"Brutal Grace: A Tribute to Lau Kar-Leung"

If you haven't gotten enough Chinese genre cinema at with Rigor Mortis or Soul (Starring Jimmy Wang Yu), make the scene at "Brutal Grace,"a tribute to the recently departed director, choreographer and martial artist Lau Kar-Leung.  There will be a panel discussion of his legacy and a screening of two of his films.

Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) starring Alexander Fu-Sheng; Gordon Liu (Thirty-Six Chambers of Shaolin); Kara Hui (Rigor Mortis); and Lau Kar-Leung himself.

And one of my hands-down favorite films ever, Dirty Ho (1976) starring Wong Yu (not Jimmy Wang Yu from Soul), Kara Hui (again); Gordon Liu and professional villain, Lo Lieh.




Finally, here's a little tribute to Lau Kar-Leung, who still appeared occasionally in his own films. Here he takes on Sammo Hung in Pedicab Driver (1989)




In the meantime, you still have a chance to catch Juno Mak's Rigor Mortis and Jimmy Wang Yu's not necessarily heroic bloodshed in Soul.

RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

SOUL Final Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

Video: RIGOR MORTIS Midnight Madness Premiere Post-Screening Q&A with Juno Mak

The RIGOR MORTIS premiere post-screening Q&A video.


RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Pics From The Premiere Of RIGOR MORTIS!

Midnight Madness fans braved a torrential Hong-Kong-esque rainstorm last night to see Juno Mak's tribute to Mr Vampire, Rigor Mortis! Ian Goring was there documenting all the action, precariously balancing a bowl of glutinous rice while holding his ever-present camera.

Rain, rain, go away, HOPPING VAMPIRES MOTHERFUCKER

Juno Mak is so dreamy we're just going to leave these two pictures here.

Juno Mak chats it up with Robert Mitchell on the red carpet.

Looming above the Ryerson like a ghost, Juno Mak watches, and waits.

Colin Geddes and Juno Mak introduce the stunning RIGOR MORTIS!

We just can't get enough of these closeups of Juno Mak *swoon*

Juno Mak and Colin Geddes chat up the audience.

Juno Mak takes a bow and is tremendously grateful to the Midnight Madness audience!

Yeah!

Double yeah!

YeAHHHHHHHHHHH!

You have the rare opportunity to catch Rigor Mortis again, on Friday the 13th! Do that!

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

RIGOR MORTIS Midnight Madness Premiere Interview with JUNO MAK

Last night was the North American premiere of Juno Mak's directorial debut RIGOR MORTIS. It was a very rainy and humid night which very much felt like a Hong Kong evening. Robert A. Mitchell spoke with Juno about his first film as a director, influences and, of course, those hopping vampires from Hong Kong's glorious golden age of cinema.


RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

RIGOR MORTIS Premieres Tonight!

Buy a bag of glutinous rice, cover your house in yellow charms and find yourself a Taoist priest, preferably one with a unibrow, because RIGOR MORTIS premieres tonight with a new, deadlier take on gueng si, aka, "hopping vampires!"



RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Colin Geddes' Zine Asian Eye Prepares You for RIGOR MORTIS!

Way back before Colin Geddes ever programmed Midnight Madness, he was a zinester, editing Asian Eye: The Occidental Tourist's Guide to Oriental Pop Culture.

Click through to a fully-readable copy of Asian Eye #2.

You can familiarize yourself with gyonshi, aka, "hopping vampires" before seeing Rigor Mortis, Juno Mak's tribute to the gyonshi classic, Mr. Vampire. (Cover by T.S. Hart)

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9