Why So Blu?

‘Mr. Vampire’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray July 20, 2020!

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. Vampire cannot 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. Produced by the legendary Sammo Hung, the original Mr. Vampire is essential viewing for anyone interested in the 80s golden age of Hong Kong cinema. In a career-making performance, the late Lam Ching-ying is Master Kau, expert on all matters of the supernatural. When Kau and his two bumbling students, Man Choi (famous comedian Ricky Hui) and Chou (Fist of Legend‘s Chin Siu-ho), exhume a corpse for reburial, things go frighteningly and hilariously awry when the cadaver is revealed to be a hopping vampire. With the undead on the loose, Master Kau is blamed for the chaos, and must work with his students to put the spirits to rest before the vampire’s own granddaughter (80s Hong Kong action icon Moon Lee) gets bitten. Fighting the vampires with everything from sticky rice to filing down the bloodsucker’s fangs, the trio must defeat an increasing number of ghoulish dangers.

 

Influential and genre bending horror-comedy receives a new 2K restoration

 

 

Director Ricky Lau would go on to make several more Mr. Vampire successors (as well as the related Sammo Hung sequel Encounters of the Spooky Kind II, with Lam Ching-ying as another vampire-battling master), but nothing tops the original for its classic fusion of screams and laughs, and it has never looked as eye-poppingly, vampire-hoppingly beautiful as this new Blu-ray special edition.

 

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• Limited Edition O-CARD Slipcase with new artwork by Darren Wheeling [2000 units]
• PLUS: A Collector s Booklet featuring new writing on the film [2000 units]
• 1080p presentation from a brand new 2K restoration
• Original Cantonese audio (original mono presentations)
• English dub track produced for the film s original European home video release
• English dub track produced for the film s original American home video release
• Newly translated English subtitles
• Brand new and exclusive feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Alternate end credits
• Archival interview with Chin Siu-hou [40 mins]
• Archival interview with Moon Lee [15 mins]
• Archival interview with Ricky Lau [12 mins]
• Original Hong Kong Trailer

 

 

DETAILS:

 

Label: Eureka!

 

Title| MR VAMPIRE (Eureka Classics) Blu-ray Edition

Starring| LAM CHING-YING | CHIN SIU-HO | RICKY HUI | MOON LEE

Director| RICKY LAU

 

Blu-ray Cat. No.| EKA70389

Blu-ray Barcode| 5060000703894

Blu-ray RRP| £19.99

 

Release Date| 20 July 2020

Certificate| 15

Run Time| 96 minutes

OAR| 1.85:1

Picture| Colour

Genre| Horror / Comedy / Martial arts

Year| 1985

Country| HONG KONG

Language| Cantonese

Subtitles| ENGLISH (Optional)

 

Mr. Vampire is released

on Blu-ray in the UK July 20, 2020!

ORDER NOW!