Blood Reincarnation (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Ting Shan-HsiRelease Date(s)
1974 (October 27, 2026)Studio(s)
Epic Enterprises, Ltd. (Vinegar Syndrome)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: A
Review
Here’s another movie that I had no idea existed, that I super love now and hesitate to say too much about because you should have the same experience that I did going in blind. What is there to say about this one? Well, this is a horror anthology film in the Amicus vein, but without any bookends. It’s very Chinese with horror tales that would fit into those found in Pu Songling’s collection of horror tales Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. There’s a super short, er, short that starts things off, The Treasure starring a killer baby. The middle story, The Wanton which is also pretty short and a fun companion piece to Creepshow’s Something to Tide You Over segment. The third story, which is the main focus, is named after the piece’s main character Liu Tiansu but might as well be named Blood Reincarnation and is a pure melodramatic love tale about the ghost of a man murdered for something he didn’t do making his way back to his loving wife with a ticking clock haunting all their decisions. All three stories work together quite well. There’s plenty of gore, surrealism and a few legit scares—a very good addition to anyone’s Halloween rotation, if you don’t mind reading your movies.
This obscure film is brought to us by the lovely folks at Vinegar Syndrome restored in 4K using the film’s 35mm interpositive—so it’s not a perfect presentation, but very fine indeed. There are moments where print damage is apparent but nothing too distracting. Color and detail are very nice overall, and the image is clean with appropriate grain. Sound is a clean and clear DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono in Mandarin with readable English subs. Extras include a commentary track with film critic Erica Shultz who runs through the credits of the filmmakers and the star-studded cast dropping in some legit trivia about the production. Dissecting the Horror is a very informative talking head segment featuring Unsung Horror podcaster Samm Deighan discussing Blood Reincarnation’s place in Chinese film history, with nuggets about the production, other films made around the same time (mid-70s), Chinese horror folklore and the possible influence this film may have had on filmmakers lucky enough to see it before this release. I just wish Shultz’ uptalk speech pattern wasn’t so heavy.
If you like Chinese films, Chinese horror films or even horror films in general, Blood Reincarnation is well worth your time if you choose to track it down. It’s not the best of the breed, or even the most outlandish—but the acting is all good, the stories are creepy and it looks pretty great on Blu-ray—all factors considered.
- Todd Doogan