The Death Is Here

笔仙惊魂

China, 2012, colour, 16:9, 92 mins.

Director: Guan Er 关尔.

Rating: 4/10.

Effective low-end horror movie with a more than solid cast of up-and-comers.

STORY

Beijing, the present day, winter. Drama-school students Xiaowu (Zhai Wenbin) and Mu Fan (Wang Yi) take their respective girlfriends, student actresses Liu Sisi (He Dujuan) and Ling Fei’er (Chai Biyun), to an old courtyard house in the countryside they’ve rented from old widower Qiao (Wu Ma) so the girls can prepare for some forthcoming auditions. Liu Sisi has her eyes set on a role in the spooky TV drama Women in the Courtyard 庭院女人, while Ling Fei’er is trying out for the supporting female role in a production of Macbeth. During a power cut the four play the ouija board-like game bixian 笔仙, and afterwards it seems as if they have aroused the ghost of a female spirit in the house. Locals say the property is haunted.

REVIEW

Released a month before the more high-profile Bunshinsaba 笔仙, and incorporating that film’s Chinese title into its own, The Death Is Here 笔仙惊魂 actually manages as many light scares and more thoroughgoing menace on a much smaller budget – as well as much more sense of trashy fun. Guangzhou commercial journeyman Guan Er (Super Cockroach 像小強一样活着, 2011) assembles a group of student wannabes, puts them in an old courtyard house in the countryside, and simply starts spooking them out with all kinds of nightmares and “ghostly” effects. On one level, it’s not much different from dozens of other low-end Mainland horrors; but on another, it makes good use of limited resources and, apart from occasional script weaknesses, pretty much succeeds as a hit-and-run exercise.

Aside from veteran Hong Kong actor-director Wu Ma 午马 popping in for a couple of scenes, the film is carried by its quartet of young actors, all of whom are more than solid and meld easily. As the writer-director, up-and-coming actor-presenter Zhai Wenbin 翟文斌 (the lead in biopic Youth Feng Youlan 青年冯友兰, 2011) shows some of the charisma of a younger Chen Kun 陈坤, while Hakka actress He Dujuan 何杜娟 (internet drama Hackers Sadness 黑客悲情, 2011, plus the forthcoming The Last Supper 王的盛宴, 2012) has a cool, unearthly look that fits her character of a quietly ambitious student actress. Much livelier, however, as her goofy co-student is Chai Biyun 柴碧雲, who comes through strongly in later scenes.

Production values are fine for what they are, and the acres of creep-crawly music by Murota Kenichi 室田憲一 are a big help in sustaining atmosphere. Unlike in Bunshinsaba, the ouija board-like game bixian 笔仙 (literally, “pen fairy”) referred to in both Chinese titles actually takes place in the film. Death may also be the first movie in which, in the end titles, the director gives his mobile phone number and invites viewers who were not completely satisfied with the film to call and discuss a refund (offer valid only during the film’s theatrical release). More hijinks are also promised in a sequel, 笔仙惊魂2. [In the event, this sequel was never made: Guan & Co. skipped straight ahead to The Death Is Here III 笔仙惊魂3, released on 4 Apr 2014, three months before Bunshinsaba 3 笔仙3. In May the producers of the latter filed a lawsuit claiming “parasitic marketing” 寄生营销 and “unfair competition” 不正当竞争.]

CREDITS

Presented by Beijing Jersey Films (CN).

Script: Zhou Wei, Liang Xiaoxiao, Zhu Bei. Photography: Li Hongjian. Music: Murota Kenichi. Art direction: Ma Hongtao. Costume design: Cheng Qiuyue.

Cast: He Dujuan (Liu Sisi), Zhai Wenbin (Xiaowu), Wang Yi (Mu Fan), Chai Biyun (Ling Feier), Wu Ma (Qiao), Fu Man (Juzi), Li Yuzhu (old woman in black), Yang Chaoyue (street hawker), Xue Qi (doctor), Chen He (man in long robe), Liao Libin (director), Guan Er (policeman), Liu Ming (breakfast hawker), Chen Qing (producer), Bai Lihui (classroom teacher).

Release: China, 8 Jun 2012.

(Review originally published on Film Business Asia, 7 Aug 2012.)