Chinese Hopping Vampire (jiang shi /殭屍) films
by Mighty_Emperor | created - 09 Dec 2011 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicFilms featuring jiangshi (or jiang shi, chiang-shih, gangshi or kyonshi - 僵尸 or 殭屍). Despite being called vampires they aren't much like the western vampires (although in some films they do sprout fangs), the strict translation of the name is "stiff corpse" and this is what they largely are, dressed in Qing dynasty costumes. The Taoist monk reanimates corpses as this makes it easier to transport them back to their home villages for burial. Unfortunately, something usually goes wrong and hi-jinks ensure.
References: Spooky Encounters: A Gwailo's Guide to Hong Kong Horror by Daniel O'Brien (2003), the best guide to this subject.
Further reading: Taoist Priests and Hopping Vampires a useful overview of the background and the films (also includes a link to reviews, includes a couple of non-CHV films too). There are also a couple of solid overviews here and here. "Hop on Pop: Jiangshi Films in a Transitional Context" (2009) by Stephanie Lam, originally in CineAction #78 page 46. TV Tropes have a page on their appearance in other media, the most significant of which is Phantom Fighter, a NES game based on Mr Vampire.
See also: This is a sub-list of crazy kung-fu horror films, this list helps put the development of the films in more context. I also have a list for zombie movies and Asian zombie films, as, despite the name, they are closest to zombies and there is also some crossover.
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1. Mr. Vampire (1985)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
The planned reburial of a town elder goes awry as the corpse resurrects into a hopping, bloodthirsty vampire, targeting everyone responsible for digging the grave. A Taoist Priest and his two disciples attempt to stop the terror.
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-Ho Chin, Ricky Hui, Moon Lee
Votes: 4,630
The film that started it all but there was a long road to get us there.
2. Wuye Jiangshi (1936)
Horror
Based on the Chinese, Qing Dynasty legend of the Jiangshi, which first appeared in print in 1789 by writer Ji Xiaolan, this film tells the tale of a dead man who returns from the grave to avenge his brother's betrayal.
Director: Kung-Leung Yeung | Stars: Yeung Yet-Ing, Tip-Ying Wu, Fei-Fei Chao, Chiu King-Wan
aka Midnight Vampire
According to Lisa Odham Stokes' Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema: "The earliest vampire movie made in Hong Kong was Yeung Kung-leung's Midnight Vampire (1936)" but it doesn't mention the type and an article in Apex Magazine suggests it is more inspired by Todd Browning's Dracula than Chinese folklore:
Following the showing, in China in 1935, of Tod Browning’s 1931 film adaptation of Dracula, Western–style vampires (as opposed to the traditional “hopping” vampires of Chinese legend) became a popular subject in Chinese film. In Yeung Kung Leong’s film Wuyi Jiangshi (1936) a father dies, leaving an unclear will, and his two sons and his daughter fight over the inheritance. The older brother sets a trap and burns the younger brother and his sister to death and then throws the bodies into the sea. The following midnight the pair come back to life as vampires and kill their murderous brother.
So I'll include it here (if only because the Wikipedia entry on jiangshi fiction does) but, from the sound of it, I don't think it fits.
3. Wan li xing shi (1954)
102 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Director: Kung-Leung Yeung | Stars: Kam-Tong Chan, Pik-Wan Tang, Bik-Ying Cheng, Biu Chan
Votes: 12
aka The Voyage of the Dead or literally Ten Thousand Mile Corpse Journey
One of the earliest Chinese Hopping Vampire films. There are vampire films dating back to the 30s that use the characters 殭屍 but information on them is limited and the only earlier film that seem to contain jiangshi is 1940's Dr Li and the Mummy (which certainly shows one on the poster)
The Voyage of the Dead is certainly the earliest one to get a home media release (a VCD with no English subtitles), which suggests it is almost definitely the oldest surviving print.
In the Voyage of the Dead we see a Taoist priest herding his moderately animated charges across country. When he stops for the night we find out one of the jiangshi has a mind of its own, leading us off into a revenge story with a long flashback, a few musical numbers, some slapstick and a bit of action (something for everyone). The undead only reappear 15 minutes from the end and only really become an important part of the story in some of the final scenes (where it is apparently revealed that they are all fake or, at some point they were replaced by living people - it is a bit difficult to tell as the lack of subtitles make the lengthy exposition impenetrable). So if you are looking for a film with the general formula present then this is it, but if you are looking for one where this plays a central role you'll need to keep searching.
NB: There is a 1939 film with the same title, Wanli Xingshi (1939), but that, despite the title, has more of a zombie.
4. Xiang xi gan shi ji (1957)
Horror
Director: Tian-Lin Wang | Stars: Ching Chung, Peter Chen Hou, Yi-Ming Chang, Yu-Hsin Chen
aka Corpse-Drivers of Xiangxi
According to Ng Ho's study of jiang shi films: "It dealt with groups of smugglers who used corpses as hiding repositories to smuggle illicit drugs," which is about all I can find out about the film's plot. This kind of "Scooby Doo scenario," where criminals use the CHV as cover for their wrongdoing, is common in these early CHV films (and they'd have got away with it is it hadn't been for those pesky kids).
