Mr. Vampire
Encyclopedia
Mr. Vampire, also known as Geung-si Sin-sang, is a 1985 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung
. The film's box office success led to the creation of a Mr. Vampire franchise, with the release of four sequels directed by Ricky Lau from 1986 to 1992, and subsequent similarly themed films with different directors released between 1987 and 1991.
priest Kau is engaged to perform a reburial for a deceased rich man. Together with his inept students Man-choi and Chau-sang, Kau discovers that the corpse is still almost intact and looks alive. They attempt to prevent the corpse from resurrecting by drawing magical lines all over the coffin, but the corpse still breaks out and becomes a geung si (Chinese "hopping" vampire).
The vampire runs amok and starts killing many people while Kau and his students try to stop it. In one battle, Man-choi is bitten by the vampire and infected with the "vampire virus", causing him to almost turn into a vampire as well. Meanwhile, Chau-sang is seduced by a female ghost and nearly loses his soul to her. Kau has a hard time dealing with his students' problems and putting an end to the vampire's rampage.
favorite with overseas enthusiasts of Hong Kong cinema
, Mr. Vampire spawned four sequels, inspired numerous parodies and homage films. The film launched Lam Ching-ying's character, the unibrowed Taoist exorcist, whom he would portray not only in the Mr. Vampire sequels, but also in many other films, including unrelated ones.
in 1986. It was also nominated for another 11 other awards as follows.
, Mr. Vampire III
and Mr. Vampire IV
. Most do not relate to the first film but are set on the same themes. The same cast members appear in some films but they are recast in different roles. They are also other films of the Chinese vampire genre starring Lam Ching-ying, such as Encounters of the Spooky Kind II (1990) and Magic Cop
(1990), or directed by Lam himself, such as Vampire Vs. Vampire
(1989), which are all separate from the Mr. Vampire franchise. In addition, Lam uses his real name for his character in some of the films he acted in.
A related television series titled Vampire Expert (殭屍道長) starring Lam Ching-ying was broadcast from 1996 to 1997. However, during the filming of the third season, Lam developed liver cancer
and died before the project was completed. The first season of My Date with a Vampire
, a television series produced by ATV
, was specially dedicated to Lam, and the story was based on future events in Vampire Expert.
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
. The film's box office success led to the creation of a Mr. Vampire franchise, with the release of four sequels directed by Ricky Lau from 1986 to 1992, and subsequent similarly themed films with different directors released between 1987 and 1991.
Plot
TaoistTaoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
priest Kau is engaged to perform a reburial for a deceased rich man. Together with his inept students Man-choi and Chau-sang, Kau discovers that the corpse is still almost intact and looks alive. They attempt to prevent the corpse from resurrecting by drawing magical lines all over the coffin, but the corpse still breaks out and becomes a geung si (Chinese "hopping" vampire).
The vampire runs amok and starts killing many people while Kau and his students try to stop it. In one battle, Man-choi is bitten by the vampire and infected with the "vampire virus", causing him to almost turn into a vampire as well. Meanwhile, Chau-sang is seduced by a female ghost and nearly loses his soul to her. Kau has a hard time dealing with his students' problems and putting an end to the vampire's rampage.
Cast
- Lam Ching-ying as Master Kau (九叔), a unibrowUnibrowA unibrow is a "confluence of eyebrows"; that is, the presence of abundant hair between the eyebrows, so that they seem to converge to form one long eyebrow. The condition of having a unibrow is synophrys.-Beauty culture:...
ed priest specialising in Taoist supernatural arts - Ricky HuiRicky HuiRicky Hui Koon-Ying was a Hong Kong movie star. He and his brothers, Michael and Sam, made several comedy blockbusters in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:...
as Man-choi (文才), Kau's student - Chin Siu-ho as Chau-sang (秋生), Kau's student
- Moon LeeMoon LeeMoon Lee is a former Hong Kong actress who frequently played roles related to the action and martial arts genre in TV serials and films. She was particularly notable in the sub-genre known as girls with guns.-Biography:...
as Ting-ting (婷婷), Master Yam's daughter - Huang Ha as Master Yam (任老爺), a rich man. He is apparently killed by the vampire but later rises from the dead to become like his late father.
