Seeding of a Ghost

[goliamoto]

One of the most awaited titles of the year:

www.asiandvdguide.com/wee..._ghost.jpg (http://www.asiandvdguide.com/weekly9234/seeding_of_a_ghost.jpg)

It's 86 minutes. I guess it's uncut.

I will get it together with bewitched

www.asiandvdguide.com/wee...itched.jpg (http://www.asiandvdguide.com/weekly9234/bewitched.jpg)

[thejadefacedassassin]

Thanks for the alert.
Was actually waiting for Li Han-hsiang's Return Of The Dead but now it appears to be listed under the EROTIC genre and not HORROR. So BEWITCHED it is with SEEDING OF A GHOST.
Can't wait and hope Celestial serves us UNCUT versions.

[Ministry88]

Well it's about time. I think most members of this beloved forum know how I feel about Shaw Brothers horror (especially, um, a little film called BOXER'S OMEN!), and these are two of the four "holy grail" films left for me concerning rare Shaw Brothers horror (the other two are an UNCUT "Black Magic 2" -- which seems to be a reality, since Media Blasters may be releasing it stateside-- and "Bloody Parrot", which Celestial will also be releasing this year I hear).

Thanks for the links, goliamoto. Nice to see the cover art for the elusive BEWITCHED. I've been waiting for this one ever since the Celestial remasters were announced years ago and my curiosity was recently rekindled when I procured an original set of lobby cards of the film (judging from those cards, it looks like another wild ride, ala OMEN). And yes, let's hope that SEEDING is uncut -- that would be a real revelation.

**EDIT: I would actually LOVE to see an uncut, restored version of another rare HK horror (not shaw brothers, though): 1984's THE RAPE AFTER, which I consider to be even better than SEEDING OF A GHOST.

[Argento476]

I've not heard of Bewitched till now.

Anyone care to explain if its any good, and violent?

[deliriocaldo]

no one has seen "bewitched" since its original cinema run back in the days, as it never found its way onto home video in any form... but it's supposed to be sort of a forerunner to "the boxer's omen", which would mean that it could be one weird and over-the-top ride...

btw, i absolutely LOVE that "voodoo doll"-style poster artwork:
http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/6279/Bewitched+1981-1-b.jpg

...speaking of shaw horror holy grails, there are some more that remain unreleased as of yet:

http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/5682/SpiritoftheRaped+1976-1-b.jpg

http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/5873/Psychopath+1978-1-b.jpg

http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/6402/CurseofEvil+1982-1-b.jpg

[thejadefacedassassin]

DDDhouse has just shipped out Seeding Of A Ghost & Bewitched to me. Can't wait. Keeping my fingers crossed for Black Magic 2 soon.......

[thejadefacedassassin]

Had a gore fest tonight. Pleased to report that both movies are uncut. Grab them while you can!

[Ministry88]

...jadeface, how was BEWITCHED? Man, I'm hoping it's even HALF the film BOXER'S OMEN is! As spoiler-free as you can, just answer me: is it wild and gory and atmospheric, like BOXER'S OMEN? Or is it a talky letdown, ala GHOST EYES?

Also, have you done a comparison of SEEDING with the old cut Ocean Shores release? I don't know if you really would need to, as if I remember correctly the cuts on that one were pretty blunt (I'm sure the outrageous showdown at the end with the tentacle creature thing is far more gory in the uncut version)!

[thejadefacedassassin]

I am one of those who did not really like Boxer's Omen. Thought it was overrated with primitive special effects. Bewitched was very much better with character development and a good plot.

No need to compare with any old Ocean Shores tape as both movies did not have any abrupt changes in the soundtrack to indicate cuts.

Both movies were gory with close-ups of female frontal nudity.
Shocking actually.

[peringaten]

Better for you than Boxer's, hey? Even if you didn't like that one so much... Hope we're talking at least partly as crazed. Jeebus, this current British postal strike situation's hard to deal with. Bewitched, Seeding and Return of the Dead (really curious about this one), all probably somewhere to be held in the backlog... booooo. I need my Shaw horror fix before Halloween, thank you very much.

[bruce holecheck]

Coming to US DVD in 2008.