5. Shi bian (1958)
80 min | Horror
Directors: Hung Yin, Shilin Zhu | Stars: Chuan-Chuan Chen, Yuen Kao, Hua Jiang, Fan Ping
aka The Living Corpse
This was shown at Haunted Screen: Hong Kong Ghost Films (21.11.12) and it got a little write-up:
Famed director Zhu Shilin tries his hand at a horror film! The beginning of The Living Corpse immediately sets the tone with a folk duet clearly inspired by the popular 1956 musical Songs of the Peach Blossom River . The duet, in addition to Zhu’s frequent use of long, empty shots and crisp editing, gives this horror film a traditional poetic charm and a strong folk flavor. Mise-en-scene and sound effects create a terrifying atmosphere, and successfully communicate the ghostliness of a world without ghosts. Gradually, the drug trafficking operation disguised as corpse driving, and the Taoist priest’s sanctimonious and mystifying behavior are exposed as hoaxes. What makes Zhu’s film stand out is its successful blending of sound and image to create an atmosphere both horrifying and folkloric.
It sounds well worth a watch and a decent print still exists, it is a shame there is no home media release.
6. Li gui yuan chou (1959)
120 min
Director: Sun-Fung Lee | Stars: Yanfen Fang, Fung Fung, Ching Lee, Wo Li
aka The Beautiful Ghost's Grievance
Only a brief appearance.
Also available on VCD
aka Zombie in a Haunted House
In because of "jiang shi", pending further investigation. There is a plot synopsis which suggests it is another Scooby Doo scenario, but doesn't reveal the nature of the "zombie":
http://www.abandomoviez.net/db/pelicula.php?film=27435
8. Gu zhi se lang (1975)
Drama, Horror
The Haunted House: Two friends are challenged by a third to stay overnight in a haunted house. They each secretly plot against each to other to scare the others and all three are eventually... See full summary »
Director: Chih-Hung Kuei | Stars: Dana, Feng Erh, Li-Jen Ho, Wei Hong
Votes: 43
aka Fearful Interlude
Apparently an anthology of three parts: "The Haunted House," "The Cold Skeleton" and "A Wolf of Ancient Times."
9. Ba da men pai (1976)
78 min | Action, Adventure
Rescued from his house as a child and sent to the Shaolin Temple, Chu Shiao Chieh learns the martial arts and the virtues of patience and mercy. Upon reaching manhood, Chu sets out to ... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Kuo | Stars: Carter Wong, Chun-Erh Lung, Fei-Lung Huang, Ling Chia
Votes: 208
Carter Wong's character's father was a bit of cad defeating people in dishonourable ways or simply running from fights, which have left eight disgruntled masters looking for revenge against his son. He fights his way through to the eighth master who has set-up a number of traps, including four black-clad, kung fu jiang shi with knives for hands (some of the nastiest hopping vampires you are likely to see). They are only in the film for a few minutes, so don't watch them film for them, watch if because it is a top-notch old skool kung fu movie.
10. The Shaolin Brothers (1977)
90 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Complicated mix of Chinese history and myth, where old Shaolin friends find themselves on different sides, one a Ching general, and the other faithful to Ming. Deception is used as well as ... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Kuo | Stars: Carter Wong, Chun-Erh Lung, Pao-Shan Chang, Shu-Tsai Chang
Votes: 72
No messing around here, the film opens with CHV and a voiceover describing the how the "corpse escorts" (usually Toaist priests, naturally) would return the dead back to Xiangxi under their own power "rather like the zombie of the West Indies." The film shows how some people of the Ming dynasty used this practice to escape from the Chings, which is a twist on the usual Scooby Doo scenario, especially as some of the CHVs are real or are they? There are so many unnamed people running around it is unclear - some of the jiang shi certainly display supernatural powers (flying around and disappearing midhop) but they are then revealed to be people... all very confusing and I doubt a rewatch is going to help much.
11. The Spiritual Boxer, Part II (1979)
97 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Acclaimed director Liu Chia-liang directs his brothers Gordon Liu Chia-hui and Liu Chia-yung in a wild and crazy ghostly film in this heralded sequel to The Spiritual Boxer.
Director: Chia-Liang Liu | Stars: Yue Wong, Cecilia Wong, Chia-Hui Liu, Chia-Yung Liu
Votes: 140
aka The Shadow Boxing
O'Brien (page 16) says: "According to Stephen Teo [author of Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions], Spiritual Boxer II is also the first Hong Kong film to feature a hopping corpse - or kyonsi." Which is clearly not the fact.
12. Encounter of the Spooky Kind (1980)
R | 102 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A rickshaw driver's wife and his rich client are secret lovers, and they decide to get rid of him without being implicated, so they hire a powerful sorcerer to kill him, but the sorcerer's colleague intervenes to protect him.
Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung | Stars: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Fat Chung, Lung Chan, Ha Huang
Votes: 2,772
aka Spooky Encounters or Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind
The film that really paved the way for Mr Vampire, which was built on the success of this film.
13. Gong Fu Huang Di (1981)
92 min | Action
The 4th son of the emperor fights to become the next emperor with the help of the people and of course Kung fu
Director: Hsueh-Li Pao | Stars: Lung Ti, Szu Shih, Tao Chang, Kuan Tai Chen
Votes: 52
The emperor is getting old but he has been lucky enough to sire 14 (yes fourteen) sons from 14 different mothers. All sorts of palace intrigue ensues and #9 is killed, so #4 (the ninja from the title) goes out into the world. There he meets a number of rogues, some of whom he convinces to return to the palace with him when the emperor is on his death bed. He contemplates three disguises, the middle of which is they all pretend to be a Taoist monk and his hopping charges who turn up and terrify the palace guards - all over in 30 seconds but worth a mention.
14. Fantasy Mission Force (1983)
R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A force of loners and fighters is put together to try and rescue Generals that are captured by the Japanese and save the war effort with the promise of gold and/or pardons of past crimes.
Director: Yen-Ping Chu | Stars: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Jimmy Wang Yu, Yueh Sun
Votes: 1,999
aka Fantasy Mission Force
A film that seems to deliberately go out of its way to not make any sense - it is WWII and the Japanese are invading Canada across the North Pole and manage to capture the commander of the American forces: Abraham Lincoln. Rejecting James Bond, Rocky and Snake Plissken (presumably on legal grounds) they recruit Jimmy Wang Yu (presumably on the grounds that he always manages to beat the Japanese in 80% of his films). So it really comes as no surprise when they throw in Chinese hopping vampires for good measure, pity they didn't have Lam Ching-Ying on hand to sort them out. They are only in it for 5 minutes or so in a haunted house part of the film but well worth a mention, especially as it is an example from the early wave before Mr Vampire really broke the genre to the wider audience.
15. Kid from Kwang Tung (1982)
R | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Novice director Hsu Hsia and three other kung-fu designers created this fight-filled tale of young rascal Wang Yu, caught between master martial arts actor Jen Shih-kuan and the incredible Huang Cheng-li.
Director: Hsia Hsu | Stars: Yue Wong, Jeong-lee Hwang, Kam Cheung, Pan Pan Yeung
Votes: 114
aka Kid from Kwangtung
16. Ninja: The Violent Sorceror (1982)
90 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
A murderer, with the help of Chinese vampires, does battle with the ghost of a dead gambling lord's wife and the gambling lord's living brother.
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Simon Reed, Harry Carter, Henry Steele, Joe Nelson
Votes: 108
17. Wolf Devil Woman (1982)
85 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
A woman who was raised by wolves seeks revenge on Red Devil, the villain who ordered the murder of her parents.
Director: Ling Chang | Stars: Ling Chang, Feng Shih, Yu-Hsiang Chang, Hsing-Nan Ho
Votes: 191
aka Wolf Devil Woman or Wolfen Queen
18. Fei xiang guo he (1983)
93 min | Action, Drama
Ah-fei and Dragon, students under the brother kung-fu masters Shorty and Uncle, are sent to clear the ghosts out of a haunted house. After a brief search, they soon find that the "ghosts" ... See full summary »
Director: Wilson Tong | Stars: Norman Chu, Emily Chu, Yi-Hsiung Chi, Yun-Kin Chow
Votes: 47
aka Gods of Wu Tang
19. The Trail (1983)
87 min | Adventure, Comedy, Horror
A gang of opium smugglers, disguised as Taoist Priests transporting hopping corpses, are hired to transport a real dead body to it's final resting place.
Director: Ronny Yu | Stars: Anthony Chan, Fu-Hsiung Cheng, Kent Cheng, Mung-ha Cheung
Votes: 283
aka The Trail
20. Revenge of the Drunken Master (1984)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action
Accidentally discovering the operations of the Blood Ninja gangsters, a mischievous young man masters the skills of the Drunk Fist and proceeds to fight against them. But the gangsters join... See full summary »
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Wang Dae-wi, Yeong-il Kim, Jang Il-shik, Wang Sao
Votes: 177
The Drunken Kid is on the run and happens to escape from the storm in a building occupied by a hopping vampire who has glowing red hands and a decent grasp of kung fu to boot. He happens to be wearing a wig and can talk, so DK hits him up with some drunken acupuncture which leaves the fake jiang shi giggling and at the mercy of the white-clad rapist. Who, luckily, concludes he is an escaped lunatic and leaves him alone. Only a 5 minute scene. Another one not worth picking up for just that appearance or really for the rest of the film which is an undemanding early Godfrey Ho (before he started cut and pasting films together).
21. Shui xu wai zhuan (1984)
Adventure
Director: Peng Tien | Stars: Peng Tien, Ka-Yan Leung, Chie-Wen Lin, Jason Piao Pai
Votes: 9
aka Legend of All Men are Brother (released on a Wu Tang DVD as Secret of the Water Technique)
22. Chi gui xian (1984)
Comedy
Director: Henry Chow | Stars: Agnes Chan, Mang-Ha Cheng, Kam Cheung, Yue-Fan Cheung
aka Mixed Up
23. Mr. Vampire (1985)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
The planned reburial of a town elder goes awry as the corpse resurrects into a hopping, bloodthirsty vampire, targeting everyone responsible for digging the grave. A Taoist Priest and his two disciples attempt to stop the terror.
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-Ho Chin, Ricky Hui, Moon Lee
Votes: 4,630
aka Mr Vampire
24. Dragon Against Vampire (1985)
Not Rated | 82 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Black Dragon wields his evil menace, and nobody knows who or what he is until he begins to leave a trail of blood and horror that proves to all that he's a vampire preying on virgins. ... See full summary »
Director: Lionel Leung | Stars: Jin-Hwa Jeong, Carrie Lee, Martin Kim, Robin See
Votes: 107
25. Hello Dracula (1985)
91 min | Comedy, Horror
The master of a traveling acrobatic squad is bitten off, and gets, a hopping vampire. When he begins to terrorize the city, uses Grandpa and Tien Tien master students as bait, so ghostly warriors, to eventually capture the creature.
Director: Chung-Hsing Chao | Stars: Tu Chin, Chung-Yu Huang, Shadow Liu, Chi-Chiang Chen
Votes: 45
26. Mr. Vampire II (1986)
89 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Modern grave robbing "archeologists" find perfectly preserved specimens from the past of a man, a woman, and their child. Unbeknownst to the scientist and his two bumbling assistants, these... See full summary »
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Biao Yuen, Fat Chung, Billy Lau
Votes: 911
aka Mr Vampire II
27. New Mr. Vampire (1986)
84 min | Comedy, Horror
A Hopping Ghost terrorizes a local warlord causing the local Tao Priest to compete for his services to rid the town of the menace.
Director: Billy Chan | Stars: Fong Lui, Siu-Ho Chin, Siu-Fung Wong, Fat Chung
Votes: 115
aka New Mr Vampire
Not an actual sequel.
28. The Funny Vampire (1986)
Comedy, Horror
Director: Kuo-Hsiao Wu | Stars: Yuet-Sang Chin, Allen Hai-Han Lan, Ha Huang, Jack Long
Votes: 17
aka New Mr Vampire II
Not much information on this.
29. Mao shan xiao tang (1986)
88 min | Adventure, Comedy, Horror
An un-superstitious mayor has his beliefs challenged when an ancient emperor rises from the grave and causes chaos.
Director: Ying Wong | Stars: Ho-Kwong Tang, Te-Lo Mai, Charlie Cho, Suk-yin Chong
Votes: 46
aka The First Vampire in China
31. Kong-Fu Wonder Child (1986)
90 min | Action, Fantasy
A clan leader's spirit essence is captured by an evil wizard and it's up to the Kung fu Wonder Child and her friends to save the day.
Director: Tso Nam Lee | Stars: Hsiao-Lao Lin, Yukari Ôshima, Shan Charng, Jack Long
Votes: 87
32. The Close Encounters of Vampire (1986)
72 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A small town is plagued by a hopping Chinese vampire. A clumsy traveling warrior becomes aware of the vampire's sinister presence however the skeptical locals and their arrogant Taoist ... See full summary »
Director: Woo-Ping Yuen | Stars: Tung-Chuan Cheng, Kao-Shan Hsiao, Bo-yan Hui, Chok-wai Lee
Votes: 51
33. Abracadabra (1986)
86 min | Comedy, Horror
Cecil and her cousin owns a boutique. They find out that the boutique used to be a theater which burned down 30 years ago. Tao, one of the spirits, has to seek revenge on the person who caused the accident.
Director: Tai-Kit Mak | Stars: Ann Bridgewater, Charine Chan, Kuei-Ying Hsu, Mark Cheng
Votes: 69
I'm pretty sure this is the same film as Abracadabra - see the forum on this thread for discussion.
aka Abracadabra
34. Yin yang qi bin (1986)
Action, Comedy
When a Manchu prince named Kao is killed by his nemesis after 14 years of hiding, his young orphan friend and prodigy becomes allies with two strange sorcerers who teach him their craft in order to obtain revenge.
Director: Chi-Hwa Chen | Stars: Hao-Yi Liu, Yat-Chor Yuen, Ching Cheng, Jeong-suk Guk
Votes: 36
35. Mr. Vampire Part 3 (1987)
93 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Expelled by a band of restless ghosts in his village, Taoist Priest Mao Ming, and his two spirit companions, visit another village to seek wealth. There, Ming meets Master Gau, the "Vampire... See full summary »
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Richard Ng, Billy Lau, Fong Lui
Votes: 756
aka Mr Vampire III
36. Aloha, the Little Vampire (1987)
91 min | Comedy
A young vampire boy embarrassed by his uncles' attempts to seduce his mother runs away from home.
Director: Yan-Chien Chuang | Stars: Yan-Ru Chen, Shan Charng, Hai-Hsing Li, Shue-Wen Ma
Votes: 11
37. Jiang shi shao ye (1986)
87 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A Taoist priest makes his living as a corpse and vampire wrangler. As a pet he keeps a baby vampire who helps him with his work. An evil sorcerer from Spear Mountain needs the little ... See full summary »
Director: Bing-chi Liu | Stars: Ralph Chen, Fang-ling Chi, Chi-Chi Hsiao, Chi-chi Hsiao
Votes: 57
aka Corpse Master or Magic Story or Young Master Vampire
38. Devil's Dynamite (1987)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Horror
Martial-arts expert, Alex, the fearless "Shadow Warrior" battles an army of blood thirsty vampires to stop a huge smuggling ring. He fights to destroy the operation, using all his warrior skills.
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Mick Stuart, Walter Bond, Richard Phillips, Ted Wald
Votes: 244
39. Ha luo jiang shi (1987)
87 min | Adventure, Horror
A priest, a nun and a showman sneaks into the morgue and sees a dancing vampire and catches it. It all lead to an assault and abduction of Tien Tien.
Director: Shi-Chen Wang | Stars: Shadow Liu, An An, Chih-Han Liu, Tu Chin
Votes: 25
aka Hello Dracula 2
43. Jiang shi zhuo yao (1988)
Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Director: Ricky Lau | Star: Sally Yeh
Votes: 25
aka Vampire Strikes Back or Labyrinth of Death or Chess Boxing Matrix
44. Mr. Vampire Saga IV (1988)
96 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A Taoist Priest isn't happy when his Buddhist Priest colleague moves in next door. They are subject to feuds and duels, but soon must overcome their problems when a vampire breaks loose from his coffin and wreaks havoc to the countryside.
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Anthony Chan, Wu Ma, Kar Lok Chin, Loletta Lee
Votes: 584
aka Mr Vampire IV
45. You huan dao shi 3 (1988)
Comedy, Horror
Grandfather meets his match when he meets Master Flying Squirrel who captures Grandpa and transforms him into a ghost slave. Tien Tien turns to grandfathers old classmate to defeat the Flying Squirrel and absolve grandfather.
Director: Yan-Wen Chou | Stars: An An, Chi-Chiang Chen, Tu Chin, Chung-Yu Huang
Votes: 12
Hello Dracula 3
46. Hai zi wang (I) (1988)
93 min | Adventure, Horror
The story begins when Tien Tien is about to be born. Her father was fighting the demon who has stolen lots of children. Her mother is killed and her father has taken up the fight.
Directors: Chun-Liang Chen, Yang-Ming Tsai | Stars: Chu-Ko Liang, Hsiao-Lao Lin, An An, Hsiao-Mei Chang
Votes: 24
Hello Dracula 4
47. Robo Vampire (1988)
Not Rated | 90 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Narcotics agent Tom Wilde is given a second chance at life after being shot and killed. In a futuristic experiment, agent Wilde is returned to life as an Android Robot and he is sent on a very dangerous mission.
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Robin Mackay, Nian Watts, Harry Myles, Joe Browne
Votes: 1,495
Cobbled together using footage from the Thai film Paa Lohgan (1984).
48. The Vampire Raiders (1988)
86 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
The fate of the entire hotel industry is at stake. A group of evil black ninjas have threatened to insinuate themselves into the industry, take over, and transform the operation into something unspeakable.
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Deborah Grant, Sing-Kwong Tsang, Chien Sun, Louis Roth
Votes: 105
49. Gui gan chuan (1988)
Comedy, Horror
Director: Lau Chan | Stars: Lung Chen, Yue-Ju Chen, Yuen-Man Cheng, Fat Chung
The Vampire Partner
51. Syupeo Hong Gil-dong (1988)
83 min | Action, Comedy
Hong Kil-dong, Man-bok and Ga-ran team up to take on the marauding warrior Wang Jun-won and his barbarian army.
Directors: Myeong-hwa Jo, Cheong-gi Kim | Stars: Hyung-rae Shim, Ju-ri Lee, Jeong-Hwan Kook, Pal Jang
Votes: 15
CHV make an appearance.
52. Jiang shi dou wu shi (1988)
Action, Horror
Director: Siu-Lung Leung | Stars: Wai-To Chan, Yuen-Man Cheng, Hsin-Nan Hung, Siu-Lung Leung
aka Vampire vs Sorcerer
Not much information on this.
53. Vampire vs. Vampire (1989)
88 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A priest discovers that the water supply in his village has been contaminated by bats, and while in the process of digging a well to find new water supply, he inadvertently unearths the corpse of an evil Western priest.
Director: Ching-Ying Lam | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-Ho Chin, Fong Lui, Maria Cordero
Votes: 568
aka Vampire vs. Vampire or One Eyebrow Priest (and, apparently New Mr Vampire 2, but this is the name of another film, above, O'Brien page 74 gives all three names for this film - very confusing).
54. The Vampire Is Still Alive (1989)
90 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Joyce rents an old haunted home to pen her horror script, which releases an evil army of robot vampires, a knife-wielding demon and a battalion of otherworldly creatures.
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Sorapong Chatree, Chin-Hung Fan, Siu-Ming To, Hsing-Kuang Tseng
Votes: 140
aka Counter Destroyer
Uses footage from Thai film Nak Kha Khon Taa Ngon (1982).
55. The 3-D Army (1989)
90 min
An evil sorcerer traps a young hopping zombie and his friend with magic. He later tries to raise an army of zombies to help carry out his nefarious schemes. It is up to a few heroes to try ... See full summary »
Director: Chun-Liang Chen | Stars: An An, Chi-Chiang Chen, Chi-Kuang Chen, Sung-Young Chen
Votes: 17
56. Spirit vs. Zombi (1988)
91 min | Adventure, Horror
Director: Chi-Wei Yu | Stars: Hui-Chun Chen, Chu-Chiu Yuan, Feng Ku, Shen Yuen
Votes: 11
aka Spirit vs Zombie
Not seen yet, so it is included on name grounds only.
57. Young-guwa daengchili (1989)
97 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Bumbling simpleton Yeong-koo must seek the help of a monk to dispel ghosts and demons.
Director: Ki-nam Nam | Stars: Hyung-rae Shim, Hak-rae Kim, Seung-dae Park
Votes: 38
58. Oigyeingwa kongkong gangshi (1989)
80 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Action
A UFO arrives on Earth and re-animates the corpses in a cemetery. One of the zombies, a little girl who died during a kidnapping attempt, organizes the zombies to destroy her murderers ... See full summary »
Director: Seung-ho Ahn | Stars: Myeong-hie Kim, Seong-yeong Hong, Byeong-han Yu, Won-rae No
Votes: 17
South Korean effort.
59. The Jitters (1989)
R | 80 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A rich Chinatown merchant is murdered by a street gang. The merchant's son and assistant bring him back to life as a vampire, and he and other vampires fight the street gang.
Director: John Fasano | Stars: Sal Viviano, Marilyn Tokuda, Randy Atmadja, James Hong
Votes: 225
US jiang shi film
60. Encounter of the Spooky Kind II (1989)
100 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Impoverished teahouse worker (and martial-arts student) Abao is engaged to his boss' daughter, Little Chu, and fights to protect her from the lecherous advances of the wealthy but repulsive... See full summary »
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ching-Ying Lam, Hoi Mang, Ha Huang
Votes: 465
61. Yi mei dao gu (1990)
86 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
After four vampires invaded a police camp, Tutor Chan and Officer Tong recruited 9 student cops who were born in Year of Dragon, in order to train them to array the position of Nine Dragon ... See full summary »
Director: Chi-Hwa Chen | Stars: Yuen-Man Cheng, Charlie Cho, Mou-Chou Huang, Eddy Ko
Votes: 45
aka Vampires Settle on the Police Camp
62. Mortuary Blues (1990)
92 min | Comedy, Horror
The rays of the moon bring a coven of female zombies back to life. A special police squad is assigned to stop them.
Director: Jeffrey Lau | Stars: Corey Yuen, Sandra Kwan Yue Ng, Lowell Lo, Sheila Chan
Votes: 181
aka Mortuary Blues
63. The Ultimate Vampire (1991)
88 min | Comedy, Horror
"Vampire Buster" Lam Ching-Ying returns as Master Gao in this vampire-filled adventure. Here, he joins forces with his colleagues in ridding their village of restless ghosts, Chinese ... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Siu-Ho Chin, Ronald Wong, Carrie Ng
Votes: 193
aka The Ultimate Vampire
64. Crazy Safari (1991)
96 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Two guys, one of them a magician, are transporting an ancient Chinese vampire who can only be controlled by a series of yellow tapes and is the ancestor of the other man. On the way, their ... See full summary »
Director: Billy Chan | Stars: N!xau, Ching-Ying Lam, Sam Christopher Chow, Lung Chan
Votes: 1,279
aka Crazy Safari or The Gods Must Be Crazy III
65. Vampire Kids (1990)
85 min | Comedy, Horror
A tourist group is forced by an accident to stay at a deserted village. The travelers discover a big diamond and steal it. Unfortunately, the diamond is cursed and enables a monster to gain... See full summary »
Directors: Sau Hin Ha, Keith Li | Stars: Billy Lau, Sandra Kwan Yue Ng, Fui-On Shing, Frankie Chi-Leung Chan
Votes: 76
aka Vampire Kids
66. Devil's Vendetta (1991)
96 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Two rival Taoist schools, one all-female, the other one all-male, have to ally to fight a demon as one of the priestesses is unaware that she's the daughter of the demon and has to lose her virginity to avoid turning into a demon herself.
Director: Hoi-Ching Cheung | Stars: Sharla Cheung, Vivian Chow, Mondi Yau, Yin Szema
Votes: 89
67. Who Cares (1989)
94 min | Action, Horror
Tough female cops tussle with Hong Kong Triad societies and also a recently resurrected hopping vampire.
Director: Chiu-Jun Lee | Stars: Sibelle Hu, Kara Wai, Ging-Jun Wong, Dick Wei
Votes: 38
68. Thunder Ninja Kids: The Hunt for the Devil Boxer (1991)
90 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
All Satan needs to enslave the souls of all mankind is the Sacred Sword which is kept by Master William and his son Falcon. The Thunder Ninja Kids battle Satan and his ghouls, and with the ... See full summary »
Director: Godfrey Ho | Stars: Billy Cheung, Sophia Crawford, David Frank Hallet, Mark Houghton
Votes: 61
Uses footage from The Aliens and Kong Kong Zombie (listed above).
69. Gui nu lang zi (1992)
90 min | Comedy, Horror
May has to, in order to reincarnate to an honorable situation, keep remaining a virgin for three lifetimes. But the evil witch has other ideas.
Director: Kuan-Wu Lung | Stars: Wai Lam, Ben Lam, Ji Chin, Cheng Ku
Votes: 15
aka Ghost Bride
70. Mr. Vampire 1992 (1992)
88 min | Horror
Master Lam and his two disciples must battle a horde of Chinese vampires in order to get the teeth dust needed to cure an ailing general. Meanwhile, the general's wife is pregnant, and the ... See full summary »
Director: Ricky Lau | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Ricky Hui, Siu-Ho Chin, Billy Lau
Votes: 316
aka Chinese Vampire Story or Mr Vampire 1992
71. The Musical Vampire (1992)
90 min | Horror, Comedy
A crazy white scientist resurrects a corpse with a werid chemical creating a super hopping ghost. The only thing that can somewhat control it is the sound of music. A Tao Priest and his two... See full summary »
Director: Wilson Tong | Stars: Stanley Sui-Fan Fung, Dickson Ga-Sing Lee, Xin Xin Xiong, Loletta Lee
Votes: 113
aka The Musical Vampire
72. The Pretty Ghostress Story (1992)
A young man gets involved with a female ghost. He finds himself caught in the middle of a fight between a monk and The King of Hell.
