The Seventh Curse / Witch from Nepal – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1986 (The Seventh Curse, Witch from Nepal)
Director: Ngai Choi Lam (The Seventh Curse), Ching Siu-tung (Witch From Nepal)
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Chin Siu-ho, Maggie Cheung, Elvis Tsui, Kara Wai (The Seventh Curse), Chow Yun-fat, Emily Chu, Yammie Lam, Dick Wei (Witch from Nepal)

Release Date: January 21st, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 83 Minutes 57 Seconds (The Seventh Curse - Extended Hong Kong Version), 80 Minutes 38 Seconds (The Seventh Curse - Export Cut), 89 Minutes 57 Seconds (Witch from Nepal)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $59.98

The Seventh Curse: "Dr. Yuan is a world-famous adventurer whose exploits have found him playing everything from hostage negotiator to exploring the most offbeat corners of the globe. While in the jungles of Thailand, Dr. Yuan rescues a young woman from a bloodthirsty supernatural sect named the "Worm Tribe," as they attempt to sacrifice her to their ancient evil deity. After a Worm Tribe elder forces the doctor to swallow a handful of bullets, Dr. Yuan becomes afflicted by the “seven blood curses,” which cause the bullets to burst from his body. Determined to find a cure before the seventh and final curse takes his life, Dr. Yuan returns to the jungle, where he must defeat the Worm Tribe and other unexpected supernatural obstacles." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Witch from Nepal: "Joe and his girlfriend travel to Nepal to escape their busy lives. However, their vacation takes an unwelcome turn when Joe is injured while on safari and goes missing. Once found, he is brought to a hospital where a mysterious woman tells him that he's been chosen to be the leader of a mystical tribe in order to fight against an evil sorcerer. Upon returning to Hong Kong, Joe tries to forget about his ordeal. However, the mysterious woman tracks him down, and the two soon fall madly in love. Unfortunately, the sorcerer is also in Hong Kong searching for the mysterious woman, and Joe soon finds himself embroiled in a savage fight between good and evil." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (The Seventh Curse - Extended Hong Kong Version, Witch from Nepal), 4.25/5 (The Seventh Curse - Export Cut)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Newly color-graded and restored by VS from studio-supplied masters."

The Seventh Curse comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB (Extended Hong Kong Version), 20.9 GB (Export Cut)

Though this release uses the same source that 88 Films used, it has a new color grade. Image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, the extended Hong Kong version transfer is stronger than the export version.

Witch from Nepal comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 22.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tone looks correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - The Seventh Curse Extended Hong Kong Version), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - The Seventh Curse Export Cut, Witch from Nepal - Both Audio Tracks)

The Seventh Curse, the extended Hong Kong version, comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. This track has some dialog in Mandarin and English. Included are removable English subtitles that translate all of the dialog. There is no subtitle option that only translates the Cantonese and Mandarin dialog.

The Seventh Curse: The export cut comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles.

Both audio tracks are in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Witch from Nepal comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin. These two audio tracks are comparable; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise they are very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include Cantonese language theatrical trailer for The Seventh Curse (4 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer for The Seventh Curse (2 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Cantonese language theatrical trailer for Witch from Nepal (3 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan titled Lam Ngai Kai: Hong Kong's Master of Fantasy (16 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with martial arts film expert Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong version of The Seventh Curse, and an audio commentary with Samm Deighan and author & podcaster Mike White for Hong Kong version of The Seventh Curse.

Extras on disc two include an audio commentary with Frank Djeng for Witch from Nepal.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a hard slipcase + slipcover combo, and a 40-page perfect bound with an essay titled Erotic Chiller: The Supernatural Sensuousness of Witch from Nepal written by Travis Woods, and an essay titled Adventure, He Wrote: Tracing the Influences of Ni Kuang’s Wisely written by Erica Shultz.

