A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy

[Finch]

Seeking to revitalise the ailing Chinese fantasy genre, legendary producer Tsui Hark assembled the crack team of A Better Tomorrow II action director Ching Siu-Tung, Peking Opera Blues scriptwriter Yuen Kai-Chi and superstars Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong and Wu Ma for the action-comedy classic A Chinese Ghost Story. The film conquered the 1987 Hong Kong box office, begat two sequels and cemented Tsui’s reputation as Hong Kong’s most respected producer.

The timid yet earnest Ling Choi-San (Cheung) takes shelter for the night in an abandoned temple, where he meets and soon falls in love with the beautiful Nip Siu-Sihn (Wong). But when he realises that she’s a ghost forced to lead men astray by an evil tree demon, Ling must enlist the help of rambunctious Taoist warrior Yin Chik-Ha (Wu) to free her from its grasp. In A Chinese Ghost Story II, Ling Choi-San is drafted to help a group of rebels battle otherworldly forces and rescue their captured leader, aided once again by Yin Chik-Ha as well as the formidable and slightly mad swordsman Jihau (Jacky Cheung, Bullet in the Head). Set 100 years after the events its predecessor, the final instalment introduces Fong (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Hard Boiled), a bumbling monk apprentice tasked with transporting a golden statue of Buddha to the neighbouring county, only to stumble into the lair of the first film’s tree demon and its ghostly underlings.

The Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy represents the height of Hong Kong cinema’s inventiveness, deploying an array of spectacular special effects, jaw-dropping fight choreography and luscious cinematography to deliver its singular blend of otherworldly scares, thrilling action and poignant love story.

Product Features

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of all three films
Original lossless Cantonese mono audio for all three films, and DTS-HD MA Cantonese 5.1 audio and English 5.1 audio for the first and second films
Optional English subtitles for the Cantonese soundtracks and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for each film by Jordi Ros
Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jordi Ros
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the films by critics and Hong Kong cinema experts Victor Fan, Frank Djeng, David West and Professor Jamie Zhao
DISC ONE - A CHINESE GHOST STORY

Brand new audio commentary with Asian cinema expert James Mudge
Ghost of a Memory, a brand new interview with screenwriter Yuen Kai-Chi
A Leslie Cheung Story: Hong Kong’s Eternal Icon, a brand new feature-length documentary on the film’s star
Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Chinese Ghost Story, a brand new interview with Hong Kong cinema expert Grady Hendrix
Master of Illusion, an archival interview with producer Tsui Hark
The Warrior, an archival interview with actor Wu Ma
Archival interview with composer James Wong
Deleted and extended scenes
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
DISC TWO - A CHINESE GHOST STORY II

Brand new audio commentary with Asian cinema expert James Mudge
The Making of A Chinese Ghost Story II, an archival behind-the-scenes special filmed for the Japanese VHS market, featuring interviews with cast and crew
Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Chinese Ghost Story II, a brand new interview with Hong Kong cinema expert Grady Hendrix
Story of a Sequel, a brand new interview with Hong Kong cinema expert David West
A Legend in Three Acts, an archival interview with director Ching Siu-Tung
Voice from the Grave, an archival interview with actor Lau Siu-Ming
Archival interview with composer James Wong
Deleted and extended scenes
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
DISC THREE - A CHINESE GHOST STORY III

Brand new audio commentary with Asian cinema expert James Mudge
Film Without Limits: The New Hong Kong Cinema, an archival documentary featuring interviews with Hong Kong filmmakers and stars including John Woo, Tsui Hark and Jackie Chan, plus extended behind-the-scenes footage from A Chinese Ghost Story III and an on-set interview with Ching Siu-Tung
Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Chinese Ghost Story III, a brand new interview with Hong Kong cinema expert Grady Hendrix
Third Time Lucky, a brand new interview with Hong Kong cinema expert David West
Archival interview with composer James Wong
Archival interview with stunt coordinator Yuen Bun
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

[Finch]

The first film was such a formative experience for me as a kid. One of the first foreign films I remember seeing. I videotaped it and must have watched it a dozen times. I think I saw the second film but I have no memory of it. The third will be completely new to me.

[Mr Sausage]

My recommendation is not to watch these back to back. My first viewing I saw them really close together, and by the time I got to the third I was exhausted with the formula. Seeing them again later, but more spread out, I was better able to appreciate the sequels, the third especially. The movies are recapitulations rather than developments or extensions. They replay each other with small variations in focus and numerous callbacks. They’re not nostalgic exactly, but they do play on your fondness for previous entries.

The first is the most balanced. The second leans more into the creature feature aspect. The third leans more into the romance. I’d say the third is the funniest, the second the craziest, but the first the all-around best. These don’t resemble King Hu in style, but you can see the influence of Legend of the Mountain.