1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 297: Mr. Zombie Premiere

After the poster of "Mr. Vampire" was released, it initially discouraged a group of timid viewers.

In the full-color poster, Moon Lee is dressed in plain clothes, covering her mouth and nose with a look of fear. Below her, a row of zombies in Qing dynasty official uniforms stretch out their arms. The zombie king, Old Master Ren, is among the zombies, with a green face and fangs.

This is a solo poster dedicated to Moon Lee.

In addition to the four-character title "Mr. Vampire" in black traditional Chinese characters, there is a line of bloody small words next to it:
'Hold your breath and enjoy a zombie feast.'

You may have liked some movies in the past, but after a period of time, you may no longer find them good.

But there are some movies that you may not have watched before, but as you get older, you will find them very positive.

Most of these movies are horror films.

So when the midnight screening data came out, it was found that Mr. Zombie actually did not have a full theater.

When Liu Zhenwei attended the premiere, although he was not in a state of distress, he still felt awkward and nervous.

Zhai Yuan didn't take it seriously and consoled him, "Don't worry, this drama won't fail to gain traction and popularity. Just wait a little longer."

The crew walked into the theater.

As usual, they interacted with the fans for a few words, and then entered the venue when the time came.

in the cinema.

Two advertisements were broadcast first, one for a local jewelry brand and the other for VCDs and CDs produced by Qvod.

During this time, the reporters and film critics sitting in the front row discussed in a low voice.

"The performance of films released in the second half of 2001 didn't seem very good. Aside from 'The Invisible Woman,' which had a back-and-forth with Jiahe, 'Once Upon a Time in China,' which grossed over NT$10 million, was a far cry from the original."

"While the box office was disappointing, the quality of Once Upon a Time in China was still quite good, especially the CD version."

"I'm afraid that Mr. Vampire will also flop. It's fine if it's a horror movie during the Lunar New Year, but even the midnight show wasn't fully booked."

"How about Jiahe's Police Story?"

"It's incredible! Chen Shilong is really taking risks as a director this time. He grabbed the Christmas light pole and jumped down from the building. Sparks and lightning flew all the way. Wow..."

Amid the discussions, the lights dimmed and the screen lit up.

Mr. Vampire opens with a gentle music followed by bursts of childish voices:

'I don't want to look at the bright moon in the sky~I don't want to look at the bright moon in the sky~The bright moon shines, the cold wind blows through the willow alley, it's a female ghost looking for her lover...'

Along with the song "Ghost Bride", the list of main creators appeared in the darkness.

From director Liu Zhenwei, to producer Zhai Yuan, to the leading actors Lin Zhengying and John Lone.

Everyone's name was covered in blood, as if written in fresh blood, gently beating, as if the blood was about to drip off the screen.

This was the first time in Hong Kong film history that computer special effects were used on subtitles.

After just one opening credit, some people in the audience were already rubbing their arms.

"Damn! Why is this song so eerie?"

"Write your name in blood. People born on 1024 don't need to worry about evil spirits!"

"Good luck, don't curse my idol..."

The children's singing of "Ghost Bride" became softer and softer, and then there was a loud "pop" sound, and a low cry came from the audience.

Jump scare is the most commonly used low-level technique in horror movies.

As the screen lit up, Wencai, played by Xu Guanwen, pushed open the heavy wooden door of the charity cemetery, and the first scene of the movie came into view.

There were coffins everywhere in the funeral home, and outside the window there were sounds of wind and barking of wild dogs.

Wencai walked to the incense burner and lit a bundle of incense sticks, then called out to the outside: "Uncles, brothers, and sisters, please come back for dinner~"

What is different from the original film is that the incense burner in this play houses a statue of the founder of Maoshan.

He holds a golden sword in his hand, wears a black tile-beam scarf on his head, and a yellow-green double-breasted robe on his body.

It looks just like the fully armed look of Lin Zhengying in the movie poster.

