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Encounter of the Spooky Kind


Reviewed by: ororama
Date: 12/09/2017

Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a fun horror comedy. "Bold" Cheung's wife is having an affair with his boss, who decides to eliminate the risk of exposure by eliminating his employee, using occult assassins.

Lead actor/director Sammo Hung and his cast, which includes a number of skillful action performers, combine mild scares and mildly amusing comedy with excellent martial arts sequences to create a highly entertaining movie.


Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash
Date: 11/03/2008

Though the first reel doesn't have much of a bite and co-star Peter Chan Lung has never been so annoying "Encounter of the Spooky Kind" is notable for being one of the first films to marry horror and martial arts -- effectively -- due in large part to Sammo Hung's work in front of and behind the camera. Watch out (literally) for an unrecognizable Yuen Biao in a brief uncredited cameo as a vampire summoned to do battle with an unsuspecting Sammo. Speaking of staying alert some audiences will justifiably be disgusted by the decapitation of a live rooster during one sequence where Chan leads an occult ceremony.

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Masterofoneinchpunch
Date: 11/01/2007
Summary: Putting the spooky in Spooky

“Spooky Encounters” (aka Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind; 1981) is a seminal work in the hybrid genre of Hong Kong comedy/kung fu/horror films. While this had been done before by the Shaw Brother’s “The Spiritual Boxer” (1975), “The Spiritual Boxer Part II” (1979) and Lo Wei’s unsuccessful “Spiritual Kung Fu” (1978), “Spooky Encounters” is the film most causal in the formative kyonsi (hopping vampires) craze of the 1980s with “Mr. Vampire” (1985) as the best example of that subgenre with its plethora of sequels. It was directed by and stars Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (“Warrior’s Two” and “The Prodigal Son” who would also produce “Mr. Vampire”) during the golden age of Golden Harvest and was the first film under Sammo’s Bo Ho Films Company.

Sammo stars as Bold Cheung an affable courageous not-so-bright cuckold who works for Mr. Tam (I am not quite sure what Cheung does though). However, Tam is cheating with Cheung’s wife and Cheung came awfully close to finding the two together; however, he did find a shoe that was left behind. Since Tam, who is going to run for mayor, does not want any scandal he decides to employ the services of a black-magic Taoist named Chin Hoi to murder Bold Cheung. Luckily his brother-in-witchcraft Tsui (Chung Faat who is also in Sammo’s “Prodigal Son” and “Magnificent Butcher”) is astonished he will breaks the rules of the sect (the four rules are: must not be greedy, must not kill, must not insult our god and must not behave badly) and goes off to help Cheung.

Tsui’s first good deed is to help Cheung survive a bet with an employee of Tam (played by the ubiquitous Wu Ma) to spend a night in a haunted place that looks like a giant storage shed. It houses a kyonsi – an undead vampire/zombie that is stiff, has to hop to get around, can suck blood through its long fingernails (does not happen here) and has good kung fu skills for some reason. Cheung being a bit of a dullard gets talked into staying two nights. Obviously this does not work so Mr. Tam ends up framing Cheung for the murder of his wife though no body is found. Now Sammo has the law after him led by the Inspector (Lam Ching-Ying) as well as the supernatural sorcerer.

There is not much to complain about in this film. The few annoyances with the movie is the episodic structure the film takes on in the beginning and the underutilization of Lam Ching-Ying (“Mr. Vampire”) fighting especially since he is credited as an action director. Also, the very ending is quite unsuspecting (not necessarily for Hong Kong aficionados) and seemed a bit excessive and hard to watch (for those who have not seen it I will not spoil it, it even startled me the second time I watched the movie). You also might not appreciate the film if you like chickens (unless you like exploding ones). There is also some mention of animal killing though nothing is shown (except for the chickens).

