Martial arts films At first, horror doesn’t seem like a genre that works well together, but upon closer inspection, there are a number of films that combine the two styles to stunningly corny effects. Most genre-defining martial arts films focus on themes such as revenge, perseverance, and the strength of the human spirit through hand-to-hand combat. When this is mixed with horror concepts like blood, gore and supernatural beings, the resulting chaos often has to be seen to be believed.
Admittedly, most martial arts horror films succeed primarily because of their novelty, in many cases being enjoyable in a more ironic sense thanks to bizarre storylines and questionable low-budget special effects. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth watching, as popcorn movies are best watched with friends and are some of the greatest oh-so-bad-but-good movies of all time. From international B-movies to Hollywood blockbusters, martial arts horror films are one of a kind.
10
Ninja III: Domination
1984
One of the most bizarre mixtures of genres ever created. Ninja III: Domination mixes up the fears of possession in films such as Exorcist with classic ninja action where they mix as well as oil and water. The film centers on a typical 80s aerobics instructor and dancer who is possessed by the spirit of a ninja after a close encounter with him. Following the film’s thesis, “Only a ninja can destroy a ninja“A second shinobi assassin appears to exorcise the ghost.
Has nothing to do with the previous two Ninja films (not counting the presence of actor Sho Kosugi, who plays a different character in each entry), Ninja III: Domination nice from the start. From the hilariously unrealistic romance between Lucinda Dickey’s Christine and a cop investigating a ninja attack, to the daring special effects and ninja battles, the film is a silly play on multiple genres. Ninja III: Domination Worth watching is the silly seduction scene in which Christina pours a can of V8 onto her chest so her lover can lap it up alone.
9
Robo Vampire
1988
One of the most blatant copies of a classic American martial arts blockbuster. Robo Vampire is surprisingly cheap, both from a filmmaking and creative standpoint. Stealing the set for your favorite classic sci-fi action movie RoboCop, Robo Vampire begins with a deceased police officer being brought back to duty from the grave wearing a strikingly similar cybernetic suit. The film takes a sharp left turn. RoboCop counterfeit with the emergence of a deadly horde of vampires that the newly rebuilt supercop must defeat.
Robo Vampire – the king of bizarre storylines. The main antagonists are a group of drug dealers using Chinese jumping vampires to promote their products, not to mention the help of the terrifying “Vampire Beast”, which is essentially an excuse to use a cheap gorilla suit that the producers had on hand. Not to mention RoboCop’s doppelgänger’s ghostly girlfriend is furious that her lover isn’t allowed to go into the afterlife with her. With the Spirit Halloween store’s production style and painfully convoluted storytelling, Robo Vampire it is a mesmerizing disaster.
8
Human lanterns
1982
Considering the sheer number of legendary kung fu films produced by the Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong in the late 70s and mid 80s, it is not surprising that some of them strayed from the typical martial arts path. Enter Human lanterns, a rare foray into horror for the Shaw Brothers that still retains the sibling duo’s signature directing flair. The story is set in feudal China and features a rivalry between two kung fu masters that soon turns ugly when they begin competing for the same women.
A film with some of the most graphic violence of any Shaw Brothers film. Human lanterns lives up to its name when the film’s masked antagonist begins flaying his victims alive, turning them into gruesome scenery. For all the torture in the game, there’s also some exciting wire work and some truly excellent kung fu action, woven into the plot as haphazardly as the work of a wily lantern maker. Besides enjoying the bold plot and action scenes, Human lanterns Worth a watch for the stunning cinematography and gorgeous color palette.
7
Silent rage
1982
The overseas market by no means has a monopoly on quirky martial arts films with vague horror influences. Even iconic action characters like Chuck Norris can’t avoid appearing in the occasional horror project, as evidenced by Quiet rage. Here, Norris is introduced as a cowboy-hat-wearing sheriff tasked with stopping the rampage of a psychopathic killer who has been subjected to an experimental procedure that makes him nearly impossible to kill.
A formulaic horror film, shocked by the new look of the typical Chuck Norris character. Silent rage – an interesting new product that is worth discussing with a group of friends. The film’s unintentional humor is quite rich, especially in the love scenes, which received bad enough reviews to force Norris to ever repeat them in subsequent films. That being said, the mad scientists behind the slasher villain’s rampage and driving the action are particularly interesting, adding to the strangely entertaining experience that Quiet rage.
6
Blade
1998
Wesley Snipes Blade Technically it may be a comic book adaptation, but at its core the film is truly the pinnacle of horror and kung fu mixed together. Amazingly bloody film Blade sees Wesley Snipes enter the fray as the titular vampire hunter, a half-vampire “traveler” with all the strengths of the creatures of the night, but none of their weaknesses. Together with his mentor Whistler, Blade breaks through the hidden world of vampires in a bloody crusade for justice in revenge for the murder of his mother a year ago.
