The Dead and the Deadly is a 1982 Hong Kong action comedy horror film directed by Wu Ma and staring Sammo Kam-bo Hung, Wu Ma and Ching-Ying Lam. The film follows a fraudsters friend who fakes his death with his wife in on the scheme as the friend suspects foul play and schemes to inspects his friend’s corpse before the burial. The Dead and the Deadly is a great fun funny over the top film that fans of crazy cinema will like.
The direction in the film is good. The film has a classic haunted house set up but done in a great funny over the top way. The film is a great slapstick comedy with one of the characters dressing up as a host to scare the others. The film then shows that the film does contain real zombie ghost vampires showcasing the strong element of Asian mysticism in the film. The film also has good over the top zaniness with the editing of a ghost attack scene. The film for all its wackiness has a decent horror atmosphere to it as the film has a silent comedy film to it. The film is full of Asian identity and mysticism with iconography like temples. This showcase of Asian mysticism used throughout the film as the film constantly showcases traditional Asian beliefs like medicine. The films humour is dump but in the best funniest way possible as the film has great little set piece to it with appear sculptures painted like Asian ghosts as the film has an element of pervy that adds to the comedy. The film is an over-the-top comedy that is hilarious. The film is ultimately a parody of Asian mysticism and anti-mysticism film showcased through the comedy that is shown through unexpected places like loyalty.
The film has great ninja film stunts and martial arts. Asian spirituality is shown throughout the film as shown with aspects like the funeral scene as Ma Lun Chio is turned into an actual ghost as the film becomes a ghost film combined with Asian mysticism. He messes with Wah Li via ghost powers showcasing great slapstick comedy with mysticism is shown with the films spiritual rituals combined with traditional ghost narratives. The film has a good genuine horror atmosphere to it with a great unique use of supernatural Asian mysticism and magic as the film has a great over the top classic hoor tone. The climax of the film is insane. The film ends with the villains being alien look creates in redd robes. The film ends with these creatures awakening as they go after the woman as she fights them off. They then transform into ghosts as the try and get her brother. She then uses Taoist weapons to fight them as they run away as she attacks them and sets them on fire. They agree to give his soul back in exchange for their lives as he awakens in his body a person heel again. This is a crazy over the top b-movie combined with eaten mysticism that is great.
The acting in the film is good. Sammo Kam-Bo Hung does a good job as Wah Li the main character of the film that helps his old master who becomes a ghost. Wu Ma does a good job as Ma Lun Chio the main characters friend that gets killed and becomes a ghost. Ching-ring Lam does a good job as Uncle Lee. Cherie Chung does a good job as Miss Yuen. Fat Chung does a The Priest. Mai Hui Leung does a good job as Lee Yet Ying. Ching Po Chang does a good job as the village head. Lung Chan does a good job as Mao Mao. Chau-Sazng Lau does a good job as Mat Lei. Yet-Sang Chim does a good job as Chin PaTat. Sin-Ming To does a good job as Scholar Yeung.
The writing in the film is good. The film has a classic horror set up with a guy in a haunted place runs to a house were a person spies on him and his girl, as he dresses up as a ghost to scare them as the film does have a cool artificiality to it. A classic horror film is then presented as a real ghost is then summoned and strangles the other two. The film then transitions to protagonist Wah Li who bumps into his friend Lee Yet Ying who has a thing for him, but he doesn’t realise and doesn’t want to marry her as he believes she’s too good for him. As he goes to the temple were the master died and his apprentice ran way with the money as the film feels like a parody of Asian mysticism. The uncle gives the guy a Taoist ceremony and a Taoist grave. The Taoist Ma Lun Chio is seemingly dead with his widow now pregnant as the film then shows a flashback of Wah Li meeting the girl, Jade. Wah Li ultimately suspects something is going on with his wife as she disguises himself as an Asian sculpture to get to the bottom of what is happening. Ma Lun Chio fakes his death as a corpse to steal the families’ riches from Wah Li so him and Wah Li’s wife can be together. A little kid then comically hurts Wah Li who has disguised himself as he suspects someone murdered his friend when he is alive, and he is in on the scam as a lot of the comedy is based on his misguided loyalty.
