Shi yao

You know... When i say i want a Mystery this is what i mean... Mysteries like Se7en and Manhunter are horrible, because there's nothing going on. This is a movie that actually has something always going on, and you it's fascinating and interesting. If Nekromantik and Guinea Pig & Guinea Pig 5 had a baby, this movie would be it.

I can say that the ending was unexpected! I though Master Li was the killer the whole time! The ending was completely off guard! The acting is for the most part good, some of the scenes in this movie look incredible. There were 3 or 4 scenes in this movie that just look beautiful.

The story is a serial killer that's also has paraphilic disorder, strikes again, and then the law is trying to capture him. However, the way the movie is structured, the way it just turns 360 degrees like MARTYRS, and actually keeps you going, is a miracle. I can not say that there was anything boring during this whole movie!

If you are into serial killer mysteries stuff like THE UNTOLD STORY, ROSARY MURDERS, ANGST, HENRY PORT. OF SERIAL KILLER, BEDEVILLED, EBOLA SYNDROME, LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and PEEPING TOM, and sure GUINEA PIG films, because there are elements in this that remind me of that franchise, this is in your BOAT.

"Corpse Mania" is not as demented as it's reputed to be.I found Kuei Chih-Hung's earlier horror flick "The Killer Snakes" more disturbing and revolting.However there are some gruesome shots of decomposing female corpses eaten by maggots.There are also several intense murder scenes and some atmospheric bits that suggest Mario Bava's influential "Blood and Black Lace".A calm,inconspicuous young man has quite a special taste in women:he likes them dead.The factor of disgust bounces up to new heigths when the director shows us naked corpses of women,covered from head to toe with countless crawling maggots and he has the camera exploring every single body part.There is a necrophiliac killer on the loose wearing a black coat,a black hat,a white scarf and big sunglasses.The killings are gory enough:a stabbing in a car,vicious throat slashing,smashed head and a decapitation.The climax is fairly surprising.8 out of 10.

This is a really well done Italian styled horror movie out of Hong Kong. This dark and disturbing thriller is really nicely shot with great set design and full of lots of dark atmosphere. Corpse Mania is the story of a necrophiliac murderer of prostitutes that leaves the defiled corpses of these unfortunate women behind. The remains are vomit inducing with decomposing corpses swarming with insects. This is a especially humorless film with outbursts of bloody splatter violence and gruesome gore.. This is savage stuff but cut with diabolical surgical precision..Corpse Mania is the stuff of nightmares and was masterfully done.

No pun intended - Shaw Brothers are best known for their martial arts movies - but they did try to reach out and make movies with different themes ... with directors that were trying to do different genres ... and we have one here. Now the movie did not age greatly in quite a few aspects.

One of them being women and how they are treated ... or random quite offensive male character - with sexual preferences that are not consensual ... just saying. On the other hand there are quite a few interesting cases of special effects ... you still get to see "dummys". Better that way than having a stunt person being hurt .... especially considering the impact of the stunt(s) ... again no pun intended. Not a lot of nudity (some disgusting scenes though, so be mindful of that) ... but quite a bit of action ... and a lot of red herrings (plot stuff that messes with the viewer) and may make him see things ... that he/she did not want to see anything.

CORPSE MANIA (1981, original title Shi yao) is a rare Asian attempt at a giallo, although it starts off as something entirely else. It was made by Shaw Brothers, the Hong Kong studio best known for their kung fu epics, although they knocked out a fair few atmospheric and very grisly horrors in the early 1980s and this is certainly one of them. It starts off with a true crime feel, as a husband's love for his wife carries on after her death...Grisly stuff for sure, a mix of queasy necrophile love scenes and copious maggotry, so only strong stomachs need apply here.

Thankfully things soon take a different turn, with a killer wielding a massive knife and wearing a blue gown, black hat, sunglasses and white scarf works his way through folk associated with a busy brothel. BLOOD & BLACK LACE seems a key inspiration here, but the film has an atmosphere all of its own, and the murders are grisly enough to satisfy ardent horror lovers. Not one of Shaw's best horrors, but watchable all the same if you like seeing the inspirations.