Director: Dante Lam
Cast: Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi, Ekin Cheng, Josie Ho Chiu-Yee, Jackie Chan, Edison Chen Koon-Hei, Mickey Hardt, Karen Mok Man-Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To Man-Chat, Bey Logan, Spencer Lam
Running Time: 107 min.
By Henry McKeand
Vampires and Kung Fu films have a long, if troubled, history. From 1974’s Shaw Brothers/Hammer Horror co-production Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires to wacky 80s fare such as Encounters of the Spooky Kind and Mr. Vampire, the late-20th century found Sammo Hung and other action experts infusing martial arts stories with hordes of undead bloodsuckers. More specifically, these filmmakers drew upon the rich mythology of the jiangshi, or the Chinese hopping vampire.
Practically, the most obvious difference between jiangshi and their Western counterparts is their tendency to move by leaping into the air with outstretched arms. In addition to the fight choreography potential, jiangshi films often use this hopping motion as a form of comic relief. While jiangshi are not inherently funny (and they can be frightening), these landmark films laid out a clear blueprint for success by blending horror and comedy elements.
While Hong Kong cinema was developing this new horror-comedy subgenre, Western fiction was learning to take vampires seriously for the first time in decades. Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and a post-70s wave of sexy, stylized vampire Continue reading
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