Kung Fu Zombie (1981)

I love this movie so much

Simply Perfect

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

I have an English dub and a subtitle version of this movie. The English version is about 78 minutes and the subtitle version about 94 minutes. Some of the differences include an extended graveyard scene, when Billy leaves to go out he stops at a tea house before the grave yard, the second Billy versus father fight is longer, an added grave yard scene after Billy's dad recovers, longer attempted reincarnation sequence, longer fight sequence versus the family enemy, and others. The only disconnect between the versions involves the other two guys who accompany Cheng Kei-Ying in the first scene. They disappear then reappear after being long forgotten. Either version is fabulous. The English dub is done by the A team so no complaints there. The fights are top quality. The humor is laugh out loud. Chiang Tao, villain par excellence, does a great acting job as Billy's controlling father in addition to his usual stand-out martial stunts. Chan Lau, known for that great funny face, gets the comedy act down perfect in addition to his stunts. Billy Chong still manages to steal the show from this great supporting cast.This movie has my highest recommendation and not just for fans of the genre. Eight out of ten.

Okay, so the only reason I ever saw this movie to begin with was because I found the used DVD (the Black Belt Theatre version) on sale for $2 in a local video store in the middle of nowhere. I honestly expected it to stink to high heaven, and only bought it for the funny title. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it! I'm pretty confused at most of the reviews I see on the web for this movie calling it a "horror" film, because this is a comedy pure and simple. Everything is so ridiculous that it's absolutely hilarious, from the "wizard's" goofy dancing whenever he casts "spells," to the scene where they're out "shopping" for corpses, to the protagonist's complete indifference as to whether his obnoxious father lives or dies. The dub is absolutely hilarious (I've seen probably over a hundred dubbed movies/shows and this is, no kidding, one of the most effective ones I've ever seen, though it's obviously much easier to dub a goofy comedy than a drama), and it makes excellent use of music at hilarious times. I also have to give a hearty thanks to the editor for the Americanized version, who clearly edited out at least half an hour of what was clearly dull story, leaving absolutely nothing but kung fu and comedy scenes.If you have the capacity to enjoy goofy, ridiculous movies and slapstick humor, I fully recommend this. The closest thing I can compare it to is a super low-budget version of Kung Fu Hustle. I only wish the DVD transfer were better (it's watchable, but the scenes in dark places can be hard to make out).

This is a pretty entertaining movie, but not nearly the mindwarp that Chong's Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave is. This movie does have its moments, but the plot is not as interesting as it could be. Still, the villain is without a doubt the most butt-whuppinest zombie I have ever seen, and that includes the giant Mombie from Braindead (Dead-Alive). It's particularly fun the way he's always introduced with ripped-off James Bond music. Also the final fight is a doozie once the priest gets into the action. Worth a watch for Fu/Horror fans, but definitely not one to use an introduction to the genre.

What a masterpiece! I still can't believe what I've seen. This is a classic of eastern cinematography. It belongs in every well sorted movie-collection. The director, the actors, the scenery and the plot are unique. I want to mention especially Billy Chong as Pang. His performance is so outstanding, it's really a thrill watching his acting. And director Hua I-Jung did a hell of a job. He's a brilliant director. Forget John Woo! Forget Tsui Hark! This one is ultimate!