[magicpoe]

bruce holecheck,

Great news about this getting a domestic release. Are you able to give any additional details?

[thejadefacedassassin]

Return Of The Dead is excellent with 3 marvellous ghost stories. The 1st one has veteran Wang Lai giving a solid performance as a mother who yearns for the return of her dead son Li Lu Hua. The 2nd one has Yueh Hua and Antonio Tze Wei facing a nude water ghost and the last one has Linda Chu as a beautiful ghost in warlord China. I won't give any spoilers except that the movie is quintessential Shaw horror!

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

jadefacedassassin, thank you for the info. I've purchased Seeding Of A Ghost, but now that I've read your comments on the other two films, I'm definitely gonna pick them up.

[malahat]

Seeding... and Bewitched were both at my local source today (Oct.12) at MAL Music in Richmond BC (Can). Seeding looks like it's made by a committee: the long set-up story by a junior, the rest is very much like Kuei Chih-hung. The mood and look are not at all like Black Magic so it's easy to see why it was not issued as a sequel. The format looks like 1.85:1, the cover claims 2.35:1. I was not aware of any side cropping. I'll look at Bewitched tomorrow.
I thought I saw Corpse Mania listed for the same release date - has anyone seen a DVD copy yet?
Bewitched turned out to be the better film by a long shot, although the plot is the basic bare frame to show rituals with increasing amounts of viscera, maggots and exploding body parts.
A more recent film, not from Shaw but featuring Thai voodoo is Gang Tau.

[Bidou Laloge]

One of the most awaited titles of the year

omg what is that joke ???

seeding of a ghost = Too much overated and boring as hell, 100% cheesy
Bewitched = Too much overated and boring as hell

return of the dead is by far the best movie (i watched it 2 times already) of the lot with sensual pleasure

[thejadefacedassassin]

Sensual Pleasures is boring. Most of the time I did not know what was happening. The highlights :there is a lesbian sequence involving Shirley Yu (dressed as a man) and Chen Ping ; Shaw Yin Yin then frolicked in bed with Tien Ching. On the movie stills special features, most of the stills are not in the actual movie. Were these all cut out or are they promo shots? Approach with caution. It is also one of the most badly remastered Shaw movie by Celestial. Many scenes are blurred as if remastered with haste.

[Bidou Laloge]

shaw yin yin flirt with ku feng not Tien Ching :D and did not find it that bad compared to the 2 horror movies

[Ministry88]

Geez, I couldn't agree LESS with Bidou -- BEWITCHED was GREAT! Just finished seeing it and YES, it is very much in the same style of OMEN! Hooray!

I know one person on this board (peringaten) will want to know about it. Well, I won't spoil it, but I'll point out some of the film's characteristics. The first thing you'll notice is that the film's narrative structure IS more traditional than OMEN -- it has a definite story arc and buildup and does, like jadeface said, take more time to build up its characters. In fact, for the first forty minutes or so I was starting to worry if OMEN would be a unique fluke in Kuei Chih-hung's filmography. But then once it got going, it kicked into high gear and never let up (and I mean it NEVER let up!). I would even say there were more spells in this one than OMEN, and while not all of them were super detailed, a fair amount were and rivaled the grotesque imagination of OMEN. There was also the same beautifully photographed temples (shot on location in Thailand) as OMEN.

But what was most interesting was the continuity between this prequel and OMEN. It was fascinating to see the Magusu character (the warlock seen in the unforgettable prologue battle in the Hong Kong airport in OMEN) spotlighted this time around, and the spells he casts are often truly astonishing and very in-depth and ingenious, the longest of which is a classic Buddhist monk/black magician duel that lasts for nearly 10 minutes! Clearly a lot of research into the sorcery of Thailand was conducted, as there's even a "research" credit in the opening credits! There were also musical cues and photographic techniques in this film that will be instantly recognizable to fans of OMEN, another nice touch of continuity by Kuei.