- Anthony Chan as Priest Four Eyes (四目道長), Kau's friend. He uses magic to control "hopping" corpses and transport them to their hometowns for burial.
- Yuen WahYuen WahYuen Wah is a Hong Kong based Chinese action film actor, action choreographer, stuntman and martial artist who has appeared in over 160 films and over 20 television series.-Early life:...
as the Vampire, Master Yam's deceased father - Wong Siu-fung as Jade (董小玉), a female ghost who seduces Chau-sang
- Billy Lau as Wai (阿威), the cowardly police inspector. He is also Ting-ting's cousin.
- Ho Pak-kwong as a villager
- Ka Lee as the night watchman
- Wu MaWu MaWu Ma is a Chinese actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name , Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema...
as the rice shop owner - Wong Wan-si as the rice shop owner's wife
- Tin Kai-Man as the rice shop owner's idiotic son
- Yuen Miu as a policeman
- Yuen BiaoYuen BiaoYuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer...
as a "hopping" corpse - Pang Yun-cheung as a policeman
- Chow Gam-kong as a policeman
- Chin Sing-wai as a policeman
- Cheung Wing-cheung
Release
Highly successful at the time, both in Hong Kong and as a cult filmCult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
favorite with overseas enthusiasts of Hong Kong cinema
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
, Mr. Vampire spawned four sequels, inspired numerous parodies and homage films. The film launched Lam Ching-ying's character, the unibrowed Taoist exorcist, whom he would portray not only in the Mr. Vampire sequels, but also in many other films, including unrelated ones.
Awards and nominations
Mr. Vampire won Best Original Film Score at the 5th Hong Kong Film Awards5th Hong Kong Film Awards
-Best Film:-Best Director:-Best Screenplay:-Best Actor:-Best Actress:-Best Supporting Actor:-Best Supporting Actress:-Best New Performer:-Best Cinematography:-Best Film Editing:-Best Art Direction:-Best Action Direction:...
in 1986. It was also nominated for another 11 other awards as follows.
- Best Film
- Best Director (Ricky Lau)
- Best Supporting Actor (Lam Ching-ying, Billy Lau)
- Best New Performer (Billy Lau)
- Best Screenplay (Wong Ying, Barry WongBarry WongBarry Wong Ping-Yiu was a Hong Kong screenwriter, film producer and actor. He was hailed as one of the most prolific screenwriters of Hong Kong cinema penning scripts for some of the top filmmakers and actors during the 1980s and early 1990s...
, Sze-to Cheuk-hon) - Best Cinematography (Peter Ngor)
- Best Art Direction (Lam Sai-lok)
- Best Action Direction (Sammo Hung Stunt Team)
- Best Original Film Song (Gwai San Noeng)
Theme song
The film's theme song, Gwai San Noeng (鬼新娘; Ghost Bride), was performed by the Jie'er Choir (傑兒合唱團).Sequels
Mr. Vampire spawned a number of sequels, including Mr. Vampire IIMr. Vampire II
Mr. Vampire II, also known as Mr. Vampire Part 2, is a 1986 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung. The film is the second of a series of five films directed by Ricky Lau in the Mr. Vampire franchise...
, Mr. Vampire III
Mr. Vampire III
Mr. Vampire III, also known as Mr. Vampire Part 3, is a 1987 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung. The film is the third of a series of five films directed by Ricky Lau in the Mr. Vampire franchise. The Chinese title of the film literally translates to Mr...
and Mr. Vampire IV
Mr. Vampire IV
Mr. Vampire IV, also known as Mr. Vampire Saga Four, is a 1988 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung and Jessica Chan. The film is the fourth of a series of five films directed by Ricky Lau in the Mr. Vampire franchise...
. Most do not relate to the first film but are set on the same themes. The same cast members appear in some films but they are recast in different roles. They are also other films of the Chinese vampire genre starring Lam Ching-ying, such as Encounters of the Spooky Kind II (1990) and Magic Cop
Magic Cop
Magic Cop aka. Kui moh ging chaat or Qu mo jing cha, Mr. Vampire 5 is a 1990 Hong Kong film produced by and starring Lam Ching-ying.-Plot:...
