Saturday, December 7, 2024

Cursed, Stupid American vs. Euro-Babe Witch

Set in rural Romania...filmed in Wisconsin.  One has superstition and gypsies.  The other has cheese and the Packers.  One has magic, curses, and mysterious deaths.  The other has an overflow from Chicago, an overflow from Scandinavia, and secular Catholics.  I will say that it is nice to see a witch in Romania who doesn't have a mole on her face with a single strand of hair growing out of it. Our feature today is 2024 "Cursed," directed by Patrick Corcoran.

Stupid dweeb American Gordon (Billy Branigan) is hiking through rural Romania...probably looking for The Slaughtered Lamb. He is out of money and hungry. The dweeb comes across a fruit stand that seems unattended.  He steals some apple, and the cash box that has a lot of money in it. The weather gets colder and he seeks refuge at a nearby farmhouse occupied by the sultry Zulema (Sarah Bonrepaux). She lets him in, feeds him, and shows some signals that she may want to seduce him. Uh oh...she tells Gordon that her grandmother, the old hag Olga (Lamya Regrauui Muzio), is upstairs and runs the fruit stand.  She also tells him that Olga provides the region with the freshest fruit and curses anyone who steals from her stand.

The horror begins. The next morning, Olga and Gordon meet.  She knows he stole from her and he bludgeons her to death after she projectile vomits at him. A heartwarming scene, I may add. Now he hides the body and claims ignorance when Zulema wonders where her grandmother is. Alas, she knows.  Now Gordon has no idea what he is in for.  Pre-marital sex will occur but not for the reasons it usually occurs.  Then Gordon begins changing.  What follows is horrific and gory.  The last ten minutes of the film will give you some imagery that will stay with you through days of nightmares. 

Just what did Zulema give to Gordon through this pre-marital sex?  Does Gordon have a prayer of escaping the witch Zulema? Just what does Zulema have planned for Gordon?  Creepy and moralistic, this film will be unsettling and cold.  For a good Friday night movie watch, see "Cursed." 

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