Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Encyclopedia
Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts
action comedy horror film
written, choreographed
, directed by and starring Sammo Hung
. The film was produced by Hung's production company Bo Ho Film Company.It was released as Spooky Encounters in the US. It is sometimes listed as Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind, more blatantly mimicking the title of the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977). There is one sequel starring Hung and Lam Ching-ying that has no relation to the plot of this film.
Bold Cheung is challenged to spend the night in an abandoned house
where he must peel an apple in front of a mirror. If he breaks the skin then something bad will happen. Upholding his mantle as the boldest he accepts. However, that night whilst peeling the apple his friends trick him. Whilst scolding his friend for the prank a real ghost
appears and snatches Cheung's friend away. The ghost reaches for Cheung but he cuts its hand off and then quickly shattering the mirror, causing the house to collapse.
The next day Cheung overhears a story about a promiscuous wife from a sweet tofu seller (Who admits that something similar happen to him and his wife); he goes to his home to check on his wife and finds two peeping toms outside his door. He scolds them, causing his wife and employer, Master Tam, to hear. Tam escapes but leaves his shoe which Cheung finds and confronts his wife with. His wife pulls a tantrum and makes Cheung feel guilty.
Master Tam is worried Cheung will find out about the affair so he hires a witch, Chin Hoi, to get rid of him. When Chin mentions this to his partner Priest Tsui, Tsui gets angry. Cheung is tricked into spending the night in a temple, but he encounters Tsui who tells him that he must sleep on the roof. Cheung does so. A coffin
in the temple opens and a zombie
begins looking for him but he is safe. Chin gives up when he cannot find Cheung (he is controlling the zombie) just as Cheung falls down. Chin and the zombie look for Cheung again. He hides under the coffin but is found, the two fight and Cheung kicks the zombie back into the coffin and seals the lid.
Cheung is tricked into spending another night in the temple. Again he meets Tsui who tells him to collect fifty chicken eggs to throw into the coffin. If he runs out of eggs he must throw dog's blood over the zombie. However, the egg seller puts in ten duck eggs. That night Cheung throws in eggs when the coffin begins to open and it works. However when he throws a duck egg inside, the zombie escapes so Cheung throws the dog's blood onto it which sends Chin flying into Tam's roof severing his control of the zombie.
Cheung goes back to town but an Inspector arrests him for murdering his wife even though it is a set-up. Cheung is thrown in prison but escapes by pretending to be sick, he beats up the guards and runs into a forest where he trips over a coffin exposing the corpse within. As Cheung sleeps it comes to life and begins chasing him. Whilst on the run from the corpse Cheung bumps into the Inspector and his men. The zombie collapses onto the Inspector giving Cheung time to escape.
Cheung meets up with Tsui who wants to take Cheung as his disciple. As they stop to eat, the Inspector shows up and sends his men after Cheung. Chin is also there and manipulates Cheung's right arm to beat up the people around him and himself however Tsui stops him in a sword fight and Chin escapes. To help Cheung, Tsui uses his magic to manipulate the Inspector's men to fight the Inspector whilst he and Cheung escape.
That night Chin sends a vampire
after Tsui and Cheung but they defeat it. Tsui draws markings on Cheung's body to protect him from Chin's magic. They go to Tam's house to challenge Chin. Both sorcerers use magic to instill spirits into their disciples. Cheung is possessed by a monkey
god. The two possessed apprentices fight with Cheung winning. Chin then possesses Master Tam with the spirit of the sword god but Cheung kills him. Then the two sorcerers unleash their magic on each other. Just as it looks like Chin will win Cheung cuts the legs off his altar which causes Chin to lose balance giving Tsui a chance to hit him with magical fire, Chin is set ablaze and falls off his altar to burn to death. However, Tsui is badly hurt by Chin's magic and he too falls off his altar dead. Cheung's wife steps forward in all the madness and tries to convince Cheung that Tam was about to rape her. However, Cheung is not deceived and he attacks her.
(aka Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind 2) which has no relation to Encounters of the Spooky. Is another film with Sammo Hung
and Lam Ching Ying
.
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
action comedy horror film
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
written, choreographed
Stage combat
Stage combat is a specialized technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. The term is also used informally to describe fight choreography for other...
