RIGOR MORTIS: Legend of the One-Eyebrow Priest

Lam Ching-Ying looking to take care of business

 Juno Mak's Rigor Mortis pays homage to the hopping vampire films of yore, in particular, the Mr. Vampire series starring, Lam Ching-Ying as Kau, the One-Eyebrow Taoist priest who specializes in taking care of vampires, who despite their terrible behavior, are still someone's beloved ancestors.
And he is always beset by both gueng si/ gyonshi, aka, hopping vampires, and two disciples who just do not listen.

In Mr. Vampire (1985), the first disciple, played by director Ricky Lau, is bitten by a vampire, and does not recieve the proper groceries he needs to stop him from starting to transform.

Director or not, this is what happens to shoppers who are not vigilant in buying glutinous rice and/or duck eggs.

Kau's second disciple, played by Chou Siu-Ho (Rigor Mortis), is seduced by a ghost living out in the woods in the form of a beautiful woman. Though she is borne by terrifying singing children, Chau-Sang finds her charming.

Charming!

Kau has a lot on his hands without even attempting to solve the bigger problem, a terrifying vampire, played by Yuen Wah, made incredibly strong by being buried in defiance of all sensible feng shui.


He had been in Sammo Hung's Encounter Of The Spooky Kind (1980), which created the whole genre of kung fu horror comedy. And after starring in Mr. Vampire, Lam went on to star in Mr. Vampire II, Mr. Vampire III and Mr. Vampire 1992 (1992), and Encounter of the Spooky Kind II (1990). He directed and starred in Vampire vs. Vampire (1989) and appeared in Musical Vampire (1992).
 

In fact, Lam starred in something like 130 films before dying in 1997 at the age of 46. He was a gifted martial artist and action choreographer.  He also appeared in  films that had nothing to do with vampires at all, including small parts or appearances as an extra in A Touch Of Zen (1971); The Lady Hermit (1971) with Cheng Pei-Pei;  The Big Boss/Fists Of Fury (1971) with Bruce Lee; Hap Ki Do (1972) with Angela Mao Ying;  The Man From Hong Kong (1975) with Jimmy Wang Yu (Soul).

including one of my all-time favorite, The Prodigal Son, in which he plays a Peking Opera performer who specializes in female roles and is also a secret martial arts master


I am also very fond of The Magnificent Butcher (1979)



And, finally, a nice tribute to Lam Ching-Ying.

RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9
 

SOUL Final Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

"Brutal Grace: A Tribute to Lau Kar-Leung"

If you haven't gotten enough Chinese genre cinema at with Rigor Mortis or Soul (Starring Jimmy Wang Yu), make the scene at "Brutal Grace,"a tribute to the recently departed director, choreographer and martial artist Lau Kar-Leung.  There will be a panel discussion of his legacy and a screening of two of his films.

Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) starring Alexander Fu-Sheng; Gordon Liu (Thirty-Six Chambers of Shaolin); Kara Hui (Rigor Mortis); and Lau Kar-Leung himself.

And one of my hands-down favorite films ever, Dirty Ho (1976) starring Wong Yu (not Jimmy Wang Yu from Soul), Kara Hui (again); Gordon Liu and professional villain, Lo Lieh.




Finally, here's a little tribute to Lau Kar-Leung, who still appeared occasionally in his own films. Here he takes on Sammo Hung in Pedicab Driver (1989)




In the meantime, you still have a chance to catch Juno Mak's Rigor Mortis and Jimmy Wang Yu's not necessarily heroic bloodshed in Soul.

RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

SOUL Final Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

RIGOR MORTIS Premieres Tonight!

Buy a bag of glutinous rice, cover your house in yellow charms and find yourself a Taoist priest, preferably one with a unibrow, because RIGOR MORTIS premieres tonight with a new, deadlier take on gueng si, aka, "hopping vampires!"



RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

RIGOR MORTIS: Juno Mak: Director and Pop Star!

According to his Chapel of Dawn site, Juno Mak is a Pisces, enjoys comics and free-fighting in his spare time and his favorite food is hot pot and his favorite song is Metallica's "Sad But True." 
And just by looking there, you can probably tell that the Rigor Mortis director has a career going besides making scary vampire movies. He's a pop singer with sweet music videos, fine dance moves and twelve albums (two with special releases) to his name.
So let's enjoy a couple of his music videos.





As if becomming a popstar at 18 isn't enough, Mak's acted in four films,  Dream Home (2010);


 Revenge: A Love Story (2010);



As well as in Let's Go (2011);  and the "Ah Wai, 'The Big Head'" segment, Por See Yee (2007).

He's also teamed up with his Hong Kong music label, Silly Things, to create his own clothing label, Chapel of Dawn, taking its name from his 2007 album. There are special items the proceeds of which go to charity.

After the Sichuan earthquake happened in May 2008, Juno originated a charity campaign, to sell charity items produced by "Chapel of Dawn" in Hong Kong, Japan, France and the US. Later on, Juno kept developing projects under the concept of “Chapel of Dawn” by collaborating with his old or newly made partners like "Colette”, "Hello Kitty", "Backbone", Mihara Yasuhiro and many others come and counting.

And here's his blog at Silly Thing's Think Silly community.

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:

Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9