Due to a concurrence of many events, Choi-san encounters a Taoist monk, Autumn (Jackie Cheung), and a group of rebels led by Windy (Joey Wong). While in prison, he meets a scholar called Elder Chu (Ku Feng) who helps him escape. Apart from the return of the principal cast members, such stars as Jackie Cheung, Waise Lee, and Michelle Reis also appeared in the supporting roles.Īfter successfully freeing the soul of Nip Siu-sin, Ning Choi-san (Leslie Cheung) returns to his home village, but he is mistakenly taken to be a bandit and arrested by the local police. The year 1990 saw the release of A Chinese Ghost Story II. Needless to say, the enormous success of the first film inevitably led to the creation of the sequel. No matter what you’ve done, it’s soon forgotten. Interestingly, the tune was kept intact at the end of the 2011 remake.Ī Chinese Ghost Story II (1990) Mortals are forgetful. In addition, the end credits song was sung by Leslie Cheung himself. It wonderfully enriches the tone of the movie as the instrumentals heavily rely on traditional Chinese music. One more thing which I should comment on is the music score by James Wong. ![]() Priests from The Exorcist (1973) should watch and learn how a pro obliterates demons in a true Dragonball-like style. Naturally, Wu Ma must also be praised for his memorable performance of a ghost-fighting Taoist monk. Interestingly, Joey would go on to repeat this role not only in the sequels, but also in many remakes and retellings of this classic film. On the other hand, Joey Wong is outstanding as the ghostly spectre who desires to free herself from the firm grasp of the Tree Demoness. It comes as no surprise that the 2011 theatrical re-release of the film as well as the remake were dedicated to his memory. Instead of being a predictable, comical/flamboyant type, Leslie creates a relatable everyman caught in the middle of a spiritual war he cannot comprehend. With regard to performances, Leslie Cheung is at his best here. Consequently, what we get from this daredevil endeavor of HK filmmaking is a beautiful and unforgettable adaptation with spellbinding cinematography and art direction. Even Tsui Hark was frequently present on the set and admitted to directing many scenes. This was made possible thanks to the hectic work of stuntmen, special effects experts, and leading actors over the course of over 8 months! What is more, there is absolutely no CGI but only practical effects. The movie is eerie, yet not scary, while being dynamic and touching at the same time. The final result is somewhat the middle ground between these visions. Namely, Siu-ting wanted it to be more an action/horror story, whereas Hark opted for a romance/love story. Apparently, the two creators had very different visions about the film. After combining many elements from The Enchanting Shadow as well as Pu Songling’s stories, the screenplay was reinvented to such an extent that it bears little resemblance to its cinematic inspiration. With the help of a Taoist monk, Yin Chik-ha ( Wu Ma), Choi-san descends into the deepest levels of hell to save Siu-sin from the grasp of the Tree Demoness.ĭirector Ching Siu-tung and producer Tsui Hark began working on the film as early as the late 1970s. Nevertheless, Ning Choi-san falls for the ghost and protects her from dangers in turn, Siu-sin defends him from other flesh-eating ghosts. Little does he know that Siu-sin is a ghost who lures travelers with her body so that the Tree Demoness (Lau Siu-ming), a 1000-year-old monster, can eat men inside out. There, he encounters an enchantingly beautiful woman called Nip Siu-sin ( Joey Wong). ![]() As a result, he spends a night in a haunted temple outside of town. ![]() Unfortunately, he is also plagued by misfortune as his account book is destroyed, so he has no money to pay for shelter. The first film tells the story of Ning Choi-san (played by Leslie Cheung), a debt collector who travels through China and visits local towns. Never being a huge fan of the fantasy/ghost genre, I was not really keen on checking it out initially, but the more I read about the film, the more I wanted to discover the phenomenon behind it. When I was at the beginning of my adventure with the Hong Kong cinema, this one title, A Chinese Ghost Story, kept popping up on many movie recommendation lists and various message boards. Inspired by the Shaw Brothers 1960 production The Enchanting Shadow and Pu Songling’s short story collection Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, the original movie can be best described as an all-time supernatural classic. Swordsman, ridiculous! I don’t want to be a man, yet Nip Siu-sin wishes to reincarnate. I pretended to be a ghost in front of a man and a human in front of a ghost, and now I don’t know if I’m a man or a ghost. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) I retired, because I hate dealing with mean people.
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