As Wencai lifted the white veil, rows of zombies dressed in Qing Dynasty official uniforms with yellow paper talismans on their foreheads approached the screen.

The audience was frightened X2.

When Wencai walked to the rows of coffins with incense sticks in his hand and inserted the incense into the gap, a skinny arm stretched out from one of the coffins and grabbed him.

The audience was frightened X3.

Only 3 minutes into the movie.

The audience members all shrank their necks, but the film critics seemed quite calm and even discussed the film when they had time.

"It's a bit like Hong Xinbao's previous dramas "Ghost Fighting Ghost". Is it plagiarism?"

"It's not plagiarism. In shows like 'Skinned Zombies,' 'Zombies Worshiping the Moon,' and 'Flying Zombies' from the 58s and s, zombies were depicted wearing Qing Dynasty official uniforms and wearing yellow talismans. These were later abolished due to feudal superstition. In , director Zhu Ji even remade 'Zombies Worshiping the Moon.' However, if Jiuyi Entertainment can't come up with something new, it's bound to be rehashed."

Reporters nearby took notes after hearing the film critic's comments: "A well-known film critic strongly criticized Zhai Yuan for rehashing leftovers from sixty years ago."

The fourth scary part of the movie comes from Qiu Sheng, played by Zun Long, who wears zombie makeup and plays a prank on Wen Cai.

While playing around, the fellow disciples accidentally knocked off the yellow paper talismans on the foreheads of a group of zombies in the morgue.

The pale zombies opened their eyes instantly and besieged Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai. The scene was like a group of zombies going out of control.

A critical moment.

Lin Zhengying appeared on the stage with a righteous look on his face, accompanied by Liang Xiaolong, who came to play the role of his Maoshan junior brother.

This is also the first time that Liang Xiaolong plays a humorous character.

Lin Zhengying rushed into the charity cemetery and kicked several zombies away with his fists and feet without saying a word. Then he went straight to the ancestral altar to take the Golden Money Sword.

A golden glow shone on the Money Sword.

The first special effects shot in the film appears before the audience.

Seeing this, Liang Xiaolong exclaimed: "Did we alarm the Grandmaster?"

He immediately grabbed Lin Zhengying and said with a wry smile, "Brother, there's no need to trouble you. I can handle my clients myself."

Gold and silver sword, dark black tile-beam scarf, and Bagua double-breasted robe.

Zhai Yuan's Maoshan Three Treasures setting appears in the movie for the first time.

Although it did not play a role, it piqued the audience's curiosity.

After all the zombies were subdued, Liang Xiaolong temporarily withdrew, carrying the soul-guiding flagpole to call the zombies on their way.

Before leaving, he did not forget to scold Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai: "You two friends, you can have fun if you want, but why are you playing with my clients?"

Liang Xiaolong threw out a handful of paper money, rang a bell, and chanted a corpse-driving spell: "The sky is vast, the wilderness is boundless, it's time to go home, line up in a row~"

Every time he rang the bell, the zombies lined up in a column would leap up and disappear into the night with him.

When the audience saw this scene, there were only two words in their minds:

curious.

Speaking of corpse-driving themes alone, Wang Tianlin and Chen Dieyi actually filmed a film called "Xiangxi Corpse-driving" in the 50s, but the content was a crime film that used corpse-driving as a cover-up for the drug dealer's activities.

Few works are like "Mr. Vampire", which realistically shows the audience the magic of "corpse driving" from spells to hand gestures.

This time the reporters didn't write.

Film critics took to their pens to record: a group of supposedly dead people were able to move forward under the command of a strange magic. Every element in this was enough to arouse the audience's curiosity to the greatest extent...

"Hong Xinbao used eggs to subdue the zombies, and Zhai Yuan used talismans to drive the zombies. It was not only innovative but also more visual. He is worthy of being called the King of Bridges."

"For this kind of folk horror, the key is to see who writes it more like a true story. 'Mr. Zombie' does feel more real."

