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One of the all-time foundational fixtures in horror is the vampire. That means over a century’s worth of bloodsuckers in film, in various styles and mythology, from across the globe.

As prominent as this movie monster is, with dozens of adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula alone, there’s an overwhelming selection of vampire fare that makes it easy for many worthwhile gems to fall through the cracks. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to underseen vampire horror movies worth seeking out.

As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Mr. Vampire – The Criterion Channel – Plex, the Roku Channel

This supernatural genre-bender from director Ricky Lau stands far apart from standard vampire fare thanks to its comedy, martial arts, and jiangshi. Taoist priest Master Kau (Lam Ching-ying) guards the realm of the living by maintaining control...

Few American filmmakers of the last 40 years await a major rediscovery like Hal Hartley, whose traces in modern movies are either too-minor or entirely unknown. Thus it’s cause for celebration that the Criterion Channel are soon launching a major retrospective: 13 features (which constitutes all but My America) and 17 shorts, a sui generis style and persistent vision running across 30 years. Expect your Halloween party to be aswim in Henry Fool costumes.

Speaking of: there’s a one-month headstart on seasonal programming with the 13-film “High School Horror”––most notable perhaps being a streaming premiere for the uncut version of Suspiria, plus the rare opportunity to see a Robert Rodriguez movie on the Criterion Channel––and a retrospective of Hong Kong vampire movies. A retrospective of ’70s car movies offer chills and thrills of a different sort

Six films by Allan Dwan and 12 “gaslight noirs” round out the main September series; The Eight Mountains,...

Though I’m sure there are only approximately 2 people reading this who haven’t seen the original Mr Vampire, we have to set some context before we delve into Eureka’s two disc set of its sequels.

1985’s Mr Vampire (also on Blu-ray from Eureka) stars Lam Ching-Ying as a Taoist priest who, along with his students (Ricky Hui and Chin Siu-ho) has to fight off supernatural threats like a ghost that wants to seduce one of the students and the undead grandfather of Ting-Ting (Moon Lee), who they were supposed to rebury, but allowed to turn and escape. It’s great fun, narratively nonsense a lot of the time, but also somewhat rooted in real traditions and Chinese culture (the unique hopping vampires). For my money it earns its reputation as a classic, which brings us to this set.

The Films

Mr Vampire II

This film has almost nothing to do with Mr Vampire.

"If you meet a vampire, don't breathe." This is the sage advice that Master Kau, the Taoist priest played by Lam Ching-ying, gives to his bumbling apprentices, Man-choi (Ricky Hui) and Chau-sang (Chin Siu-ho), in the 1985 Hong Kong action comedy "Mr. Vampire."

Forget everything you know about bloodsuckers; the undead specimens in "Mr. Vampire" are breath-suckers. They have a very deliberate way of hopping with their arms stretched out in front of them, legs also stiff and straight from rigor mortis. In Chinese, these zombie-like revenants are known as the jiangshi; in Japanese, it's kyonshi, while in English, they're sometimes referred to as "Chinese hopping vampires."

Stirred up by the disinterment of a parent who was buried with bad feng shui, the jiangshi of "Mr. Vampire" are a comedic answer to the unsettled ghosts of subsequent Asian horror films like "Ringu" and "The Eye." They're the reanimated corpses of people...

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with an assessment of Sammo Hung’s groundbreaking Hong Kong hit wherein comedy, horror and martial arts elements are brought together in a wholly successful way. This show has it all: kung fu action, duelling mystics, hopping vampires, hungry zombies, haunted mirrors and a sympathetic everyman whose danger-fraught narrative trajectory is littered with moments that are genuinely funny. Excellent production values complete this near perfect picture.

Encounter of the Spooky Kind

Region B Blu-ray

Eureka Entertainment

1980 / Color / 2.35 / 103 min. / Encounters of the Spooky Kind, Spooky Encounters, Gui da Gui / Street Date, 21 June 2021 / £17.99

Starring: Sammo Hung, Fat Chung, Lung Chan, Huang Ha, Suet-Mei Leung, Ching-Ying Lam, Biao Yuen.

