La maldición de Cathy

Hokey supernatural thriller about the possession of an innocent little girl by the spirit of a mean-spirited little girl who died in a car crash, and who would've grown up to be the first girl's aunt. The possessed girl now seems to have powers that equal those of the Antichrist in the "Omen" films, although how she got them is never explained, and we also never understand what exactly she is trying to accomplish with her random killings (she even kills the dog!). The film is totally unbelievable and ineptly edited, but there is the occasional effective moment (the scene with the spiders may give you the willies). (*1/2)

Cauchemars (nightmares in french, no "e" in word) was made using the tax credits afforded by Quebec and Canada governments; even if in co-production with France, it was made in English, in Westmount (rich English section in Montreal) with a ridiculous budget(The production co. doesn't exist anymore). Acting is really bad (but I suppose acting direction was also!). This is a bad "b" movie. Only for collectors of such genre (90% of action evolves in or around the house!). French actor Hubert Noel, who played the role of the doctor, dubbed the voice of Prentiss Hancock in the french (Quebec) version of Space:1999. You can find this movie in DVD collections (like 20 movies on 10 double-sided discs). Won't make history...

Even though this film is cheesey and uber-low budget, it's not too bad. Although many of the scenes are more than shades of The Exorcist, Omen, Carrie, and The Fury, there are some unique moments that gave me the shivers (such as the snake-and-rats scene and when Cathy appears and disappears before her mother on the steps). The low-budget, grainy film quality and super cheesey "score" are at the same time distracting and effective, and although the gore quotient is modest, it's gross fun when you get it. The editing and story are a little loose and sloppy at times, but not so much that you want to give up on the film. Sometimes, these weaknesses create an (I'm guessing) unintentional ambiguity that adds to the spooky fun.

In my world, haunted kids and (even more so) freaky-looking dolls are always the makings of a good horror film. This film has both in spades. I found it on Brentwood's "Possesion" 4-movie DVD set, which is a steal at $8. Don't expect winning performances or slick effects, but check it out if you want some good B horror movie fun.

I'm not sure what the goal was with Cathy's Curse. It's a mix up for The Exorcist, The Bad Seed, and about a million other evil kid movies. The wintery atmosphere is a nice touch and, for a bit, one could be fooled into thinking this might end up being some lost 70's classic. Nope.

Cathy's Curse manages to get everything wrong from the hammy acting to the not-so-special effects to Cathy's "curses" that she hurls at people. "Cow" can't quite compare to some of the insults Regan threw at people in The Exorcist.

Don't let me confuse you - Cathy's Curse also has a lot to recommend. It's rarely boring and with such a short run time, I could think of worse ways to kill some time.

Low budget Canadian knock-off of superior major releases such as "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" is nonetheless fairly pleasing on a "so bad it's good" level. It begins in the 1930s, as a man (Peter MacNeill, "Crash", "A History of Violence") and his young daughter perish in a car accident. 40 years later, the girls' now grown-up brother George (Alan Scarfe, "Double Impact", 'Seven Days') moves into the old family home with his wife Vivian (Beverly Murray, "Street Smart", "The Carpenter") and their kid, Cathy (Randi Allen). Soon, the kid is behaving strangely, the wife is coming unglued, and various bizarre & macabre things are happening.

"Cathy's Curse" is NOT without entertainment value: it's slipshod - and hysterically scripted - enough to make it pretty amusing in spite of itself. The acting is pretty bad from just about everybody, but that doesn't mean that it isn't enjoyable. The pretty Murray is the worst offender; she seems incapable of delivering a good performance if her life depended on it. Young Allen is a hoot, especially as the story progresses and the movie gets more and more priceless.

Special effects and gore are kept to a minimum, with French-born co-writer & director Eddy Matalon ("Breakout", "Sweet Killing") struggling in vain to give his movie some semblance of gravitas and atmosphere. But ultimately, "Cathy's Curse" is entertaining because of it being so laughable. It's hard to say whether this was intended; the actors, as underwhelming as they are; do largely play the material straight. Roy Witham ("Agency"), as old caretaker Paul, is amusing, as is Mary Morter ("The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane") as the medium. Best of all is when the dialogue suddenly turns vulgar, and the kid is hurling insults at her elders.

A must if you're eager to delve into the cheesier side of Canuxploitation, but don't go in expecting anything resembling a good film.

Filmed in Quebec.

Five out of 10.