Love, Fangs, and Laser Battles

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MOVIE REVIEW
Doctor Vampire (Jiang shi yi sheng) (Blu-ray)
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Genre: Comedy, Horror
Year Released: 1990, Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 38m
Director(s): Jamie Luk
Writer(s): Jamie Luk
Cast: Bowie Lam Bo-Yee, Ellen Chan Nga-Lun, Sheila Chan Suk-Lan, Crystal Kwok, David Wu, Lawrence Lau Sek-Yin, James Wong Jim, Ni Kuang, Helena Law Lan, Shing Fui-On
Where To Watch: available February 24, 2025, in the UK; pre-order your copy here: www.eurekavideo.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: DOCTOR VAMPIRE is a film that refuses to be pinned down to a single genre, instead throwing slapstick comedy, horror, and action into a blender and hitting the highest setting. The result is an unpredictable, strange vampire tale that thrives on sheer craziness. While not every gag lands and the horror elements take a backseat to humor, a peculiar charm in its mishmash of influences makes for a memorable, erratic viewing experience.

The film follows Dr. Chiang Ta-Tsung, a Hong Kong surgeon whose life is turned upside down after an ill-fated stop at a mysterious pub in England. What appears to be a routine break quickly spirals into surreal territory when he meets Alice, a woman who seduces him in what seems like an otherworldly dream. However, the dream becomes a curse when Chiang returns home and starts experiencing strange symptoms—light sensitivity, an aversion to garlic, and an increasingly uncontrollable thirst for blood. His transformation doesn’t go unnoticed by his fiancée, May, or his clueless colleagues, who are too caught up in their antics to grasp the bizarre reality unfolding before them.

What sets DOCTOR VAMPIRE apart is its unconventional approach to vampire mythology. Instead of tapping into the more commonly seen jiangshi (hopping vampire) folklore of Hong Kong cinema, the film borrows heavily from European traditions, complete with aristocratic villains, gothic settings, and extravagant capes. It’s an interesting creative choice that gives the movie a unique identity within the genre but also leads to tonal whiplash. Sometimes, it feels like the film can’t decide if it wants to be a horror-comedy or a full-blown parody, often swinging wildly between humor and supernatural showdowns.

Comedy takes center stage, and the humor is as over-the-top as the film’s concept. Much revolves around misunderstandings, exaggerated physical antics, and raunchy jokes that wouldn’t feel out of place in an old-school Hong Kong flick. While some of these moments are funny, others rely too heavily on outdated tropes (even for the time.) The film often leans on sexual innuendo and awkward situations for laughs, which can be hit or miss depending on the audience’s tolerance.

For a movie about vampires, the horror elements feel like an afterthought. There are some creative flourishes—an unusual take on vampire staking, a few spooky visuals—but they’re scattered between long stretches of chaos. Suspense and scares take a backseat to slapstick, making this more of an action-comedy with supernatural elements than a horror film. However, when the action does ramp up in the final act, it delivers some truly wild sequences, including a bizarre showdown featuring laser weapons (freaking lasers!)

Bowie Lam plays Chiang with the perfect balance of bewilderment and deadpan delivery, making his transition from skeptical doctor to reluctant vampire feel entertainingly ridiculous. Ellen Chan’s Alice carries a mix of seduction and uncertainty, though her character feels somewhat underdeveloped beyond her initial role in turning Chiang. Peter Kjær leans into theatrical villainy as the Count, delivering a performance that feels plucked straight from a stage production. Meanwhile, Sheila Chan provides a fun contrast as May, though she’s often reduced to playing the suspicious fiancée rather than being given more to do in the plot.

One of the biggest challenges is the film’s uneven tone. The transitions between horror, comedy, and action aren’t always seamless, and some comedic scenes drag on longer than necessary. Tightening the focus—leaning harder into its horror elements or sharpening the humor—could have given the film a stronger identity. The gags are fun, but the film works best when fully embraces its bizarre premise rather than relying too heavily on over-the-top comedic bits.

DOCTOR VAMPIRE has a strange charm that makes it worth watching for fans of offbeat genre films. It’s an unusual piece of Hong Kong cinema that experiments with vampire mythology, creating something different from typical horror comedies. It might not be the most polished entry in the genre, but it’s bold, ridiculous, and filled with enough unexpected moments to keep things interesting.

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[photo courtesy of EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT]

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