[Review] Cursed Films finishes strong

This week, Shudder wraps up its horror docu-series Cursed Films by focusing on The Crow and The Twilight Zone: The Movie.

I was ten when The Crow was released. I had it on VHS and I watched it over and over again like some Elsa-obsessed kid rewatching Frozen. I was absolutely fascinated with this episode. It explores the lesser known troubles around the set, like a hurricane and an electrician nearly dying. There’s a fantastic interview with Michael Berryman, who was cast to play the Skull Cowboy, but was cut after Brandon Lee’s tragic on-set death.

On a side note, I can’t believe The Crow property has the Skull Cowboy, a decomposing mentor character, but none of the sequels use him. That just seems like a no-brainer to me that would elevate the sub-par sequels.

As with previous episodes, the interview subjects are a great mix of film experts and people involved in the production. Producer Jeff Most and special make-up effect artist Lance Anderson take you through the story of the making of the movie with a real sense of loss that I found touching.

Of course the episode touches on Bruce Lee’s early death and the myth of the Lee family being cursed. They also go through how the accident occurred with a ballistics expert that left me shaking my head. Brandon Lee lied because one detail was overlooked. Think about any action movie with hundreds of gunshots and explosions quite literally one person missing one detail can be fatal.

The final episode of Cursed Films examines another on-set accident, this one during filming The Twilight Zone: The Movie. Production Designer Richard Sawyer’s story is incredibly powerful. I felt very tense and anxious watching this one, knowing where the story was headed and just hearing and seeing it play out.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Twilight Zone: The Movie, while filming an action scene late one night, veteran actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed by a helicopter crash. Cursed Films includes a far away shot of the accident that is not gruesome but I found myself looking away.

The episode also features legendary stuntman Kane Hodder discussing the nature of stuntwork. He’s always well spoken and offers great insight.

The episode manages to not be entirely bleak even though it covers tragedy, by interviewing indie filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman. Just try not to smile when he’s on screen. Cursed Films juxtaposes the big budget studio mentality of “bigger explosions” with Lloyd Kaufman’s sensible attitudes. There’s footage of him on his sets ensuring people don’t trip over wires and telling people not to run.

Troy’s Takeaway: Cursed Films offers a fascinating behind the scenes look at some really awful aspects of filmmaking, especially concerning some beloved horror movies. The final episode is the hardest to watch. I wouldn’t recommend binging this series. Watch one, recover, watch another. And save The Omen for last because that one’s pure fun.