| Re-titled "Cursed" for international release (the Japanese title translates as something along the lines of "The Most Horrible Story 'A': Crows of Darkness"), this J-Horror entry is so deliciously bizarre, idiosyncratic and creepily humorous, it makes an effective addition to the already odd Asian ghost-story sub-genre. While no upper echelon spook classic, the film works in its own terms, despite rough patches. Even its video origins add to the stark and creepy atmosphere it creates.
"Cursed" is set in and around an inner-city suburban convenience store, the Mitsuya Mart. This is a less-than-convenient convenience store, in that the owners are certifiably mad, and the Mart’s ambiance and reputation are such that local residents never shop there. Only those from out-of-town, or those who haven’t been paying attention, risk popping in to pick up some emergency supplies. To do so is to court death.
The loosely connected ghostly visitations that make up much of the film were apparently taken from a book series popular in Japan, and they give an anecdotal anthology feel to it. Though "Cursed" does provide some "explanation" for the spooky occurrences, it in no way connects the dots in regards to the exact nature of individual events – because, essentially, they represent disparate hauntings brought together conceptually under the wide embrace of the cursed Mart.
Overall, "Cursed" is an enjoyable supernatural horror film, if you don't mind its lack of mainstream polish. |
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