Scared Stiff (1987) User Reviews (6)

Mediocre, However a Watchable B Movie

[hunozthtiluvu · 6/10 · 3 March 2008]

First of all, I wonder if any of those people who voted for "1" are just merely watching this movie for Chow Yun-Fat.

The movie is not confusing at all. Maybe those who found it confusing was due to the fact they couldn't understand Cantonese. There might be some unnecessary misunderstanding when it comes to English Subtitles/translations. People who don't understand it may also due to they don't understand Hong Kongnese culture nor B movies from HK's 80's. Also, don't confuse this movie with Paul Verhoeven's "Total Recall". This is not a case that an ambiguity might exist. In fact, you have to understand it's merely a very simple story about an unusual person who has a special ability. Don't over-try while digging any meaning out of it. Not many HK movies have the subtleties that you are looking for.

The story is clearly told and the performances from the actors on average is quite good. Story goes smoothly but very tightly. Some of the shots create some ghosty look which donates quite an amount of tension and cliffhangers. The lighting and other cinematography are well used. Believe or not, I think it's a better piece than Chow's "A Better Tomorrow III".

For those who want to watch it because of Chow Yun-Fat, you should not expect a lot from him. This is not him having a leading role. He doesn't even appear until the 5/8 of the film has been spinned. Besides, in some way, it's good to see that he's not type-casted for a certain kind of his personal charisma. Moreover, it's not really an action movie. Mixed with a little comedic element with HK 80's mainstream ("Good-guy-bad-guy" kinda thing plus a little romance).

After watching so many good and bad movies from Hollywood, European and Oriental countries, I'm glad this one is not the one that completely wasted my time.

I rate it for 6.5.

Scared Stiff

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 13 August 2023]

Yes, 1987 had two movies named Scared Stiff.

This is the Lau Kar-wing-directed remix of Dreamscape.

Maybe some Scanners, too.

David Miu Tai-wai (Michael Miu) is a psychiatrist helping street people who is followed around by his friend Halley Tsang Siu-wai (Eric Tsang). For the first part of the movie, they get into wacky guy hijinks like pretending that Halley is a robot so that he can spills water all over a girl so that she'll take her clothes off. Just when you start to follow that, David gets into a car accident, discovers that he can see inside dreams and has strange adventures like imagining he's Van Helsing all while a researcher named Alice (Emily Chu) conducts experiments on his brain.

Then the movie turns into a chase, with the men who caused the accident chasing Halley into a parking garage where he finds a dead body and almost knocks out May (Anita Mui). As he recovers, he's questioned by Inspector Chow (Chow Yun-fat) and another cop (Phillip Ko). Dabid decides to enter Halley's dreams to learn what happened and discovers that the killer with a knife who murdered the person that Halley found - whew! - was Inspector Chow and he knows that they know that he's a killer. And now this movie is pretty much a giallo!

What a strange movie that becomes a totally different story every few minutes. I loved it!

About as much fun as moldy toadstools.

[leighm · 1/10 · 7 April 2000]

Ugh. I hate this movie. I hate the fact Chow Yun-Fat is in this movie. If there is one film I wish I could obliterate from my consciousness, this would be a Top Ten candidate.

In a rip-off of a number of Hollywood movies, Miu Kiu Wai plays a guy who has the ability to enter the dreams of others. This is how he twigs to the fact that there is a crooked cop on the force. While mucking about in other peoples' dreams he encounters vampires, monsters and just general stupidity.

Eric Tsang, surely one of the most annoying individuals ever born, portrays the trouble-magnet buddy as well as a salacious robot. He looks like a demented Tele-Tubby.

Chow Yun-Fat plays the cop. Anita Mui plays a reporter with a boyfriend who should know not to eat birthday cake with a hunting knife. Emily Chu Bo-Yee plays a piece of wood. Well, it just seems that way.

Terrible, awful and good only for making fun of at parties, this film is solidly in my list of CYF's Bottom Five movies. If you must see this one, try and get a friend to spring for the disc so you won't feel bad about wasting your own money on it.

Probably the worst Chow Yun Fat film

[dbborroughs · 2/10 · 8 October 2008]

You're not lucky if you watch this film. Incredibly stupid comedy really stars Edward Tsang (in his stupid mode)and Anita Mui.It has something to do with an accident giving one of two brothers the ability to go into peoples dreams. Somehow Chow Yun Fat figures into the mess as a cop investigating a murder that he really committed and wants to keep covered up. Its awful, even by Hong Kong low grade humor standards with Tsang's mugging bringing everything down lower than it all ready is. Think sub low rent (homeless?) Lou Costello. Trust me you're better off not seeing Tsang dressed as a robot in the hopes of seeing girls naked. Avid this film

Chow Yun-Fat should buy up all the copies and burn them

[qatmom · 1/10 · 4 September 2005]

This is not only a dreadful movie, it is confusing, and has the feel of several movies stitched together sloppily. I watched it at 1.5 speed and still the pain did not end quickly enough.

What was real? What was dream-state? I still don't know; worse, I don't care.

I don't know and cannot imagine why Chow Yun-fat made this movie (he does not appear until more than 50 minutes into it) because he was successful already...he should have done commercials and sold floor wash or denture cleaners, done anything except this movie.

If someone offers to give you this movie, decline politely.

What a Bad Movie

[tcboxer · 27 April 2000]

What a really bad movie, "Scared Stiff" has to be the worse movie I've ever seen by the Great Chow Yun Fat. When you consider such movies as "The Witch From Nepal" and "Replacement Killers" it's hard to believe that Chow actually made this "thing". In fact he isn't even in the whole movie. There is no plot, bad characters, bad acting, and bad editing. It's just bad. Avoid it if you can, especially if you've never seen any of Chow Yun Fats other movies.