Corpse Mania (1981), Red Spell Spells Red (1983), The Rape After (1984)

Obviously, the title of our show, and its mission statement is about discovering new horror, In the past we’ve always brought films to the table that we already liked and wanted to discuss.  But on this episode, we were given a unique opportunity.  We were given a list of somewhat obscure Hong Kong-created black magic horror films which contained titles that none of us had seen, and it gave us an idea: maybe this time Aaron, Damien and Jon would be the ones who discover the horror! We each picked a film we’d never seen but sounded interesting, and on episode 45, we share our thoughts on these very unique films.

If you’ve not spent time in the utterly unhinged world of Hong Kong black magic horror, and are fond of the surreal, the impossible and the inexplicable, we think this show might just be for you.  Scorpion attacks, maggoty necrophilia, rats leaping from the mouths of dead fathers… this episode has it all. 

To join us, we invited Ryan Smith, who made the list and has gathered probably the largest collection of Hong Kong cinema that we’ve ever heard of.  Be careful- this is one where leaves can rip your face off!

Films mentioned in this episode:

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Bewitched Area of a Thousand Years (1991), The Beyond (1981), Centipede Horror (1982), A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991), Corpse Mania (1981), Dr. Caligari (1989), Dr. Lamb (1992), Erotic Ghost Story (1990), Evil Dead (1981), Haunted Tales (1980), Mr. Vampire (1985), The Omen (1976), The Rape After (1984), Red Spell Spells Red (1983), Red to Kill (1994), Revenge of the Corpse (1981), Run and Kill (1993), Seeding of a Ghost (1983), Sex Beyond the Grave (1984), Spirit of the Raped (1976), The Untold Story (1993)

Also, here’s a list of 20 Category III titles if you want to dig a little deeper into this sub-genre, notes from HK Cat III expert Ryan Smith:

Men Behind the Sun (1988) I believe literally the first Category III rated film, T.F. Mau’s unflinching tale of the Japanese Camp 731’s wartime atrocities against the Chinese, brutal and shocking.

The Untold Story (1993) Herman Yau’s based on a true crime classic, Anthony Wong took home the best actor award in HK for this film.

Ebola Syndrome (1996) Herman Yau’s blackly comedic Anthony Wong film, really a sick spectacle of epic proportions.

Dr. Lamb (1992) Danny Lee/Bill Tang co-directed Simon Yam film based on the real life serial killer Lam Gor Wan.

Red To Kill (1994) Billy Tang, quite possibly the most tasteless storyline of all the Category III films, bat shit bonkers.

Run and Kill (1993) Billy Tang, brutal film with Simon Yam seeking revenge against poor Kent Cheng.

Daughter of Darkness (1993) Ivan Lai lensed nasty

Daughter of Darkness II (1994) Ivan Lai returns for more insanity

Brother of Darkness (1994) Billy Tang’s last foray into Category III madness.

The Underground Banker (1994) Anthony Wong film where his wife falls prey to a loan shark (underground banker) luckily his neighbor is the recently released Dr. Lamb (!) who helps him out.

Love To Kill (1993) Siu Hung Chung’s most extreme film, yet another Anthony Wong sicko.

There’s A Secret in my Soup (2001) Yeung Chi Kin shocker based on the real life Hello Kitty murder.

Human Pork Chop (2001) Benny Chan Chi-Sun also based on the Hello Kitty murder case, this is a lower budgeted and exploitive version.

Gong Tau: An Oriental Black Magic (2007) Herman Yau’s terrific black magic throwback film.

Eternal Evil of Asia (1995) Chin Man-Kei hilarious black magic horror comedy

Naked Killer (1992) Clarence Yiu-Leung Fok cult classic ultra violent action/thriller featuring Simon Yam and Chingmy Yau.

Sex and Zen (1991) Michael Mak,  the greatest, in my opinion, of the Category III sex comedies.

Bloody Beast (1994) Yang Chuan/Tak Sing-Tam, not based on a real case but used the same film formula as those types of films that preceded it. 

Unknown Mystery aka Strange Rape Case of Sunkam Hillside, aka Po Hills Murders (1993) Li Yeung Ching also not based on a real case, but follows the Cat III formula.

Taxi Hunter (1993) Herman Yau, never was sure why this was rated Category III, but still terrific fun as Anthony Wong takes revenge against bad taxi drivers in the film.