Sammo Hung's Encounter of the Spooky Kind is the template for Mr. Vampire (his production, even if he didn't direct it nor star in it), and has many things in common with that better known flick. It doesn't just have a historical setting, he's also directed it to look like a Shaw Brothers picture - Lau Kar-leung seems a particular inspiration - belying its origins at Golden Harvest. In the story, Sammo plays a guileless bumpkin who gets haunted by various spirits and hopping vampires at the behest of a rival for his wife's attentions. Although, to be fair, he was already getting unwanted attention from ghosts before that, so the movie's not always structurally sound. But it's a fine excuse for weird imagery, furious "possessed" martial arts, and cool lo-fi effects (some of which I couldn't figure out, which is always a plus). Of course, some of the humor is broad - it's a Cantonese comedy - but there's more than enough ghoulish horror and great action for Western audiences to forgive it. What's less forgivable - and so full warning - is the death of a chicken on screen, and how badly the female characters are treated (it's not the focus and usually out of mind, but they're invariably shrewish, leaving a misogynistic taste in one's mouth).
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MMDan
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8hxqq7Siskoid
Sammo Hung's Encounter of the Spooky Kind is the template for Mr. Vampire (his production, even if he didn't direct it nor star in it), and has many things in common with that better known flick. It doesn't just have a historical setting, he's also directed it to look like a Shaw Brothers picture - Lau Kar-leung seems a particular inspiration - belying its origins at Golden Harvest. In the story, Sammo plays a guileless bumpkin who gets haunted by various spirits and hopping vampires at the behest of a rival for his wife's attentions. Although, to be fair, he was already getting unwanted attention from ghosts before that, so the movie's not always structurally sound. But it's a fine excuse for weird imagery, furious "possessed" martial arts, and cool lo-fi effects (some of which I couldn't figure out, which is always a plus). Of course, some of the humor is broad - it's a Cantonese comedy - but there's more than enough ghoulish horror and great action for Western audiences to forgive it. What's less forgivable - and so full warning - is the death of a chicken on screen, and how badly the female characters are treated (it's not the focus and usually out of mind, but they're invariably shrewish, leaving a misogynistic taste in one's mouth).MrE2Me
Just when you think this can't get any more outrageous, along comes that ending!