Corpse Mania [屍妖] (1981)
Starring Wong Yung, Tanny Tien Ni, Yau Chui-Ling, Walter Tso Tat-Wah, Tai Kwan-Tak, Eric Chan Ga-Kei, Lau Siu-Kwan, Gam Biu, Jenny Leung Jan-Lei, Wong Ching-Ho, Fong Ping, Shum Lo, Lam Wai-Tiu
Directed by Kuei Chih-Hung
Expectations: Very high.
A title like Corpse Mania suggests a pretty high-octane horror film, but this particular Kuei Chih-Hung film has more in common with Hex than it does his maniacal black magic films (Bewitched and The Boxer’s Omen). It’d be wrong to call Corpse Mania tame, though. It exists in a sort of middle ground between the two styles, utilizing the look of Hex (swirling fog and moonlit studio streets) and the gross-out horror of the black magic films. Corpse Mania is full of horrific delights, but above all the defining element is that it’s more of a Hong Kong giallo than anything else, building mystery and intrigue as the body count piles up. There’s even a classic Argento “Killer POV” shot!
Corpse Mania begins when Li Zhengyuan (Eric Chan Ga-Kei) moves into an old house with his sickly wife. When they arrive, they only have a single bag of luggage and Li’s wife must be carried inside, raising the suspicions of the neighbors. Li also wears sunglasses and covers his face like the Invisible Man, which definitely doesn’t help the situation. A few days later, a horrible smell emanates from the Li’s home, and when the police investigate they find the body of Li’s wife, naked and covered in mealworms. Upon further detective work, they determine that sexual intercourse had been performed after her death. As disturbing as that is, it is only the beginning of the mystery surrounding Li Zhengyuan!