The curse of Dabora Ligan is a legendary tale that has been passed down through generations in a small village located in the remote mountains of Eastern Europe. According to the villagers, Dabora Ligan was a powerful witch who lived in their midst centuries ago. Dabora Ligan was known for her dark magic and witchcraft. She was feared and revered by the villagers, who believed she had the ability to control the elements and bring forth both good and evil. It was said that she could conjure powerful storms, heal the sick, and even cause terrible misfortune to those who crossed her. Legend has it that Dabora Ligan was betrayed by a jealous villager who coveted her powers.
2. The number two reason I was almost put off by this movie, and you might be too, is that the flick tends to exploit the disease of Alzheimer’s.
Do you have anyone you love suffering from the disease? Have you ever?
If you do/have or you are just plain sensitive to the real life painful plights of suffers you might have a hard time letting this flick play its horror game. The effects of the disease ARE terrifying and make for some truly scary images but this is NOT a documentary on Alzheimer’s. It is a horror movie and as such should feel a little bad for some of its shots that linger on real life suffers and play it out as creepy horror.
Am I being too sensitive here? Maybe. But I do not know of anyone with the disease and it still struck me as uncouth, so that says something, right there, I think.
Now that doesn t automatically put me down for the count, but holy shit, this film perpetrates all the sins of the found footage movie, including what has got to be the worst shaky cam I have ever seen. Yep, you got it right, the filmmakers must have seen Shutter Island like we all did and when this here lady and her ONE SHOT popped up they must have shit their pants like we all did and then said to each other Hey, we should make a whole movie about that one chick which we all thought.
Legend has it that Dabora Ligan was betrayed by a jealous villager who coveted her powers. This villager sought to undermine her and steal her magical abilities for himself. In an act of revenge, Dabora Ligan placed a curse upon the village, proclaiming that misfortune and tragedy would befall its inhabitants for generations to come.
The curse of dabora ligan
Director: Adam Robitel
Writers: Gavin Heffernan, Adam Robitel
Stars: Jill Larson, Anne Ramsay, Michelle Ang
PLOT:
A documentary crew making a film about Alzheimer’s patients uncovers something sinister while documenting a woman who suffers from the disease.
REVIEW:
I have been conducting a search party across the internets here in the last few weeks in an effort to find any and all hidden gems I can. I have many of my own that I keep in a special library and will be slowly rolling out for you guys here at Fright Flicks but I WANT SOME FOR MYSELF, DAMMIT. It is the curse of the eternal horror film recommender, we tell you guys all about the wonderfully frightening flicks you are missing but we ourselves find it more and more difficult to find the little wonders on the world to blow us away.
This is not a prelude to this review, in that (SPOILER ALERT) this flick isn't some great, amazing find. This is more of a little backstory on how I can across this evil little nightmare movie I will talk about in depth below.
The backstory is that I happened to be recommended this flick in passing on a horror flick website and something about it caught my attention. Maybe it was the poster, which claimed to be from the producer of X-MEN and the close-to-perfection TRICK R' TREAT, or maybe it was just the fact that the flick was about a scary old woman - and to my natural horror sense, old woman are scary - so that must mean good times right?
Maybe. Later on that below.
I also was intrigued by the film's synopsis which talked about a group of researchers delving into a case of Alzheimer’s which might not be what it seems. I love flicks that play games like this as most tend to tell you straight out "this is about possession", "this is about ghost/ monsters/ bigfoot/ witches/ etc" but a flick that boasts a mystery in its plot synopsis is all good to me.
So is Deborah Logan going crazy? Is she possessed? Are evil beings out to slowly steal her soul? Or is she just suffering from a truly destructive disease of the mind? You'll have to watch to find out.
First and foremost I would like to point out two things that almost made me turn away from this flick and might make you think twice about venturing into its clutches too;
1. This flick is found footage.
Now that doesn't automatically put me down for the count, but holy shit, this film perpetrates all the sins of the found footage movie, including what has got to be the worst shaky cam I have ever seen. On top of that the film's script plays all the horror beats and clichés straight down the middle. All I kept wondering was "if you are going to throw an obviously plotted screenplay at us why bother to go the whole found footage route?”
The key interest in this subgenre is being able to let yourself be tricked by the filmmakers into believing this is actual footage that has been found. i.e., real. This is forever ruined by flicks that boast a way too slick for their own good script (like this one) as you are constantly aware you are watching a movie. Even if you try (and I do, I really, really do) to play the "I believe this one is real life footage" game.
This flick could have been a minor classic if it weren't for the found footage angle. In this flick it doesn't work and didn't interest me. Oh well.
2. The number two reason I was almost put off by this movie, and you might be too, is that the flick tends to exploit the disease of Alzheimer’s.
Do you have anyone you love suffering from the disease? Have you ever?
If you do/have or you are just plain sensitive to the real life painful plights of suffers you might have a hard time letting this flick play its horror game. The effects of the disease ARE terrifying and make for some truly scary images but this is NOT a documentary on Alzheimer’s. It is a horror movie and as such should feel a little bad for some of its shots that linger on real life suffers and play it out as creepy horror.
