"The Curse of the Blue Figurine" There was an ancient legend that spoke of a mysterious curse associated with a small blue figurine. The figurine was said to possess great power and bring misfortune to anyone who possessed it. According to the legend, the curse was the result of a powerful sorcerer who had been betrayed by his closest friend. In his anger and despair, the sorcerer crafted the blue figurine and imbued it with his dark magic. Anyone who touched the figurine would be subject to the sorcerer's curse. Over the years, the figurine passed from hand to hand, leaving a trail of tragedy and suffering in its wake.
Into this death chamber steps Maggie (Michelle Wai Sze-nga), a former teen idol who is desperate to make her acting comeback. Ho happens to catch her in a particularly feisty mood during a late-night meeting and Hui, working with a simple yet effective story, keeps the tension high until the hair-raising end.
Wong keeps us guessing as to how the psychological thriller will turn out and flirts with stereotypes that associate sexual subcultures with murderous impulses. His crime thriller A Witness Out of the Blue screened at various film festivals worldwide and was nominated for six Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.
Over the years, the figurine passed from hand to hand, leaving a trail of tragedy and suffering in its wake. It was said that those who encountered the figurine would experience a string of unexplained accidents, strange illness, and even death. The curse seemed to target not only the possessor of the figurine but also their loved ones.
‘Tales From The Occult’: Udine Review
Newcomer Wesley Ip Sang-hoi joins veteran filmmakers Fruit Chan and Fung Chi-chiang for the first instalment of Media Asia’s new Hongkong omnibus series, Tales From The Occult. Bringing together three distinct modern takes on the classic ghost story, Tales From The Occult is spooky rather than scary and even occasionally funny as each of the filmmakers use well-oiled horror tropes in a nod to the spectre of the territory’s past whilst also providing 111 minutes of quality genre entertainment.
111 minutes of quality genre entertainment
Narratively efficient due to the short run-times of each individual film, all three ghost stories move along at a cracking pace – there is no time for tiresome false jump scares, or characters who don’t believe their friends are being haunted; all three shorts simply cut to the chase. And though each short film is distinct, there is tonal continuity in Henry Lai’s consistently creepy scores. A polished package, with a big enough name in Fruit Chan, Tales From The Occult should have no trouble finding its audience both at genre festivals and beyond – this would be a perfect Hallowe’en offering for cinemas or a streaming service.
The first short, The Chink, is Ip’s directing debut. It begins with two teenage girls hanging out after school. After they part ways, and on her walk home alone, Yoyi (Cherry Ngan) follows a cat up to the titular chink between two walls. But when she pulls an obscuring object away for a closer look she finds instead the cold, hard stare of a dead, rotting corpse. Editor Mathew Tang, who is also a producer on the project, cuts abruptly to the present day where the two girls, now women, are unpacking in Yoyi’s new apartment. As the story goes on, it becomes clear that the cut represents the callousness with which Yoyi has forgotten her past trauma, revisiting it now as, “The feeling’s been creeping back.”
Crafted entirely around that creeping tone, The Chink is all billowing curtains and growling, rumbling sound design. Her sensible Uncle Ronald (Lawrence Cheng), a psychiatrist, uses relaxation techniques to help Yoyi through her trauma, which he assumes to be imagined and not real. Ultimately, though, the surprise ending, which takes place in session, suggests some ghosts have greater impact than modern methods can manage.
In Fruit Chan’s Dead Mall, real estate, consumerism, pandemic panic and online influencers all come under attack. The aesthetic is claustrophobic, beginning with close ups of a crowd at a busy street crossing, wearing masks, mostly surgical style until Benny Chan’s slow motion focuses on gas masks, signalling something even more serious than the current Covid-19 pandemic. Moving indoors and with a smaller resolution handheld camera, Dead Mall is an assault of bright lighting, point of sale signage and eerily empty shopfronts. Our host is Wilson Yeung (Jerry Lamb), an online influencer for a channel called ‘The Gate To Wealth’. He is staging a video to encourage investment in the mall, working with its managers and a crew of paid actors. But things take a turn for the worse when a female figure wearing a gas mask starts stalking him and another influencer turns up to film in the mall.
