Hopping Corpse Films

A strange sub-subgenre of Far Eastern Films are the Hopping Corpse Movies. Although often translated as Hopping Vampires 殭屍 (jiangshi) translates as 'undecomposed corpse'. There is also little actually vampiric about them and they are closer in character to a Revenant.

The films:

There are a number of early films but I can find very little informaiton on them (contact me if you have any):

The Three-Thousand-Year-Old Vampire (1939)

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=383&display_set=eng

Vampires of the Haunted Mansion (1939)

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=367&display_set=eng

Xiang xi gan shi ji / Corpse-Drivers of Xiangxi (1957)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199149/

http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=2460&display_set=eng

The Vengeance of the Vampire (1959)

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=2906&display_set=eng

But it wasn't until the early the 1980s that the genre really took off:

Spiritual Boxing II (1979)

The first of the modern era of hopping corpse films.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079527/

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Spooky Encounters (1980)

This is the film which propelled the subgenre to great prominence kick starting a whole series of films (of variable quality).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080827/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004YZEI/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OW2F/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

The Trail (1981)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083361/

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Yin ji / Kung Fu from Beyond the Grave (1982)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084225/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008RH0V/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008RH0V/revenantmagaz-21

Dragon Against Vampire (1985)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165244/

Mr Vampire (1985)

Lam Ching Ying was in Spooky Encounters but here takes centre stage as the eternal sifu - a role he would return to numerous times before his untimely demise.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089371/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002CR08Q/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000634DO/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Mr Vampire 2 (1986)

imdb.com/title/tt0091293/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000067J0R/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000067J0R/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

The First Vampire in China (1986)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100109/

Vampire Shows His Teeth (1986)

http://www.trashvideo.org/zmdb/view/index.php?page=movie&id=1346&type=movie&mode=Keywords&key=martial%20arts&start=0

Mr Vampire 3 (1987)

After the first film this is largely considered the best of the bunch.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093422/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000095J6F/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000095J6F/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Ultimate Vampire (1987)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093309/

New Mr Vampire / Kung Fu Vampire Buster (1987)

Anoher sequel but not starring Lam.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093308/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QJIR/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QJIR/revenantmagaz-21

Mr Vampire 4 (1988)

Again no Lam.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099881/

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Robo Vampire (1988)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121694/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005YCFL/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005YCFL/revenantmagaz-21

New Mr Vampire 2 / Vampire vs Vampire (1989)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098690/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008V5S7/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008V5S7/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind 2 / Encounter Of The Spooky Kind II (1990)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080828/

The Musical Vampire (1990)

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/reviews.mhtml?id=8621&display_set=eng

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121906/

Crazy Safari / The Gods Must Be Crazy III (1991)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101864/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002TA3YC/wwwrevenantmc-20

Vampire Kids (1991)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102156/

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=7465&display_set=eng

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Mr Vampire 1992 / Mr Vampire 5 (1992)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105857/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008RH0V/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008RH0V/revenantmagaz-21

Exorcist Master (1993)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106841/

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Jumping Corpses (1993)

http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=9420&display_set=eng

http://www.trashvideo.org/zmdb/view/index.php?page=movie&id=1337&type=movie&mode=Date&key=&start=0

Vampire Controller (2001)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302612/

http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/reviews.mhtml?id=8973&display_set=eng

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

The Era of Vampire / Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters (2002)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303970/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000093W4V/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000093W4V/revenantmagaz-21

Shaolin vs Evil Dead (2005)

A serious attempt to recreate the genre - interesting Gordon Lui also starred in the first hopping corpse film "Spiritual Boxing II". You can read my review at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007XG3T2/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007R89YA/revenantmagaz-21

YesAsia (US)

YesAsia (global)

Reading:

Spooky Encounters : A Gwailo's Guide to Hong Kong Horror by Daniel O'Brien

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1900486318/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1900486318/revenantmagaz-21

Sex and Zen & A Bullet in the Head : The Essential Guide to Hong Kong's Mind-bending Films

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684803410/wwwrevenantmc-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684803410/revenantmagaz-21

Links: