Curse is a prevalent theme in literature. It is synonymous with a spell or enchantment that brings about misfortune or harm to someone or something. Curses can be found in legends, myths, fairy tales, and even in everyday conversations. They are often used as a plot device to create conflict, tension, and an element of danger in a story. Curses can take various forms and have different effects. Some curses are specific to individuals, while others are intended to affect whole families or even entire communities.
June Horror 2020, Day 25, challenge #23 - something from the Just Die Already list "After a young man is bitten on the hand by a radioactive snake, his hand changes into a lethal snake head" - SOLD! "Also, his body becomes filled with snakes" well now you're just spoiling me! Starring Jill Schoelen from Popcorn? This is gonna be the best movie ever!! Well, it almost got there. This was so close to being a 4 star 80s creature movie for me but man, did it need better editing. A movie about a man with a snake hand should not be so draggy. But when the snake hand is doing its thing, this is awesome as advertised! Jill Schoelen…
And who uses his skills on the CB to rally a bunch of truckers including his bulldog-faced girlfriend Flo to try and find Lisa and Clark after Jamie realizes he misdiagnosed what snake Clark was bitten by and thus gave him the wrong antidote. While perhaps a little dated and rubbery, Screaming Mad George s slimy gory effects are still great and include a wince inducing jaw ripping and an unforgettable climax that sees the hero literally puking up giant snakes.
Some curses are specific to individuals, while others are intended to affect whole families or even entire communities. They can be placed on objects, places, or even abstract concepts. In some cases, curses can be lifted or broken through certain rituals, actions, or the intervention of a powerful figure.
Curse II: The Bite (1989)
Vacations are a funny thing. Depending on the circumstances they can go from awesome to disaster and back again with little warning. For example, when I was a kid in Chicago, my parents threatened each other with divorce while we stayed in some flea bag motel, but then my sister had to ruin all those good vibes when she threw a tantrum at the Field Museum.
Likewise, for Lisa (Jill Schoelen only two years removed from The Stepfather and her greatest success) there are break ups and screaming that mark her cross country holiday with her boyfriend Clark (soap opera legend J. Eddie Peck). Of course those involve Clark mutating into a snake, eating her pet birds, and worst of all, going on a murderous rampage and not killing Jamie Farr’s character.
But like the sweet promise of my parents’ divorce after too many years of them interrupting me watching The Love Boat with their fights, Lisa’s vacation had its good times as well.
How could Lisa not enjoy Clark fingerbanging her in the car with his mutated snake hand? It’s a hand with a forked tongue after all! And that time she was squatting to take a piss by the side of the road and Clark blasted an evil snake who was trying to slither where the sun don’t shine with his trusty rifle was positively romantic!
Somewhat less romantic had to be that time in the motel room when Lisa discovered the panties she left laying around were positively soaked with snake jizz! She was justifiably repulsed and even I have to admit to being a bit grossed out which really says something since I usually don’t mind a pair of soaked panties!
Things turn around for the viewer immediately though when she uses her guitar to smash a snake hiding in her bed. The horror of her plucking on that thing and singing again in the movie was finally ended!
Digital penetration and drenched intimates aside, is there anything else that elevates this above all the other “guys with mutant snake hand” movies? Uh, yeah, everything else!
How about Jamie Farr’s serious turn as traveling salesman Harry who carries around a suitcase full of snake anti-venom? And who uses his skills on the CB to rally a bunch of truckers (including his bulldog-faced girlfriend Flo) to try and find Lisa and Clark after Jamie realizes he misdiagnosed what snake Clark was bitten by and thus gave him the wrong antidote? (Harry is worried about being sued by Clark!)
And then there’s very special guest star Bo Svenson as the Sheriff! Like any sheriff who pointlessly harasses our obviously infected protaganist, Bo only makes matters worse when he isn’t being completely ineffectual!
After arresting Clark on a trumped up drug charge simply because Clark won’t show the Sheriff his magic snake arm, the Sheriff stops off by the side of the road to take a piss. That’s right! This movie features two important urinating scenes! Combined with the soiled undergarments and snake sodomy by Clark of Lisa in their Jeep and this puts much more expensive fetish films to shame!
