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Mr Vampire (1985)

Started by Chedney Honks, February 08, 2021, 09:42:23 PM

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Chedney Honks



I mentioned this in the Recommended Blu-ray Releases thread but I enjoyed it so much I think it deserves its own thread. I understand that it was very somewhat pioneering and very successful comedy-horror and spawned lots of sequels and spin-offs and merchandise and so on, kind of like a Hong Kong Ghostbusters, but even more popular.

It's full of goofy 80s HK humour and it's definitely more of an action comedy than a kung fu flick, but it's just so enjoyably daft and rattles along at such a pace that I think pretty much anyone could enjoy this. I can't wait to get a few mates over, have a couple of tinnies and have a bloody good time watching this.

It's not scary per se, more campy like Hammer or something but there's enough tension in the plotting to generate plenty of fun fight sequences and set pieces and lots of dumb laughs. The Eureka Blu-ray release is excellent, well worth picking up, beautifully restored.

Anyone a fan of this or of the series as a whole? I understand there's a good chance of a boxset of the sequels at some point.

Magnum Valentino

You mentioned Sammo Hung produced it in the other thread, is he in the film much? I'd make the time to watch it for definite if so, I like Sammo.

Chedney Honks

Not at all, no. Just behind the scenes on this one. His humour is ever present, though.

zomgmouse

Got to see a print of this at a film festival a few years back. A howlingly great time.

Chedney Honks

Quote from: zomgmouse on February 08, 2021, 11:09:54 PM
Got to see a print of this at a film festival a few years back. A howlingly great time.

I would really like to watch this with an audience. I might suggest it to our local community cinema when that's an option again.

Glebe

Remember it being on C4 yonks ago but didn't watch it.

Magnum Valentino

Quote from: Chedney Honks on February 09, 2021, 06:57:49 AM
I would really like to watch this with an audience. I might suggest it to our local community cinema when that's an option again.

Wasn't (spam) sort of like this? Why did that ever drop off, does anyone know? I liked the Christmas Eve sessions quite a bit

petercussing

I love this film, though not 2 or 3 so much. I saw it when i was about 18/19 and was in a kung fu phase with a chum at uni who had a tape with this, Close encounters of the spooky kind and Zu Warriors which are all so good, too. The juming vamps cracked me up as i'd seen nothing like it.

I'd recommend Kung Fu Zombie as well as a fun one

Chedney Honks

Quote from: petercussing on February 12, 2021, 06:11:21 PM
I love this film, though not 2 or 3 so much. I saw it when i was about 18/19 and was in a kung fu phase with a chum at uni who had a tape with this, Close encounters of the spooky kind and Zu Warriors which are all so good, too. The juming vamps cracked me up as i'd seen nothing like it.

I'd recommend Kung Fu Zombie as well as a fun one

Zu Warriors is superb, and recommended by ImmaculateClump elsewhere. Proper playful chaos and non-sequiturs, just a visual feast. I've got the Chinese Ghost Story trilogy to watch next, one of my best mate's favourites but I've never really seen it. Ordered it from HK on Blu-ray and very much looking forward to it.

Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind is also another I'm well up for, another Sammo Hung, I understand. Never seen anything with his involvement that I've not loved.

zomgmouse

Can also recommend The Haunted Cop Shop.

petercussing

^^ Yeah that's good, too.

Close encounters is on a par with Zu and Herr Vampire i'd say.

I used to watch loads of these i wish i could remember more but I would smoke stupid amounts of weed with my friends while mucking about during the late teens/early 20s kung fu phase so have extinguished any memories of so many from my mind, sadly (plus is was 20 year ago). I need to get on watching them again.

Chedney Honks

Even better, then! :D

I love watching films I can only half remember from childhood/teens. Weird combination of nostalgia and experiencing it for the first time with both fresh eyes and a lot more context.

I believe there's a boxset of the sequels in the works or at least in the planning stages. Apparently, the prints and licences were available, anyway.