The strengths of the film are many. Sammo is in the best shape of his life during the early 80s. He does look slightly corpulent but his kung fu and movement appears effortlessly and adroit (a big difference to how he would appear in the late 80s and beyond). I did notice he was doubled in a few scenes like when he was transformed into the Monkey King, he does not do some of the swinging movements, but for most he was not doubled. There are a couple of classic fight scenes with the tea house bit where Cheung loses control of his arm to the evil Taoist and takes on the tavern (I do not think it influenced Evil Dead II though you never know) and the excellent showdown at the Longevity Inn where Cheung is transformed into the Monkey King and has to fight the Dragon Slayer. In those fights Sammo does some great fighting with a bench in the first and a spear in the second. The whole finale I found quite entertaining with the dueling Taoists. Sammo’s direction was also strongest in the 80s where he uses hand-held cameras to great use and has nice composition within frames. He does overuse undercranking in this movie though he tends to do that a lot in his films (as well as most Hong Kong films during that period). His best asset as a director is that he makes everyone else look better and never puts himself in the forefront if he does not have to.

The mixture of humor/action/spookiness works well too. The horror aspect is definitely influenced by the Shaw Brother’s films like “Black Magic” (1975) but never goes into the grossness (or nudity) of that film. The humor lightens the macabre aspect while kung fu and comedy meld well for some reason. “Spooky Encounters” is not scary or gore-filled by today’s standards, but it is still a good spooky film that is a must for those into 1980s Hong Kong martial arts cinema or fans of Sammo Hung.

Best advice learned from this film -- when you need more chi stamp the ground and if two opponents are evenly matched the one with the higher alter will win.

I have the Fortune Star/Fox release which has a good transfer but no extras except trailers. The biggest plus is that there are no dubtitles. It does include the original mono release which I prefer over the surround sound because of the strange overemphasis it has on contact-hits and other noises. I did notice the score takes some cues from another film but I cannot think of what it could be nor could I find any information while researching for this film. The surround sound version of the movie seems to deemphasize aspects of that lifted score. Here is another example too of an R1 release Hong Kong release that does not match the Hong Kong Legends R2 release for extras. The HKL version has a Bey Logan commentary and other extras (I cannot comment on them since I do not own it).

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: cal42
Date: 06/12/2006
Summary: The best in the sub-genre

One of the most overlooked aspects of Sammo Hung’s career is his contribution to (or creation of, depending on your point of view) the sub-genre of horror/comedies. While casual viewers only remember him from being “the fat one” in the three-handers with Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao or starring in kung fu classics like PRODIGAL SON and MILLIONAIRE’S EXPRESS, it’s worth noting that he made quite a few films in this genre.

This one, however, is the best (not counting WHERE’S OFFICER TUBA?, which is too much of a comedy to be included and is basically a modern day remake of the more serious THE DEAD AND THE DEADLY). Some films can be watched over and over again without the viewer losing enjoyment, and this is certainly one of them. Sammo has a darker and “edgier” approach to filmmaking while still using the type of humour that was fashionable at the time, resulting in the feeling that he really was a natural in this genre.

The “Possessed Hand” scene is particularly worth noting, and was very likely the inspiration for a similar scene in Sam Raimi’s EVIL DEAD 2. It shows the sort of ingenious creativity of Hong Kong filmmaking at its best. Also, the scenes where Sammo stays in the haunted temple display the kind of relentless silliness you just have to like – while also containing a few moments of genuine tension and even, yes, a little creepiness.

Be aware that this film goes under a couple of slightly different names, which has caused me much confusion through the years. This film is also known as ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND (note the plural) and SPOOKY ENCOUNTERS. This has lead me to owning at least four copies of this film, thinking I was buying the sequel (which also sometimes goes by the name of SPOOKY ENCOUNTERS). If anyone wants to trade one of my copies of the original for the sequel, please let me know ;) .

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: ewaffle
Date: 05/20/2006

“Encounters of the Spooky Kind” is a terrific movie. Sammo Hung has a kung fu battle with a corpse, finds his right arm is possessed and has a mind of its own while in a crowded restaurant and is taken over by the Monkey God while he fights the incarnation of the Dragon Slayer God. It features demonic possession, hungry ghosts, a haunted temple, black magic and dueling wizards. The plot is simple and effective—someone has apparently murdered Courageous Cheung’s (Sammo) adulterous wife, played to coquettish perfection by Lueng Suet-Mei and Cheung is the only suspect. Cheung’s boss, who has been sleeping with Cheung’s wife, is framing him for the murder. The boss has hired a wizard to kill him and, for good measure, bribes a corrupt police commander to either bring Cheung or kill him. It is a hopeless situation which gets worse for the characters as the movie unspools but which we know will be resolved by the ninety minute mark.

