1991, Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Joey Wong Jo-yin, Jacky Cheung
Hak-yow, Nina Li Chi
Directed by Ching Siu-tung
The third and final installment in the A chinese
ghost story series eschews Leslie Cheung and his character in favor of a callow
young monk named Fong (Tony Leung, bald as a cue ball). Fong and his sifu are
pursued by thieves who covet their golden Buddha statue. The harassed duo head
for the deserted Orchid Temple, unconcerned about any lurking ghosts. After
all, they're monks.
Needless to say, the temple houses its share of
lovely lady ghosts. Lotus (Joey Wong) and Butterfly (Nina Li) trap the pursuing
thieves and turn them over to the evil Tree Demon (the
half-man/half-woman/all-evil witch with the fifty-foot tongue in the first
ACGS). Sluuuurp! Lotus then surprises Fong, who drops the Buddha into the
temple's basement. The devilish cutie tries to seduce him while he struggles to
maintain his monastic vows. Despite her evil, he lets her leave.
When his master returns, he lies about losing the
Buddha, then tries to search the basement in the light of day, but is scared off
by snakes. Lotus returns that night and helps him look for the Buddha,
accidentally breaking it in the process. The master returns from a trip to the
village; since night is approaching, he starts to seal off the temple with
prayer and holy beads. Lotus is trapped, imperiled by his prayers. Moved, Fong
saves her by dispersing the beads and tricking his master into
leaving.
But just when you make things easy for the sexy nice
ghosts, the evil ones always seem to cash in. Sans holy beads, the Tree Demon
attacks. And with the protective Buddha statue broken, he's got enough stuff to
trap the sifu. But thinking quickly, the resourceful holy man grows his
earlobes out and - covering his eyes with the fleshy appendages - goes into
suspended animation.
Fong heads into town to get Buddha fixed. He fails,
but hires the avaricious swordsman Yin (Jacky Cheung) to help rescue his sifu.
back at the temple, Lotus rescues Fong from another assult by the Tree Demon.
The jealous Butterfly-whose long read fingernail can shoot out like
knives-betrays Lotus to the Demon. The grisly witch threatens to marrry Lotus
to the Mountain Devil. Lotus escapes, but the Tree Demon binds Fong in a web of
red silk and has Butterfly attempt to lasciviously suck out his yang energy.
Finally, Yin and Fong's sifu unite with Lotus to wipe out the Tree Demon with
their combined powers. But then they have to contend with the Mountain
Devil-comprised of a glowing animated pagoda and a huge disembodied head with
sharpened teeth. After vanquishing his horror, the humans emerge battered but
victorious. Lotus, however, looks forword only to another shot at
reincarnation.
Credit: "Sex and Zen & A Bullet in the Head" by
Stefan Hammond & Mike Wilkins. This is a wonderful English guide to the
films of Hong Kong.