We recall three of the directorโs notable early releases.
1. Horror Hotline โฆ Big Head Monster
Cheang had garnered some attention with the idiosyncratic, ultra-low-budget horror film Diamond Hill in 2000, but it was 2001โs Horror Hotline โฆ Big Head Monster that made his name.
It impressed Hong Kong critics because it was a straight-up horror that did not feel the need to mix genres. There was no romance and, most noticeably, none of the distracting comedy often used between scary scenes.
Taking his cue from US horror films like The Blair Witch Project, which he frequently references, Cheangโs only aim was to shock.
In spite of the strange goings on, the film takes its cue from an urban myth surrounding a mythical mutant baby with a massive head that was allegedly concealed from the Hong Kong public by British colonial authorities.