Wes Craven’s “Cursed” (2005) had a scandalously troubled production and, at one point, seemed in danger of never being released.
Few films have been through the post-production nightmare this one endured and, truth be told, the end result is messy but a lot of fun and suggests it was headed in the right direction.
The ironically titled “Cursed,” which began filming in 2003 and belatedly arrived in 2005, stars Christina Ricci as Ellie, a car crash survivor who, along with her brother Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg), is attacked by a werewolf. That this happens in Hollywood leads to a highly skeptical reaction: Nick Offerman has a funny cameo as a medic who improbably reveals “there hasn’t been a wolf attack in 70 years.”
Ellie, post-wolf bite, is acting strangely at her job, working at “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn” (yes, it’s awkward to note that Kilborn wasn’t even the host by the time this played in theaters and has an unfortunate cameo appearance).
Meanwhile, Eisenberg’s Jimmy is quick to realize what’s happening (in the same way Jamie Kennedy in “Scream” was a know-it-all doomsayer). Meanwhile, Ellie’s boyfriend (a never-better Joshua Jackson) notices how odd she’s acting, as bodies and werewolf sightings begin to stack up in The Entertainment Capitol of the World.
According to various news reports, sad accounts and Craven himself, the behind-the-scenes story goes like this: “Cursed” was to be the red-hot collaboration and re-teaming of Craven with his “Scream” author, Kevin Williamson. Their werewolf tale had a colorful ensemble cast, the financial backing of Dimension Films (who funded and distributed the “Scream” movies) and a novel, updated take on lycanthropy.
FAST FACT: Christina Ricci made her big-screen acting debut in 1990’s “Mermaids” co-starring Cher.
Apparently, at some point near post-production, the powers-that-be decided the film required massive re-shoots with a mostly new cast.
Suddenly, Skeet Ulrich was out, and his role was now played by Jackson. Eisenberg (in his first major film role) was no longer playing Ricci’s boyfriend but her brother. Among those cut entirely were “A Nightmare on Elm Street” star Heather Langenkamp and Corey Feldman.
After the highly compromised second version wrapped filming, Craven had the indignity of his R-rated film not only being cut down to a PG-13, but also dumped into theaters in February, without a critic’s screening. It died in theaters after a weak opening weekend and bad word of mouth.
Craven’s latter films have been inconsistent, to say the least, but he was in no danger of having his Master of Horror title revoked, and there’s lots in “Cursed” to suggest, minus the studio tampering, the film could have worked in full instead of in part.
Even with the jumbled narrative, it’s clear Craven and Williamson were aiming to make “The Player” with werewolves. It’s even possible to see themes and story aspects from Craven’s 1994 masterpiece, “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare,” which also explored the nature of identity in the lives of those who play make-believe for a living.
Using Hollywood as a springboard for the werewolf lore provides a few ripe targets, particularly Judy Greer’s juicy role as a caustic star agent: I encountered someone like her character at Comic Con years ago and can vouch that the sort of real monster she’s playing, while a necessary evil in show business, is spot-on.
The scenes of Eisenberg going Teen Wolf at his high school are very funny, with much of the credit going to the actor, who gives an inspired comic turn.
The missed opportunities are also in plain view: why cast Scott Baio as “himself” (he presumably took over for Feldman) if he isn’t going to wind up playing a werewolf? Why offer two big, extensive, action-packed climaxes but no real ending?
The final fade-out is a stop, not a real narrative closure.
Ricci is a major talent and a darling of the independent film world, whose career got sidelined by appearing in too many sub-par horror movies (though this is the best one she made). She has a great scene where her character (not unlike Jack Nicholson in the 1994 “Wolf”) uses her wolf powers to go hunting at work.
Likewise, Eisenberg has a hilarious bit where he discovers his dog is also going through a drastic change. For all the good scenes scattered throughout, it still feels like a first cut.
The visual effects range from impressive to painfully unfinished: the werewolves sometimes appear vivid, through CGI or creature effects, but there are a couple of regrettable shots in which actors seem to be dressed in fuzzy monster costumes.
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For Craven completists (I hope I’m not the only one out there), this is better, more ambitious, funnier and sharper than the late-career misses of “Shocker” (1989), “Deadly Friend” (1986) and “Scream 3” (2000). Similar to Craven’s “Vampire in Brooklyn” (1995), it deserves its cult following and is better than its initial reputation.
It’s still an interesting miss and not the classic it could and should have been.
That may sound like faint praise, but the blueprint for a great horror/comedy is in plain sight. Even as a flawed work, it’s more fun than its reputation would leave you to expect.
Craven may have gone down with the ship on the initial reception of “Cursed,” though a cult following has given it a slightly better reception than the initial reaction 20 years ago. Thankfully, Craven had the acclaimed hit “Red Eye” in theaters six months later, reclaiming his status as a genre master and briefly putting aside memories of “Cursed” to rest.
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