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Tag: Lam Ching-Ying

Commentary On Fire 6: Vampire Season #2: Mr. Vampire 2 (1986)

Welcome back kids! Yes, for the second installment of ‘Vampire Season’ Stoo and Ken are stepping into the commentary booth to share their thoughts on the often neglected, unusual sequel to the highly influential Mr. Vampire. It’s got goo, hop, chases, bazookas, montages and is clearly aimed at the kids?! Listen in to find out how it all gels… if at all.

For those without the dvd, you can find the commentary timed to video, in 2 parts, here.

From Rags to Riches (1980)

Plot (Deltamac): Ricky (Ricky Hui) and Fatso (Johnny Koo) are friends in need. They are in dire need of money since they are only paid slave wages at the bottling factory.

However, they become millionaires overnight after buying a winning lottery ticket. During one of their swingin’ nights on the town, Ricky is suddenly attacked by an upset stomach; and in no time, a quack doctor diagnoses the seizure as terminal cancer.

Ricky seriously considers suicide. But he is appalled by the drawbacks inherent in the available methods of doing himself in–primarily the pain! It is on a rooftop from which he is supposed to make a plunge that he saves a poor man from suicide by giving the latter all the money he has.

In gratitude, the newly rich man promises to hire a killer to finish off his suffering benefactor… Read More

Mr. Vampire 3 (1987)

MrVampire3

When a Taoist Conman, Ming (Richard Ng) comes to town, he is confronted by a another Taoist Priest (Lam Ching-Ying) and his group witch hunters. The Taoist Priest has little time to explain their current situation when a group of horse ridden Witches storm through the village killing its towns people. The Taoist Priest mange’s to contain two of these ghastly bandits. Now the two priests join forces and plan on stopping this evil witch once and for all.

Ming a Taoist Conman, as stated above. He cons people by making false exorcisms, with the ghosts of his two cousins. Upon the opening of the film we see him working his magic against a couple of punters, but they really where Ghosts so Ming finds out. Yes, he finds out the hard way. Ming decides to take refuge in the nearby town with the Taoist Priest, but the priest assistant, Chiang (Billy Lau) doesn’t like him one bit… Read More

Mr. Vampire 2 (1986)

MrVampire2

Plot: A small family of vampires are unleashed in Hong Kong after a group antique dealers discover their corpses. Dealer Kwok (Chung Fat) attempts to sell the corpses off to other antique dealers, but his stupid assistant, Chicken (Billy Lau) accidentally awakens the vampires causing all sort of havoc!

Coroner Lin (Lam Ching-Ying) and his son-in-law Gen (Yuen Biao) set out to apprehend this vampires before they claim any victims. Lin first finds out about the vampires after Chicken appears Lin’s chemist looking for a remedy to a vicious bite wound. Lin can tell it is a vampire bite as soon as he see’s it, although Chicken just claims he was biting by a child.

One of the Vampires is a young boy, who escapes after Kwok was traveling to an antique dealer. The young vampire stumbles across a small family. A father (Wu Fong) and his two children.

The children mistake the vampire for an illegal immigrant and decide to shelter and feed it. Finding out that the young vampire is completely harmless.

If things cant get anymore crazy Chicken finds out that his only cure is to get a sample of the vampires blood. Kwok’s other assistant (Fung Lee) is also after the vampire blood after Chicken loosing his temper and biting into him too! Read More

Mr. Vampire (1985)

MrVampire

Plot (HKL Edition): Inspired by Pu Song-ling’s legendary collection of horror stories in Liaozhai Zhiyi, ‘Mr. Vampire’ is a multi-leveled, kaleidoscopic action-adventure which combines the supernatural, elements of black comedy and award-winning action in one of the most successful Hong Kong pictures ever made. Read More

The Millionaires Express (1986)

MillionairesExpress

One of the most well casted films I’ve seen to date!

Sammo Hung plays a petty thief who returned to his home town, Hanshui. Sammo returns with a group of prostitutes including Olivia Cheng, Rosamund Kwan, Emily Chu & Wong Yuk Waan. Sammo comes up with the idea to de-rail a train filled with Multi-Millionaires travelling to Shanghai.

His reasons be that his home town seems run down, nothing new, nothing to attract people. So stopping this train will flood the town with many rich people and hoping it picks up the towns business…

Yet on the train their is a group of Japanese led by Hwang Jang Lee, Yasuaki Kurata & Yukari Oshima. They are carrying a very valuable map which leads to the location of a very valuable Jade Buddha. Now a group of Bandits led by James Tien along with Corey Yuen Kwai, Dick Wei, Chung Fat, Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and a whole bunch of lackys.

Another Storyline is the Police Force, led by Eric Tsang, Lam Ching-Ying, Yuen Wah, Wu Ma, Mang Hoi & Chow Gam Kong. The town off Hanshui is so quiet, there isn’t any crimes. Yet the police force were so bored they decided to set fire to the one of the buildings, this is used as a distraction the police force rob the towns bank. Most of the group escape, yet both Wu Ma & Mang Hoi are caught by the Firemen, led by Yuen Biao, Hsiao Ho, Chin Kar-Lok, Peter Chan & Siu Tak Foo.

The Police Force plan that their only method of escape is hitching a ride on the Shanghai Express. Now the town without a police force is useless. So the mayor decides to make the Fire Brigade the new Police Force. Biao decides that the first plan of action is to foil Sammos plan on derailing the train and then arrest the fleeing bank robbers.

Richard Ng and Lynda Shum join the list A cast as a rich couple boarding the train although Richard Ng has a secret mistress which leads him into some sticky situations.

Now the action, you know its Sammo Hung Action, its got to be good don’t you think? Well it is. We get to see a great fight between Sammo vs. Yuen Biao, Sammo vs. Cynthia Rothrock and Yuen Biao versing Dick Wei in a very fast paced fight to the end.

Yuen Biao also does a excellent stunt, doing a cartwheel off a two story building and landing on the ground and then delivering a line of dialogue. Hsiao Ho also takes quite a jump, Sammo tricks Ho into following him to the roof of a hotel. Sammo confronts Ho and Ho decides to exit by jumping off the building. from the roof to a balcony and from the balcony to the dirt!!

The Millionaires Express is a great action comedy which I highly recommend to all.

Hocus Pocus (1984)

HocusPocus

Plot: A superstitious peeking opera team leader (Lam Ching-Ying) and his opera troupe become haunted by a ghost (actually played the director), when they accidentally perform their shows over the sprits grave.

Lam Ching-Ying plays the role of Mr. Sheng. After a past experience with Ghosts, Sheng has become very superstitious when it comes to the dead. Lam seems to handle the role with ease, the strict master feel. Although this film was done one year before the beloved Mr. Vampire. We even see Lam sporting the fuzzy/hedgehog hair style too.

Peeking Opera performers, Kuei (Tung Wai), Piao (Peter Chan) and Fung Lee (a.k.a. Kay Lay, A member of Sammo’s stunt group). Along with some other faces they spend most of their time showing off or playing pranks on one another. Although they accidentally disturb the odd ghost along the way. One other member of the group, Chia, who is known to steal the show is constantly. He turns out to be mocked and joked on by the others the most. But Chia looses his temper easy and gives out suddenly burst of energy and gives them a beating!

The main trouble causer of the film is a bullied ghost. Although having the body of a man (director – Chin Yuet Sang) the characters dialogue is all readout in a women’s voice. This spirits introduction explains that he is a lonely spirit, who is bullied by the others, so she is forced to return to earth. Read More