Over the past few years, Spectacle has plumbed the depths of the disgusting effects, dubious morals, and devil fetuses of Hong Kong “Category III” cinema– the HK film industry’s rough equivalent to the American “X” rating labeling extreme content. This Spectober, we return to the sticky side with this trio of works featuring those most bloodthirsty, bite-prone, garlic-phobic, and godless of horror villains: Cats!
Cats have long played a role in Chinese mythology and horror lore, commonly depicted as xianli (仙狸 )– shape-shifting demons of divine or extraterrestrial original, trapped in our realm and intent on sucking the spirits out of humans. Though not as much a staple of Hong Kong cinemas as their hopping vampire and haunted house counterparts, the regional horror boom of the 1980s and 90s still found plenty of room for xianli stories replete with blood, guts, and a dose of kitty kung fu, truly putting the “cat” in “Category III”.
EVIL CAT
(凶貓)
Dir. Dennis Yu Wan-kwong, 1987
Hong Kong. 91 min.
In Cantonese with English subtitles.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 – 10PM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 – 10PM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 – 10PM
For generations the Cheung clan has protected the world from a demonic cat with nine lives who returns every 50 years to feed on unsuspecting souls. Now the last of his bloodline, the burden falls on the aging kung fu sorcerer, Master Cheung (Lau Kar-leung), to enter into final battle with the demon and claim its last life, before a terminal illness claims his.
In one of the wilder collaborations in HK film history, horror and New Wave icon Dennis Yu (THE BEASTS) brings to life one of the Wong Jing-iest of ridiculous 80s Wong Jing scripts, with the legendary Lau Kar-leung in tow as star and choreographer. The result is an incredible convergence of its creators’ sensibilities, with its giallo-esque horror sequences blending seamlessly with superb wirework action and off-the-charts zaniness.
DEVIL CAT
(貓變)
Dir. Chow Cheung, 1991
Taiwan. 86 min.
In Cantonese with English subtitles.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 – 5PM
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 – 10PM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 – MIDNIGHT
The supernatural, shapeshifting Queen of Cats (Yukari Oshima) is engaged in a centuries-long war with the Dog King and his legion of bandits. After sustaining injuries during their latest battle, the Queen is nursed back to health by a kindly young man and his girlfriend, only for them to become the Dog King’s newest targets. The Queen must now serve as protector to them and a host of other locals lest her conflict with the King spill over into our realm.
Not to be confused with Kenny Ha’s earlier film of the same name, Chow Cheung’s DEVIL CAT features a hodgepodge of different story ideas united by future martial arts legend Yukari Oshima’s presence as a crime fighting cat spirit. A heavy synth score, shimmery special effects, and some solid gore make this the ultimate wish fulfillment fantasy for vengeance-minded felines, so be careful not to show this one to yours.
THE CAT
(衛斯理之老貓)
Dir. Lam Nai-choi, 1992
Hong Kong. 84 min.
In Cantonese with English subtitles.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 – MIDNIGHT
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 – 10PM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 – 5PM
A trio of shapeshifting extraterrestrials– one in the form of an old man, one a young woman, and one (of course) a cat– team up with adventure novelist Wisely to defeat an alien terror known as the Star Killer with the power to absorb and re-animate its human victims.
You’ll have to forgive us for throwing in a selection that’s technically only rated Category IIB, but how could we not include the mother of all Hong Kong cat movies. Loosely adapted from one of Shaw scribe Ni Kuang’s Wisely novels, THE CAT sees Lam Nai-choi (in his final feature, no less) one-up the gonzo absurdity that put him on the map with features like THE SEVENTH CURSE, THE GHOST SNATCHERS, and STORY OF RICKY. Lam’s swan song is a non-stop barrage of ludicrous sci-fi ideas, Lovecraftian creature designs, and latex gore, featuring endless gunfights, dogfights, catfights, a dog-and-cat fight, and enough pyrotechnics to put Hollywood to shame.