Curse II: The Bite
Second entry in the Curse tetralogy, a rebranded horror film.
Curse II: The Bite, often shortened to The Bite, is a 1989 horror movie directed by Frederico Prosperi (credited as Fred Goodwin). It was marketed as the second part of the Curse tetralogy, a series that actually bundled together several unrelated films for commercial reasons.
The plot centers on a young couple, Clark (J. Eddie Peck) and Lisa (Jill Schoelen), driving through the Arizona desert. They accidentally cross an old nuclear test site where deadly mutant snakes have been breeding. After their car breaks down, Clark gets bitten. Despite help from Harry Morton (Jamie Farr) and the local sheriff (Bo Svenson), Clark undergoes a horrifying change into a snake-like monster that slowly consumes him. The sheriff and his deputies then hunt the creature to save Lisa and destroy it.
Following the success of *The Curse*, producer Ovidio G. Assonitis and his company TriHoof Investments started work on both *The Bite* and *The Train*. Susan Zealouf wrote the original script, and Prosperi—who had previously produced *The Wild Beasts* (1984), a film heavy on animal effects—was hired to direct. As of 2020, *Curse II: The Bite* remains his only directing credit. Filming took place in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Special effects were handled by the noted artist Screaming Mad George. The project was initially titled *Reptile Man*.
Once completed, American distributors renamed it *Curse II: The Bite* to ride on the popularity of *The Curse*; they had also acquired the rights to *Beyond the Door III*. The movie came out on VHS and Laserdisc in 1989 through Trans World Entertainment. In 2016, it was released on a double-feature Blu-ray alongside *The Curse*.
The film did well on home video, leading to *Curse III: Blood Sacrifice* in 1991, a direct-to-video release starring Jenilee Harrison and Christopher Lee. That movie was originally called *Panga*. Later, when *Catacombs* (1988) hit VHS in 1993, it was rebranded as *Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice*, even though it had no connection to the series. Ovidio G. Assonitis was not involved with either of those later projects.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Frederico Prosperi (as Fred Goodwin)
- Producer
- Ovidio G. Assonitis
- Writer
- Susan Zelouf and Frederico Prosperi
- Starring
- J. Eddie Peck / Jill Schoelen / Jamie Farr / Bo Svenson
- Cinematography
- Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli
- Music
- Carlo Maria Cordio
- Editing
- Claudio M. Cutry
- Studio
- Trans World Entertainment / Towa Entertainment / Viva Entertainment
- Distributor
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Shout! Factory (2016)
- Released
- 27 June 1989
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Country
- United States / Italy / Japan
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After the success of The Curse, producer Ovidio G. Assonitis and his company TriHoof Investments began production on The Bite and The Train. The Bite was originally written by Susan Zealouf, and Frederico Prosperi was hired to direct. Prosperi had previously produced The Wild Beasts in 1984, which had used many animal effects. As of 2020, Curse II: The Bite is his only directorial effort. The movie was filmed in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The special effects were created by noted artist Screaming Mad George. The film was originally to be called Reptile Man.
Reader's Guide
Curse II: The Bite is significant as a product of the late-1980s horror market, where unrelated films were rebranded into series for commercial gain. The film was retitled by American distributors to capitalize on the success of The Curse, despite having no narrative connection. It was released on VHS and Laserdisc in 1989 by Trans World Entertainment, and later on a double-feature Blu-ray with The Curse in 2016. The film was a success on home media, leading to a direct-to-video sequel in 1991, Curse III: Blood Sacrifice, originally titled Panga. A fourth entry, Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice, was a retitling of the 1988 film Catacombs, though Ovidio G. Assonitis was not associated with either later project. The film remains notable for its creature effects by Screaming Mad George and as the sole directorial effort of Frederico Prosperi.
More in Japanese horror films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced