Yeh boon 1 dim chung

I returned to watch the 1995 Hong Kong horror movie "Yeh Boon 1 Dim Chung" (aka "1.00 A. M") for a second time here in 2023. I guess I watched it in the early 2000s for the first time, but I had forgotten about it, up until I sat down to watch it in 2023.

The storyline in the movie is pretty straight forward, and it was somewhat generic for a mid-1990s Hong Kong horror movie. But hey, if that is your niche, then you're in for a treat here, as writers Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok and Man Sing So delivers a very stereotypical script for director Wilson Yip to bring to the screen.

This is actually an anthology of sorts, and as horror anthologies usually go, then you're not in for any particular outstanding movie experience here. The stories, or segments, are very varied in contents, but made for a bland viewing experience only.

The movie does have a couple of familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Jordan Chan, Elvis Tsui and Anita Yuen. So if you are familiar with the Hong Kong cinema, at least "Yeh Boon 1 Dim Chung" has that working in favor of it.

For a horror movie then "Yeh Boon 1 Dim Chung" was a swing and a miss. There was nothing scary about the stories told in the movie, not even remotely so. And that makes "Yeh Boon 1 Dim Chung" a somewhat dull movie to sit through.

My rating of "Yeh Boon 1 Dim Chung" lands on a four out of ten stars.

If you're looking for bone-chilling, hair raising and teeth chattering movie entertainment, then this film is not for you. However, if you want some comedy relief with some ghostly tales mixed in, then this movie is for you. This film is about three separate stories, each one depicting the protagonists' encounter with ghosts. Based on the title of this film, all ghosts appear at the stroke of 1:00AM; each restless apparition looking to take care of some unfinished business before resting in peace.

The first story deals with the trapped spirit of a singer; second deals with a group of college students' encounter with a restless female ghost; and the third deals with two night-duty cops' encounter with a reoccurring phantom of an old woman.

The acting is great, the music score is haunting and the directing is good. It's a perfect film for some comedy and some moderate horror entertainment.

Grade A

three stories are in this "horror-comedy" anthology. All take place on 1:00 AM, hence the title. Man, they're clever. Sarcasm noted. Anyway None of the stories are funny. None of them are scary. But they are all yawn inducing, so if you don't have any Valuim on hand this film is an OK alternative. I give you 5-10 minutes tops and you'll be out like a baby after Micheal Jackson gives him some "jesus juice". Heh, I'm just kidding, Mike.. wait no I'm not, this film sucks as much as Madonna on prozac. Even if you like any of the cast members, you should still skip this putrid film.

My Grade: F

One of popular director Wilson Yip's first films, 01:00AM is a trilogy of modern-day ghost stories set in Hong Kong, each different in their own way, and each entertaining enough to pass the time. The first is about a singer in a coma; his spirit trapped by a persistent female ghost who was a fan when she was alive. The second is about a group of college students who send Anita Yuen out to interview a ghost. And the third deals with a couple of cops on night duty who encounter the ghost of an old woman. Obviously, each of the ghosts appear at 01:00am (or thereabouts) which is what connects everything together...

While hardly enthralling, 01:00AM still makes for a fun watch, with enough comedic goings-on to help, and a great wee cast spread out over each of the tales including the aforementioned student Anita Yuen, Veronica Yip as a nurse, and Jordan Chan and Elvis Tsui as the night cops. Of course, Chan would return to work with Wilson Yip on the fun Bio Zombie a few years later which was a much more energetic entry. Each of the main stars bring their own little charm to their 30 minute segment, backed by a great score and some nice camerawork, with the three tales supposedly based on true stories. Its not as glossy as today's horror fans would probably want, but 01:00AM still provides enough spooky moments and is far from terrible, but overall, I'd say the film was made with more of a comedic tone than serious horror.

01:00AM is middle-of-the-road stuff for me, but definitely not a waste of time. Given the fact that Wilson Yip is such a praised director today after his success with the Ip Man series, its good to see where these film makers began and the progression of their journey. Gives me some inspiration with my own career!

Overall: Watchable horror-comedy that has enough going on to entertain, although I'd probably never need to see it again...

Ha ha ha, pretty funny ghost stories that's worth the watch. Movie is comprised of three episodes. In each episode the ghost shows up at 1 am (hence the title of the movie).

The stories are bit unusual in that none of them takes place inside a house but at various locations around town.

First story consists of Veronica Yip who's a nurse getting haunted by a ghost while on a night watch. I'm bit disappointed that there was no skin exposure here on her part, but this movie is not an erotic ghost story, so I'll settle for that. Veronica Yip just doesn't strike me as someone who gets scared at anything, and sure enough she wasn't so convincing at being scared of the ghosts.

Second story involves Anita Yuen and her new (bought used) Japanese car. The story is funny because of her miniature Do Do Cheng style acting. She could pass as Do Do's sister from the way she looks in this movie. She was just great in a bad situation of the car getting stuck at middle of the night, made worse by the presence of the ghost.

Third story is about two traffic enforcement cops consisting of Jordan Chan and Elvis Tsui. Jordan always brings incredibly funny acting while playing strait. I think he's one actor that deserves lot more recognition. Well you've guessed it, while thinking they're cool, these officers goes on their bumbling ways strait into the ghosts hands.

A sequel was made where the ghosts shows up at 2am (1997).

Grade A+