A Chinese Ghost Story

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DanTheMan 2 One of Tsui Hark's finest productions, A Chinese Ghost Story features many of Hong Kong cinema's most celebrated hallmarks, including over-the-top action, a wild mix of genres, and overwrought emotions that prove surprisingly compelling; nowadays, the film may seem slapdash and overeager to please, but even now it remains a piece of dark, fast-paced, goofy, sultry supernatural wuxia brilliance. While the film clearly owes a great debt to Sam Raimi, it's primo eighties Hong Kong cinema, which means a complete disregard for any attempt at realism. Everything here is so hyper-realistic and over-the-top that it makes Hollywood musicals look like the very model of restraint. There are plenty of spectacular special effects, exceptionally well-choreographed and elegantly staged action, a chilling atmosphere and a classic love story forming the backbone of the film's emotional core; the film is made all the better by Tony Ching Siu-Tung's absolutely gorgeous direction, captivating performances, the wonderful photography and utterly joyous musical score. A Chinese Ghost Story is a beautifully enchanting film and an undisputed classic for a reason, with a sheer cinematic energy that cannot be understated. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Audience Member A true classic and masterpiece of asian cinema. This is the best version of the class liao zai story Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. This was weird. Cheese and at the same time martial arts and horror. I don't know where to start. I think the demon lady's tongue says enough to have it be chasing people around the house oozing juices all over their faces. Fantastic visuals, but a poorly told lame story. It was on Amazon. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L A unique blending of comedy, horror, action, and romance that feels like an offbeat parody of Mizoguchi's Ugetsu, A Chinese Ghost Story is a film bizarrely structured enough to get away with just about anything as its runtime progresses, alternating between unlikely love story, folklore-ish horror flick, and situational screwball film; you'll randomly get established Hong Kong regular Wu Ma giving a lively song-and-dance number in an abandoned temple, or a glimpse into a laughably corrupt local magistrate's court, but the film is designed to allow that sort of fluidity. No moment is sacred or free from ridicule, but at the same time it's not purely a comedy. A cult film and a surprisingly influential piece of Hong Kong cinema, this is a necessity for lovers of the comedy-horror and meta-horror genres even if it doesn't narrowly fit into either box neatly. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/02/21 Full Review cees t If this too-slow Evil Dead 2.5 is "Exciting outrageous Hong Kong cinema at its best!", at least i don't have to see the rest. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member What genre is this!?! Wonderfully unpredictable. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Chinese Ghost Story

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