Leofwine_draca An excellent combination of martial arts, comedy and horror, this outstanding film helped pave the way for the comedy/horror genre that filled Hong Kong production studios in the '80s and '90s. All of the clichés and fun elements of the genre are present and correct in this nicely-budgeted romp, which doesn't let up from the word go. Our guide and hero through the film is the one and only Sammo Hung, here on top form as both star and director. As the star, Hung puts in a great and funny performance, his comedy skills (mostly acting terrified of the dead) matched by his superior martial arts abilities, ably demonstrated in lots of cool fight scenes. As a director, Hung is in his element and delivers a colourful, exciting, never-lets-up comic book style romp.The plot takes in all kinds of bizarre characters and situations, there's even a guy with a huge hairy mole on his cheek which seems to be the stand for every '70s kung fu flick. Intense set-pieces include nights spent in a haunted temple, jailbreaks, plus the rip-roaring climax which involves the classic duel of wizards and tons of non-stop action. The martial arts sequences are fantastic, especially a fight scene in a restaurant where Hung uses a bench to protect him from razor-sharp swords, and the finale, where Hung and his opponents are possessed by gods and perform superhuman techniques (anyone who doesn't chuckle at Hung's "monkey god" style has to be dead, or possessed).As well as the action, ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND fulfils its horror quota by including lots of bizarre situations and horrific moments. From the opening shots of zombies tearing open Hung's leg to the spectacular duel between the wizards, this is extreme stuff. Ghosts come out of mirrors and kill people and Sammo's own arm is possessed by evil (two ideas later borrowed by Sam Raimi in his EVIL DEAD II). Elsewhere we have bizarre and complex magic rituals complete with on-screen chicken death (shocking) and some hilarious mumbo-jumbo gobbledegook that the evil magician chants. It doesn't make sense but it sounds great. The film features a great slapstick sequence involving a zombie who copies Sammo's every move, and a hopping corpse which is raised from the dead to attack our hero. It's just like KUGN FU ZOMBIE, but with a decent budget.The main strength of the movie is through the sheer dynamism of Hung and his cohorts and the inventiveness of the scenes. Something new and original is happening in every shot, you sit spellbound watching the events play out and it's one of those films you have to sit through in one go, no time for tea breaks or snacks in between. Possession, zombies, magic duels, and even a few voodoo dolls thrown into the mix make this a killer of a film. Check out the final shot, a real adrenaline burst that will make you stand up out of your chair and cheer our hero on. A great slice of Hong Kong escapism and one of the best out there.

BA_Harrison Ask an 'average Joe' to name a successful actor/director and you'll get the obvious answers: Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, Dennis Hopper, Mel Gibson, Quentin Tarantino, Sylvester Stallone. Ask a fan of martial arts cinema, however, and there's a very good chance that the first name they'll proffer will be that of Sammo Hung, the portly pal of Jackie Chan who has shot and starred in some of the most breathtaking fight action scenes ever committed to celluloid.Encounters of the Spooky Kind is Hung's first stab at the martial arts/horror/comedy hybrid that became very popular in the 80s, and sees the talented actor/director starring as Bold Cheung, a fearless pedicab driver who is unaware that his wife has been having an affair with Mr. Tam, one of his clients. After narrowly avoiding being caught in the act, Mr. Tam decides that life would be easier with Cheung permanently out of the way, and so hires a warlock to try and dispose of the poor guy.When Cheung escapes the clutches of a corpse brought to life by the evil magician, Mr. Tam concocts an alternative plot to frame Cheung for the murder of his wife. Unable to prove his innocence, Cheung is arrested and sentenced to death, but the plucky guy manages to escape the night before his execution, and with the help of a good wizard, seeks to put an end to Mr. Tam and his wicked ways.Even though I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Hong Kong comedy, finding Chinese humour a little too 'basic' at times, Encounters of the Spooky Kind is such an energetic and imaginative piece of film-making that it's almost impossible not to find hugely enjoyable. Hung is as amazingly athletic as ever, once again proving that fat guys can flip and fight with the best of them; the silly scary moments are surprisingly atmospheric; the antagonists are boo-hiss horrible in the extreme; and the fight filled finale is stunning, with both good guys and bad guys being possessed by the spirits of Chinese gods and battling to the death (Hung doing his monkey style kung fu is always a winner).And for a little extra fun, try and spot the similarities between EOTSK and the Evil Dead movies: I know it sounds unlikely, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that Sam Raimi is a fan of this classic of HK cinema.

secrective if they sold hilarity on a stick, it would be called Spooky Encounters! Sammo Hung plays "Courageous Chueng" in this great chinese vampire/ghost and all around general supernatural movie of DOOM! Sammo gives us PLENTY of great kung fu, and even becomes possessed as the monkey king!as always, sifu is in here, but strangely enough, he doesent play taoist priest here, hes chief inspector! but dont despair, in the sequel, he plays the charecter we all know and love. too bad i havent seen it yet!If you like the Mr. Vampire series, be sure to grab this one too.

Azzy This is a funny and inventive movie. its plot centers around a fat feudal peon named Couragous Cheung (Sammo). He has a reputation for never turning down a bet for money, no matter how foolish. The problem is that his wife is cheating on him with his master. His wife and and master conspire to have him knocked off by having a man dare him to sleep in an abandoned temple overnight while a hired sorcerer raise zombies to take care of him. Two problems stop them. First, Cheung is highly skilled in Kung-fu, and second, the sorcerer's brother is giving him advice on how to survive. The two sorcerers head toward a final magical showdown while cheung takes on his master in a duel.There are many brilliant scenes in this film. at one part Sammo's right hand becomes possessed by the sorcerer and begins beating him and everyone around him ala EVIL DEAD. The Scene is well choreographed and hilarious to watch. There are numerous fights throughout the film. all extremely fast and furious.