10-24-2025, 11:26 AM
Mr.Vampire III (1987)
Another installment I've never seen before. Director Ricky Lau (who does all of these) goes off the rails by adding comic Richard Ng as a Taoist charlatan shaman (a threefold redundant term). He has two young ghost brothers, another kid ghost, as his accomplices and he uses them to haunt places so he can exorcize them and collect dues. But a fierce ghost emerges, and brings Lam Ching-ying into play, a serious ghostbuster, with his two goofball apprentices.
There's more chicken slaughter (chicken blood is used to paint anti-ghost talismans) and a possible iguana kill (but I think it was a puppet). There's a plague of roaches and a plague of bats cast by the evil ghostess which has the actors covered in both for real.
There's a lot of butt fondling, butt biting and butt stabbing. Ng plays a scene totally naked, covered in tar (gwai can't see humans covered in tar), except he missed his butt because he was lying down, and the tar over his nipples gets wiped off so all the ghost can see is his butt or his nipples. That's funnier than it sounds, but not much funnier. Too much Ng butt.
There's a scene where a ghost is hypnotized to believe a taoist robe is an eagle that he wants to eat, which means there's an actor in a goofy eagle suit being chased about and stripped of feathers. There's a scene where one of the ghosts is fried in a huge wok of oil, which is another way to dispel them. But it doesn't quite work so that ghost emerges as a batter monster (think tempura not fully cooked) with eyes dangling. The main ghostess also has a dangling eye.
My fav bit was that when the ghosts possess others, they place their feet under the victim's feet and manipulate their arms like a puppet. The ghosts can't be seen unless the exorcist's eyes are wiped with a magic leaf or charm, but it makes the victims stand on their toes because the ghost feet are underneath. So when people walk and their heels don't touch the ground, they are likely possessed by a ghost.
I think Lam uses the same wooden Jian in all these movies. It's a nice one, dark wood with inlay.
There's a cameo of Sammo (who produced this), Wu Ma, and Corey Yuen - all guests at a birthday party.
Still working through the Criterion collection. One more Mr. Vampire to go, then I might revisit Crazy Safari if I can find it.
Another installment I've never seen before. Director Ricky Lau (who does all of these) goes off the rails by adding comic Richard Ng as a Taoist charlatan shaman (a threefold redundant term). He has two young ghost brothers, another kid ghost, as his accomplices and he uses them to haunt places so he can exorcize them and collect dues. But a fierce ghost emerges, and brings Lam Ching-ying into play, a serious ghostbuster, with his two goofball apprentices.
There's more chicken slaughter (chicken blood is used to paint anti-ghost talismans) and a possible iguana kill (but I think it was a puppet). There's a plague of roaches and a plague of bats cast by the evil ghostess which has the actors covered in both for real.
There's a lot of butt fondling, butt biting and butt stabbing. Ng plays a scene totally naked, covered in tar (gwai can't see humans covered in tar), except he missed his butt because he was lying down, and the tar over his nipples gets wiped off so all the ghost can see is his butt or his nipples. That's funnier than it sounds, but not much funnier. Too much Ng butt.
There's a scene where a ghost is hypnotized to believe a taoist robe is an eagle that he wants to eat, which means there's an actor in a goofy eagle suit being chased about and stripped of feathers. There's a scene where one of the ghosts is fried in a huge wok of oil, which is another way to dispel them. But it doesn't quite work so that ghost emerges as a batter monster (think tempura not fully cooked) with eyes dangling. The main ghostess also has a dangling eye.
My fav bit was that when the ghosts possess others, they place their feet under the victim's feet and manipulate their arms like a puppet. The ghosts can't be seen unless the exorcist's eyes are wiped with a magic leaf or charm, but it makes the victims stand on their toes because the ghost feet are underneath. So when people walk and their heels don't touch the ground, they are likely possessed by a ghost.
I think Lam uses the same wooden Jian in all these movies. It's a nice one, dark wood with inlay.
There's a cameo of Sammo (who produced this), Wu Ma, and Corey Yuen - all guests at a birthday party.
Still working through the Criterion collection. One more Mr. Vampire to go, then I might revisit Crazy Safari if I can find it.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse