Episode 188: The Brains, Maggots and Splatter of Kuei Chih-Hung

## Show Notes

We discuss the career of Kuei Chih-Hung, the Shaw Bros director behind the unheralded horror classics THE BOXER'S OMEN, CORPSE MANIA and KILLER CONSTABLE.
## Films Discussed

* Directed by Kuei Chih-Hung
	+ *The Killer Snakes* (1974)
	+ *Virgins of the Seven Seas* (a.k.a. *The Bod Squad*) (1974)
	+ *Supermen Against The Orient* (1974)
	+ *Killers on Wheels* (1976)
	+ *The Criminals 2-Homicides* ("The Deaf Mute Killer" & "The Informer) (1976)
	+ *The Criminals 3-Arson* ("Arson) (1977)
	+ *The Criminals 4-Assault* ("Maniac") (1977)
	+ *The Criminals 5-The Teenager's Nightmare* ("The Teenager's Nightmare) (1977)
	+ *The Gold Connection* (a.k.a *Iron Dragon Strikes Back*) (1979)
	+ *Killer Constable* (1980)
	+ *Coward Bastard* (1980)
	+ *Hex* (1980)
	+ *Hex Versus Witchcraft* (1980)
	+ *Corpse Mania* (1980)
	+ *Bewitched* (1980)
	+ *Hex After Hex* (1981)
	+ *The Boxer's Omen* (1983)
* *The House of 72 Tenants* (1973) Dir. Chor Yeun
* *The Exorcist* (1973) Dir. William Friedkin
* *A Chinese Ghost Story* (1987) Dir. Ching Siu-Tung
* *Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky* (1991) Dir. Lam Nai-choi
* *A View to a Kill* (1985) Dir. John Glen

## Discussion Notes

* Kuei Chih-Hung - The Lucio Fulci of the Far East
	+ Explored social consciousness, class critiques, political anger
	+ Loved to show evil and objectionable subject matter
* Shaw Bros Studio
	+ Hong Kong movie factory in the vein of Old Hollywood
	+ Draconian working conditions vs. culture of technical excellence
	+ Notable stable directors include Chang Cheh, Lau Kar-leung, and Chor Yeun
	+ Faced competition in the Hong Kong New Wave from Golden Harvest (with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan) and Cinema City

* Hong Kong Horror - a genre focused on the grotesque (from gonzo to giallo)
* Our hosts grimace in discussion of *The Killer Snakes*
	+ Watching the film: "Punishing...an assault" - high praise!
	+ Unsurprisingly contains lots of snake violence

* Why didn't Kuei Chih-Hung reach the height of Fulci or Bava?

## Listener Letters

* Marco from Switzerland
	+ Our hosts thoughts on Christoph Schlingensief?
		- *German Chainsaw Massacre: The First Hour of Reunification* (a.k.a. *Blackest Heart*) (1990)

* Six degrees of Will Sloan in the podcast world - what films tie the ICC to Sealzoids to Chapo Trap House?
	+ *The Black Cat* (1934) Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer
	+ *Widow Blue!* (1970) Dir. Walt Davis
	+ *Gremlins 2* (1990) Dir. Joe Dante

* *Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla* - the new *Detour*?

* Will: Can't do a Vincent Price imitation, can do Peter Lorre (or perhaps Bill Hader doing Vincent Price)

## Post-Outro Discussion

* Our hosts went to see *Jay and Silent Bob Reboot*
	+ A film only for the true fanatics
	+ Jason Mewes - the Antoine Doinel of the View Askewniverse
	+ Ben Affleck - a heartwarming return?
* Our hosts run down the legacy and works of Kevin Smith
	+ *Clerks* (1994)
	+ *Mallrats* (1995)
	+ Chasing Amy (1997)
	+ *Dogma* (1999)
	+ *Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back* (2001)
	+ *Jersey Girl* (2004)
	+ *Clerks II* (2006)
	+ *Cop Out* (2010)
	+ *Red State* (2011)
	+ *Tusk* (2014)
	+ *Yoga Hosers* (2016)
	+ *Jay and Silent Bob Reboot* (2019)