Vampire Expert

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Vampire Expert
Vampire Expert II Title Card.jpg
Season 2 title card
殭屍道長
GenreFantasy, jiangshi fiction, horror comedy, supernatural
Starring Lam Ching-ying
Country of originHong Kong
Original languageCantonese
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes90
Production
Running time40 minutes
Release
Original network ATV Home
Original release16 October 1995 (1995-10-16) [1]

Vampire Expert is 1995 Hong Kong television series produced by ATV and starring Lam Ching-ying. [2] The two-season series served as a transition from film to television for the 1980s Hong Kong Chinese vampire film franchise. [3] [4] A third season was planned, but due to the poor health and subsequent death of lead actor Lam Ching-ying, the series was cancelled in 1996. [5] [6]

Contents

Synopsis

Taoist priest Mo Siu-fong (Lam Ching-ying) and his apprentice Ma Fan (Yung Kam-cheong) travel to Hong Kong in pursuit of an ancient vampire.

Cast

Development

Following the popularity of various Chinese vampire films in the 1980s, [7] Hong Kong television network ATV World made plans to create a similar television series starring Lam Ching-ying, who was a familiar face in the genre and often typecast. [8] Lam signed on to the film for HK$1 million, and filming started in early 1996. [4]

Number of episodes

SeasonEpisodesNotes
130 [9]
250 [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiangshi</span> Type of creature from Chinese legend and folklore

A jiāngshī, also known as a Chinese hopping vampire, is a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore. The characters for "jiāngshī" are read goeng-si in Cantonese. It is typically depicted as a stiff corpse dressed in official garments from the Qing Dynasty, and it moves around by hopping with its arms outstretched. It kills living creatures to absorb their qi, or "life force", usually at night, while during the day, it rests in a coffin or hides in dark places such as caves. Jiangshi legends have inspired a genre of jiangshi films and literature in Hong Kong and East Asia. Although the pronunciation of jiangshi varies in different East Asian countries, all of them refer to the Chinese version of zombies.

<i>Mr. Vampire</i> 1985 Hong Kong film

Mr. Vampire is a 1985 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung. The film's box office success led to the creation of a Mr. Vampire franchise, with the release of four sequels directed by Ricky Lau from 1986 to 1992, and subsequent similarly themed films with different directors released between 1987 and 1992, with Lam Ching-ying as the lead for the majority of them. The vampire of the film is based on the jiangshi, the hopping corpses of Chinese folklore. The film was released under the Chinese title 暫時停止呼吸 in Taiwan. The film was the breakthrough success of the jiangshi genre, a trend popular in Hong Kong during the 1980s, and established many of the genre's recognisable tropes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lam Ching-ying</span>

Lam Ching-ying was a Hong Kong stuntman, actor, and action director. As a practitioner of martial arts Lam starred in a number of notable films that found recognition outside Hong Kong including Encounters of the Spooky Kind, The Prodigal Son and his best known role in Mr. Vampire.

<i>My Date with a Vampire</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

My Date with a Vampire is a 1998 Hong Kong television series produced by Asia Television (ATV). The story is based on the future events of the plot of Vampire Expert, a similar two-season television drama aired on ATV in 1995 and 1996. It blends aspects of the "hopping" corpses of jiangshi fiction with those of western vampires, along with elements of Chinese mythology and modern horror legends. The series is a tribute to Lam Ching-ying, the lead actor of Vampire Expert and a prominent cast member of the Mr. Vampire franchise, who died of liver cancer in 1997. It was followed by My Date with a Vampire II (2000) and My Date with a Vampire III (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Man</span> Hong Kong actress

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ATV Home was a free-to-air Cantonese television channel in Hong Kong, owned and operated by Asia Television. It was formed in September 1963 as a result of the split of the bilingual Rediffusion Television subscription service into dedicated Cantonese and English-language services. In 1969, the broadcaster was granted a license for over-the-air broadcasting.

<i>Vampire vs Vampire</i> 1989 Hong Kong film

Vampire Vs Vampire (一眉道人) is a 1989 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by and starring Lam Ching-ying. The title references the interaction in the film between a jiangshi child, a creature from Chinese "hopping" corpse fiction, and a British vampire based on Western vampire fiction.

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<i>Mr. Vampire II</i> 1986 Hong Kong film

Mr. Vampire II, also known as Mr. Vampire Part 2, is a 1986 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau, starring Yuen Biao, Moon Lee and Lam Ching-ying, and produced by Sammo Hung. The film is the second of a series of five films directed by Ricky Lau in the Mr. Vampire franchise. Mr. Vampire and its sequels were released as part of the jiangshi cinematic boom in Hong Kong during the 1980s. The Chinese title of the film literally translates to "Vampire Family".

<i>Mr. Vampire IV</i> 1988 film

Mr. Vampire IV, also known as Mr. Vampire Saga Four, is a 1988 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and produced by Sammo Hung and Jessica Chan. The film is the fourth of a series of five films directed by Ricky Lau in the Mr. Vampire franchise. Mr. Vampire and its sequels were released as part of the jiangshi cinematic boom in Hong Kong during the 1980s. The Chinese title of the film literally translates to Uncle Vampire.

Jiangshi fiction, or goeng-si fiction in Cantonese, is a literary and cinematic genre of horror based on the jiangshi of Chinese folklore, a reanimated corpse controlled by Taoist priests that resembles the zombies and vampires of Western fiction. The genre first appeared in the literature of the Qing dynasty and the jiangshi film is a staple of the modern Hong Kong film industry. Hong Kong jiangshi films like Mr. Vampire and Encounters of the Spooky Kind follow a formula of mixing horror with comedy and kung fu.

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The Musical Vampire is a 1992 Hong Kong film directed by Wilson Tong and starring Lam Ching-ying. It is a spin-off of the 1985 Hong Kong movie Mr. Vampire. Lam Ching-ying reprises his role as a Taoist priest.

<i>The Ultimate Vampire</i> 1991 Hong Kong film

The Ultimate Vampire (殭屍至尊) is a 1991 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and starring Lam Ching-ying and Chin Siu-ho. It is a spin-off of the 1985 Hong Kong movie Mr. Vampire, Lam Ching-ying reprises his role as a Taoist priest.

<i>Exorcist Master</i> 1992 Hong Kong film

Exorcist Master is a 1992 Hong Kong film directed by Wu Ma and starring Wu Ma and Lam Ching-ying. It is a spin-off of the 1985 Hong Kong movie Mr. Vampire. Lam Ching-ying reprises his role as a Taoist priest.

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References

  1. "僵尸道长1". iQiyi (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  2. "Top 20 kung fu stars in China". China Daily . Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. "Vampire Expert (Season 1)". doramax264.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 O'Brien, Daniel (1 June 2003). Spooky Encounters: A Gwailo's Guide to Hong Kong Horror. Headpress. p. 149. ISBN   978-1900486316 . Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. "【蘋話當年】1997年「殭屍道長」林正英逝世". Next Digital (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  6. "娛樂報報/林正英 永遠的殭屍道長!". nownews.com. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. ""Haunted Screen: Hong Kong Ghost Films" to reflect Hong Kong's history and the paranormal (with photos)". info.gov.hk. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. "「殭屍道長」林正英無力收妖 花大錢賄絡鬼差收喪屍?". China Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  9. "Vampire Expert (DVD)". YesAsia.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  10. "Vampire Expert II (DVD)". YesAsia.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.