Ho Meng Hua's 'The Psychopath (1978)'

[kenichiku]

Don't have any publicity handy as of this moment to verify but I propose that 'Se yu sha ren wang (1978)':
http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=5873&display_set=eng
be merged with 'Shen mi cui hua shou (1978)':
http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=9044&display_set=eng
I believe that the former is either an earlier working title or alternative title to the latter (though one scan from my lobby set can put this to rest).

[calros]

mmmmmm... according to this Japanese site they are different movies...

http://hccweb5.bai.ne.jp/k-movie/ta.htm

[kenichiku]

Thanks for the link Calros but my @#$%&* browsers (both IE & Mozilla) doesn't kick in with decoded Kanji-hira-katakana even with the language settings in my office CPU so I'll check it out when I get home 2nite.

[Michael Kistner]

In the HKFA book "The Shaw Screen" is a list of all (?) Shaw Brothers movies. "The Psychopath" is in the list, but not "Special Hand".

I think it is very possible that it's the same movie.

[kenichiku]

Well I checked it out and I'm assuming you're referring to Tony Liu's little blurb there and conclude that I'd question* their inclusiion of the 2 akas just as I did here so to follow your logic on links - for one 'Kasahara' reference I'll raise you one 'Love HKfilm.com' AND a 'HKCinematic.com' filmography list in addition to the near gospel of Shaw Screen. I admit that although I never seen this film, there hasn't been any indication in my research history that Ho Meng Hua directed 2 serial killer flicks in one year (that would be repeated with nearly the same identical cast no less).

(*) Not to say Kasahara didn't know better but I can smell an old-school 60-70s era Shaw fan from a mile away (hehe) and the rest of the content on these guy's fan-site is telling me that they matriculated thru HK film puberty after the Shaws era (post 1985).

I can post graphic reference but it won't be for weeks (upon any request) so either you wait or it's you guy's call now.

[j.crawford]

I can post graphic reference but it won't be for weeks (upon any request)

Please post, as your image stuff is a welcome addition here!

so either you wait or it's you guy's call now.

We can wait, right? or not. I think you are right, based on "the near gospel of Shaw Screen."

[calros]

OK if nobody stops me in 15 days I will merge them

[calros]

merged

The Psychopath (1978)
色慾殺人王
Word by Word: Colour Desire Kill Person King
Possible Meaning: Top sexual maniac killer

Country: Hong Kong
Genre: Adult
Theatrical Run: 06/08/1978 -

Director
Hoh Mung-Wa

Script
Ni Kuang

Cast
Chan Ping (2)
Lau Wing (1)
Chan Wai-Ying (1)
Ku Feng
Lam Yeung-Yeung
Lau Nga-Ying
Lau Wai-Yue
Ngaai Fei
Si Wai (2)
Cheng Suk-Ying

Production Company
Shaw Brothers


and


Special Hand (1978)
神秘摧花手
Word by Word: God (unknown) (unknown) Flower Hand

Country: Hong Kong

Director
Hoh Mung-Wa

Cast
Chan Ping (2)
Lau Wing (1)
Si Wai (2)
Ku Feng
Chan Wai-Ying (1)

Production Company
Shaw Brothers

[kenichiku]

The verdict's still out on this until I find & scan some lobbies but I stumbled across a spread I found from an old HK Movie News spread on 'The Psychopath' where I also see co-stars 'Chan Shen' & 'Jamie Luk'.

before it's Chinese title was switched to 'Se yu sha ren wang' but so far the cast corresponds to my assertion so, more to come...

[j.crawford]

I also see co-stars 'Chan Shen' & 'Jamie Luk'

Added.

[calros]

added 1 alias and 4 images

[kenichiku]

...a Happy 4th where I had some time to dig up these original HK lobbies (by way of Toronto):



....just put your editorial two and two together from this thread & I think you guys can take it from here now.

Man, I see some Italo-Giallo homage action with the last Terry 'Dragon Mom' Liu one....Gots to seek out this skimpy exploitation rarity one of these days!

[Brian Thibodeau]

(by way of Toronto):

How so? The little fleur-de-lis sticker would suggest a Quebec performance, so these pieces must have taken quite a journey to end up in San Francisco!

By the way, you and Heinz could probably stage an art show with your collections. As a regular recipient of far-less-cool contemporary press materials and huge fan of the way they did it in days of old, I have to say this stuff is amazing!. Nice pieces from STANGER IN HONG KONG, too!

[kenichiku]

The little fleur-de-lis sticker would suggest a Quebec performance, so these pieces must have taken quite a journey to end up in San Francisco!

Yes, very observant on the sticker; it's just that I acquired these in Toronto (& no I wasn't breathing in my mittens on the corner of Dundas & Spudina like I was scoring firecrackers). To my understanding, every imported reel of celluloid & page of publicity gets reviewed, snipped as needed & stamped for visa approval like passports before any foreign venue can roadshow the Sir Run Run owned houses in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver & the great Canadian wherever. I think it works similarly here if/when this kinda stuff crosses state lines.

Lessee here, for this particular set that probably accompanied the film reels, 'Psychopath' passed thru Toronto via the Ontario Board of Censors on Oct 24, 1978 before crossing into Quebec where it was visa stamped by Le Bureau Surveillance du Cinema for Montreal exhibition after Feb 21, 1979. I don't see any return stamp when all this came back into Ontario (or any stamps suggesting this set traveled thru Alberta, BC, Saskatch, etc) but it probably bounced back later for a repeat run in Toronto (& much later into my hands).

you and Heinz could probably stage an art show with your collections.

Heinz is probably more active & abundant in this stuff than I am nowadays. I might run across something on eBay (where we butt heads once in a while & one of us yields to the other) for a gap item or two to feed my completist nostalgia but let's give credit where it's due. I inherited majority of my memorabilia from my late mother's estate where she collected most of this stuff when it was brand new & since I was sporting diapers so there's relatively very little hunting, foraging or plain 'collecting' on my part. With the knowledge that her now-gone generation has given me first-hand, a whole lifetime of stuff literally just fell into my lap. I think the old-school KF fans are the real focused collectors now. I'm more interested in all film genres myself.

[Brian Thibodeau]

I inherited majority of my memorabilia from my late mother's estate where she collected most of this stuff when it was brand new & since I was sporting diapers so there's relatively very little hunting, foraging or plain 'collecting' on my part.

Not that I don't love my own, but I would argue that your mom was the coolest mom ever!

[j.crawford]

Nice.

Added 3 "original HK lobbies".

Thanks!