Apr 30, 2020

Not every vampire is suave and sophisticated. Some hop and lurch, clumsily thirsting for violence - or awkward romance. Marcus and Melissa explore two modern revivals of Hong Kong's "hopping vampires," campy horror-comedy monsters from the 1980s with roots in Chinese legends. They also liken coronavirus safety to an especially grim 1990s sitcom and a carnivorous Would You Rather.

Rigor Mortis

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Quality: 3. Enjoyment: 3 / 4.

Vampire Cleanup Department

MPTS: 0. Quality: 3. Enjoyment: 1.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Chinese Vampire" in TV Tropes

"‘Mr. Vampire’: The Definitive Jiangshi Movie," by Tristan Shaw in supchina

"Rigor Mortis revives the hopping-vampire movie," by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky in the A.V. Club

"RIGOR MORTIS: INTERVIEW WITH JUNO MAK," by Pam Jahn in Electric Sheep Magazine

"Anthony Yan and Hang Chi interview: Vampire Cleanup Department," by Andrew Daley in Eastern Kicks

"Dinosaurs Is the Only Family Sitcom Grim Enough for This Moment," by Lili Loofbourow in Slate