Cheung encounters a good wizard who helps him ward off the spells of the evil wizard, apparently out of a sense of duty toward a supernatural code which says that those with powers from the gods shouldn’t use them for profit. He also has to spend a couple of harrowing nights in a tomb, which would be tough enough under normal circumstances—whatever one would consider normal when surrounded by rotting corpses—but the evil mao priest has some really evil tricks. He energizes the dead occupants of the tomb, frightening enough in itself, but also controls their movements so that Cheung is not only scared half to death but has to fight his way out of the death chamber. Peter Chan Lung as the apostate wizard really throws himself into the role. Much of his fierce channeling of evil, which involved a lot of sweating, grimacing and being tossed into the air by demonic forces, could have been improvised on the days it was shot. Chung Faat has less to do until the finale but has better costuming and makeup, especially his very odd mustache. Tai Bo was appropriately oily and repellent as Advisor Lam; Huang Ha as the devious boss rounded out a very able cast.

There is plenty of impeccably choreographed and executed action with Sammo always in the middle of things. Some of the high falls looked extremely dangerous and some of the moves that Sammo or his stunt double accomplished in the restaurant scene—flipping over in the air and landing on his back, for example—looked quite painful. The final battle between the good guys—Sammo and his priestly backer against the evil priest and a possessed fighter was very well done, with both Sammo and his adversary having been taken over by supernatural forces. One of the last obstacles to the good guys winning was the little known adage that when two priests have equal powers the one with the highest altar will win. The way that the good wizard dealt with this problem was ingenious and funny.

The very last scene—actually the very last couple of shots—are quite shocking, at least to a western audience but completely in keeping with the ethos of Hong Kong cinema as I have come to understand it and very much in line with everything that has gone before it.

Highly recommended.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: j.crawford
Date: 07/24/2005
Summary: visually spectacular....

This is Samo Hung at his best, early in his career. On the heels of directing several classic martial arts films[ Warriors Two, Knockabout, The Victim ], Hung tries his hand at the horror genre mixing in his martial skills and comedy styles.

The result is visually spectacular, definitely worth seeking out the Media Asia DVD, released under the title Spooky Encounters. With nine chapters, the DVD has the original theatrical trailer plus four others [ Lucky Stars Go Places; The Prodigal Son; Eastern Condors; Zu, Warriors from the Magic Mountain ].

Bare bones plot is the film's major weakness. Hung's character, Cheung, works as a bodyguard/driver for boss Tam. Cheung's wife is having an affair with Tam and they are almost caught. Tam hires an evil taoist priest to kill Cheung with the undead. When that fails, they fake the wifes murder leaving the wrongly accused Cheung on the run from the police. Look for Lam Ching Ying in a pre-Mr. Vampire role as the police chief.

After avoiding various hopping vampires and being accused of murder, Samo is possessed by the Monkey God in the furious finale. Besides an extended display of the monkey style, Samo gets to work out with the long spear against a haunted swordsman.

Unyeilding and unforgiving, Cheung's final action in the film's last shot may disturb some viewers.

copyright 2001 J. Crawford

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 09/26/2003

Hung plays Chang, a town bumpkin who unwittingly is drawn into the realm of the supernatural after a trick by his buddies goes awry and conjures up a zombie. His cheating wife takes note and, with her lover, attempts to kill Chang by duping him into repeatedly staying the night in a haunted cemetery, where he must face a powerful zombie. Eventually, he enlists the help of a friendly white (good) wizard to try and help him get rid of the zombies once and for all.

One of the first successful attempts at combining martial arts with horror, Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a classic in the genre that helped pave the way for such popular movies as the Mr. Vampire series. It should be noted though that the HK definition of horror is a bit different than here in the West. The zombies (or vampires, depending on the interpretation) look and act (at least to Western standards) weird, hopping about in a kind of dead man's dance. As such, the horror aspects of the movie probably aren't as strong to me as they may be to others. But the film does succeed in creating some excellent action pieces. The finale, which has Hung and the wizard teaming up to defeat a dark wizard and his demon is a textbook example of the genre and quite exciting to watch.


Reviewed by: balstino
Date: 06/02/2003
Summary: See it once maybe....