Like a vampire movie BladeThe horror trappings are obvious, but this incredible action deserves more praise as a truly great martial arts film. Snipes is truly a trained martial artist, and the superb choreography puts his skills on full display in the numerous bloody fight scenes, highlighted by his always charming cocky demeanor and pearly white smile as Blade. Development challenges for the upcoming MCU Blade a reboot might just mean it’s impossible to make the horror/martial arts blend quite like the original. Blade.
5
Brotherhood of the Wolf
2001
Of all the international martial arts horror films out there, the French-produced film library might be the last place you’d expect to look for such a unique feature. And yet there Brotherhood of the Wolf stands, a mysteriously unique blend of martial arts horror masquerading as a period fantasy film. The story centers on a French knight and naturalist who joins his Iroquois companion in the hunt for the legendary beast of Gevaudan, which is reportedly terrorizing the countryside.
Brotherhood of the Wolf is known for being a major influence on FromSoftware’s beloved action video game. Blood, and after watching it, it’s easy to see how the film’s horror and combat disasters can inspire a fast-paced action game. Brotherhood of the Wolf combines daring adventure with modernized martial arts and beautiful horror set pieces, courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Emporium, for a truly unpredictable experience. Despite how confusing it may seem, this hidden French gem of creativity is truly a great blend of thrilling action and thrilling gothic horror.
4
The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires
1974
A joint project between the Shaw Brothers and the legendary horror studio Hammer Film Productions. The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires is a martial arts horror match made in heaven. This collaboration introduced the iconic, gaunt image of Peter Cushing as the famous vampire slayer Professor Abraham Van Helsing into the world of martial arts films. In the film, Cushing’s Van Helsing joins forces with martial artists to destroy a cabal of vampires and their undead army, led by none other than Dracula himself.
As great as the promise of combining the individual strengths of the Shaw Brothers and Hammer Film Productions in their respective genres into one whole is, the two directors’ sensibilities simply clash with each other without any finesse to speak of. It doesn’t mean The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires It’s not worth watching, however, as the film is truly an impressive explosion of hand-to-hand combat and gore. Due to the sheer novelty of its creation, The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires deserves group observation with multiple pairs of eyes to catch every quirky detail.
3
Riki-O: Rikki’s Story
1991
While the film may have few overtly supernatural or scary elements, Riki-O: Rikki’s Story is one of the most notoriously gory horror films, giving it a well-deserved horror twist. The Hong Kong splatter film centers on protagonist Ricky, a superhumanly strong fighter who is sent to the world’s deadliest prison after taking revenge on the mafia boss who killed his girlfriend. Soon, various prison gang leaders and corrupt elements target Ricky, who bloodily beats them all one by one.
Riki-O: Rikki’s Story clearly reveals its manga roots, reading like an adaptation of gory, absurd martial arts anime such as Fist of the North Star or Bucky the Fighter. The outrageous violence alone earns the film the right to be called a horror film, with every explosion of fleshy innards accompanied by an incredibly cool martial arts battle. The sudden appearance of a real mutant monster also brings things close enough to the scary movie arena for Ricky’s adventures to earn a place as one of the best combinations of the two genres.
2
Against
2001
Considering how far Japanese cinema has come to embrace both martial arts and horror films, it’s no surprise that one of the best crossover films to feature both genres comes from the land of the rising sun. Against is an elegant crime film that breaks down the walls of the cult zombie movie, combining both formulas to create a brilliant adrenaline rush. The narrative follows a group of Yakuza gangsters and their captive as they travel through a mysterious forest that resurrects everyone who dies within it as evil zombies, searching for a supernatural gateway to the afterlife hidden within.
Against is a bit filled with lore that explains the mysterious gate that the Yakuza intend to use, even going as far as showing flashbacks to the 10th century showing the history of the gate. However, once this part of the housekeeping is resolved, the film could appear online as a Japanese version of a Quentin Tarantino film, surrounded on all sides by flesh-eating zombies. Whether it’s man vs. man or man vs. zombie, Against Some of the best gory horror games are here, using swords, guns and hand-to-hand combat in full force.
1
Big problems in little China
1986
Considering Big problems in little China was directed by the same master of horror films as Thing and original Halloween, It’s no surprise that the East Asian-inspired action-adventure film has some clear horror elements to it. The fantasy comedy is an adventure led by Kurt Russell’s Jack Burton, a simple truck driver who finds himself in a difficult situation when his close friend Van, played by Dennis Dun, hires him to rescue his fiancée. What follows is a harrowing dive into the underground world of San Francisco’s Chinatown, where ancient sorcerers and terrifying monsters await.
Admittedly, Big problems in little China It is primarily a fantasy adventure film with comedic elements, but the film’s clear martial arts setting makes it stand out as a true kung fu film. The horror elements are also more than apparent, from the terrifying savage to the disturbing eyeball guard and the bizarre body horror deaths. A revered cult classic for good reason. Big problems in little China this is a great tale to turn to to satisfy your special horror craving. martial arts films.