Summary:

Ngai Choi Lam directed The Seventh Curse. He is also known for directing Her Vengeance, Erotic Ghost Story, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, and The Cat. The Seventh Curse is based on author Ni Kuang's novel series Dr. Yuen.

The Seventh Curse is a classic example of how good Hong Kong cinema was at making cinema that incorporated multiple genres and how effortlessly they shifted between genres. The Seventh Curse is a melting pot of genres. It is an action film, an adventure film, a horror film, a fantasy film, and a martial arts film all rolled into one.

A lot happens in The Seventh Curse in just under eighty-four minutes (if you include the opening and closing credits). The same can be said, even if you watch the export version, which only omits the segments with author Ni Kuang that open and close the extended Hong Kong version. That said, from the opening raid of a hospital by a SWAT team to a supernatural showdown that has impressive martial arts and some old-school practical special effects, there is rarely a moment where the narrative lets you catch your breath.

The Seventh Curse has a solid cast that is anchored by three actors: Siu-Ho Chin (Mr. Vampire) in the role of the protagonist, Dr. Yuen; Maggie Cheung (Police Story) in the role of Tsui Hung, a reporter who's always getting in the way of Dr. Yuen; and Chow Yun-Fat (The Killer) in the role of Wisely, a confidant of Dr. Yuen. Most of the humor in The Seventh Curse comes from the combative relationship between Dr. Yuen and Tsui Hung. Another performance of note is Elvis Tsui (A Chinese Torture Chamber Story) in the role of an evil sorcerer named Aquala. He delivers a deliriously demented performance that perfectly captures his character's essence.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Seventh Curse does not deliver and then some. The premise is well-executed, a breakneck narrative ensures there is never a dull moment, the action set pieces are fantastic, and the old-school practical special effects hold up really well. Ultimately, The Seventh Curse is an entertaining film that epitomizes all the things that make classic Hong Kong cinema so great.

Witch from Nepal: A mystical tribe member gives a man on vacation in Nepal magical powers.

Ching Siu-tung directed Witch From Nepal. He is also known for directing Duel to the Death, A Chinese Ghost Story (1, 2, 3), The Swordsman (1, 2, 3), The Mad Monk, and Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words".

Witch from Nepal is an adventure/action/supernatural hybrid that effectively blends all of these genres. At its core, Witch from Nepal is your standard good versus evil scenario. The protagonist is given extraordinary powers, which not only allow him to quickly heal a broken leg, but also allow him to effortlessly scale buildings and glide through the air.  That said, the story that unfolds requires a leap of faith, and backstory is non-existent.

After a strong opening that introduces the main villain, a demon, there are no big surprises until the last 20 minutes. The bulk of the narrative is the protagonist discovering his new powers, how to use them, and hiding another woman from his girlfriend. That said, this triangle between the protagonist, the girlfriend, and the other woman provides a few tense moments.

The core cast, which is only four actors, are all great in their roles: Emily Chu (Heart of the Dragon), who portrays the woman who gives the protagonist magical powers. The main draw for most is Chow Yun-Fat (A Better Tomorrow), in the role of the protagonist. No matter what film he’s in, it is always a pleasure to watch him. Yammie Lam's (The Bride with White Hair) portrayal of the protagonist's jealous girlfriend is noteworthy. Dick Wei (Yes, Madam!), who portrays a demon warrior, is woefully underused.

Though Witch from Nepal is a film that takes advantage of resources, like locations not usually seen in Hong Kong films, there are areas where it misses the mark. Its most glaring shortcoming is its pacing, which has many lulls. Areas where Witch from Nepal excels are its ominous score, impressive stunt work, and moments rooted in the supernatural. There are two standout fight sequences: one where corpses rise from the dead and attack, and a showdown between the protagonist and the demon warrior. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Witch from Nepal is a lot of fun.

Vinegar Syndrome gives two supernatural-themed Hong Kong films an excellent release that comes with solid audio/video presentations and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer