Film
Monday, 03 August 2009 10:08
Written by Roxanne Mei

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Celluloid China: 10 Chinese horror flicks

Mr. Vampire (1985)
Thanks to the late Lam Chi-Ying (who is synonymous with the Taoist priest Kau), Mr. Vampire blazed a trail in the horror-comedy genre with a series of campy vampire films, exemplifying Hong Kong cinema during the 80s and 90s.

Ghost in the Dark Building (1989)
One of the earliest attempts at horror on the mainland, this film inspired a generation of directors, especially with its shabby basement, pitch-dark stairs and haunting radio voice. Low-tech, but seriously chilling for the time.

Thou Shalt Not Swear (1993)
This ‘day of horror’ thriller centers around a group of ‘sisters’ (two of whom are men) who swear to meet once a year on July 14, the day “the gates of hell open.” Directed by Wellson Chin, it spawned a successful series.

Don’t be Young (1994)
Few remember that the feature debut of avant-garde director Lou Ye (Purple Butterfly, Suzhou River) was a horror film. Set in a haunted old building, it focuses on a young girl trying to track down the killer of her mother.

Out of the Dark (1995)
Directed by Jeff Lau (Chinese Odyssey I & II), this unheralded Stephen Chow production recalls Ghostbusters, but is perhaps his darkest and bloodiest film. It centers on a right-time-wrong-place murder and its aftermath.

A Wicked Ghost (1999)
The horror aspect of this movie was strongly influenced by The Ring, with even the century-old female ghost Chu Renmei looking a lot like Sadako. Even though it gets cheesy, we dare you to watch it twice.

The Eye (2002)
Known as the ‘spook queen,’ Angelica Lee’s fame in the horror movie genre started here. The movie won her best actress accolades at the Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Festival and more.

Inner Senses (2002)
Leslie Cheung’s last movie sees him playing a psychiatrist who, after helping a young patient (Karena Lam) extricate herself from previous traumas, finds himself haunted by similar visions.

Dumplings (2004)
Director Fruit Chan transformed the lively Hong Kong singer Miriam Yeung into a desperate actress willing to do anything to restore her youth – including slurping down dumplings made of aborted fetuses. Everybody say “eww…”

Koma (2004)
Director Chi-Leung Law’s last psychological thriller, it features the spooky Karena Lam and Angelica Lee. Not as exciting as his previous flicks, the film is still watchable for the interplay between the two female leads.

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