“Don’t Listen to What Your Seniors Say”: How ‘THE CURSE’ Satires Social Media With Fantastically Gruesome Horror

NFS: Can you tell us a bit about your background in filmmaking?

Kenichi Ugana: My mother loved horror movies, so I grew up watching them every day. I worked as an actor from high school through college, but gradually my desire to make my own films grew.

I started my career as a film director by shooting an independent film. Some of my most notable works include THE GESUIDOUZ, in which a horror-loving frontman tries to make a masterpiece in order to attend Glastonbury Rock Festival before she dies; WE ARE ALIENS, in which six adorable puppet aliens invade Earth; VISITORS - COMPLETE EDITION, in which a worried friend visits a man's house, only to find that her friends turn into demons one by one, and she herself becomes a demon; and EXTRANEOUS MATTER - COMPLETE EDITION, in which black, tentacled creatures suddenly begin to multiply across the Earth.

My style often combines punk and rock with horror and fantasy, and I've been prolific, releasing two to three films a year for the past few years.

This year, in addition to THE CURSE, I've also released I FELL IN LOVE WTH A Z-GRADE DIRECTOR IN BROOKLYN, which won the Best Outstanding Performance Standing Award and the Audience Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival, and INCOMPLETE CHAIRS, which will have its world premiere at the Slash Film Festival.

NFS: What were some of your inspirations for making The Curse?

KU: The situation surrounding social media has become so excessive recently that I had always wanted to depict it. Then, I saw a post by an acquaintance of mine saying, "The social media account of a friend who passed away is still active as if he's still alive," and I thought this would be a good way to start a film.

I also researched how people curse others in Taiwan and the image of ghosts. I found it interesting that the image of ghosts in Taiwan and Japan is slightly different.

NFS: What camera did you shoot on? What went into this decision?

NFS: There are a lot of gruesome deaths in the film. What were some of your favorite effects to create?

KU: It's the scene at the beginning where someone is hit and killed by a car, the car drags the body, and the dog eats it. I have a strong image as a horror film director, but up until now, I've only directed horror comedies, so this is actually my first serious horror film. ...There are a lot of funny parts this time too, haha. Anyway, I really wanted to create a shocking scene at the beginning.

The scene was a lot of fun to shoot, combining various elements such as scary acting and camerawork, puppets, special effects, and the dog's acting. When the dog successfully ate the meat, I couldn't help but high-five the executive producer.

NFS: How do you feel that the horror genre is changing in the age of social media? Is this something filmmakers should study?

KU: I think that young people, not just in horror, are increasingly preferring shorter content and works that are compatible with smartphone aspect ratios. And horror films tend to be more stimulating than other types of content, so I think horror films and social media are a good match.

However, I don't think that filmmaking itself will change drastically. Trends themselves may change, but I'm convinced that the fundamental essence of fear has remained fundamentally the same since ancient times.

NFS: What advice would you give to any aspiring horror filmmakers looking to make their first shorts or features?