Episode Details
Back to Episodes
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987): Is this Hong Kong's Princess Bride?
Description
A Chinese Ghost Story is said to be a beloved Hong Kong film, one that's lasted generations, especially for those born in the 1980s.
And as a romantic adventure fantasy comedy film, it's easy to see a parallel between it and the West's The Princess Bride.
But the actual films are not that similar. A Chinese Ghost Story leans into the horror and martial arts genres, creating a romantic folk-lore-based adventure that occasionally gets slightly scary but is always darkly magic.
Join me for this discussion of billowy white dresses of cute ghost girls, stop motion without the herky-jerky, and whether there's one whoosh too many in a very whooshy film.
When a somewhat accident prone young tax collector named Ling Choi San falls in love with a beautiful, captivating woman, Lip Siu Sin, he's delighted. But when he learns his new young love is a ghost, he's pulled into a battle to rescue her from captivity.
With the help of priest/swordsman Yan Chixia, can Ling Choi San rescue Lip Siu Sin from her fate?
Directed by Ching Siu-tung
Produced by Tsui Hark
Starring:
Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, Wu Ma
Connect with us on Bluesky:
@not-ni-theaters.bsky.social
And to read more of Will's writing or check out more podcast episodes, you can visit him at: willturntale.com