Yes, this film might of been the first of it's kind but now it just seems, well pretty pants really. The first half was unstimulating and the second half was OK. There is not a lot of Kung Fu until later on and even though it is frantic, in some ways it's a little bit boring. The special effects are alright and Sammo is fairly good, but overall it is not a great movie. Just for interest, maybe see it once.


Reviewed by: MrBooth
Date: 05/11/2002
Summary: Definitely Ground-Breaking!

Simply put, ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND is one of the finest movies that Hong Kong has produced. It was perhaps the peak of Sammo Hung's creative run as a director in the late 70's and early 80's, skillfully blending so many elements into a tremendously entertaining movie.

The plot is perfunctory here - really it is just a set up for the various encounters, mostly of a spooky kind. Sammo plays a character not dis-similar to that he played in other movies around the same time (e.g. The Victim, Enter The Fat Dragon) - a good natured but simple, fat but agile ordinary joe. He gets involved in some very extra-ordinary situations as the result of his wife's infidelities.

Peter Chan Lung plays the taoist wizard paid to get rid of Sammo, and the wonderful Chung Fat plays the good taoist that helps Sammo to survive his encounters. The movie features the fascinating taoist ritualistic magic sequences that would become Lam Ching-Ying's trademark in later years (although Lam Ching-Ying is in the movie, he does not get to play Vampire Buster this time around, just an upright and dogged police officer). I have no idea if the cinematic form these rituals tend to take bears any resemblance to real rituals, but they do look cool as hell.

In and around all the magic we get a fair dose of comedy (this is a Sammo movie after all), much of which is genuinely amusing, and some totally kick ass action scenes. The supernatural element gives Sammo the perfect excuse to be really creative... possession by different spirits gives the characters unique fighting styles, vampires hop around with their own unique attacks, and there's a fair amount of wirework with all the spirits in the area. None of this, however, quite matches the sheer genius of Sammo's fight scene with... his own hand :)

The production was obviously a big budget investment for the time - not surprising since Sammo was the golden boy of directors in Hong Kong at the time. He certainly made sure the money was put to good use too - the sets, costumes and overall production design are immaculate - the movie feels much more contemporary than most other HK movies from the same period (e.g. Shaw Brothers offerings). It also features some pretty neat special effects - incredibly dated in the 21st century, but very good by 1981 standards. The movie is rounded out by a tight(ish) script, great cast, some excellent and innovative camera work and a general keen-ness that shows just how sharp Sammo was in the days when this movie was made.

In most people's career, ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND would be the kind of movie that a director would never live down. "Good but not as good as SPOOKY ENCOUNTERS", he would doubtless get tired of reading in reviews. I do actually think that EOTSK probably is Sammo's best movie after THE VICTIM, but in a long career there have been so many highlights that neither of these excellent movies stand out particularly in his filmography - though put next to most other movies of the time they positively shine.

Reviewer Score: 10

Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 03/12/2002
Summary: NOT groundbreaking, but good all the same.

Encounter of the Spooky Kind is one of those cult movies that everyone has seen, whether or not you love it or hate it, it still must be seen if you have never seen it. If for nothing else, to see one of the most funny and outrageous ghost movies starring Lam Ching Ying in his usual ghostly related role.

The story is all summed up in the other reviews, so I won’t go into that. But in my opinion it is pretty good, and I consider it a classic to certain extents, but certainly nothing spectacular as far as film making goes.

Rating: [3.5/5]

Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: resisttoexist
Date: 01/10/2002
Summary: Encounter Of A Great Movie

Yes, the great Sammo is at it again. The ending was great. Not only the final battle but the very last scene with his wife. Wonderful.
8/10


Reviewed by: Inframan
Date: 11/11/2001

This movie kind of bridges a gap bettween old (chop socky) and new (hopping vampires) HK cinema.

I don't know how many times I've watched Sammo and thought how amazing a guy his size can be so acrobatic and so fast, this is another perfect example.

Wizard battles, black magic, zombie slapstick, exploding chickens, Sammo possesed by a kung fu monkey spirit, and hopping zombie, what more could you ask for?

Its an action-comedy-horror and works on all levels. Highly reccomended. A few years later Sammo produced the epic hopping vampire classic Mr. Vampire.