Finally, Fung Chi-chiang’s The Tenement, which blends comedy with horror, is both the most classic and revisionist of the three ghost stories. In a half-empty, dank and crumbling apartment building, occupied only by five strange and stubborn tenants who won’t sell to developers, a water ghost appears. They all see it, and immediately form a 1980s-style ‘kids on a caper’ gang (think The Goonies, or Stranger Things, but with a strong sense of irony). The water ghost first appears as a shadow on the wall, with long, sharp talons and a hunchback. Later, in close-up, it appears to be a woman whose face is painted ghostly white, her fixed stare and dark cloak a genre giveaway that she has come specifically for one of the five individuals. Who then, can anyone trust? Literally drudging up the past, flooding the stairs and apartments with water, this initially appears to be your garden variety ghost. But, when a journalist turns up, investigating one of the tenants, the whole thing is turned on its head, giving the overall project a killer ending.
The films are ordered according to their seriousness, lightening a little in tone each time, but always anchored by Henry Lai’s creepy score. For a first instalment, Tales From The Occult promises old school horror with a contemporary twist, its light-touch satire a welcome addition to classic supernatural fare. The next instalment, the currently undated Tales From The Occult 2, has Frank Hui, Doris Wong and Daniel Chan attached.
Production companies: Media Asia Film, Movie Addict Productions
International sales: Media Asia Film, [email protected]
Producers: John Chong, Mathew Tang
Screenplay: Fruit Chan, Fung Chi-chiang, Wesley Ip Sang-hoi, Ling Wai-chung, Ho Sui-hong, Stanley Wong
Cinematography: Benny Chan (Dead Mall), Ming Wong (The Tenement), Kwan Pun-leung, Sunny Wong (The Chink)
Editing: Tin Sup-fat, To To, Mathew Tang
Production design: Delon Sui, Chet Chan, Pater Wong
Music: Henry Lai
Main cast: Jerry Lamb, Cecilia So, Richie Ren, Sofiee Ng, Peter Chan, Paul Che, Baby Bo, Cherry Ngan, Ng Wing-sze, Kelvin Kwan, Lawrence Cheng
Tales From the Occult - The Tenement ’s Director
Many had sought the figurine, believing they could harness its power for their own gain. But such attempts always ended in disaster. The curse seemed relentless, striking fear into the hearts of all who knew of its existence. Desperate to break the curse, some tried to destroy the figurine. They burned it, buried it, and even threw it into the depths of the sea. But no matter how hard they tried, the figurine always reappeared. Rumors spread that there was only one way to break the curse. The cursed one had to find the sorcerer's tomb and return the figurine to its resting place. Only then would the curse be lifted, and the power of the blue figurine rendered null. Many bravely ventured on a quest to find the sorcerer's tomb, hoping to bring an end to the curse once and for all. But the journey was treacherous, filled with traps and obstacles beyond imagination. Some never returned, lost forever in their pursuit of freedom from the curse. The curse of the blue figurine became a cautionary tale, passed down through generations to warn against the dangers of seeking power without considering the consequences. It stood as a reminder that true power should be earned through integrity and compassion, rather than obtained through dark and forbidden means. Though the curse of the blue figurine remained a mystery, its legacy lived on, reminding those who heard the tale of the importance of making choices wisely. And so, the cursed figurine continued to be hidden away, waiting for the day when someone brave enough would break the curse and restore balance to the world..
Reviews for "The Blue Figurine Curse: A Demonstration of the Dark Arts"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - The Curse of the Blue Figurine was a huge disappointment for me. The plot seemed promising, with a cursed artifact and a teenage protagonist, but it fell flat in execution. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked development, making it difficult to feel invested in their journey. The pacing was also off, with the story dragging in some parts and rushing through others. Overall, I found this book to be lackluster and would not recommend it.
2. Alex - 1/5 stars - I regret picking up The Curse of the Blue Figurine. The writing was juvenile, and the dialogue was unrealistic. The main character, Johnny Dixon, came across as annoying and melodramatic, making it hard to root for him. The plot felt predictable and lacked any real suspense. I was expecting a thrilling mystery, but instead, I got a boring and predictable story. I wouldn't waste my time on this book if I were you.
3. John - 2/5 stars - The Curse of the Blue Figurine had potential, but it failed to live up to it. The concept of a cursed artifact and ancient magic was intriguing, but the execution fell short. The writing felt forced and lacked depth, making it difficult to engage with the story. The pacing was inconsistent, with boring stretches in between brief moments of excitement. The ending was also disappointing and felt rushed. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you have a very high tolerance for average storytelling.
4. Emma - 2/5 stars - The Curse of the Blue Figurine left me underwhelmed. The characters lacked depth and felt like caricatures, making it hard to care about their fates. The plot had potential, but it became predictable and fell into common tropes. The pacing was sluggish, with excessive exposition and unnecessary details, slowing down the story. Overall, this book was forgettable, and there are much better options if you're looking for a captivating mystery or adventure.