The Nine Demons

Action maestro Chang Cheh directs this experiment in martial arts horror that's more strange than scary. Cheng Tien Chi stars as a young warrior who makes a pact with the Lord of the Underworld to save the life of his buddy and take revenge on the men who murdered their fathers. Cheng is given supernatural abilities by nine demons that enter his body and manifest themselves variously as unruly, acrobatic children (and one cackling she-devil) and as a bunch of smoke-propelled, flying skulls. Trouble is, Cheng must regularly interrupt his mission to allow the spirits to feast on human blood, which they do to the accompaniment of crazy coloured visuals and wibbly 1980s synths. Frankly, it's a ridiculous concept, and that's before you factor in a splashy climactic set-to on a lake and a late appearance from an exorcist monk. The production lacks the sheen of Chang's earlier movies for Shaw Brothers (the director had left the studio to go it alone in Taiwan at this point) but the film's sheer loopiness means it should be experienced - or perhaps endured - at least once.