Director: Lu-Po Tu | Stars: Benjamin Chan, Charlie Cho, Fat Chung, Hsing Pan
Votes: 6
aka Pretty Ghostress Story
73. Exorcist Master (1992)
91 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
When a Catholic church in a small Chinese town falls prey to an evil combing the powers of Western and Chinese vampires, Taoist priest Uncle Nine (Lam Ching Ying) and Catholic priest Wu (Wu... See full summary »
Director: Wu Ma | Stars: Ching-Ying Lam, Wu Ma, Collin Chou, Wing-Cho Yip
Votes: 232
aka Exorcist Master
74. A Man of Nasty Spirit (1993)
92 min | Fantasy, Thriller
Director: Chun-Liang Chen | Stars: Pauline Chan, Chui Lan Chan, Chung-Kun Teng, Kuan-Wu Lung
Votes: 28
aka A Man of Nasty Spirit
75. The Demon's Baby (1998)
85 min | Horror, Romance
When an ancient treasure is violated by a military general, each of his concubines becomes pregnant with a demonic baby. A rogue priest and a chef must try and kill the demons before they can infest the entire world.
Director: Kant Leung | Stars: Emotion Cheung, Annie Wu, Elvis Tsui, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
Votes: 192
aka The Demon's Baby
76. My Date with a Vampire (1998– )
Action, Drama, Horror
Fong, a Chinese rebel, and K. Yamamoto, a Japanese major, have been enemies since World War II. Both of them were bitten by the Vampire king and became immortal. Their fight continues in modern Hong Kong.
Stars: Alice Chan, Kenneth Chan, Pinky Cheung, Philip Keung
Votes: 105
aka My Date with a Vampire
Although LCY's Vampire Expert isn't listed on IMDB, this sort of sequel is.
77. Ngo wo geun see yau gor yue wui II (2000– )
60 min | Action, Romance, Sci-Fi
Stars: Kenneth Chan, Angie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, Belinda Hamnett
Votes: 67
aka My Date with a Vampire 2
78. Vampire Controller (2001)
91 min | Horror
Director: Hung-Wah Leung | Stars: Gallen Lo, Kathy Chow, Yee-Man Man, Yiu-Cheung Lai
Votes: 52
aka Vampire Controller
79. Kung Fu Vampire Killers (2001 Video)
92 min | Comedy, Horror
The DNA samples Lucy needs to finish her thesis don't arrive, so she's stuck - unless she can find a DVA sample from a 100 year old Chinese corpse. She persuades her flatmates to visit the ... See full summary »
Director: Phil Davison | Stars: Katherine Beresford, Ellie Swann, Vincent Wong-Ming, Aaron Orr
Votes: 21
Chinese Hopping Vampires in New Zealand.
80. Shao Lin jiang shi (2004)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
The plot thickens as the heroes, Pak and Hak, discover a horrible plan by the evil genius "DR.Magma" as he makes the evil dead come to life and fight the Shaolin monks that have mastered the art of fighting.
Director: Douglas Kung | Stars: Chia-Hui Liu, Siu-Wong Fan, Man Kit Cheung, Xiaohu Shi
Votes: 403
This film just stops, it'd be three years before we'd get the second half - I think some restraint was needed in the planning stages because, despite the talent involved, this really wasn't worth the wait (or people having to buy two DVDs to watch the full film). Worth a watch if you are a jiang shi fan and can get a decent deal on the discs, it shouldn't be your first hopping vampire film.
Also worth noting this isn't Gordon Lui's first appearance in a CHV film - he appeared in the earlier "Shaolin vs Vampire" which isn't listed here or any of the standard reference sites mainly because no one can seem to pin down the production details (or even year of release). It was released in 2008 by Rarescope and on the Gordon Liu: Four Film Collection in 2009, possibly to hop on the coattails of this film.
81. Ngo wo geun see yau gor yue wui III (2004– )
60 min | Action, Romance, Sci-Fi
Stars: Alice Chan, Bo Yuen Chan, Kenneth Chan, Mark Cheng
Votes: 42
aka My Date with a Vampire 3
82. Dragon Reloaded (2005)
101 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Dragon is a cop who has become very successful despite the fact that he's just not that smart or good at his job. Along with his buddies Gold and Hei, Dragon runs his local precinct.
Director: Vincent Kok | Stars: Ronald Cheng, Sam Lee, Tat-Ming Cheung, Miki Yeung
Votes: 160
About 45 minutes in the three incompetent police fire a bowling ball from a cannon and accidentally blow up a tomb. They are then faced with the problem of having to look after the corpse until it can be reburied. They decided to use what they've learnt from watching the Mr Vampire films to get it to do their bidding but, despite getting all the accoutrements, that doesn't work so they use dog training techniques (well they punch it in the gut), which seems to work. However, when they try and train it for bomb disposal (as he is already dead) the corpse calls a halt to the shenanigans and reveals himself to be Tomb Razor (a male Lara Croft). Only a relatively short segment but worth a mention, especially as they specifically namecheck Mr Vampire.
83. Shen you qing ren (2006)
102 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Director: Yi-Wen Chen | Stars: Rena Tanaka, Chen Bo-lin, Ren Ôsugi, Li-Wei Chang
Votes: 515
According to the JHMD: "In Taiwan, present day, Shaodea a japanese girl goes beyond the time and space to the fantastic world where Jiang Shi (chinese living dead or vampire) lives."
84. Shaolin vs. Evil Dead: Ultimate Power (2007)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Less a sequel than a prequel, it's more zombies and vampires in this highly anticipated sequel to SHAOLIN VS. EVIL DEAD.
Director: Douglas Kung | Stars: Siu-Wong Fan, Marsha Yuen, Siu-Ming Lau, Man Kit Cheung
Votes: 121
The second half of Shaolin vs Evil Dead, three years after the first half.
