The Spooky Family (1990) User Reviews (3)

Hilarious vampire comedy from Hong Kong!

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 10 September 2017]

This is a vampire comedy from Hong Kong, starring Kent Chan, Wong Siu-Fung, Alvina Kong and Cheung Lap-Gei as an Addams Family-type group in the early 20th century, doing vampire busting and fortune telling for a living. The husband, Hung Ping, captures and controls the Copper Vampire meant to bring luck, but after it was released, it goes on a deadly rampage.

While the movie starts off with a goofy music theme ripped off from the Addams Family, the story holds up well as its own, mixing in some decent ghost and vampire action with hilarious comedy involving Hung Pung and his dimwitted son Ming and the rivalry between Hung Ping's wife and colleague sister. Much of the comedy is quick-wit and deadpan humor, with a little bit of slapstick stuff. There's also funny cameos from Sandra Ng and Billy Lau.

The vampire is quite scary-looking. Plenty of fast people vs. vampire action. Good acting overall.

I was impressed with this film and hadn't laughed that hard at a Chinese ghost/vampire comedy in a while. Recommended! Grade A

Spooky family

[gorytus-20672 · 9/10 · 8 April 2021]

April 2021

Spooky family is yet another one of these vampire/ghosty HK comedies that i just cannot get enough of.

This one is actually very similar to Spiritual Trinity, also starring Kent Cheng, which is totally on par with this too.

So if you have seen Spiritual Trininty or any of the Mr Vampires, then you know what you letting yourself in for.

9/9.5 out of 10.

Spooky Family, The (1990)

[horseboxingkiller · 24 January 2022]

The playful rendition of The Addams Family theme tune that plays over the credits quickly establishes where The Spooky Family's primary influence is drawn from. Mercifully, other than the film's general premise of a bickering family with a passion for all things undead, that's where the rest of the similarities end.

Chu Kor Hung Ping (Kent Cheng) and his wife (Pauline Wong) run a family vampire-hunting and fortune-telling business. Due to a dry spell of over a year without work, Chu Kor spends his days in his laboratory trying to perfect his 'Corpse Linking Machine'. The contraption aims to reanimate the vampires (which he keeps in his lab) which are then controlled via telekinesis.

One day, Chu Kor receives a tip-off about a sighting of the rare 'Copper Vampire of China'. What he does not divulge is that those who do come across the vampire become cursed with terrible bad luck. This is all an elaborate scheme cooked up by a rival called Top Wizard (Billy Lau) in the hope that Chu Kor falls foul of the 'Copper Vampire', and poor fortune causes him to lose his vampire hunting kudos in the village.

The Spooky Family is entertaining and silly fun if you're in the right mood, aided by a top cast and some smart make-up effects and set designs. The leading ladies all look great, appearing in a variety of colourful costumes and hairstyles, and Kent Cheng is made for roles like this.

The first encounter with the Copper Vampire is quite creative and energetic with a good mix of action, comedy and chills (the vampire can only be tamed by "coffin nails dipped in cock blood"...). The film then focuses on the jealous bickering between Pauline Wong and 'Colleague Sister'(Nina Li Chi) whom Wong suspects of trying to seduce her husband. This finally ramps up into a frantic, madcap finale as the family battle an army of undead, resurrected by the Copper Vampire.

Sandra Ng and Shing Fui-On appear in cameo roles, the latter being quite hilarious as an aggressive, loudmouth customer who comes to get his fortune read.

Prolific (and distinctive looking) actor Chin Yuet-Sang (Heroes Shed No Tears, 1986), does a solid job with the directing here. He also helmed a couple more credible ghost movies (for example Hocus Pocus, 1984), as well as the Shaw Brothers classic, Lion Vs. Lion (1981).

3.5 out of 5

Review source: World Video, VHS (USA) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)