Import Corner: The Seventh Curse (88 Films) Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

From the director of Riki-Oh: Story of Ricky, comes a film that needs to be seen to be believed. I could describe the film to you, but that would take away some of the power it has in surprising us. Just watch the film and then buy this blu-ray.

Studio: 88 Films
Release Date: October 17th, 1986 (theatrical) / July 4th, 2022 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 23 minutes 42 seconds (Extended Hong Kong Version) / 1 hour 20 minutes 23 seconds (English Export Version)

Region Code: B (locked)
Picture: 1080p (1.85:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: Cantonese LPCM 2.0, English
Subtitles: English (Hong Kong version), English SDH (for both versions)
Slipcover: Yes (hardbox)
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Chin Siu-ho, Dick Wei, Maggie Cheung, and Sibelle Hu
Written by Wong Jing and Yuen Gai-chi
Directed by Lam Ngai Kai
Rating: BBFC: 18 (strong sexualised nudity, injury detail)

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Poster

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What's It About?

When Dr Yuen (Chin Siu-ho) attempts to rescue a girl about to be sacrificed by the Worm Tribe in the middle of a Thailand jungle, he is damned with seven ‘Blood Curses’. Though he finds a temporary antidote this will only last a year and he must return to the jungle to find a permanent cure.

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Video/Audio

Featuring a brand new 2K restoration, and presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, THE SEVENTH CURSE looks amazing. I was very impressed with the quality of this transfer the entirety of the film's runtime. Film grain is present and can be quite heavy at times as well as being a bit heavy at times. Colors and skin tones both look accurate. Everything is balanced very nicely.

The Hong Kong version contains a Cantonese track while the Export version contains an English language track. I was surprised to not see an English track for the longer version. I know that the longer version probably wasn't dubbed into English, but they could have done a hybrid track. Maybe they didn't think it was worth the trouble. Both tracks sound great.

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Extras/Packaging

Commentary by Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng and Marc Walkow (Hong Kong version)
Solo Commentary by Hong Kong Cinema Expert Frank Djeng (Hong Kong version)
Commentary by Action Experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema (Export version)
Interview with actor Chin Sui-Ho (2h 13m, HD, 1.78:1)
Patricia Wong on The Seventh Curse (7m 50s, HD, 1.78:1)
Hong Kong Cantonese Trailer (4m 20s, HD, 1.85:1)
English Export Trailer (2m 29s, SD, 1.85:1)

The audio commentaries are worth listening to. Frank Djeng brings us the Chinese perspective while Mike Leeder and Arne Venema bring us both the outsider perspective but also the "industry insider" perspective. The interview with Chin Sui-Ho is over 2 hours long and covers so many different topics. I appreciate that this interview is here, but it was very hard to get through.

88 Films has given THE SEVENTH CURSE the royal treatment in terms of packaging. The outer box is a hard box like Arrow Video uses for their Limited Editions and the very same one that 88 Films themselves have used for their ARMOUR OF GOD and RIKI-OH: STORY OF RICKY Limited Editions. The artwork used for the outer box is a newly commissioned piece by Sean Longmore and is very striking and beautiful. The back of the box lists the special features and the film's synopsis and is printed on the box instead of using a J-card. I like this more than a J-card because the J-card can get damaged if not attached to the box properly.

Inside the box, you will find a double-wide blu-ray case. The blu-ray case features reversible artwork with one side being the newly commissioned artwork while the other side features the Hong Kong theatrical poster. Inside the case, you will find replica lobby cards and the disc.

Also in the box, you will find a double-sided poster featuring the newly commissioned artwork on one side and the Japanese poster on the other side.

Finally, there is an 80 Page Perfect Bound Book Featuring Spooky Encounters, Holy Virgin’s

and Seventh Curses A Short Guide to Hong Kong Horror 1980–1997. By Matthew Edwards. Ni Kuang and the Seven Stars of The Seventh Curse by Matthew Edwards and The Blood, the Bad and the Ugly Getting to grips with Lam Ngai-Choi’s bizarre fantasy horror, The Seventh Curse (1986) by Andrew Graves.

I have to say that this is one gorgeous package. Pictures can't do this package any justice, no matter what angle they are taken from. It has to be seen in person in order to get the awesomeness of this thing. It may look like any other Limited Edition that 88 Films has released before, and it technically IS the same, but the way the whole package feels in your hand really makes the difference. I guess it has to do with artwork and overall coloring of the package. The artwork really works for what the film is so that helps. I really love everything about this set. I love that 88 Films used different posters for their reversible artwork. They used the Japanese poster for the folded poster and the Hong Kong poster for the blu-ray case artwork. I think that is a master stroke as there are usually more than one poster art and multiple posters can be iconic, so why not use different posters for the various items in the box instead of using the same poster over and over again? I really hope that 88 Films continues to do this and that other companies like Arrow Video and Eureka Entertainment start doing this. It helps make the release stand out from other releases.

I love that they included nudity on the cover of the book and the disc art. So many companies chicken out of including nudity on the artwork. I don't really understand why as nudity can be an integral part of a film, so why not include it. If a boutique company ever releases a film like Showgirls or Basic Instinct on disc, I would hope that at least one piece in the release contains some nudity. It would feel wrong if they didn't. MGM knew this back in 2010 when the two discs included in their Showgirls blu-ray release were breasts with the nipple covered with a pastie. Sure, it isn't nudity per se, but that is the closest you would get with a studio release.

The booklet is also a really good and interesting read. Many times, the essays written for booklets inside blu-rays come across as pedestrian, but here the information is really interesting and well written. I am actually going to research Hong Kong horror films in more detail after reading this booklet.

At the end of the day, this is a wonderful release and is one of my favorites of 2022. This should be the gold standard for these types of releases going forward.

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Overall

Holy Crap!!! This is one bonkers film. I kicked myself quite often while watching the film for not finding this thing sooner. I loved every minute of this film and wholeheartedly recommend it to just about anyone. It's exciting, thrilling, has great fight scenes, and is gory as all hell. A wonderful flick. The blu-ray is just great as well. The picture and sound are both stellar and the special features are all informative and entertaining. I can't recommend this release highly enough. Just buy it.

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Extras/Menus