Hong Kong Digital #142a: Mr. Vampire

Great Britain: 15
Netherlands: 12
Ontario: R (Horror, Violence)
Singapore: PG

PRESENTATION

Once again, Hong Kong Legends has delivered another "no complaints" transfer. The image has neither speckles nor scratches, colors are fresh looking, and contrasts are nicely detailed. Both versions have been remixed in 5.1 and the result is better than expected. Granted, most of the audio remains upfront but there are some good stereo effects and fairly good bass. The English dubbing is even worse than usual and, unfortunately, the people doing the subs for this release were obviously using it as a reference. Man Choi is referred to as "Malcolm" at one point and Ricky Hui orders "a coke" in a restaurant, which seems unlikely given the period setting. Of course, compared to the original translation, HKL's subs are magnificent, so these criticisms are insignificant but unavoidable, given HKL's stellar track record to date.

There is the usual abundance of extras on offer. Bey Logan delivers another detailed commentary, touching on all aspects of the production, the performers, Taoism, folklore, HK horror traditions, and the infamous DEMON HUNTERS, Golden Harvest's attempt to make an English language version of the MR. VAMPIRE formula (starring Jack Scalia, Michelle Phillips, and Yuen Wah!) that was started but never completed. There are a handful of minor errors but this is, otherwise, an excellent track. Chin Siu-ho speaks for no less than 42 minutes in a remarkably detailed and all-encompassing interview about the film, feng shui, his fellow performers, and other projects he has worked on, notably THE ULTIMATE VAMPIRE. (In another translation error, sifu is rendered as "mother," so Chin says "...my mother Lam Ching-ying") An 18 minute Moon Lee (image) interview is not as detailed but her fans are sure to eat it up regardless. The ever cute Ah Moon reminisces about the film, how she got into the business, and what she is doing now in her semi-retirement. (Another subtitle gaffe here: when discussing her favorite films, Lee mentions Suk san, the Chinese title for ZU, but the subs leave this out) Lam is profiled in an extensive biography section and a "Memories of Lam Ching-ying" tribute (10 mins.) features input from Sammo Hung (who produced MR. VAMPIRE) and Chin. The original HK and UK promo trailers are also included, along with spots for ZU WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN and THE SCORPION KING (the UK title for OPERATION SCORPIO).

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