During an attack by bandits, thirteen members of the wealthy Shih family are murdered; afterwards, their bodies are thrown down a well (cheaper than a funeral, I suppose). The only survivors of the massacre are Madam Shih (Lai Wang) and her infant son. A couple of decades later Madam Shih is celebrating her 50th birthday when her son suddenly dies, leaving her to raise his two daughters, Yu-lan and Yu-mei. Scoot forward a decade or so, and Madam Shih, Yu-mei (Lily Li) and Yu-lan (Liang Chun Tai) share their home with their in-laws and their children, Ming-Ming (Chic Lau) and her perverted stepbrother Chin-Hua (Fei Ai), who practises hypnotism so that he can get rapey. Also living at the Shih residence are loyal servant Uncle Kuan (Ching-Ho Wang), and a couple of maids.
Things start to get weird when a dead bird falls on Uncle Kuan's head and one of the maids catches fire, but events take a serious turn for the worse after the appearance of a 'bloody frog' (the critter equipped with steel teeth and covered in human blood), an omen of bad fortune. Soon after, a slimy, tentacled monster emerges from the well to rape and kill eldest grand-daughter Yu-mei. Meanwhile, Chin-hua and his mother plot to kill Madam Shih so that they can inherit her fortune. Together with her tutor Hsu (Frankie Chan), Yu-lan investigates the mysterious happenings, descending into the well to discover the truth about her family.
So, lots of characters to keep track of, and a ridiculous plot that culminates with a surprise Scooby Doo-esque finalé, but the film does offer up some wonderfully daft moments that are guaranteed to entertain, with plenty of rubbery creatures, gratuitous female nudity, and unconvincing gore. The first appearance of the tentacled monster is incredibly gloopy, the creature oozing great globs of pink slime over its naked victim before taking a chunk out of her. There's a couple of attacks by bloody frogs (rubbery puppet creatures). Two characters are decapitated. Someone gets their eyes plucked out. And one of the villains is boiled alive!
Curse of Evil perhaps spends a bit too much time on the familial drama when it could be giving us more monster madness, but although it isn't quite as memorably daft as director Chih-Hung Kuei's Bewitched and The Boxer's Omen, or as exploitative as The Bamboo House of Dolls or The Killer Snakes, fans of the director's work will still find this an entertaining watch.
6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
