The Shadow Boxing

For those unfamiliar with the hopping vampire (or Jiang Shi) of Chinese folklore here’s your two-cent history.  These reanimated corpses have multiple origins stories and powers: victims of a violent death or magical incantation, super strength, greenish skin, black robes and a signature method of locomotion…the aforementioned “hopping.” Sammo Hung’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980) and the Mr. Vampire series are the most well-known cinematic adaptations.  But 1979’s The Shadow Boxing (aka Spiritual Boxer 2) is a fun take on the legendary monsters from the equally legendary Shaw Brothers.

 

Working as a “corpse herder,” Fan Chun Yuen (Wang Yu) is responsible for leading the recently deceased back to their hometowns for a proper burial.  But on his first solo journey, he’s saddled with a skittish love interest and a bald-headed imposter (Gordon Liu) using a vampire disguise to extract vengeance against a pair of dirty politicians.  Along the way, they’re beset by mix-ups, set-ups and a variety of misadventures that prevent Fan from making his undead deliveries.

 

Lighthearted and leaning hard into slapstick comedy, The Shadow Boxing is a total blast! The vampire rules and regulations play like something out the Gremlin films, with enough complicated paperwork and spellcasting to ensure there’s bound to be a foul up somewhere. Director Chai-Liang Liu adds some fog and atmosphere  to keep things slightly spooky while inserting the requisite number of fight scenes along the way. As the nervous apprentice, Wang Yu dodges fists and marriage proposals with equal vigor, turning into a kung-fu superstar when he reads the “Vampire Fighting Positions” out loud.  But it’s Gordon Liu’s attempts at passing himself off as a hopping corpse – while hiding his necessary “bodily functions” - that generate the most laughs and make The Shadow Boxing a supernaturally good time.

 

88 Films’ Blu-ray release is a real looker even before you pop in the disc, staring with a slipcover featuring their best artwork to date.  The transfer itself is top-notch as well, sourced from the original negative with English subtitles, trailers, a still gallery and postcards. 

 

 

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