Upon hearing this, the reporter quickly crossed out his previous note and wrote a new one: "A well-known film critic said that in both zombie films, Hong Xinbao is far inferior to Zhai~"

……

The audience continues to watch, and the scene changes to a daytime scene.

There was a sigh of relief in the cinema. There wouldn't be any more ghosts and monsters appearing during the day, right?
Uncle Jiu takes Wencai to a coffee shop to discuss business. Mr. Ren, played by Luo Jiaying, and Ren Tingting, played by Moon Lee, appear one after another.

Among a group of extras dressed in old-fashioned costumes, Ren Tingting's appearance in a pink puffy skirt was as stark a contrast as the Thirteenth Aunt in "Once Upon a Time in China".

Master Ren: "What are you drinking?"

Ren Tingting: "I want coffee."

Master Ren: "Give me more coffee."

Wencai: "I want coffee too!"

Uncle Jiu: "Coffee? Coffee? Ahem! I want coffee too."

Wencai: "Master, I don't want coffee, but I want coffee too, okay?"

Uncle Nine: "There are no rules. Don't change it after you've called me!"

The plot about the master and the disciple being country bumpkins brought more laughter to the theater. Afterwards, Ren Tingting teased the master and the disciple and made them laugh, which further diluted the previous feeling of horror.

When Ren Tingting went to Qiu Sheng's aunt's shop to buy rouge and powder, Qiu Sheng mistook her for a woman from the brothel across the street. When the two people had a misunderstanding during their cross-server conversation, the audience laughed even louder and almost forgot that this was a horror movie.

In this scene, John Lone's Qiu Sheng wore a suit and vest like a front desk waiter, with deep facial features, and played a ruffian look, which caught the eyes of the few female audiences in the theater.

Wang Xiaofeng sat in the back row, holding her chin with a crazy look on her face.

It was only after the final film was edited that Zhai Yuan realized that Zun Long was also adept at playing this kind of little gangster role.

Little Edison Chen.

He turned his head and asked Moon Lee quietly, "Who do you think is better than John Lone or Andy Lau?"

"You're more handsome."

"Hmm? How does that compare to Zhang Guorong?"

"still you."

Zhai Yuan was silent for a moment, then pinched her cheek and asked, "Did you peek at the book 'The Art of Speaking' on my desk?"

……

The story continues.

The rhythm of the movie maintains a lighthearted and scary atmosphere.

After the farce.

Amidst the clear waters and green mountains, Uncle Jiu led Master Ren and his party to hold a grave-moving ceremony.

Lin Zhengying appears for the first time in Taoist robes.

Master Ren: "Uncle Jiu, the Feng Shui master said that this grave site is very difficult to find, and it is a good place to bury it."

Uncle Jiu: "That's right, this hole is called a dragonfly-dipped-water hole. The hole is 34 feet long, but only 4 feet can be used. It's 13 feet wide, but only 3 feet can be used. So the coffin can't be buried flat, it must be buried in a proper way..."

The lines are written in a serious manner.

Zhai Yuan had a dirty mind, and he always felt something was wrong when he heard the noises coming from him.

Fortunately, the audience was innocent and enjoyed watching the show.

A proper burial means burying the coffin upright, like a dragonfly touching the water, and not touching it again. Burying the ancestors upright will ensure prosperity for the descendants...

After the cemetery scene, it continues with the two scenes where Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai go to the cemetery to burn incense for the wandering ghosts, and after returning home they are scolded by Uncle Jiu.

It's also very intimidating.

Paper, pen, ink, sword, ink line, coffin, people turning into bad people are not good enough, corpse turning into zombie is more breath, people are most afraid of three long and two short, incense is most afraid of two short and one long...

The endless stream of seemingly professional terms, coupled with the complex hand gestures and spells performed by Lin Zhengying during the ritual, left the audience stunned.

There are countless rumors about this movie in later generations.

