Corpse Mania (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Nov 13, 2024
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Chih-Hung KueiRelease Date(s)
1981 (November 26, 2024)Studio(s)
Shaw Brothers (Vinegar Syndrome)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B
Review
The huge boom of Hong Kong films from the Shaw Brothers included so much more than just kung-fu actioners that played well in international markets. It also extended to horror, and filmmaker Chih-Hung Kwei (Hex and The Boxer’s Omen) was the most prolific horror filmmaker working for the Shaw Brothers. His 1981 horror shocker titled Corpse Mania breathlessly melds those gorgeous Shaw Brothers sets with genre innovation in ways that are ready to shock audiences anew. While Kwei’s film cannot be easily categorized as horror or drama, it’s the ways in which it sidesteps convention while poking at the pomp and circumstance of standard Chinese period dramas that makes it stand out. This isn’t the kind of CAT III horror film that revels in sadistic nastiness for the purpose of transgression, it’s an amalgam of international influences and Hong Kong production values that astounds in both grotesquerie and artistry. While the story itself may not be the best vessel to really dig at the sexual violence ready to bust out of Hong Kong during the early 1980s, Kwei surprises in grafting giallo influences with a Hong Kong template.
One word about Corpse Mania before I continue: Kwei’s Hex and The Boxer’s Omen are very, very different than what he’s going for here. Gone is the whacky mysticism that runs through those other two films, replaced with a reflexive notion of crime and serial killer genres. Kwei knows exactly where he needs to be assaultive and nasty without being transgressive. This is the kind of film that relies on genre convention to deliver sturdy shocks and thrills, choosing to dole out scares and build tension instead of making your head fly back in surprise at special effects, even going as far to make its scenes of necrophilia downbeat, depressing and downright disturbing. And because this isn’t a classic cops-and-killer tale, we get to see how an entire town of characters is torn asunder by one sadistic killer.
There’s a deranged serial killer on the loose and he’s leaving the defiled corpses of his victims for Inspector Zhang (Jung Wang, Seeding of a Ghost). Zhang’s investigation brings him to a brothel owned by Madame Lan (Ni Tien, Human Lanterns), which appears to be the prime target for the killer’s specific sexual needs. The townspeople suspect that a necrophiliac recently released from prison is responsible for the murders, but Zhang believes the killer and his motive is hiding in plain sight. Will Zhang be able to stop the murders before they send the town into a panic, or will the maggots successfully debride the town’s peace and put everyone in danger?
The actual plot of Corpse Mania isn’t the attraction as much as the myriad of visual influences showcased here are. Zhang discovers the killer is someone screwed over by Madame Lan and wants revenge. It’s the exaction of the violence that shows just how out of step Kwei was among his peers working under the Shaw Brothers. There are multiple split diopter shots to showcase the uneven divide between some characters, heavy gel lighting was used to emphasize the mood just like Italian gialli, plus the killer is dressed head to toe in black. Kwei even ditches his usual handheld, assaultive style for something a lot more classically composed. A lot of dolly shots and slow zooms to lure people in and drop the hammer when needed.
Corpse Mania proved to be a modest hit at the Hong Kong box office as well, which is interesting considering the action projects usually taking the majority of box office receipts at the time. Were audiences attracted by its classical look and appeal with clear injections of horror influences from the world over? Or were they shocked and repelled by the genuinely downbeat and nasty compositions of necrophilia? A bit of both, and I’m really pleased to find something as artful as it is transgressive like this film is.
There’s a killer on the loose and he’s defiling all the dead bodies... in 4K! Corpse Mania makes its global Blu-ray and 4K UHD debut with a two-disc release from Vinegar Syndrome, which includes a BD-66 disc for the 4K feature and a BD-50 disc for the standard Blu-ray feature and supplements. No information is available about the specific cameras and lenses used on this production, but we know it was shot on 35mm and spherically, then framed in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This new 2160p transfer of Corpse Mania is aided by HDR10 color grading and is sourced from a 4K restoration of the film’s original 35mm camera negative. The presentation here is truly gorgeous and filmic. Although we don’t have a previous master or transfer to compare this one to, I can confidently state this is the best the film has ever looked at home and it doesn’t carry any of the nasty DNR that can plague some restorations of Shaw Bros. titles. The source has some nicks and bumps in some reels, though the restoration work here is top-notch and handled wonderfully by the sturdy HEVC codec and stable bitrate that sits between 75-85Mbps. The grain field is thick on the shots that were finished optically, but you’ll be most impressed here by the range of colors and fine detail captured by that classic Shaw studio lighting. No DNR seems to have been applied, which you can see clearly when the film’s killer is fondling a dead body in slow motion and you see the grain field get thicker and more unstable. Vinegar Syndrome’s presentation is proof of how terrific these Hong Kong films can look when given the proper love.
The Cantonese mono track is encoded in the DTS-HD Master Audio codec and is similar to many HK productions of that era, in that there’s very little LFE and everything can sound flatter because of how the sound was captured. That said, the presentation works with the limited source very well and has a nice balance between music and dialogue. Source seems to be in good condition with no hiss or compression errors to note.
Both the UHD and the Blu-ray are housed in a standard black Amaray case with reversible sleeve artwork and a booklet inside with an essay by author and film historian Erica Shultz. If you purchased this item from Vinegar Syndrome directly, it also comes with a Limited Edition gloss and embossed slipcover. Special features include:
DISC ONE (UHD)
- Audio Commentary with Samm Deighan
- Audio Commentary with Ming Beaver Kwei and Alan Chu
DISC TWO (BD)
- Audio Commentary with Samm Deighan
- Audio Commentary with Ming Beaver Kwei and Alan Chu
- Statistics with the Producer: Interview with Producer Lawrence Wong (3:10)
- Video Interview with Lee San Yip, Cinematographer on Corpse Mania (7:00)
- Video Interview with Ming Beaver Kwei, Son of Director Chih-Hung Kwei (18:40)
- Chih-Hung Kwei: Shaw Brothers’ Master of Horror (17:02)
The other audio tracks include an audio commentary with film historian Samm Deighan and another with Ming Beaver Kwei, son of Chih-Hung Kwei. The commentary with Ming Beaver Kwei is a terrific listen, as he recounts his relationship with his father as well as his knowledge of the Hong Kong filmmaking industry. There are multiple times in the commentary where he’s shocked by the film’s content because he knows exactly how corners were cut to produce it. And while he cannot always reveal the details of how that stuff was achieved, it’s clear that he has a lot of appreciation for his father and has a lot to say about location vs. set shooting on these Shaw productions.
As for other special features, all presented in HD, Hong Kong film fans will find much to enjoy from the supplements package produced for this release by Vinegar Syndrome. The video essay with film historian Grady Hendrix is characteristically thorough and chock full of anecdotes regarding Chih-Hung Kwei’s career. Hearing about the filmmaker’s history in taking big risks for the sake of audience engagement really positioned just how important his touch was to Corpse Mania.
There’s a black-clad killer on the loose and he has a thing for necrophilia in Corpse Mania, a rare horror shocker from Shaw Brothers. This gross, assaultive work is grafted with classic Hong Kong production values to create something entirely unique. And thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, we now have a two-disc 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray release to celebrate (?) all that transgressive nastiness. Hope you’re not squeamish, because this release pulls out all the stops for this nasty slice of genre entertainment.
- Sam Cohen
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