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This popular and beloved film, produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Ching Siu Tung, is a standout in the Hong Kong supernatural-action genre and spawned many sequels and copycats.A Chinese Ghost Storystars Leslie Cheung as Ning Tsei-Shen, a timid and likable tax collector. Looking for a place to stay the night, he comes upon a spooky abandoned temple occupied by a tough Taoist swordsman (Ma Wu). Despite his warnings, Tsei-Shen stays anyway. Later he encounters a beautiful maiden (Joey Wang) who he quickly falls in love with. Unfortunately, she is a ghost who is being forced to trap men for an evil spirit who feeds on their souls.A Chinese Ghost Storyhas been widely praised for infusing the genre with humor, action, romance, and inventive special effects. Memorable images include an attacking mile-long tongue and a cloak opening to dozens of ghastly decapitated heads. The final battle in hell is said to have inspired scenes in Sam Raimi'sArmy of Darkness. And the film has its share of homage: A group of crusty zombies are reminiscent of the skeletons in special-effects guru Ray Harryhausen's7th Voyage of Sinbad--and they are eliminated by Tsei-Shen in comedic slapstick fashion, not unlike the style of Charlie Chaplin. Cheung and Wang are a likeable romantic pair, and Ma Wu creates a hilarious character who breaks out into song and a martial arts dance when drunk. The DVD transfer is topnotch, with the film's misty mood lighting and fluttering gowns appearing layered and crisp. It's a must-see for Hong Kong action film fans.--Shannon Gee
Karma-Crossed Lovers I have watched this movie again and again, and it never stops being a lot of fun. Romantic and creepy, action-packed and humorous, deeply haunting and cheerfully light-hearted, it somehow manages to blend these diverse genres and moods into a wonderfully convincing mix. Some of the scenes are just breathtakingly beautiful, too. And I don't want to go reading too much into what is clearly meant to be (and suceeds in being) good simple entertainment, but anyone interested in how Taoism and Buddhism (significantly, they aren't very distinct here) actually operate in the popular imagination could spend days analyzing this enjoyable film.
It must be admitted that (as others have noted here) the subtitles are about the worst I've ever seen. While the dialogue doesn't necessarily have a lot of nuance, and while the story moves along primarily through visual means (one could probably pretty much follow the story with no subtitles at all), still, some proofreading and perhaps some consultation with someone whose first language is English might have been a good idea. Oh, well. Anyway, their garbled English is still better than my complete ignorance of Cantonese, so who's to complain?
So watch the movie and see for yourself. I bet you won't be sorry.
Great Movie! Horrible subtitles. Nevertheless, a must see!!! This movie has everything from love/romance to superstition and myth.It gives the viewers a Philosophical message as well.For example, Wu Ma the Taoist in the movie, is trying to seek immortality and chants in the movie,very interesting(dont want to tell the whole story).The special effects are also done very well.Lesile Cheung and Wu Ma are excellent and subperb; they are great actors and their peformance is impeccable throughout the film. Overall, great film with some scenes that can be disturbing, but if you can get past that then its worth the trip... Also, a must see for zealous fans of Lesile Cheung.DO NOT BUY Do NOT buy this version of CGS.
First of all, the subtitles are horrible. It ranges from horrible grammar to senteces that are utterly incomprehensible. The subtitles succeed in giving the movie a low-budget B rated effect (clearly undeserved).
Secondly, the picture quality is awful. I actually do believe that it is the worst transfer of video to DVD that I have ever seen. You can literally see the tracking lines. The picture is fuzzy and cloudy.
Also, if you buy the company's release of CGS part 2, not only are the subtitles terrible for that movie, but the voices are dubbed from Cantonese to Mandarin. So even their Chinese dialogue doesn't fit their lips!
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Now I know I've been complaining much but rest assured, I have a solution. Buy the release from Hong Kong Legends. The subtitles are perfect and the picture and sound quality makes the movie look like it was made last year. Buuuuuuuuuuut...... you will need a region-free DVD player. Hong Kong Legends sell region 2 DVD's I think. But yeah, thats exactly what I did for this DVD because 1., this Amazon version I bought is atrocious, and 2., its worth buying it for this movie. I actually hold it up to my top ten movies of all time.... and I'm a picky film buff. Hope this helps.
