The Haunted Cop Shop – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Jeffrey Lau
Writers: Wong Kar-wai, Jeffrey Lau
Cast: Jacky Cheung, Ricky Hui, Billy Lau, Kitty Chan, Wu Fung, Chung Fat, Rico Chu, Michelle Si-Ma Yin, Fung Ging-Man 

Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Set in a police station built atop a former wartime site once occupied by Japanese soldiers, the film unleashes a wave of restless spirits who return to haunt the living. When a group of bumbling, underachieving cops find themselves assigned to the precinct, they must confront increasingly bizarre and dangerous paranormal encounters. As the hauntings escalate, it becomes clear that surviving the night will require more than courage--it will take luck, ingenuity, and a willingness to embrace the absurd." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K restoration from the original negative."

The Haunted Cop Shop comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.1 GB

Feature: 26 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), alternate and extended shots (36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic James Mudge titled Hauntings and Hollerings (24 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, a double-sided poster (limited the first pressing), and a slipcover (limited the first pressing).

Summary:

Jeffrey Lau directed The Haunted Cop Shop. He’s known for The Haunted Cop Shop II, All for the Winner, Treasure Hunt, and Out of the Dark. The screenplay for The Haunted Cop Shop was written by Wong Kar-wai, who would go on to be a notable filmmaker in 1990s and beyond Hong Kong cinema. The Haunted Cop Shop was produced by In-Gear Film, the production company that would produce Wong Kar-wai’s As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild.

Japanese soldiers who committed harikari at the end of World War II haunt a Hong Kong police station.

Although Hong Kong horror/comedy hybrids rose to prominence in the early 1980s, after the success of Encounters of the Spooky Kind, they hit their peak in the latter half of the 1980s, starting with Mr. Vampire. While some of the humor in The Haunted Cop Shop comes from dialogue, the bulk of it is based on situations characters find themselves in. That said, when it comes to horror elements, The Haunted Cop Shop is very effective at creating sinister moments and delivering jump scares.

The narrative revolves around two mischievous cops, Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu, who constantly find themselves in the presence of ghosts and vampires. Jacky Cheung (Bullet in the Head) and Ricky Hui (To Hell with the Devil) are cast in the roles of Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu. They make a solid comedic duo; their characters often find themselves in absurd situations that are humorous. Another performance of note is Kitty Chan in the role of Chief Superintendent Fanny Ho.

The premise is superbly realized, and the narrative moves briskly as it effectively builds to its finale. When it comes to the humor, The Haunted Cop Shop never misses its mark. Two of the funniest moments are a scene where a prisoner in the jail sees a ghost who he chases, and when he leans in for a kiss and calls her sexy, she disappears, and another prisoner is in her place. The other standout moment is a scene where Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu convince Fanny Ho that wearing underwear on her head will protect her from vampires. An area where The Haunted Cop Shop holds up really well is its special effects. Ultimately, The Haunted Cop Shop is a satisfying mix of humor and horror that fans of Hong Kong supernatural comedies should thoroughly enjoy.

The Haunted Cop Shop gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer