Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Movie Review

Mr. Vampire redux.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 8, 2014

Many horror fans may think of outings like the original versions of films like The Ring and The Grudge when asked to detail Asian entries in this genre, but Rigor Mortis, a stylish if somewhat vapid Hong Kong film helmed by actor and musician Juno Mak, actually harkens back to a somewhat earlier era of Asian horror cinema. Much like the horror idiom the United States, a genre which saw (for example) a glut of slasher films in the late seventies through the eighties, Asian cinema has had its own mini-epochs of subgenres, including the goofy Mr. Vampire franchise that became a staple in Hong Kong film from the mid-eighties onward. Those who are unfamiliar with Mr. Vampire may not get some of the subtext of Rigor Mortis, but even those folks may be thinking of something completely different as they watch the story of a once popular horror film actor battle various supernatural phenomena in a dank, industrial tenement complex. After a brief prologue which introduces this initially nameless actor (played by Mr. Vampire stalwart Chin Siu-ho) in what appears to be the aftermath of some major carnage, the film flashes back to Chin arriving at the oppressively gray high rise. Chin is let into his room and promptly attempts to commit suicide by hanging himself. As he “dances” in seizures at the end of the rope, he’s apparently saved by one of the apartment house’s other residents, but fans of the Ambrose Bierce short story “An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge” (later made into an Academy Award winning short film which aired as an episode of The Twilight Zone) may be forgiven for thinking there may be more here than meets the eye (or the badly scarred neck). Despite this perhaps intentional allusion, Rigor Mortis probably ultimately owes more to tropes favored by one of its producers, Takashi Shimizu (the original The Grudge), for the film is awash in things like scraggly haired waifs who suddenly reach out and “touch” unsuspecting residents of the complex.

Rigor Mortis is long on style and rather short on substance, though Mak (who co-wrote as well as directed) attempts to distract the viewer from that latter dearth by ping ponging between a lengthy set of subplots and sidebars. There’s the odd, flaxen haired albino little boy named Pak (Morris Ho) who bursts into the elevator as Chin first shows up at the complex, and who later returns to his apartment, evidently in search of something but rarely if ever uttering a word. And there’s Pak’s emotionally distraught mother Feng (Kara Hui), a woman seemingly on the verge (maybe past that verge) of a nervous breakdown every time Chin sees her. And there’s the wisened Yau (Anthony Chan), the man who evidently rescued Chin from suicide and who has a supernatural past of his own. Mui (Hee Ching Paw) is a fussbudget who spends most of her time sewing, but also fretting about her husband Tung (Richard Ng). But all of these stories play out in a dreamlike, quasi-hallucinatory style, often suffused with either flashbacks or at least intrusive memories, so that the viewer is never quite sure what’s ostensibly “real” and what isn’t.

Even Chin often seems swept away by memories. He discusses his once promising film career with the other residents and seems wistfully nostalgic for the days when he played a vampire hunter in films which brought him fame and fortune. But he also is haunted by some memories of his wife and child which seem to hint at some devastating tragedy which has led him to his current roiling emotional state. Things begin to settle down somewhat around a half hour into Rigor Mortis when it becomes clear one character, desperate over the death of a relative, is in cahoots with another character to bring the relative back to life, with (of course) unexpected disaster looming once that actually occurs.

Rigor Mortis probably never manages to add up to a convincing whole or become more than the sum of its parts, but many of those parts are undeniably fascinating, including the callbacks to the frog like vampires of a few decades ago that swarmed over Asian cinema. Mak is a surprisingly stylish director, offering sweeping camera moves that only increase the feeling of being caught in some kind of nightmare world where the usual laws of physics don’t apply. Chin is a stalwart if awfully laconic hero, and the supporting cast (made up of several iconic names, many of them with horror filmographies of some note) is colorful and at times rather disturbing.

The film is an unapologetic CGI fest, and that element, along with a certain repetitiveness as the plot meanders toward its apocalyptic third act, may put off some viewers who yearn for something a bit more “natural”. And despite Mak’s best efforts to cavort around a major plot point, most viewers will guess the “big twist” long before it’s delivered in the film’s closing moments. Still Rigor Mortis earns major kudos for its sterling style and for reminding fans of Asian horror what all the fuss was about not so long ago.

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rigor Mortis is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. Shot digitally with the Red Epic, this film has been aggressively color graded in post in a variety of really interesting ways. A lot of the film is almost monochromatic, playing out in shades of dank gray, albeit with little bursts of color thrown in which automatically pop simply because they're surrounded by such relatively bland backgrounds. At other times, there's a jaundiced yellow sheen overlaying the film, but it's not that rich amber color which tends to denote a summery, relaxed vibe. Instead, it's almost like a malfunctioning fluorescent light, adding an almost garish hue to certain scenes. Mak and his DP Ng Kai-Ming play with individual items within the frame, highlighting an alabaster ring or an expanding pool of blood while the bulk of the image is virtually colorless. All of this is obviously intentionally "arty", and may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it gives Rigor Mortis a really interesting look, and one that looks crisp and compelling in high definition. Fine detail is exceptional, even in radically filtered scenes like one that is absolutely drenched in a deep red color (see screenshot 4). Some of the CGI is intentionally on the soft side, including weird little tendrils that emanate from two twin spectral spirits. Contrast has been intentionally pushed, making lighter gradients bloom at times. The only real issue of note here is some readily apparent banding, which may result from the pushed whites (it's most noticeable when the image is brightest, as in a scene when the camera pans up in a floridly lit stairway after a body has dropped several stories). Otherwise, though, this is a fantastic looking film and Blu-ray.

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As is often the case with Well Go USA releases, Rigor Mortis has both Cantonese and English tracks available in DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. The 5.1 tracks are the obvious choice here, and the good news is the English dub is rather facile, as these things go. Both of the 5.1 mixes are virtually identical in terms of excellent surround activity, great (often quite creepy) foley effects (the "squiggling" sound when the tendrils emanate from the spectral twins is especially memorable), and more traditional elements like rumbling LFE to add a feeling of menace in otherwise apparently banal scenes. Dialogue and score are both delivered very cleanly and clearly. Fidelity is top notch throughout and dynamic range is very wide.

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (1080p; 2:02)

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rigor Mortis has one overly predictable element, but otherwise is stuffed full of odd little characters and plot points. The references to Asian vampire films of yore may be lost on some viewers, but the overall tone of the film is unmistakably spooky and even oppressive. The two most remarkable things about the film is the aggregation of some great character actors, several of whom have done a lot of very famous horror films in their younger years, and Mak's rather unexpectedly brilliant stylistic flourishes. The film still is a bit tedious and inconsistent, but is never less than a blast to simply sit back and watch. Technical merits on this Blu-ray are first rate, and even without much in the supplements department, this release comes Recommended.