Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980)

Encounters of the Spooky Kind is special because it doesn’t just mash kung fu and horror together—it makes them dance, with Sammo Hung turning every scare into a setup for a perfectly timed gag or a burst of jaw-dropping choreography. The vibe is gleefully chaotic and folkloric, the kind of midnight-movie cocktail where hopping corpses, temple shadows, and slapstick bravado coexist in the same breath, and somehow it all feels effortless. Hung’s direction keeps the energy high and the action crisp, while the comedy lands with the confidence of performers who know exactly how far to push a scene before it snaps into another wild gear. It is, however, a rougher ride than modern horror-comedies—there’s some gnarly violence and a bit of nudity—so if that’s a dealbreaker, steer clear, but if you’re on the fence, this is one of the most purely entertaining examples of kung-fu horror ever made.

Encounters of the Spooky Kind is clearly trying to be a rowdy Hong Kong mash-up of kung fu slapstick and old-school supernatural chills, with Sammo Hung leaning hard into physical comedy and inventive set-pieces. The catch is that the tone swings wildly—one minute it’s goofy pranks, the next it’s surprisingly nasty violence—so if you want consistent horror or clean, family-friendly comedy, this will feel messy rather than charming. The pacing can also be uneven, with broad humor and plot detours that won’t land if you’re not already on its wavelength. Still, if you can handle R-rated gore and some dated, rough-around-the-edges moments, the action choreography and practical creature effects deliver the kind of scrappy energy that made this era memorable.