Yeh ging wan

This is a horror comedy from Hong Kong, where a serial killer stalks women who wears white silk stockings.

The main plot is the psychopathic killer, who is obsessed with women who wear white silk stalkings because his adulterous wife wore white silk stalkings. This balances out well with the subplot of radio DJ Sissy (Sylvia Chang) who reports the crimes on her station while police detective Dragon (Kent Chang) tries to woo her. The two make a great team and had great on-screen chemistry. Even the character of Lousy Wong (Simon Yam) made a good addition to the team. All three of them serves up some good old-fashion comedy, Hong Kong cinema-style, while not swaying too much away from the main serial killer plot.

When the psychopath stalks up his victims, the scenes were intense and does creep you out and the purpose behind his motive is a great suspense builder. There are some exciting cat and mouse chase scenes and a classic detective-style music score. Great acting and, overall, a fun film.

Grade B+

This is a great fun slasher comedy. Unlike 'Scream' the comedy is not dependent upon knowledge of modern horror films but effectively makes its own humour. The killings remain horrific despite the comedy, although the film is more serious at the start, more comedic at the end and there is a great scene in the middle where we successfully get both because the victim and her girlfriend are trying to scare each other as the killer prowls about.

A deranged transvestite killer stalks an murders women wearing white stockings. A couple of detectives are investigating the case.The next potential victim of murderous transvestite will be a Radio DJ Sissy."He Lives By Night" blends silly comedy with slasher sub-genre.The script is obviously influenced by Dario Argento's colorful horror movies and De Palma's "Dressed to Kill".The first killing is an obvious nod to masterful "Suspiria".The killings are stylish and tame.The performances by Simon Yam,Kent Cheng and Sylvia Chang are great.I don't particularly like blending comedy with horror,but I enjoyed "He Lives By Night".7 out of 10.

If there's one thing you can't criticize HE LIVES BY NIGHT is that it takes itself too serious. A campy slasher flick that revels in its own silliness, the movie chronicles the efforts of a radio deejay and a fat police captain trying to apprehend a crossdressing shoe-salesman with a murderous silk stocking fetish. The sexual handicup at the root of the killer's problem and the flashback that explains it, an opening murder that recalls Argento's PROFONDO ROSSO and a generally more refined stylish bravado than its American counterparts from the same time, all point to a certain Italian giallo influence. The film ends however with a long chase scene between victim and killer that seems plucked straight from American slasher. For a movie walking a tightrope between two traditionally horrific subgenres, He Lives By Night is oddly enough defined more by its comedy. I guess a lot is lost in the translation, but what is left is typical HK antics, a general buffoonery that is as sure to make you cringe as it is to get you hooked with its peculiar charm. Accompanied by one of the goofiest casiotone synth scores you're likely to listen, He Lives By Night is an odd but entertaining slice of goofball hack and slash that deserves more attention,

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of He Lives By Night; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.50 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.50 Enjoyment: 1.50

TOTAL: 7 out of 10.00

He Lives By Night is a superb Dark Thriller with comedic elements. It tells the story of Sissy, a radio DJ and sometimes reporter. She stumbles into the ongoing investigation of strangled females in the city. The only clue the police possess is the victims' white stockings, which asphyxiated them. As the nights in Hong Kong pass, more women expire as they fall foul of the stocking strangler. It doesn't take long before Sissy finds herself on the mysterious throttler's hit list. Will she solve the secret of the crime before the killer chokes the last breath from her body?

Writer Kin Lo adds to this thriller a dark and twisted modus vivendi for the killer - well, back in the early 80s, some people still considered it deviant for a man to dress as a woman, and it's still frowned upon in some cultures and religions. But if you ignore the idea that being a transvestite meant you were likely to be an aberrant psychopath, you'll get along fine with the concept that the transvestite could be your regular type of psycho: And the women's clothes didn't turn them into Los Locos. Lo also scatters in a sprinkling of humour. Though I wouldn't say He Lives By Night is a comedy, it certainly has its funnier moments. Like the concept of the oddball romance of rotund police chief Dragon and the tomboy reporter and radio DJ Sissy. These two are seriously mismatched, and it's Dragon's persistence and actions to woo and win Sissy that possesses the most humour. Many of the comedic scenes are smile producers; there are only a few that may tickle you enough to make you laugh out loud.

What I enjoyed most about this production was Po-Chih Leong's direction. He has an excellent eye for composition, and the first murder displays this thoroughly. A woman walks home alone, and we watch her as she approaches a few lines of pegged-out washing. But this isn't your usual washing line of shirts, trousers, and various smalls. Leong has, in rotation, arranged a profusion of red and yellow sheets on the washing lines. The colours scream a warning of danger and the viewers know something nasty is about to happen. He plays the pace and the camera angles flawlessly to create a sense of tension, dread, and fear. And when the victim's inevitable murder is complete, you will have witnessed a beautifully designed and captured killing. Leong, also knows that less is more. Not every scene is as stylised, and that's a great thing because it stops the audience from becoming complacent with the cinematography. He also possesses the skill to add visual comedic elements. Such as the segment where Sissy initially and actually stumbles across the case. Leong gives the audience some humourous shadows, which are a homage and a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's famous side profile. I particularly liked the scene when Sissy steps out of the shower room. You see her posing sexily in the bathroom doorway. But things aren't as they appear. The sensual image is merely a novelty swinging door. It was easy to imagine Leong seeing the swing door in a shop and thinking - I could use that.

The cast is first-rate, and each gives a more than credible and enjoyable performance. I particularly like Kent Cheng as Dragon. He owns a presence made for the screen. You feel confident that when he's on-screen that all will be well. Add to this the chemistry he has with Sylvia Chang, who plays his reluctant love interest, Sissy, and you have a charming and delightfully bizarre coupling that can't fail to entertain.

I am amazed at how few people have watched He Lives By Night. I would easily recommend it to all movie lovers. It's a dark thriller that is sometimes funny and always expertly filmed, thanks to the writer, director, cast and crew. So if you get the chance to watch the movie, do yourself a favour, and don't miss the opportunity.

Take Off those white fishnets because you're not going out tonight. No, you're going to check out my Killer Thriller Chillers and The Game Is Afoot lists to see where I ranked He Lives By Night.

Take Care & Stay Well.