Am I being too sensitive here? Maybe. But I do not know of anyone with the disease and it still struck me as uncouth, so that says something, right there, I think.
Anyways on to the actual review of the flick, what do you say? Let's do this. Here, take a look at this image:
Scary as Satan, right? Well this is the flick's led actress. Yep, you got it right, the filmmakers must have seen Shutter Island (like we all did) and when this here lady and her ONE SHOT popped up they must have shit their pants (like we all did) and then said to each other "Hey, we should make a whole movie about that one chick" (which we all thought). And that, in and of itself, is a great horror movie idea as the creepy lady is one of the most famously unsettling images from the last decade in horror movies.
SO do you feel like watching a fairly pretty, almost regal beauty of an older woman, progress into THAT woman and worse? Then "The Taking. " might just be the fright flick for you.
(BTW: This flick is not literally about that character from Shutter Island. This flick takes place in modern day. I don't know if I had to point that out or not but there it is pointed out)
So with an intriguing premise and a creeptastic lead character going for it - and a found footage fuckfest going against it - where does "The Taking. " end up? Good? Bad? Ugly?
Yes, ugly. Defiantly, Christ almighty yes, ugly.
But if you can overlook the script's clichés, flaws, obvious pacing issues and if you can handle some badly executed found footage there is quite a lot to lose sleep over in "The Taking" as it is what I might call one of the scarier movies I have seen in quite some time. This flick feels dangerous in a way that I haven't felt since The Exorcist. That is not meant to feel like such high praise but it did need to be said. Horror and fear is subjective and so you might only find this flick silly but there are parts in here that feel genuinely evil and made me creeped out big time.
Add to that the flick played all my personal fears upfront and in mass amount with freaky old people (yes, they can be really freaky especially when presented like this), snakes (they are literally fucking everywhere in this flick), claustrophobia (the film's ending takes place in a tight setting. ) and a general unease with disease and mental disorders (again, check, check). Take all those ingredients. Throw them together and you have the recipe for “Scare Mike Shitless Salad! (Salad is a stupid name here. Salad is not scary. Salad is the opposite actually. Scare Mike Shitless Stew? Better but still not great.)
So as the end credits rolled (and I saw that BRYAN SINGER was the producer they mentioned on the poster. Surprised me!) I have to say that, while a massively flawed flick, “The Taking..” was still a rather frightening trip for this here reviewer and had some moments that were worth your time
including .
THE
SCARIEST
NIGHTMARE
IMAGE
I
HAVE
EVER
SEEN
IN
A
MOVIE!
I am totally serious here. If nothing else this movie sports an image of pure, complete, and total terror the likes I have not seen outside of my worst nightmares. It takes place right near the climax of the film. Our two heroes make the last turn around a large rock they stumble upon .
I think I need to go pray.
RATING:2.5 OUT OF 4
Since that day, the curse of Dabora Ligan has plagued the village. The villagers have experienced numerous tragedies and hardships, including devastating natural disasters, epidemics, and even mysterious deaths. They believe that these misfortunes are a direct result of the curse placed upon them by Dabora Ligan. Over the years, attempts have been made to break the curse. Many have sought out powerful witches and sorcerers to counteract the curse's effects, but all efforts have been in vain. The curse continues to haunt the villagers, reminding them of the power of Dabora Ligan and the consequences of betraying those with supernatural abilities. Despite the hardships they face, the villagers have learned to live with the curse. They have developed a resilience and strength that has allowed them to persevere through the darkest of times. They believe that one day, the curse will be lifted, and the village will be free from its torment. The curse of Dabora Ligan serves as a cautionary tale for those who seek to exploit or harm those with supernatural powers. It is a reminder that magic, although alluring and powerful, should be handled with respect and reverence. The curse also highlights the enduring strength of the human spirit and the ability to overcome even the most formidable challenges..
Reviews for "Dabora Ligan's Curse: A Spooky Story or Something More?"
1. Jane123 - 2 stars
I found "The Curse of Dabora Ligan" to be a disappointing read. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, with too many twists and turns that didn't seem to serve any purpose. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style felt forced and unnatural, making it hard for me to stay engaged. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied with this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. BookLover91 - 2.5 stars
"The Curse of Dabora Ligan" had an intriguing premise, but it failed to deliver on its promising potential. The pacing of the story was inconsistent, with slow-moving sections that dragged on for too long and rushed, confusing action scenes. The world-building was minimal, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. Furthermore, the dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic, detracting from the overall reading experience. While the book had its moments, it ultimately fell short of my expectations.
3. DisappointedReader12 - 1 star
I regret picking up "The Curse of Dabora Ligan." The writing was amateurish, filled with cliches and predictable plot twists. The characters were one-dimensional, and their actions felt contrived and unrealistic. The story lacked depth and failed to capture my interest from the start. The numerous grammatical errors and awkward sentence structure were distracting and made it even harder to enjoy this book. I would not recommend wasting your time on this poorly executed piece of literature.