Cinematography: Yu-Tang Li

Film Editor: Peter Cheung

Written by Sammo Hung, Ying Wong

Produced by Raymond Chow

Directed by Sammo Hung

“Fat Guts” Cheung (Sammo Hung) is a rickshaw driver in rural China. The “Fat Guts” moniker came about...

In the fifteenth episode of Amp, Panos Kotzathanasis, Adriana Rosati and Don Aneli discuss Ricky Lau’s Mr. Vampire

Combining horror, comedy and martial artsCombining cartoonish action with brutalityThe scene with the coffee, the “prostitute” one, the despicability of the officers and the cunningness of the merchantsThe prison sceneThe role of the femme fatale – her musical introduction and the fight in the finaleMaster Cou’s character and Lan Ching-ying performanceThe success of the film and the franchise that spawned...

Ricky Lau will forever be known as the director who started the popular Hong Kong hopping jiangshi (stiff corpse) horror comedy movie series of the late 1980s starting with his “Mr. Vampire” which spawned a few sequels and numerous parodies. Consequently, he also turned leading man Lam Ching Ying who plays the Taoist exorcist into a household name. Fast forward to 2021, he’s back with his Mainland version of the same Qing Dynasty robe wearing; outstretched arms jumping undead but with a difference so he can get pass the strict Chinese censorship which doesn’t allow screen portrayal of vampires, ghosts or any feudalistic ideology.

To get around this, Lau replaces his hopping corpses with a group of opium smuggling bandits who wear fake teeth, fake long finger nails and to help them hop, they now have springs under their shoes. Furthermore, they only appear briefly at the beginning of...

“Winners and Sinners” inaugurated a series of movies that eventually reached number seven, although, starting with number four it strayed away from the original trilogy. Featuring a rather entertaining combination of martial arts and comedy, with the latter being the main focus, the film was a big success commercially, also winning a Hong Kong Film award for Best action choreography, for the work by Sammo Hung, Lam Ching-ying and Yuen Biao, who also stars in the film. The latter has a small part, while Jackie Chan also appears, although in a secondary role.

The story revolves around five men, who, as the movie begins, and in hilarious fashion, end up getting arrested due to a number of failed attempts at various crimes. Teapot, who is constantly bullied despite being the strongest among them, Exhaust Pipe, who reads books on how to get supernatural powers, Vaseline, who cannot...

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with an assessment of Ricky Lau’s Hong Kong comedy horror show-cum-mystical martial arts romp. Introduced to the vampire mythos are some novel ideas, like scary-looking vampires that get around by hopping on two legs. Effective horror scenarios include expertly choreographed martial arts routines. However, the score on the genre mash-up front is “two out of three ain’t bad:” the brand of broad comedy that Mr. Vampire peddles is hit and miss when it comes to generating genuine laughs.

Mr. Vampire

CineSavant Guest Review

Region B Blu-ray

Eureka Entertainment

1985 / Color / 1.85 / 96 min. / Geung see sin sang / Street Date, 20 July 2020 / £19.99

Starring: Ching-Ying Lam, Ricky Hui, Siu-Ho Chin, Moon Lee, Billy Lau, Ha Huang, Wah Yuen, Siu-Fu Wong, Anthony Chan.

Cinematography: Peter Ngor

Film Editor: Peter Cheung

Production Designer: Sai Kan Lam

Original Music: Melody Bank

Written by Ricky Lau, Cheuk-Hon Szeto, Barry Wong & Ying Wong

Produced...

Produced by Sammo Hung, Ricky Lau’s debut film was an immediate box office hit that led to the formation of a huge franchise including four sequels, a plethora of remakes, a theatrical play, a video game and even a board game. The film was also very successful in Taiwan and Japan and established many of the genre’s distinct characteristics.