Proving that no last second piss goes unpunished, the Sheriff’s deputy gets himself killed by the bloodthirsty serpent living where Clark’s arm used to be! Don’t worry though, the Sheriff isn’t competent enough to put a stop to Clark’s slimy spree.
SnakeClark still has plenty of kill left in him and as anyone who’s an expert on mutant animal bites knows, as time passes, what starts out as a couple of wimpy puncture wounds on your hand turns into your head splitting open and giant snakes pouring out of your has-been human flesh!
If there isn’t much in the way of explanation for all of this (a couple of dudes in hazmat suits mess with a snake at a nuclear testing site and a doctor babbles about DNA and genetic makeup), that’s okay because this is more of an episodic road story than anything else.
SnakeClark wanders around aimlessly (much like the plot) until someone helps him, his girlfriend tracks him down, and he attacks the family with his newly empowered fifty foot long snake tongue! He undergoes a finally gooey transformation at a muddy construction site where somehow the Sheriff and Harry all show up at just the right time.
Director Frederico Prosperi (his only time directing, but he also produced his brother Franco’s Wild Beasts!) realizes what a snake movie needs: snakes! There’s an entire road full of snakes that Clark and Lisa have to drive over. Then there’s all the snakes that Clark starts puking out of his transformed mouth at the end of the movie. There’s even plenty of snake POV shots to amp up the snakey suspense! And the special effects are all pre-CGI so there’s lots of appropriately gooey props to marvel at.
Part of what makes the movie work in a “can’t stop rubbernecking at a car wreck” way is that despite the fact the movie is about a guy who has a snake growing out of his arm, no one ever cracks a smile about it once! In fact, Lisa doesn’t even seem that concerned when Clark starts sweating, holding his gauzed up hand protectively and generally acting like a guy who is in the middle of a horrible mutation. She just wants to prance around in a leather mini-skirt and dance with other dudes in a cowboy bar!
Normally, you might complain that such behavior is unrealistic and that she’s just acting like that to generate a confrontation between Clark and some redneck, but Lisa was probably just trying to put the best face on a vacation where she was violated by a radioactive snake. And who can really blame her? But next time? Probably a staycation.
The concept of a curse is deeply ingrained in human culture and can be traced back to ancient times. In ancient Greek literature, curses were often depicted as the result of the wrath of the gods or goddesses. These curses would bring about great suffering and tragedy to those who incurred the anger of the divine. Similarly, in ancient Egyptian mythology, curses were believed to have both magical and spiritual powers, and they were often used as a form of punishment or revenge. In modern literature, curses continue to play a significant role. They are often used as a means to drive the plot and create suspense. For example, in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, the main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, places a curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position, resulting in a constant turnover of professors and adding an air of mystery and danger to the school year. In conclusion, curses are a common theme in literature, serving various purposes depending on the story. They can create tension, symbolize punishment or revenge, and drive the plot forward. Whether used in ancient myths or modern fantasy novels, curses continue to captivate readers and add an additional layer of intrigue to the narrative..
Reviews for "Introducing the Cursee ii the Bire: An Unusual Pet or Familiar?"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Cursee ii the bire" based on all the hype surrounding it, but I was sorely disappointed. The storyline was confusing and the characters were poorly developed. The writing style was also difficult to follow, with too many unnecessary descriptions and an overuse of metaphors. Overall, I found the plot to be unengaging and the book failed to live up to the high expectations I had.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I don't understand all the praise for "Cursee ii the bire". I found it to be incredibly boring and slow-paced. The author tried to create a mysterious atmosphere, but it just ended up being confusing and frustrating. The plot twists were predictable, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. I struggled to connect with any of the characters and their motivations felt shallow. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.
3. Tom - 2 stars - I was expecting "Cursee ii the bire" to be a thrilling fantasy novel, but it fell flat for me. The world-building was weak and lacked depth, leaving me wanting more explanation and context. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to believe in the interactions between the characters. Additionally, the pacing was off, with certain scenes dragging on for too long while important moments were rushed through. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and would not read anything else from this author.