85. Gyonshi (2007)
Horror
Gyonshi is a flashback to the creature movies of the 1980's. It's a story about two college kids Jimmy (Adrian Zaw) and Matt (Chris Beard) and how they get tangled up in releasing an ... See full summary »
Director: Previn Wong | Stars: Roslyn Amparo, Chris Beard, Valerie Bouronche, Jack Chu
I'm not sure how you'd get to see this, but I'll keep digging.
86. The Vampire Who Admires Me (2008)
99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Director: Cub Chien | Stars: J.J. Jia, Natalie Yao Meng, Ankie Beilke, Man-Kwan Lee
Votes: 66
aka The Vampire Who Admires Me
Sounds pretty bad, so it is low down on my to watch list (although if the DVD used this as its cover I'd buy it), so I'll leave it to this review to its explain inclusion, at least until I get desperate for new films and watch this:
"Thanks to some backstory involving King's ancestors, the island is about to get undead-infested, and Macy's Sixth Sense abilities may help some - though not all - of the characters survive the upcoming bad times. A mysterious attack from a vampire leads to an undead outbreak, though it should be noted that the resulting undead are more like zombies than vampires. They stumble around, thirst for human flesh, and generally look like they're rotting to pieces. King's great-grandfather is definitely a vampire though, namely one of those hopping types seen in many classic HK horror-comedies. Chien effectively portrays his lead vampire during its few scenes; his version of the classic Chinese hopping vampire is stronger and more powerful than ones seen in movies past, and yet it still hops around in an amusing manner."
87. Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg (2009)
102 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
The movie is about a soldier robot questioning why humans created them. While the other robot is loyal to humans and sacrificed himself to defeat the robot who is hell bent to destroy humans.
Director: Jeffrey Lau | Stars: Jun Hu, Li Sun, Lik-Sun Fong, Wei Gan
Votes: 524
Includes a giant robot hopping vampire, which is worthy of mention.
88. God of Vampires (2010)
Not Rated | 144 min | Horror
Professional killer, Frank Ng, contracted to murder a Chinese crime lord, discovers the crime boss is a Chinese vampire. Frank strikes out in a final battle against the Kiang-Shi and his minions of the dark.
Director: Rob Fitz | Stars: Dharma Lim, Shyaporn Theerakulstit, Ben Wang, Jayson Argento
Votes: 142 | Gross: $0.06M
Cool as ice killer Frank Ng disturbs a master vampire while carrying out a contract and it sends its minions after him, killing everyone he meets until he decides to fight back. The chief fangboy wanders around and can speak but his minions, somewhere between zombies and jiang shi, are close enough to the hopping variety to count (one even gives a few hops a go), plus the usual apotropaics (like the yellow paper "death certificates") and defences (holding your breath) all work on them, their boss requires something a little special (or slightly more heavy duty).
Although there are problems with the sound and lighting in quite a few scenes, the film does manage to triumph over what I assume wasn't a huge budget - they have an excellent main character with good support (all the actors put in decent, if a little variable performances), there is a lot of gore, some nice dashes of black humour that actually work and they introduce some nifty innovations which other jiang shi films might have to take on board (printer and stapler, that's all I'll say). So as you are reading this list, it might be worth adding this to your watchlist.
89. Hao hao! jiang shi girl tokyo denshidai senki (2012– )
30 min | Comedy, Horror
Stars: Shoji Koganezawa, Umika Kawashima, Uki Satake, Sayaka Nishiwaki
90. Rigor Mortis (2013)
Not Rated | 103 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
A public housing tenement is plunged into a dark storm of supernatural chaos.
Director: Juno Mak | Stars: Siu-Ho Chin, Kara Wai, Hee Ching Paw, Anthony Chan
Votes: 6,495
A tribute to Mr Vampire, with some of the last surviving cast members returning.
91. Scarlet Samurai: Incarnation (2013)
R | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
There's something strange happening inside Buffalo Central Terminal. A group of urban explorers find more than they bargained for.
Directors: Tara Cardinal, David R. Williams | Stars: Tara Cardinal, Alicen Holden, Christian Boeving, Patricia M. Dunn
Votes: 54
Original IMDB listing name: Jiang Shi (which you can still see on the
From the preview clips of this, the creature doesn't seem to have the jiang shi characteristics, but they went to the trouble of including it in the title so it'd be rude not to list it.
edit: And now they've changed the title. Hmmm.
92. Vampire Cleanup Department (2017)
93 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Tim Cheung joins the Vampire Cleanup Department which is a secret task force for dealing Chinese vampire Goeng Si. He is instructed by his uncle Chau and he saves a female Goeng Si, Summer from her evil lord Goeng Si who buried alive her.
Directors: Sin-Hang Chiu, Pak-Wing Yan | Stars: Babyjohn Choi, Min Chen Lin, Siu-Ho Chin, Richard Ng
Votes: 1,031
93. Sifu vs. Vampire (2014)
96 min | Action
Sifu Yeun Biao and his team of Vampire Hunters takes on the Vampire King let loose on the streets of Hong Kong.
Director: Daniel Yee Heng Chan | Stars: Michael Chan, Ronald Cheng, Ka-Lun Cheung, Kai-Wai Chun
Votes: 114
94.
What We Do in the Shadows (2019–2024)
Episode:
The Orgy
(2019)
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Tensions run high as the vampires prepare to host the Biannual Vampire Orgy.
Director: Jason Woliner | Stars: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén
Votes: 2,450
95. Night Journey (1996– )
Drama
Stars: Daniel Hiu Tung Chan, Kwok-Keung Cheung, Zhang Xiao Hua, Siu-Wai Mui
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