that it is based on H.P. Lovecraft's classic horror tale, THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE. As Lovecraft is one of my all-time favourite authors I couldn't really miss this opportunity; I mean even if the film was really bad it would still have a good premise.While much of the film's direction is bland and strictly pedestrianised, there are some things in its favour. But firstly, the down side. The film was made in the mid '80s, and the influence is clear. I somehow thought that with the Italian involvement in the production, there might be some difference, but no, the television atmosphere is certainly there with an obvious low budget and rubbery effects. Also, the acting is uniformly bad in this film, with Wil Wheaton (young star of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION) not being a strong enough actor to carry the film, in fact he is strictly mundane. His real-life sister is given little to do and lacks any of the personality of Heather O'Rourke, child actress of the POLTERGEIST series.The actors playing the rest of the family overindulge themselves by overacting horribly, the worst offender being the boy playing the brother, who incredibly tries to play the disgusting premise of this film for laughs! Claude Akins is the only realistically effective character, his religious, stereotyped redneck a lot like the redneck in DEMENTED DEATH FARM MASSACRE: THE MOVIE(but which came first?). The rest of the cast are faceless and bland, including one blonde woman whose sole purpose is to walk around in lacy underwear in one scene.Another bad factor is the score, which is constructed of loud, intrusive rock music, totally at odds with what little atmosphere that there is. However, if you stick with the film, you might find yourself enjoying it despite the many faults. For one, the story retains the essential ingredients of Lovecraft's tale, so for those of us who haven't read the story, the film will be freshly original. The special effects are mainly on the good side, apart from the absurd glowing meteorite which looks like a huge beach ball.There is an effective montage showing the varied use of water on the farm, such as watering plants, drinking, feeding cattle, and of course we all know that there is something bad in the water and that there will be disastrous consequences. The images of rotted vegetation - especially the tomatoes, packed with maggots, are excellent, and other scenes like when a chicken dies and slime comes out of its eye are also effective, and highly reminiscent of the alien plants from CONTAMINATION.Unfortunately in the last reel the film falls apart, quickly decimating the cast in a variety of non-violent ways, and it becomes just like any other middling '80s film. However, the makeup effects of the pulsating boils and the disintegration of the mother into a slimy, rotted thing are truly, wonderfully disgusting and well worth waiting for. The Italian influence on the film is clear, with roughly 40% of scenes having that Italian 'feel' to them, and interesting the associate producer is credited as Louis (Lucio?) Fulci, who knows if this is the maverick gore master or not? THE CURSE is an interesting but badly flawed adaptation of a Lovecraft story, worth seeing for fans who want something more than another generic slasher movie. For an earlier version of the same story, check out DIE, MONSTER, DIE!
kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS**** Smelly movie that has to do with this septic tank, or so were told, dropped from a passing plane over the Nathan Ranch that smells up the entire property as well as rots away Farmer Nathan Crane's, Claude Akins, fall apple harvest. Unfortunately not filmed in the 1950's and early 60's versions of Smellavision and Aromarama the film lacks the true impact, in the audience smelling it, and realism that could well had and make in a cult classic as long as it's oder lingered on. Instead we get this really awful and smelly film where everything gets contaminated and turns to, for a better word, horse and cow manure.As for Farmer Nathen he does little to elevate the problem by blaming the smell as a curse for the sins that he and his family committed over the years. If he would have acted sooner this entire mess could have been cleaned up by the Tennessee Environmental Agency that attempted, unsuccessfully, to put a lid on it. Meanwhile as the smell started to engulf the entire Nathen residence it was handsome and concerned, for the public at large, environmental agent Willis, John Schneider, who took matters into his own hands to keep the smell from spreading.*****SPOILERS***** Not that convincing of an ending with Agent Willis risking his life as well reputation in being clean cut by saving the two remaining members of the Crane family Zack and Frances, Wil Wheaton & Kathleen Jordon Gregory, for a fate far worse the death as the Nathen Ranch disintegrated into a giant cesspool. But what he got or didn't get for all his efforts is, in nobody believing him, a new set of clothes to replace those that he lost, by the awful stench not being able to be laundered out of them, saving them.
the_wolf_imdb Oh Sheldon! If you ever want to make fun out of Will Wheaton, just play this movie. Totally vulnerable and clueless boy who is probably not able to even pee by himself is really horrible thing to watch. He is totally enslaved by the redneck religious abusive father and not able to do much. I could not even feel sorry for the character. He is just useless.Then there is some Lovecraftian moment - a giant white frozen poo falls on the garden, spoiling water, then farmland, then plants, then animals and in the end the redneck themselves. It probably eats or something even their house, but that part of the movie is somewhat obscure to me. But the connection to Lovecraft is really weak, it might be pretty much just generic zombie style stuff.The movie starts with the premise of somewhat larger story with a possible dam to be built in here, probably poisoning much more people, but this story somewhat disappears in really weak "run around the house" ending. It was a huge disappointment to me.
Scarecrow-88 A struggling farmer believes God has blessed him when his crops begin to grow substantially after a large meteor lands in his field, dissolving into his soil and water supply after the local doc, Forbes(Cooper Huckabee), pokes a hole in it. The infected water(it's molecular structure altered by the introduced alien substance from the glowing meteor) causes people and livestock to act irrationally, soon turning violent. Hysteria, dementia, violent mood swings, and skin mutations all result from the infected water.The fruit is worthless internally despite looking ripe and healthy externally. The local realtor and city councilman, Charlie Davidson(Steve Carlisle) woos a TVA water employee, Willis(John Schneider)hoping to get a contract for building a dam in their community.Poor Zack(Wil Wheaton) has to rough it on his own once his mother, Francis(Kathleen Jordon Gregory) becomes "under the weather" and his sister(Amy, Wil's sis) is assaulted by manic chickens, as Nathan(Akins) and his antagonistic jerk son, Cyrus(Malcolm Danare), both even worse after being infected, torment him through insults and harsh treatment..you see he's not their blood(..his mother married Nathan, it seems, because they needed support he could give) which means they feel little pity or affection towards him. Nathan is a hard, strict, bible-quoting fanatic who doesn't want anyone "butting in" to matters he considers private, even if disease and death spread because of the infected water, or what's evident before him, the fact that his family are afflicted with a plague.Tolerating Claude Akins for the duration of this film proves to be difficult because he's such a loud and repugnant creature you just want to see suffer in the worst possible way for the problems he causes. And, Wheaton is certainly easy to sympathize with because he's caught between a rock and hard place, little wiggle room to remove himself as madness evolves all around him. Of course, those involved in attempting to cover up something which could prove harmful regarding future prosperity will get their just desserts. Some really spine-tingling make-up effects showing what the mutations and disease cause to humans(and particularly the fruit and cattle)such as opening wounds bursting forth maggots, slimy puss, and beetles! The climax, as the house literally begins imploding while sinking into the earth, is a bit too much. The hideous nature for which causes mother Francis to deform into a ghastly monstrosity is really potent stuff. I'm sure Akins and Danare's fate will be met with applause. I do consider The Curse a success in regards to how it can effectively make your skin crawl, but other than that, I find this rather foul in all respects. It seems to suffer post-production problems, in script particularly, as characters vanish, while others make such preposterous choices which could cause irreversible results(..not to mention a ridiculous ending which leads us to believe that nothing was done in regards to the crisis of the film, written off as no threat or danger to the communities surrounding the farm whose soil and water could cause a national outbreak).This is part of a series of films unrelated to each other.