Watch Mr. Vampire

Mr. Vampire is a 1985 Hong Kong horror-comedy film directed by Ricky Lau and starring Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-Ho Chin, and Ricky Hui. It is a classic piece of Hong Kong cinema, and it has inspired numerous vampire-themed movies and TV shows in the years that followed. The film is set in the Qing Dynasty, and it follows a Taoist priest named Master Kau (Lam), who specializes in exorcisms and vampire-hunting. His latest assignment takes him to a rural village, where a wealthy businessman has died, and his body has gone missing. However, the businessman's body hasn't just gone missing; it has been taken by a rogue Taoist priest (Chin) who practices black magic and uses the businessman's corpse as a "vampire" to terrorize the villagers.

Master Kau and his two bumbling, wisecracking assistants, Hap and Man-Cho, must use their knowledge of Taoist magic and their martial arts skills to stop the rogue priest and his vampire. However, they also have to contend with a series of other supernatural threats, including a hopping vampire disguised as a woodcutter's daughter and a female ghost who haunts a local brothel.

The film is a hilarious and action-packed romp, filled with imaginative set pieces and memorable characters. The three leads, Lam, Chin, and Hui, have great chemistry and play off each other wonderfully, delivering some of the film's funniest moments. Lam in particular is fantastic as the stern-yet-lovable Master Kau, who balances his supernatural duties with his responsibilities as a mentor and father figure to his two assistants.

The film also boasts impressive visual effects and choreography, particularly in its fight scenes, which are inventive and entertaining. And while the film is undoubtedly a horror-comedy, it also manages to be genuinely creepy at times, with some of the vampire and ghost scenes delivering some spine-tingling scares.

However, what really sets Mr. Vampire apart from other Hong Kong horror-comedies is its use of Taoist magic and mythology. The film is steeped in Chinese folklore, and it draws heavily from Taoist beliefs and practices, incorporating everything from incantations and talismans to the Five Elements and the Taoist Yin-Yang cosmology. It's a fascinating glimpse into a rich cultural tradition, and it gives the film a unique flavor that sets it apart from Western horror-comedies.

Overall, Mr. Vampire is a Hong Kong classic that is beloved by horror fans and comedy fans alike. It's a film that manages to be both funny and scary, with memorable characters, lively action, and fascinating cultural references. If you're a fan of horror-comedies or Hong Kong cinema in general, you owe it to yourself to check out this influential and entertaining film.