Paula Hammond - Features EditorA defining film in Hong Kong genre cinema, Encounter Of The Spooky Kind blended kung fu, special effects, and Chinese folklore to invent a whole new sub-genre of Asian cinema: Jiangshi. The result is a pitch-perfect film which was to serve as the template for all who followed, including the iconic and hugely successful Mr. Vampire franchise.
Sammo Hung plays Courageous Cheung, a man known in his local village for his lack of fear. His reputation is soon put to the test after he’s tricked into spending the night in a haunted temple. However, when a local big-wig takes a fancy to Cheung’s wife, he quickly discovers that magic and the supernatural are a dangerous mix.
Encounter Of The Spooky Kind is 40 years old but, despite that, its imitators have rarely come close to its dizzying pace, mind-bending practical effects, and slapstick humour. Not content with delivering a bucket-load of supernatural thrills, Sammo also delivers some of the finest action choreography of his career. This is a classic for a reason.
Eureka Classics’ new edition presents Encounter on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, from a brand new 2K restoration and the result is lush. The new English dub may seen a little too ‘straight’ for those accustomed to the bawdy irreverence of the original, but that’s a minor grumble when presented with such a superb restoration.
The blu-ray also features a wealth of extras, including:
- Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling
- Limited-Edition Reversible Poster featuring the film’s original Hong Kong artwork
- 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration. This is the worldwide debut of this restoration on home video.
- Cantonese audio (original mono presentation).
- Rare alternate Cantonese soundtrack.
- Optional English dubbed audio.
- Optional English Subtitles (newly translated for this release).
- Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival).