Master Kou is a Taoist priest who specializes in ghost busting. He has two disciples, Man Choi and Chau Sang. When asked to rebury a rich man, Yam, he eventually discovers that he is a vampire and, subsequently, Man Choi is infected by the vampire virus. Furthermore, Chau Sang is haunted by a female ghost who “forces” him to pleasure her sexually. Master Kou must exorcise the ghost while facing the vampires.

Chinese vampire legends have nothing to do with their Eastern counterparts, and this film clearly demonstrates that fact,...

Eureka Entertainment has announced their July 2020 line up today: a trio of classic 1930s horror films starring the iconic Bela Lugosi; and a new 2K restoration of an influential and genre bending horror-comedy. The latter, Ricky Lau’s 1985 chit “Mr. Vampire,” is one of the most genre-defining horror-comedies imaginable. Since its original release, this sensational Hong Kong blockbuster hit spawned at least four sequels and countless spin-offs and imitations of jiang-shi (“hopping vampire”) movies. Limited edition O-Card and Booklet details for “Mr. Vampire” are available below.

Synopsis

One of the most genre-defining (not to mention genre-defying!) horror-comedies imaginable, and one of the key Hong Kong blockbuster hits of the 1980s, the popularity and influence of Mr. Vampirecannot be overstated. Spawning at least four sequels and countless spin-offs and imitations, this Hong Kong horror-comedy to end them all was an understandable crowd-pleasing sensation, and triggered a wave of jiangshi (“hopping vampire”) movies.

Craig Lines Nov 1, 2017

Every now and then, martial arts movies go, er, a 'little leftfield', Here are some examples...

There are few feelings I enjoy as much as watching a movie that shakes me out of my complacency, wakes me up from my jaded quasi-slumber and makes me go “I’ve not seen that before!” I watch way too many films and it can take a lot to genuinely shock or surprise me, but there are few genres that manage it as often as martial arts.

Now, I appreciate there’s a lot of base level ‘weirdness’ to the genre if you’re not used to it. There’s curious dubbing, an emphasis on physicality over plotting, some eastern cultural touchpoints that baffle unfamiliar western audiences… but fans get used to all that. I’m talking about something slightly different.

To clarify, it might seem strange to new viewers when...

Craig Lines Nov 2, 2016

In the 1970s, Hammer joined forces with Shaw Brothers Studios, to try and inject fresh blood into the former's Dracula franchise...

The final film in Hammer's Dracula series is perhaps the least talked about, despite being the weirdest. By 1974, Hammer's star was fading. The seminal British studio struggled to keep up with the changing tastes of genre audiences and attempts to cram their gothic ghouls into modern film styles weren't working. While some experiments - like the campy Dracula Ad 1972 or Satanic Rites Of Dracula - have a certain cult appeal now, they were poorly received at the time and drove their star Christopher Lee to quit the franchise for good.

Not to be dissuaded, Hammer decided to inject new blood into the Dracula franchise one last time by cashing in on the latest cinematic craze – kung fu.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers studios were prolifically...

Sammo Hung is one of the greatest Screen Fighters, Directors and Choreographers in Martial Arts cinema history. Started his early career as an extra in Shaw Brothers productions, then became of fight choreographer on a few of there movies.

It was when he started his career with Raymond Chow at Golden harvest Studios, that Sammo started to show what he could do in terms of action in-front and behind the camera. Sammo Hung has made some of the finest movies of all time and also bringing us some incredible talent such as Yuen Biao, Angela Mao, Lam Ching Ying, Michelle Yeoh and many more.

This is a list of 30 Sammo Hung movies you should check out, this list is also for new fans of the genre. So i hope you enjoy the list and i also mention some other Sammo Hung movies at the end of the page.

1.Hapkido (1972)

Director:...

Yuen Biao is one of the greatest screen performers of all time. He exploded onto our screens when Sammo Hung cast him in the amazing movie Knockabout and he has never looked back since.

This list will be familiar with most fans around the world, but this list is also for people who are new to this genre and want to check out some great flicks. I have added a few movies, which are a bit low budget but does contain some nice action.