Speaking of the continuity between the two films, this is a source of the only letdown (but this is not Kuei chih-hung's fault): **SPOILERS AHEAD** the final showdown IS the duel between the Buddhist monk and Magusu (seen as a flashback in the beginning of OMEN), so it won't be a new revelation to those of us well-versed in OMEN (although there are a few extra shots not seen in the flashback/recap sequence in OMEN, and it seems to be slightly re-staged, with a new actor playing the Buddhist monk role). But obviously, BEWITCHED was meant to be seen first, before OMEN, but that was hitherto impossible because OMEN was released first on video, so all of us fans saw the films in reverse order. All in all, the continuity of the two films excited me enough to re-watch the opening of OMEN again, and I did see the film in a new light, which was wonderful.

What I also found great was the semi-documentary feel of the film. For example, each spell is "announced" with the Chinese characters of its official name and the English sub translation (such as "oil of cadaver spell" and "lemon spell") and on some occasions, explanations of the spells by the characters. And yes the spells get goopy and squishy and gruesome (can you say maggot vomiting, maggot eating, bloated, rotting cadavers, and blood drinking -- blood, that is, that is scooped out of a giant pot filled with, well, I won't give it away)

So get set peringaten and other fans of OMEN: this one delivers!

[Bidou Laloge]

i was hoping disturbing movies but it was not the case, in bewitched the "yell" of the sorcerer was making me laugh so loud i had to pause the dvd :rollin

[peringaten]

Although I skipped my eyes ahead as soon as I read 'spoilers', I think my brain just melted. Also, re: Seeding, to say it's much anticipated isn't too much hyperbole in my freshly melted mind; been one of those top-of-my-list to see for a while now. Love this particular genre-style, wish there were more films in it, hope these 2 deliver, wish they were here already...

Two week backlog on British post already they're saying, and yet more strikes possible next week... come on, sort it out!

[Tosh]

I'll be picking these up also, I could take or leave Black Magic, but if these are as half as wonderful as Boxer's Omen I'll be ecstatic!

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Ministry, nice review. I'm definitely picking up this flick. Thanks to you and jadefacedassassin.

[goliamoto]

Today I have received Seeding of a ghost, Bewitched and Hell has no boundary. I'm gonna watch them soon and i will post some comments.

[peringaten]

Still waiting on Seeding and Bewitched. Got Return Of The Dead through. Good stuff, I imagine in completely different, more sedately thoughtful, incomparable vein to Bewitched and Seeding - come on mail - I need crazed... Anyhoo, Return: the last story was fantastically directed. Not Li Han Shiang's best, but betrayed as to his standing as one of Shaw's very greatest talents here and there nicely.
The cinematography particularly, sets, mood, etc. of the final story were great. Good DeWolfe music use too. Extremely solid film - not remotely scary, or really OTT, besides dark themes and a bit of titilation, but very nicely made, and it made me think here and there. Wrapped my involvement. Solid fun. Good flick.

[ministry88]

Well, the ashes have settled after my first viewing of BEWITCHED and I've had some time to rethink my first impressions. I'm still impressed by the flick, no doubt, but I don't want to give the impression that it's as wild and over-the-top as OMEN. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it makes it more fascinating when viewed as the first part of what I consider to be one long, two-part film (if only KILL BILL had been this interesting!).

As I see it now, the more traditional and (somewhat) more restrained approach of BEWITCHED plays as a perfect prelude to the excesses of OMEN. If you view the film simply on its own merits and hope it'll be BOXER'S OMEN, Part I, you may be disappointed. But if you view it more as a prelude, the vision of Kuei really comes through and both films are equally impressive, but in different respects. In a few months I may very well pull both titles off the shelf and do a double feature and watch them in the intended order. It would be fascinating to track the progression of events from the somewhat humble (if, at times, grotesque and bizarre) beginnings of BEWITCHED to the brain-melting excess of OMEN.

Also: I forgot to mention that BEWITCHED has a truly bizarre, moralist coda and a great CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST/mondo-film-styled disclaimer at the beginning of the film.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Just viewed this film today. Very strange ending. Definitely worth seeing.

