Encounter of the Spooky Kind

Director Sammo Hung wrote and stars in this supernatural martial arts-comedy extravaganza from 1980, a prime example of the so-called Jiangshi cinematic wave – horror films based on Chinese folklore in which reanimated corpses, resembling Western zombies and vampires, are controlled by Taoist priests.

The irrepressible Sammo Hung is Bold Cheung (although in the film he is also referred to as ‘Fat Guts Cheung’) – an extremely courageous villager afraid of nothing though his courage is first tested after a particularly eerie nightmare (the opening sequence) during which he manages to shake off two ghosts. Upon revealing the nightmare to his friends they challenge him to spend the night in a derelict house where he must master one particular task, namely peeling an apple in front of a mirror. If he breaks the apple skin then bad things will happen… or so he is told. However, his friends simply just wish to play a prank on the sympathetic but somewhat naïve and gullible Cheung and pretend to be various ghosts – until out of nowhere a real ghost appears and snatches one of Cheung’s friends away with her extended hand, while the traumatised Cheung himself manages to escape to safety.

Having recovered from his ordeal, Cheung hits a local street market the following day. Delighting in a bowl of tofu pudding, Cheung overhears a conversation from the tofu seller about his wife’s infidelity. With his imagination on overdrive Cheung makes his way home, only to find two ‘Peeping Tom’ guards blocking the door to his own house. The two guards belong to scheming old Master Tam (Wong Ha) who is having an affair with Cheung’s unfaithful wife (Leung Suet-mei) – worse still, Master Tam also happens to be Cheung’s employer! Alarmed by the ruckus outside the front door Master Tam manages to escape through the window, however, upon entering the bedroom where his wife acts like an innocent lamb Cheung discovers a worn-out slipper on the floor, which assuredly isn’t his. Confronting his wife about the find she throws a fit in order to distract from her adultery and Cheung is left with no proof.

Aware that he lost his slipper in Cheung’s bedroom, Master Tam is becoming more and more anxious that his affair with Cheung’s wife will come to light and thus decides to get rid of his rival. This he wants to achieve with the help of priest Chin Hoi (Chan Lung) – a dangerous warlock whose job it is to ensure Tam’s orders are carried out with the aid of black magic. Meanwhile, junior priest Tsui (Chung Fat) is appalled that Master Tam and priest Chin Hoi should abuse the powers of their sect in such a dastardly way and expresses his disapproval – as a result he get’s chucked out of the sect.
Once again our hapless hero Cheung is tricked into spending a night in a deserted temple with various promises should he survive… Suffice to say when witching hour approaches he finds himself confronted with the reanimated corpse of a hideous looking hopping vampire hell-bent on destroying him. This is only the first of several nights during which the tasks demanded of Cheung and the supernatural creatures chasing after him take on ever more outlandish forms. At the same time, warlock Chin tries his best to destroy Cheung with his deadly magic while Tsui tries his best to counteract and protect his new ‘protégé’.

As mayhem and havoc increase, so do the jaw-dropping stunts and the multi-layered storyline, which sees Cheung wrongly arrested for apparently having killed his wife (who isn’t dead but hiding in Master Tam’s abode). The climax is pure action dynamite and proof that Sammo Hung deservedly ranks among the best and most accomplished of all Hong Kong martial arts stars!

This is terrific fun though given the fact that it is a horror themed film it has its fare share of revolting moments too – such as maggots crawling over corpses or Bold Cheung lying next to a rotten cadaver in a coffin riddled with mice and other vermin. Hardcore vegetarians should be warned that the film contains a scene in which a chicken is decapitated and no, the chicken is not a prop. As can be expected from any Sammo Hung film, the stunts are utterly insane while the sets are elaborate and the cinematography is a treat to look at.

ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KIND has its worldwide (2K restored) Blu-ray premiere and the first print run (2000 copies) will feature a Limited Edition O-card slipcase, collector’s booklet and reversible poster. Other bonus material includes te usual trailers, audio commentary, interviews and still gallery. In Cantonese with optional English subtitles.