, directed by and starring Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
. The film was produced by Hung's production company Bo Ho Film Company.It was released as Spooky Encounters in the US. It is sometimes listed as Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind, more blatantly mimicking the title of the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
(1977). There is one sequel starring Hung and Lam Ching-ying that has no relation to the plot of this film.
Plot
The film starts with Bold Cheung having a nightmare about ghosts.Bold Cheung is challenged to spend the night in an abandoned house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
where he must peel an apple in front of a mirror. If he breaks the skin then something bad will happen. Upholding his mantle as the boldest he accepts. However, that night whilst peeling the apple his friends trick him. Whilst scolding his friend for the prank a real ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
appears and snatches Cheung's friend away. The ghost reaches for Cheung but he cuts its hand off and then quickly shattering the mirror, causing the house to collapse.
The next day Cheung overhears a story about a promiscuous wife from a sweet tofu seller (Who admits that something similar happen to him and his wife); he goes to his home to check on his wife and finds two peeping toms outside his door. He scolds them, causing his wife and employer, Master Tam, to hear. Tam escapes but leaves his shoe which Cheung finds and confronts his wife with. His wife pulls a tantrum and makes Cheung feel guilty.
Master Tam is worried Cheung will find out about the affair so he hires a witch, Chin Hoi, to get rid of him. When Chin mentions this to his partner Priest Tsui, Tsui gets angry. Cheung is tricked into spending the night in a temple, but he encounters Tsui who tells him that he must sleep on the roof. Cheung does so. A coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
in the temple opens and a zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
begins looking for him but he is safe. Chin gives up when he cannot find Cheung (he is controlling the zombie) just as Cheung falls down. Chin and the zombie look for Cheung again. He hides under the coffin but is found, the two fight and Cheung kicks the zombie back into the coffin and seals the lid.
Cheung is tricked into spending another night in the temple. Again he meets Tsui who tells him to collect fifty chicken eggs to throw into the coffin. If he runs out of eggs he must throw dog's blood over the zombie. However, the egg seller puts in ten duck eggs. That night Cheung throws in eggs when the coffin begins to open and it works. However when he throws a duck egg inside, the zombie escapes so Cheung throws the dog's blood onto it which sends Chin flying into Tam's roof severing his control of the zombie.
Cheung goes back to town but an Inspector arrests him for murdering his wife even though it is a set-up. Cheung is thrown in prison but escapes by pretending to be sick, he beats up the guards and runs into a forest where he trips over a coffin exposing the corpse within. As Cheung sleeps it comes to life and begins chasing him. Whilst on the run from the corpse Cheung bumps into the Inspector and his men. The zombie collapses onto the Inspector giving Cheung time to escape.
Cheung meets up with Tsui who wants to take Cheung as his disciple. As they stop to eat, the Inspector shows up and sends his men after Cheung. Chin is also there and manipulates Cheung's right arm to beat up the people around him and himself however Tsui stops him in a sword fight and Chin escapes. To help Cheung, Tsui uses his magic to manipulate the Inspector's men to fight the Inspector whilst he and Cheung escape.
That night Chin sends a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
after Tsui and Cheung but they defeat it. Tsui draws markings on Cheung's body to protect him from Chin's magic. They go to Tam's house to challenge Chin. Both sorcerers use magic to instill spirits into their disciples. Cheung is possessed by a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
god. The two possessed apprentices fight with Cheung winning. Chin then possesses Master Tam with the spirit of the sword god but Cheung kills him. Then the two sorcerers unleash their magic on each other. Just as it looks like Chin will win Cheung cuts the legs off his altar which causes Chin to lose balance giving Tsui a chance to hit him with magical fire, Chin is set ablaze and falls off his altar to burn to death. However, Tsui is badly hurt by Chin's magic and he too falls off his altar dead. Cheung's wife steps forward in all the madness and tries to convince Cheung that Tam was about to rape her. However, Cheung is not deceived and he attacks her.
Cast
- Sammo HungSammo HungSammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
- Bold Cheung - Chung Fat - Priest Tsui
- Lam Ching-ying - Inspector
- Peter ChanPeter ChanPeter Chan Ho-sun , is a film director and producer.-Life and career:Chan was born in Bangkok to Chinese parents. He spent his teens in and studied in Hong Kong and United States, and he attended film school at UCLA. He returned to Hong Kong in 1983 for a summer internship in the film industry....
