Ghost comedies were all the rage in Hong Kong in the 1980s and this is a typical example of them. The film was produced by Sammo Hung and stars Lam Ching Ying in a role which helped pave the way for his appearance as the Taoist priest in MR VAMPIRE which would, of course, go on to become his most iconic. Here he's the leader of a troupe of travelling actors whose lives are imperilled when they stumble upon some restless spirits. The first half of the film is made up of the practical humour-infused jokery that fills many a similar martial arts film, but in the second half the supernatural takes over and things become more explosive and more entertaining. The film borrows music from the likes of SUSPIRIA (and, randomly, CATS) and at its climax features a whole host of wild stunts and mayhem, although it may take a little too long to get there for some viewers.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Hocus Pocus; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.50 Direction: 1.75 Pace: 1.75 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.50

TOTAL: 7.75 out of 10.00

Hocus Pocus is a wonderfully entertaining martial-arts ghost story. The opening sequence where the director and cast treat us to a theatre show is alone worth the admittance fee. But things only get better as we progress through the movie.

Bing-nam Au delivers an intriguing storyline of a spectre that haunts a band of travelling Chinese Opera performers. And into this, he adds laughs and plenty of action. He also reveals to the audience how ghosty goings-on can be created and operated by human hands. Thespians are superstitious folk, and it appears so are the performers in the Chinese Opera. Everyone can spin a good ghost story, and they like nothing more than tormenting each other with spectral shenanigans. These build up the audience's interest until the real spooks turn up and wreak mayhem. Bing-nam is also adept at writing robust individual characters, though they appear to follow a stereotypical design. For instance, The Hero - good-looking, skilled, not recognised as too illustrious, and usually has a dark or difficult background. His Friends are the smart one, the dumb one, the joker, the exaggerator, and the ugly. This troupe encompasses every Joe Bloggs ever born - the whole represents everyman. I've watched a few Chinese movies that use this contrivance. Luckily in Hocus Pocus, it works well.

Though the story is marvellous, it's Yuet-Sang Chin's direction that makes the movie so exceptional. This guy sure knows how to film a spooky scene and excels with the martial-arts fights and performances. The action sequences are tremendous - and whoever choreographed them, you have my admiration. But they could have looked terrible had the director not been as skilled as Yuet-Sang. The opening performance is enchanting and delightful. Yuet-Sang's use of angles, light and shade, colours, close-ups, and quick cutting techniques adds nothing but beauty and strength to the show. It's a fantastic way to open a film. And when we have the feast fight, and the dining tables get moved, thrown, and splintered apart, Yuet-Sang keeps everything realistic. However, this doesn't stop him from slipping in a few intriguing shots, like the floating camera above the tables - this is one ingenious and exhilarating sequence. You couldn't do much better than Yuet-Sang's cinematography. It is stunning.

The cast is astounding; their portrayals of their characters are better than average, but their martial arts should leave you with your jaw dropped and feeling a tad empowered, if not a smidgen inadequate.

If you're a horror or martial arts fan or newbie, I suggest you seek out a copy of Hocus Pocus from someplace or another. I will be getting my Kung-Fu Ghost on again sometime in the future - the movie was that entertaining and delicious.

Do me no dishonour; please peruse my IMDb list - Absolute Horror to see where I ranked Hocus Pocus, or I'll be compelled to haunt you for all eternity.

Take Care & Stay Well.