[Linn1]

I agree with most of the above comments. I actually did watch the pair as a double feature and what was interesting to me, is they play perfect as such. Bewitched sort of slides you into the Thai world of magic (it's actually a pretty good crime film that moves into horror, where the sequel is there from the start), and Boxer's Omen is the over the top payoff. Actually, Boxer's Omen is damn near the extended finale of Bewitched. By seeing Bewitched now, there's so much more context given to the events in Boxer's Omen that it actually makes it a more worthwhile film IMO. I can see someone who didn't like Boxer's Omen enjoying Bewitched, because it's not as "goofy" as Boxer's Omen is. The Thai spells are certainly treated with more seriousness. There's also a lot more effort to be scary, with some thriller tension going on. If anything, Boxer's Omen truly looks more like a typical (if incredibly nuts) sequel to me, with everything dialed up two more notches from the original film. Bewitched actually did live up to the hype I had built up for it, it that doesn't happen too often.

Spoilers

BTW, one of my fave scenes in Bewitched has to be when the policeman's wife contacts a Taoist priest (think Mr. Vampire) to help fight the Thai wizard and he's offed in a nasty way by the Black Wizard in seconds! I had to laugh out loud at that one. BTW, I'm positive the coda was tacked on to make sure the film didn't have problems with censors.

[peringaten]

AH YEAH, get down wit' yo' bad self, Mr. Postman.

[MEGATONE]

Just made a comparison between the Ocean Shore NTSC VHS and the DVD. Well, there's NO difference at all except that title cards on the VHS are white while on the DVD are red.
Of course quality cannot be compared, on the VHS all the night scenes are blue tinted, DVD colors are more natural (but less nocturnal) and the format is correct.
Have no idea if the PAL VHS was cut.

Btw, on the BEWITCHED DVD a couple of stills are from scenes not in the movie.

Now I hope somebody is going to release soon RED SPELL SPELLS RED...

[ministry88]

Thanks for the comparison Megatone!

Hmm, I just double-checked the stills feature on the BEWITCHED disc and I distinctly remember every one of those scenes in the film, however fleetingly (that shot of the Thai sorcerer with the long nails and the green lighting was seen onscreen for only a split second, for example).

However, I do have a set of the lobby cards for this film and there IS a shot that isn't in the film in which Maigusu terrorizes his female client who sets the revenge/sorcery plot in motion. But this shot definitely smacks of a posed publicity shot that was shot exclusively for advertisement materials like lobby cards...

[MEGATONE]

The soapland scene is in the movie? Gosh... ^///^

[goliamoto]

Finally watched Seeding of a ghost and Bewitched and both movies are great! After watching Bewitched i had to play immediatly Boxer's Omen cos I wanted to see more of that crazy stuff. Both movies are really linked and it's a pitty Celestial didn't release Bewitched before Boxer's Omen. Bewitched really delivers and it's already in my top 10 of shaw movies.

Seeding of a ghost is less sickening than Bewitched but with that gory and crazy end, it's impossible not to like it. It's again one of the best titles released by Celestial this year and its fame is really deserved.

On the next few days I'm gonna check Hell has no Boundary. I hope this one delivers too. :)

[Tosh]

I just posted this in the review section as I thought it was in the Shaw section, I'm looking forward to seeing Seeding of a Ghost -

I was wondering if Bewitched was going to hold up to the huge expectations put forth by Boxer's Omen, Bewitched is outstanding! I love these monk battles and the elaborate setups and props, I'll take cheap fx over cg anyday.
Kuei Chi Hung loves his maggots, I wasn't really taken with Corpse Mania, but Bewitched is great, I'm going to have to do a double feature with B'sO one night, Halloween is coming up

[Tosh]

Watched Seeding of a Ghost the other night and I have to say I was less than impressed, I got excited when I saw Philip Ko and Norman Chu but compared to Bewitched it fell flat.
I will have to say, between both films I certainly got my quota for the year for topless Asian girls running slow mo through the surf, actually with Seeding I was starting to wonder if I was watching a soft Asian porn flick instead of horror.
The movie itself makes no sense, Ko goes through great lengths to avenge a woman he only knew for 4-5 years and was cheating on him, he wanted greater revenge on the man cheating with his wife than the two that raped and killed her, then the ghost having sex with her rapist/killer? The end was, well, laughable, I'm not sure if in a good way yet:xd:

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I watched it yesterday, I'll probably have a small write up on the film later. I was thinking it was going to be more like The Boxer's Omen, but it was a lot more tame (though still exploitative) than I was imagining (good for sleep, not so good for the film).