This is a horror comedy from Hong Kong, where a serial killer stalks women who wears white silk stockings.The main plot is the psychopathic killer, who is obsessed with women who wear white silk stalkings because his adulterous wife wore white silk stalkings. This balances out well with the subplot of radio DJ Sissy (Sylvia Chang) who reports the crimes on her station while police detective Dragon (Kent Chang) tries to woo her. The two make a great team and had great on-screen chemistry. Even the character of Lousy Wong (Simon Yam) made a good addition to the team. All three of them serves up some good old-fashion comedy, Hong Kong cinema-style, while not swaying too much away from the main serial killer plot.When the psychopath stalks up his victims, the scenes were intense and does creep you out and the purpose behind his motive is a great suspense builder. There are some exciting cat and mouse chase scenes and a classic detective-style music score. Great acting and, overall, a fun film.Grade B+

A deranged transvestite killer stalks an murders women wearing white stockings. A couple of detectives are investigating the case.The next potential victim of murderous transvestite will be a Radio DJ Sissy."He Lives By Night" blends silly comedy with slasher sub-genre.The script is obviously influenced by Dario Argento's colorful horror movies and De Palma's "Dressed to Kill".The first killing is an obvious nod to masterful "Suspiria".The killings are stylish and tame.The performances by Simon Yam,Kent Cheng and Sylvia Chang are great.I don't particularly like blending comedy with horror,but I enjoyed "He Lives By Night".7 out of 10.

He Lives by Night is a little known, yet excellent, Hong Kong slasher flick! Unfortunately I don't have a lot to compare it to having seen less than half a dozen of this sort of film; but as a film in its own right; this is an excellent mix of horror, romance and comedy! Director Po-Chih Leong takes a basic idea for a plot and really runs with it; managing to inject a cheesy love story and a boatload of twisted humour into the tale without it seeming forced or out of place. The film takes place in an urban metropolis and focuses on a killer that stalks and kills female victims; the only similarity between the murders being the fact that they were all committed with a similar weapon; that being the victims' own white stockings! Meanwhile, a young 'tomboy' radio DJ known as Sissy is covering the murders while getting attention from the town's fat police chief. It later transpires that the female killer is actually a man in drag and the two central plot lines combine when the radio DJ is stalked by the psychopathic killer.The cinematography in this film is great and despite the plot line, He Lives by Night is very beautiful. Hong Kong's cinema is generally known for being bloody and brutal; but this film isn't. There's a surprising lack of blood and even the murder scenes are tame compared to those seen in later films such as The Untold Story. They are very well done, however, and one that takes place in a bathroom is very well shot. There's not a great deal of sex and sleaze either - and this is mostly made up for by the comedy. That's not a big problem, however. The comedy is very funny and the storyline itself is deliciously sick and twisted enough to account for a lack of visceral horror. The idea of a transvestite killer has been used many times before in horror films; but it's a bit different here as the fact that the killer is a transvestite is never really dwelt on and provides the story with little more than a bizarre twist. Overall, He Lives by Night is a stylishly shot and very interesting slice of Hong Kong horror and comes highly recommended to fans of this stuff.

HE LIVES BY NIGHT would be considered a cult classic if only it were better known. Unfortunately, most Hong Kong films (horror films in particular -- just check out the *amazing* SEEDING OF A GHOST or DEVIL FETUS) have been completely ignored by Western audiences, and that, my friends, is a damn shame!!!Now, the first thing you need to know about this film is that it's very tongue-in-cheek. Like many Hong Kong films (but not all of them!), there's lots of humor injected into the story. At times, you'd even think you were watching a romantic comedy. But thankfully, the horror is played completely straight, and some of the murders are quite brutal (but not particularly bloody or explicit).The plot goes a little something like this: A killer is stalking the streets of the city at night, killing any woman he/she finds wearing white fish-net stalkings. Thanks to a witness left behind at the scene of a crime, the police think it's a woman -- but in reality (and note that this is NOT a spoiler -- it's revealed early on) it's a man DRESSED as a woman, driven insane after finding his wife in bed with another man (wearing women's clothing, complete with white fish-net stalkings). Meanwhile, late-night radio host Sissy has to contend with not only a bunch of weird prank calls from a freaky fan, but also the undying affection from a goofy fat police inspector trying to crack the case. In the end, he decides to use Sissy for bait, and the poor girl finds herself trapped in the abandoned radio station at night with the killer. First thing's first -- HE LIVES BY NIGHT is a very strange film. Those expecting Friday THE 13th will be let down, as will those expecting a stylish crime thriller in the vein of Dario Argento. HE LIVES has its own style, its own quirkiness -- which, naturally, makes it all the more interesting. The characters are loud, brash and constantly cracking jokes and making funny faces at the camera. The killer isn't the dark cipher you'd find in, say, DEEP RED (1975), nor is he the raving lunatic like the one seen in BLACK Christmas (1974). He's, simply put, a troubled, desperate man who wants to live a normal life but can't control his thirst for blood.Like most Hong Kong films, the photography is great, filled with neon lighting and stylish camera work. HE LIVES also makes for a great time capsule -- just check out the hilarious early 80's "new wave" fashions and see what I mean. The music is fabulous too, a bizarre score that fits the film like a glove.And, finally, HE LIVES is a great little horror film in its own right. There are some great set pieces here, including the murder of a young woman in her apartment that veers brilliantly from slap stick comedy (!) to blood-splattered intensity. And, oh yeah, the final chase scene between Sissy and the killer puts the end of HALLOWEEN (1978) to shame -- it even goes as far as spoofing that film's final shot! I love this movie. If you're interested in checking out the wild world of Hong Kong cinema, but don't know where to start, then this is the place. HE LIVES BY NIGHT ranks up there with SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE and HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP as one of the best, quirkiest B-movies from the early 80's. Check it out.