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| October 29th, 2001 | Issue #80a |
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E-mail: mail@dighkmovies.com
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Hong Kong Digital
is a recurring series of movie reviews by John Charles -- associate
editor / film reviewer for Video Watchdog magazine and the author
of The Hong Kong Filmography.
Alien Wife
also known in English as Pretty Ghost
(1991; Golden Harvest / Paragon Films)
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Cover art courtesy WA. |
Mainland China title:
Hong Kong title:
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Straight-laced architect Tony (Tony Leung Kar-fai) is infatuated with beautiful co-worker Ellen (Ellen Chan Ar-lun) but cannot get to first base and suffers constant abuse at the hands of her boorish boyfriend, Michael (Michael Chow Man-kin). While inspecting a construction site, Tony is attacked by a ghost and apparently falls to his death. He awakens in a bizarre netherworld and is about to be assaulted again by the same spectre but is saved in the nick of time by the lovely spirit, Chia (Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam). However, in the process, he accidentally breathes into her mouth. Now possessing some of Tony's Yang energy, Chia shares all of his physical and emotional responses. Although Chia proceeds to create havoc at Tony's workplace, he still hopes that she can use her powers to make Ellen fall for him. This, of course, does not go entirely as expected and, to make matters worse, Tony's slimy co-worker, Peter (Peter Lai Bei-tak), is plotting to steal Chia away. However, this backfires when his breath ends up going into the ghost's father (Woo Fung) instead, leaving them connected as well.
From left to right: The back of Rosamund Kwan's head, Tony Leung Kar-fai and Ellen Chan. Image courtesy WA.
Formulaic and far from subtle, ALIEN WIFE still manages to elicit laughs here and there, though some viewers may grow weary of Leung's wild overacting and co-star Cutie Mui Siu-wai's screeching (which seems about an octave higher in this Mandarin dubbed version). Director Teddy Chan Tak-sum (THE ACCIDENTAL SPY) steals one of the best visual gags from BEETLEJUICE but there are some inspired ideas (Chia's father decides to facilitate her unearthly yearnings for Tony by trying to steer the mortal into a fatal car accident, thus leaving him a spirit as well) and the cast is game. Alfred Cheung Kin-ting and Lawrence Cheng Tan-shui have cameos and the end credits include glimpses of scenes that did not make the final cut.
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DVD Specs: WA (Huan Ya Movie Zone) #D-DVD 2340 |
DVD menu courtesy WA. |
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Film Board Ratings and Consumer Advice Australia: PG (Low Level Coarse Language) Presentation There is intermittent wear and a minute or so of jitter but the image is sharp and attractive throughout. The sound features the usual echo chamber 5.1 but has no serious problems. The DVD comes in the plastic Super Jewel Case packaging used in America by the Slingshot label. There is no English title on the case, while the movie is identified onscreen under its alternate English handle, PRETTY GHOST. For those preferring to view the movie in Cantonese, Mega Star offers this on VCD as PRETTY GHOST. As the DVD was mastered from a print carrying the theatrical subtitles, the two discs may well share the same transfer. |
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ALIEN WIFE is available at Poker
Industries.
Click here for more information about The Hong Kong Filmography
Copyright
© John Charles 2000, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
E-mail: mail@dighkmovies.com
Hong Kong Digital is presented in association with Hong
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