Wah Li tries to get to the bottom of Ma Lun Chio’s death suspecting foul play not realising his still alive as this makes for great unintentional comedy as he hurts him in the process of helping him. Another guy Chin Ma Lun Chio’s brother then breaks into the funeral home to ty and removal his gold teeth as Wah Li tricks him into believing he is a spirit and scares him off as the film finds comedy in its artificiality. Wah Li thinks Ma Lun Chio has been poisoned and will return with tools to perform the autopsy as the film’s comedy comes from him believing his trying to do the right thing. Ma Lun Chio then seemingly appears as a ghost to Wah Li telling him he died of natural causes, but he cannot convince him as the comedy comes from his good nature. Wah Li then sneaks into Ma Lun Chio’s family temple to cut him open, but another guy intervenes and test him via a needle until Miss Yuen intervenes getting them to stop. They plan to kill Ma Lun Chio and Wah Li get their goods so her and her lover can be together. Ninjas then sneak into the temple to kills Ma Lun Chi however then awakens and fights them off and is killed and is now a ghost. This gives the film a good sense of comedy as he has really become the thing he pretended to be as the film switches from being a comedic jab at the supernatural too actually being supernatural. Ma Lun Chi asks Wah Li to avenge his murder and when he refuses, he messes with him until he agrees leading to a good use of slapstick comedy, which is further highlighted when Wah Li goes after him dressed like a Taoist priest and destroys everything in the process. He then shows the ghost to his second granddad who dies his own spiritual ritual to trap him as again the film is full of Asian mysticism. Ma Lun Chi wants to use Wah Li’s body and he does via a spiritual ritual linking to the themes of Asian mysticism as Ma Linn Chi possess Wah Li’s body who is now a ghost as he has a limited time to perform to tasks as the film has some interesting ideas to it.
He beats up the guards as his candle almost goes out as it is nearing midnight and they have a limited amount of time as Wah Li’s wife fends him off. The ghosts end up carrying the second uncle off to help them with his Taoist flying powers showing the use of eastern mysticism. They are looking for his facades as the film has interesting imagery of a woman bleeding from the vagina as she is seemingly dying during pregnancy. They dig up Wah Li’s body as the candle fades as fatboy is seemingly dead. Lee Yet Ying talks to The Priest as he needs someone close to his heart to save him as the girls quickly marries Wah Li so she can save him, the film explains that his should come out on the seventh way as she places a lamp and rice buy his coffin so he can get to hell. The spirit then rises from the coffin and traps the girl in a circle as she asks Chu to come back with her and gives offerings to the host spirt hauds as the film is steeped in Asian mysticism. Fat Boy becomes an insect wrapped in a blanket as creatures then appear as short alien looking creatures in red robes as the film as good crazy b-movie elements. The creatures pass out from the liquid as Wah Li is reborn as a beetle. At the end of the film, the creatures then awaken and go after her as she fights them. They then transform into ghosts as they try and get her brother. The good use of Asian mysticism is them used as she uses Taoist weapons to fight them as they run away, and she sets them on fire. The film ends with them agreeing to give his soul back in exchange for their lives as he awakens in his body a person whole again.
The cinematography in the film is good. Most of the cinematography in the film is decent the film also has a good use of blue lighting. The film also has a good use of green and purple lighting. The film has a good use of slow motion and fast forward effects. The film also has cool silhouette shots in it as well also a good use of green lighting with smoke and fog effects. The film uses fisheye lenses to great effect in a shot with the girl burring money with green and yellow smoke behind her, the film also has a good use of blue artificial thunder at night.
The special effects in the film are good. The film has cool looking b-movie ghost costumes and make up and a good use of red glowing eye effects. The film has a good use of fire and blood effects. The film has good effects with glowing yellow eyes, as well as green lighting. There is a good effect where the ghost is unseen to other people as it is shown as an invisible person carrying a guy up the stairs. There is a good effect were the ghost goes through the walls as well as good floating and flying effects. There is a good translucent effect with the bodies going in and out of one another with the bodies becoming translucent. There is a cool effect were the flame turns green as well as a cool blue spirt energy effect. there are cool b-movie costumes were short alien looking creatures appear in red robes. There is lao a god use of yellow lighting effects and a green ghost effect used on classic looking ghosts.
The Dead and the Deadly is a great fun film that fans of crazy over the top Asian cinema will love.