I know there are still many Yuen Biao movies i could have named in this list, some i shall give a mention to at the bottom of the feature. So i hope you like the movies i have listed, if your new to Yuen Biao please check out some of these great flicks.

1.Dreadnaught (1981)

Directed By: Yuen Woo Ping

Cast: Kwan Tak Hing, Leung Kar Yan,...

Hong Kong popstar-turned-actor Juno Mak continues to defy expectations with his directorial debut, a sombre and eerie eulogy to the hopping vampires of the 1980s that trades the sub-genre's signature laughs for world-weary melancholy from a fine cast of screen veterans. After the surprise success of Wong Ching Po's Revenge A Love Story, lead actor Juno Mak, who also conceived of the bleak thriller's premise, felt sufficiently empowered to step behind the camera and helm a feature film of his own. Inspired by the traditional Chinese vampire films of his youth, most notably Ricky Lau's Mr. Vampire (1985), Mak set out to resurrect and ultimately lay to rest that particular sub-genre of Hong Kong horror. Set in a shadowy, otherworldly apartment complex, populated by a...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Hong Kong popstar-turned-actor Juno Mak continues to defy expectations with his directorial debut, a sombre and eerie eulogy to the hopping vampires of the 1980s that trades the sub-genre's signature laughs for world-weary melancholy from a fine cast of screen veterans. After the surprise success of Wong Ching Po's Revenge A Love Story, lead actor Juno Mak, who also conceived of the bleak thriller's premise, felt sufficiently empowered to step behind the camera and helm a feature film of his own. Inspired by the traditional Chinese vampire films of his youth, most notably Ricky Lau's Mr. Vampire (1985), Mak set out to resurrect and ultimately lay to rest that particular sub-genre of Hong Kong horror. Set in a shadowy, otherworldly apartment complex, populated by a...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Following are some supplemental sections featuring notable director & actor teams that did not meet the criteria for the main body of the article. Some will argue that a number of these should have been included in the primary section but keep in mind that film writing on any level, from the casual to the academic, is a game of knowledge and perception filtered through personal taste.

****

Other Notable Director & Actor Teams

This section is devoted to pairings where the duo worked together at least 3 times with the actor in a major role in each feature film, resulting in 1 must-see film.

Terence Young & Sean Connery

Must-See Collaboration: From Russia with Love (1962).

Other Collaborations: Action of the Tiger (1957), Dr. No (1962), Thunderball (1965).

Director Young and actor Connery teamed up to create one of the very best Connery-era James Bond films with From Russia with Love which features a great villainous performance by Robert Shaw...

Cine-asia Is Excited To Announce A New Wave Of Hkl Classics Set To Be Re-released On DVD Under The Cine-asia Presents Hkl Banner

Arriving In UK Stores And Online Stockists

15Th October 2012

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My Lucky Stars

In his first historic feature for a Western audience, Jackie takes up the role of Jerry Kwan, a flamboyant Kung Fu expert, forced to compete in a no-holds-barred street-fighting tournament by heavy-hitting syndicate mobsters.

Crafted by the director and producer that brought you the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, Battle Creek Brawl is a stunning showcase for the remarkable physical prowess of Jackie Chan. Performing some of the fastest and most powerful Wing Chun hand techniques ever recorded on film, Jackie also stops the show with a multi-point bicycle-kick performed effortlessly without the aid of a wire!

Combining action, romance and Chan’s remarkable physical comedy, Battle Creek Brawl is a dynamic martial-arts extravaganza,...

Cast

Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Meng Hoi, Wu Ma, Huang Ha, Teddy Yip, Gung Tse Yan, Wong Man Gwan, Collin Chou

Director: Ricky Lau Jun Wei

Action Director: Sammo Hung

Encounters Of The Spooky Kind 2 (Spooky Encounters), is a follow up to the groundbreaking Horror/Kung Fu movie which was made in 1980. The movie stars Sammo Hung and was produced by Hung’s production company Bo Ho Film Company. This movie is a great watch, the action scenes are very well done, as you would expect from Sammo and with the talents of Lam Ching Ying and Meng Hoi on board, you know your on for a winner. Encounters of the Spooky Kind II grossed 13.582 M Hkd at the Hong Kong box office.

Plot

Tea-house worker and martial-arts student Sammo Hung is to married to his bosses daughter, “Little Chu”. The film opens with them both being chased and...

I thought it was about time i did a post on the great vampire buster of all time, yes you got it, lam Ching Ying. This will be listing all the movies and tv series where Lam Ching Ying either stars in or takes on the hopping vampires and evil spirits.

His roles in the Mr.Vampire movies show his skills as an actor, with great comic timing which goes well with his serious acting side, which we normally get to see on screen. This role would make him, not just a big star in Asia but also worldwide as the master of Vampire killers.

Other great movies which he starred in (But not in a vampire movie) were the likes of The Prodigal Son, School On Fire, Eastern Condors, The Magnificent Butcher and Painted Faces.

I have been a big fan of these movies since i first watched Mr.

Game Of Assassins is a new movie brought to us by Director Seven Miao and will star Chen Kuan-Tai (Iron Monkey) as a general and leung Kar Yan who plays a vicious king.

“The film follows Chen Kuan-tai’s character General Tu Jia who trains a trio of young fighters to seek revenge on the villainous King of Wei played by Leung Kar-yan, only for one assassins to succumb to the dark side and the temptation of wealth and power. Mr. Vampire director Ricky Lau (Rip) came on board the Game of Assassins project as an executive producer and consultant”.

Ian Powers, who is an American actor/stuntman is also helping out with the project and have both worked together back in the day under Director/Actor Frankie Chan on movies such as The Prodigal Son and Outlaw Brothers. Powers also worked on the highly anticipated ‘Man with the Iron Fists’ project,...

Jacob salutes the might of supernatural kung-fu movies, with a tip of the hat to Chinese vampires and ghost stories along the way...

The 1980s were a great period for cinema, heralding original ideas and forward thinking, which is now being reprocessed by a Hollywood bereft of the risk and daring associated with the decade in the first place.

Of course, Hong Kong action cinema was no different. Jackie Chan had just signed with Golden Harvest, a young Yuen Biao had shown his acrobatic prowess in Knockabout (1984) and Sammo Hung  (Kam-Bo ) was busy making the innovative Encounter Of The Spooky Kind (1980) hence giving birth to 'the supernatural kung fu' genre.

Sammo included kung fu action, comedy and traditional ghost stories to produce something of brilliance. However, even though this was a fantastic offshoot from traditional kung fu, it was also a frustrating one, as so few of the films held up to the early promise.

Originally released back in 1990 when the Hong Kong ghost comedy was enjoying somewhat of a resurgence, “Till Death Shall we Start” joined the ranks of films with suspiciously familiar sounding titles, including the likes of “Till Death do we Scare” and “Till Death do us Laugh”. The film was directed by none other than Ricky Lau, who had been responsible for one of the genre’s very best and biggest hits in the form of the immortal “Mr Vampire”. Here, he teams with two of the period’s top comic titles in Anthony Chan (“Happy Bigamist”) and Richard Ng (“Winners and Sinners”) in a manic, bawdy romp that now makes a very welcome return to DVD. The film gets off to a lively start, with Anthony Chan as David causing havoc at his wedding when he is revealed by a bunch of low-rent ghostbuster types to be a green haired...

Body Count: Volume 11 - Because of the nature of my website and the fact that a bulk of the writing is dedicated to the horror genre, it is often assumed that Cinema Suicide is all about horror. And you have no idea how much that bugs me. The original mission was a website in celebration of genres and trashy stuff but it just so happens that most of the goofy stuff that produces news these days is in the horror genre. But did you know that I also love kung fu movies? Yeah! I totally do! I love The Shaw Brothers, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Jimmy Wang Yu, Donny Yen, Gordon Liu, etc. So I'm going to twist this week's Bodycount to suit my frustration with being pigeonholed as the resident horror guy and throw some Asian spice into the mix. This week, it's all about horror with a chop socky twist.