The Seventh Curse

Doctor Yuan rescued a woman from a tribal ritual in Thailand years ago and took a curse in return: once a year the vessels in his leg burst, and on the seventh occasion he will die. With the time nearly up he goes back to break it. Lam Nai-choi made it as one of the most extreme examples of eighties Hong Kong cinema: action, horror, adventure and a supernatural monster all in one film, with no justification offered for any transition. Chow Yun-fat appears in support. The creatures, including a flying skeleton and a blood-drinking infant, are entirely practical effects. The story is not coherent but it never pauses and it is over in eighty minutes. Who it is for: viewers who like the period when Hong Kong genre cinema recognised no limits. Who it is not for: anyone looking for logic and consistency.