This movie, 'presented by' Takeshi Shimizu (Ju-On) and directed by Juno Mak, is an obvious tribute to the 1985 Hong Kong hit Mr. Vampire (1985), and to a much lesser extent, Encounter of the Spooky Kind(a.k.a., Spooky Encounters, 1980).
A suicidal has-been actor (Chin Siu-Ho) moves into a run-down, haunted apartment building to end his life. Oddly enough, some details given of the character actually fit Chin Sio-Ho's real life; he began in movies at age 16, and photos are shown of him and some of the co-stars of his most famous film(s), such as Mr. Vampire.
I won't give up much more of the plot than that, other than that this movie features 1980s-era HK actors; besides Chin Siu-Ho and Kara Wai, there is Chan Yau (Anthony 'Friend' Chan), Richard Ng, Chung Fat (Chung Fa), and Billy Lau Nam-Kwong, etc.
Chan Yau reprises his role of a Taoist exorcist (which he played in a lesser role alongside the late Lam Ching-Ying) in the original Mr. Vampire. Chung Fat was a KF actor/stuntman who appeared in countless KF/action/supernatural films in the '70s through the '90s, including as one of Han's ill-fated guards crushed by Bolo in Enter the Dragon. Chin Siu-Ho and Kara Wai started their film careers at Shaw Brothers studios in the late '70s.
In spite of (or partly because of??) the retro cast, the entire movie has a depressing feel to it. The characters are sad and worn-out, even moreso to anyone familiar with the actors in their heyday. The entire movie takes place within the dingy apartment building, except for a few exterior shots of it. The movie is described as 'haunting', 'spectacular' and 'a chilling homage to classic Chinese vampire movies', and I'm sure many will like it and some will not. The original Mr. Vampire theme song is heard a couple of times in echoey fashion, and I didn't find the movie particularly spooky. There is some MA fighting, but not much to write home about.
I would describe it as a fair film, about 3 stars. If you are a fan of old-school HK films and tributes to them, it's worth a watch. But don't expect to feel uplifted or 'hyped-up' afterwards.
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