It's similar to the rumor that director Liu Guanwei's uncle was a Maoshan Taoist priest, so he had been interested in this kind of story since he was a child. Later, the screenwriter invited Liu Guanwei's Maoshan uncle to provide on-site guidance. Then it developed into the fact that the "Maoshan Exorcism Secret Book" that Lin Zhengying reads in the film was borrowed from Liu Guanwei's uncle. In the end, it was so outrageous that they simply said that Liu Guanwei himself was a Maoshan Taoist priest...

The reason is that the creators made the story sound too real.

Farce and horror follow one after another.

The plot advances quickly.

Xiaoyu, played by the Ghost Queen Wang Xiaofeng, appears in a sedan chair carried by four men dressed as paper figures, looking eerie and ghostly.

In this scene where the female ghost Xiaoyu seduces Qiu Sheng.

The first half was produced according to the original film, with Wang Xiaofeng and Zun Long contributing the only sex scene in the film on the screen.

In the second half, the plot was re-adapted when Uncle Jiu realized that something was wrong with Qiu Sheng and followed him to the wilderness to rescue him.

Since the filming location has been changed to the mainland, we tried to make the scenes bigger.

Zhai Yuan dug into the material library and transplanted a classic scene from "Mr. Vampire".

Red and white clash.

On the screen, the female ghost Xiaoyu wants to force Qiu Sheng to marry her and hold a ghost marriage with him.

A team of people carrying a sedan chair to pick up the bride came towards them with joyful music playing. In the sedan chair was Xiaoyu, wearing a phoenix crown and a red robe. Her face was pale and her hands were curled up in front of her chest with her nails curled up.

Another funeral procession was dressed in mourning and holding spirit banners. Qiu Sheng in the coffin had a pale face, like a cold corpse.

Uncle Jiu was caught between the two teams and engaged in a fierce battle with the sinister ghosts.

After the storm.

Qiu Sheng wakes up from the coffin.

Qiu Sheng: "How could this happen? Am I dreaming?"

Uncle Nine: "You are possessed by a ghost, you poor boy!"

Qiu Sheng: "Oh! I had thought of this a long time ago, luckily I discovered it too late."

The movie has now entered its second half.

The zombie king, Old Master Ren, drinks rat blood in a cave to practice and develops into a complete form. According to the setting in the film, he wants to kill his loved ones.

The granddaughter Ren Tingting was dressed in plain clothes and was protected by Wencai, while a maid beside her was burning paper money into the stove.

Sharp-eyed viewers noticed that the actress playing the maid was Barbara Yung and began to whisper.

"Mei-ling Weng? No wonder she disappeared after being dumped by Kent Tong. It turns out she went to film in the Mainland."

"Tang Zhenye is really blind. He broke up with a beautiful woman like Aung, but he still chased after Sandra Ng. What a fool!"

"You can't blame Kent Tong entirely. I heard that Barbara Yung had a bad temper. She often threatened to commit suicide before..."

In the corner of the theater, Maggie Cheung wore a mask to cover her face and listened to the whispers in her ears, her eyes never changing much.

During her trip to the mainland, she learned a lot from Wang Xiaofeng. When she thought about her previous suicidal thoughts, she now felt they were childish.

On the screen.

The movie finally reaches the final battle.

Captain Wencai and Captain Awei, who were no longer worthy of their duties, were forced to leave the field one after another.

Uncle Jiu and Qiu Sheng fight against the Zombie King.

The two sides fought back and forth. Wencai attracted the attention of Old Master Ren, and Uncle Jiu swung a Guandao at him from behind. Old Master Ren did not move at all, but instead knocked the two men away.

The audience cheered, "Wow! Even Brother Guan isn't afraid of this ghost, is he that fierce?"

The junior brother played by Liang Xiaolong comes to the rescue.

The three of them combined were still no match for Old Master Ren.

At the last moment, Uncle Jiu finally used the three treasures of Maoshan, and Xuantan knelt down: "Grandmaster, help me!"

(End of this chapter)