(Chan Lung) - Priest Chin Hoi - To Siu Ming - Ah To / Ah dooh / Cocky
- Huang Ha - Master Tam (as Wong Ha)
- Dick WeiDick WeiDick Wei is a Taiwanese actor, director and writer who specializes in martial arts and action films.-Early life & career:...
- Master Lok - Cheung Ging-Boh - Uncle Fok
- Tai Bo - Adviser Lau
- Yuen Miu - Ah To's friend / Prison Guard (2 roles)
- Pang Yun-Cheung - Ah To's friend
- Wellson Chin - Police officer
- Ng Min-Kan - Police officer
- Leung Suet Mei - Cheung's wife
- Billy Chan - Cheung's friend
- Fung Ging Man - Peeping Tom
- Ho Pak-Kwong - Peeping Tom
- Yuen BiaoYuen BiaoYuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer...
- Vampire - Lau Chau Sang - Guard
- Wu MaWu MaWu Ma is a Chinese actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 180 appearances to his name , Wu Ma is one of the most familiar faces in the history of Hong Kong Cinema...
- Ah Chiu Fa Kau - Billy Chan - Driver
Box office
Encounters of the Spooky Kind grossed $5,675,626.00 HKD at the Hong Kong box office.VHS
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1998 | France | Unknown | HK Video | PAL | Cantonese | French | ||
| 12 October 1999 | United States | R | Tai Seng Entertainment | NTSC | Cantonese | English | ||
| 24 January 2000 | United Kingdom | 15 | Hong Kong Legends | PAL | Cantonese | English | ||
| 12 November 2001 | United Kingdom | 15 | Hong Kong Legends | PAL | English (Dubbed) | None |
VCD
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2000 | Hong Kong | N/A | Mega Star (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese | English, Traditional Chinese | ||
| 6 March 2009 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese | English, Traditional Chinese | Digitally Remastered Edition, 2VCDs |
DVD
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Region |
Language |
Sound |
Subtitles |
Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2000 | Kong Kong | N/A | Deltamac (HK) | NTSC | 3 & 6 | Cantonese, Mandarin | Unknown | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese | Name on box Spooky Encounters. | |
| 14 November 2000 | United States | Not Rated | Tai Seng Video | NTSC | 1 | Cantonese, English | Unknown | English | ||
| 12 November 2001 | United Kingdom | 15 | Hong Kong Legends | PAL | 2 | Cantonese, English (Dubbed) |
Dolby Digital 2.0 | English | Digitally Remastered Edition | |
| 3 February 2005 | France | Unknown | HK Video | PAL | 2 | Cantonese | Unknown | French | Box set includes Spooky Encounters 1 & 2 under the name Chinese Exorcist 1 & 2. | |
| 25 February 2005 | Korea | N/A | Spectrum DVD | NTSC | 3 | Cantonese | Unknown | English, Korean | Name on box Spooky Encounters. | |
| 5 April 2005 | United States | R | 20th Century Fox | NTSC | 1 | Cantonese, English | Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS | English | Name on box Spooky Encounters. | |
| 25 May 2006 | Japan | N/A | Universal Pictures Japan | NTSC | 2 | Cantonese | Unknown | Japanese | Name on box Spooky Encounters, Digitally Remastered Edition | |
| 7 May 2008 | Australia/ New Zealand |
M | Magna Pacific | PAL | 4 | Cantonese, English (Dubbed) |
Dolby Digital 2.0 | English | Digitally Re-mastered | |
| 2 December 2009 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 2.0 | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese | Name on box Spooky Encounters, Digitally Re-mastered | |
Encounters of the Spooky Kind II
Encounters of the Spooky Kind IIEncounters of the Spooky Kind II
Encounters of the Spooky Kind II is a 1990 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy horror film written, choreographed, starring Sammo Hung. The film was produced by Hung's production company Bo Ho Film Company. It was released as Spooky Encounters 2 in the US. It is sometimes listed as aka Close...
(aka Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind 2) which has no relation to Encounters of the Spooky. Is another film with Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
and Lam Ching Ying
Lam Ching Ying
Lam Ching Ying was a Hong Kong actor, action director and director. A physically talented and graceful martial artist, Lam was best known for playing the stoic Taoist priest in Mr. Vampire...
.
External links
- Encounters of the Spooky Kind at Hong Kong Cinemagic