(1990), or directed by Lam himself, such as Vampire Vs. Vampire
Vampire Vs. Vampire
Vampire Vs Vampire is a 1989 Hong Kong film directed by and starring Lam Ching-ying.-Synopsis:Chinese exorcist One-Eyebrow Priest leads a peaceful life with two disciples Ah Hao and Ah Fang in a small town together with a naughty mini vampire...
(1989), which are all separate from the Mr. Vampire franchise. In addition, Lam uses his real name for his character in some of the films he acted in.
A related television series titled Vampire Expert (殭屍道長) starring Lam Ching-ying was broadcast from 1996 to 1997. However, during the filming of the third season, Lam developed liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
and died before the project was completed. The first season of My Date with a Vampire
My Date with a Vampire
My Date with a Vampire is a 1998 Hong Kong television series produced by ATV. It was followed by My Date with a Vampire II and My Date with a Vampire III . The drama starred Eric Wan and Joey Meng in the leading roles. The plot is based on future events of the story in Vampire Expert, a similar...
, a television series produced by ATV
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
, was specially dedicated to Lam, and the story was based on future events in Vampire Expert.
Theatrical play
Mr. Vampire was adapted into a theatrical play and was performed at the Cultural Centre's Studio Theatre in Hong Kong from 29 to 30 October 2010 as part of a Halloween theme.VHS
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | United States | Unknown | Rainbow Audio and Video Incorporation | NTSC | Cantonese | English | ||
| 21 September 1988 | Japan | Unknown | Pony Video | NTSC | Japanese(Dubbed) | None | ||
| 19 June 1998 | United States | Unknown | Tai Seng Entertainment | NTSC | Cantonese | English | ||
| 19 October 1999 | France | Unknown | HK Video | NTSC | Cantonese | English | ||
| 24 January 2000 | United Kingdom | 15 | Made in Hong Kong | PAL | Cantonese | English |
Laserdisc
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Catalog No |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Japan | N/A | Pony Video LaserVision | G88F0112 | CLV / NTSC | Cantonese | Japanese | Audio Mono |
VCD
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Hong Kong | N/A | Megastar (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese, Mandarin | English, Chinese | 2VCDs | |
| Unknown | Hong Kong | N/A | Deltamac (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese | English, Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs | |
| 5 December 2003 | China | N/A | Jiang Xi Wen Hua Yin Xiang Chu Ban She | NTSC | Mandarin | English, Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs | |
| 7 Octover 2005 | Taiwan | N/A | Xin Sheng Dai (TW) | NTSC | Mandarin | Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs | |
| 25 February 2009 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese, Mandarin | English, Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs Digitally Remastered |
DVD
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Region |
Language |
Sound |
Subtitles |
Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Hong Kong | N/A | Deltamac (HK) | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 2.0 | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese | ||
| Unknown | Japan | N/A | Universal Pictures Japan | NTSC | 2 | Cantonese, Japanese | Dolby Digital Mono | Japanese | Digitally Re-mastered Box-set | |
| 2001 | Hong Kong | N/A | Mega Star | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese and Mandarin | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Cantonese, English, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish | ||
| 22 April 2002 | United Kingdom | 15 | Hong Kong Legends | PAL | 2 | Cantonese, English (Dubbed) |
Dolby Digital 5.1 | English | Digitally Re-mastered | |
| 19 February 2004 | France | N/A | HK Video | PAL | 2 | Cantonese | Dolby Digital | French | Box-set | |
| 7 September 2004 | United States | PG-13 | 20th Century Fox | NTSC | 1 | Cantonese, English (Dubbed) |
Dolby Digital 5.1 | English | Digitally Re-mastered | |
| 26 June 2005 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Surround | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese | Digitally Re-mastered | |
| 5 December 2007 | Australia/ New Zealand |
M | Magna Pacific | PAL | 4 | Cantonese, English (Dubbed) |
Dolby Digital 5.1 | English | Digitally Re-mastered | |
| 8 July 2011 | Japan | N/A | Paramount Home Entertainment Japan |
NTSC | 2 | Cantonese | Dolby Digital | Japanese |