Reviewed by: cathy in dc
Date: 06/27/2001

I enjoyed this movie. I'm not a big horror fan, but this movie managed to be creepy in parts without being gross. A good merger of horror and comedy. The fight at the end where Sammo and his opponent take on the guises and styles of various gods is particularly funny, as is the scene where Sammo ends up getting outsmarted by a zombie he thinks he has under control, who ends up hitting him on the head with a brick. definitely worth seeing.


Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 05/05/2001
Summary: Pretty good

Quite a funny movie actually where Sammo's character never refuses a bet because he is just SO BRAVE!! Good ending and worth watching!!

7.5/10


Reviewed by: Kncklz2000
Date: 05/01/2001
Summary: Good ISH

One of the most creative works ever done in the Hong Kong movie industry.

After having a nightmare about the supernatural, a series of bad events begin to lead Courageous Cheung’s (played by Sammo) life. His friends are captured by a demon when they try to play a trick on him. Then, Sammo nearly walks in on his wife, who’s been having an affair with another man. Now, the wife and her lover must find a way of getting rid of Sammo…

Sammo really knew what he was doing with this movie. The color and costume design of the dead zombies are perfect. One would even go so far as to say that they were real. There really wasn’t a time where I didn’t enjoy the movie.

Along with creative fights (the last one is awesome) and tricks, Sammo had his style of comedic humor. An example is when Sammo finds a zombie that follows his every movement, until it is awakened by a black cat and then tries to kill him.

I think the one and only downside to this movie was the fact that Lam Ching Ying was in it, and didn’t have a single fight (the 2 second fight when his guards turn on him does not count)

Highly recommended
(5/5)


Reviewed by: hellboy
Date: 08/31/2000
Summary: The definitive kung-fu/horror film

One of the best of it's kind. A lot of suspense, comedy, and kung-fu. I suspect this may have influenced Sam Raimi as there is a gag involving a Samo taking a generous beating from his own possessed hand! The end fight is a showstopper with some of the best non-wire fighting you'll ever see. 10/10

Reviewer Score: 10

Reviewed by: SUPERCOP
Date: 12/27/1999
Summary: A groundbreaking production....


The film that was thought to have revolutionized the Hong Kong horror genre, this Sammo Hung film evenly blends fantastic, acrobatic action, light hearted comedy, and some genuine scares. Hung stars as Courageous Cheung, a coward whose reputation proves otherwise. When he discovers a secret that might destroy the career of a politician, he becomes the target of a taoist priest whom the politician has assigned to kill him. A wonderful all around martial arts/horror piece that is yet another superb film by Sammo Hung.


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/21/1999

Chinese black magic is used to put a death curse on anunsuspecting husband of an unfaithful wife.

[Reviewed by Tai Seng Catalog]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

The original "hopping vampire" film, and still one of the best. A boastful martial artist (Hung) is dared to spend the night in a haunted house; it's been set up by his wife's rich lover, who has paid a Taoist priest to kill the martial artist with his magic (controlling vampires). However, he survives and teams up with the Taoist priest's brother to get revenge. One of the "new wave" of kung fu films of the time, with the now-mandatory slapstick, gross-outs and a great finale.

[Reviewed by Iain Sinclair]


Reviewed by: spinali
Date: 12/08/1999
Summary: NULL

When provoked, "Courageous" Cheung (Samo Hung) is about the bravest man in town, a label he's willing to protect. But his wife is apparently cheating on him -- with whom, he doesn't know -- but it turns out to be with Master Tam, the richest man in town, who's hired a money grubbing sorcerer to stage-manage Cheung's death. It comes in the form of a dare: Cheung has to spend the night in a locked temple, and with a vicious Chinese hopping vampire. He meets the dare not only once, but twice. They frame him for murder and imprison him; he escapes. The evil wizard possesses Cheung's limbs in a tea shop (a funny and effective scene), and the sorcerer's high-principled brother comes to the rescue, and with the perfect solution: initiate Cheung into the practice of magic which, combined with his superior kung-fu skills, would render him nigh well invincible. The real fun comes, as usual, in the climactic set piece, in which Cheung takes on the identity of a series of Chinese gods, including a hilarious bit as the Monkey King (it's a gag that'll have fans of the 1976 television serial in stitches). Samo Hung is a mediocre director and even worse as a comedian, so the movie comes to life in fits and starts, as if the magical incantations had a hard time connecting.

(2/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]

Reviewer Score: 5