Spiritual Love (film)

Last updated

Spiritual Love
Spiritual Love .jpg
Film poster
Traditional Chinese 鬼新娘
Simplified Chinese 鬼新娘
Hanyu Pinyin Guǐ Xīn Niáng
Jyutping Gwai2 San1 Neong4
Directed by David Lai
Taylor Wong
Written by Stephen Siu
Produced byJohnny Mak
Starring Chow Yun-fat
Cherie Chung
Pauline Wong
Deanie Ip
Cinematography Jingle Ma
Derek Wan
Edited byA Chik
Ma Chung-yiu
Chiu Cheuk-man
Music byJoseph Chan
Production
companies
Golden Harvest
Johnny Mak Productions
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release date
  • 15 October 1987 (1987-10-15)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryHong Kong
Language Cantonese
Box officeHK$22,098,000

Spiritual Love, also known as Ghost Bride or The Phantom Bride is a 1987 Hong Kong fantasy comedy film directed by David Lai and Taylor Wong and starring Chow Yun-fat, Cherie Chung, Pauline Wong and Deanie Ip. [1]

Contents

In the film, a man offers years of his own life to release a female ghost from the afterlife. He proceeds to reject his unfaithful girlfriend, and to start a romantic relationship with the ghost. His former girlfriend kills herself in a failed attempt to reclaim his affection. The girlfriend returns as a vengeful ghost, and the other female ghost has to sacrifice herself in order to rescue her lover.

Plot

A man named Pu Yung-tsai lives with his cousin who is a student of Feng shui and Maoshan. Yung-tsai buys an antique desk from a second-hand shop and inside is a suicide letter written by a young woman called Wei Hsiao-tieh. Yung-tsai replies to the letter and gives up 3 years of his life, so the woman is able to come back to Earth as a ghost and get away from her forced marriage in the afterlife. When Yung-tsai splits up with his girlfriend, May, because he caught her having an affair, he begins a relationship with Hsiao-tieh. May wants to get back together with Yung-tsai because her rich boyfriend has dumped her and she is pregnant. She stages a fake suicide attempt to win back Yung-tsai but it backfires and she dies. [2]

May then returns as a ghost in a night club and Yung-tsai, his cousin, his cousin's mentor and his friend attempt to get rid of her spirit. She chases them all around the club trying to kill them. Hsiao-tieh makes a deal with her husband to go back to him, if he will save Yung-tsai and his friends. The husband then turns up and consumes May's ghost before returning to his own realm with Hsiao-tieh. [2]

Cast

Accolades

Accolades
CeremonyCategoryRecipientOutcome
8th Hong Kong Film Awards [4] [5] Best Supporting Actress Deanie Ip Nominated

Home Media

VHS

Release date
Country
Classifaction
Publisher
Format
LanguageSubtitlesNotes
REF
14 August 2001United StatesUnknownTai Seng EntertainmentNTSCCantoneseEnglish [6]

VCD

Release date
Country
Classifaction
Publisher
Format
LanguageSubtitlesNotes
REF
UnknownHong KongN/ADeltamac (HK)NTSCCantonese, MandarinEnglish, Chinese2VCDs [7]
12 July 2005Hong KongN/AUniverse Laser (HK)NTSCCantonese, MandarinEnglish, Traditional Chinese2VCDs [8]
1 June 2006Hong KongN/AJoy Sales(HK)NTSCCantonese, MandarinEnglish, Traditional Chinese2VCDs [9]

DVD

Release date
Country
Classifaction
Publisher
Format
Region
Language
Sound
Subtitles
Notes
REF
1 January 2000Hong KongN/AUniverse Laser (HK)NTSCALLCantonese, MandarinUnknownEnglish, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French [10]
24 March 2000JapanN/APioneer LDCNTSC2CantoneseUnknownEnglish, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese [11]
17 July 2001United StatesN/ATai SengNTSCALLCantoneseDolbyEnglish [12]
13 July 2003Hong KongN/AJoy Sales (HK)NTSCALLCantonese, MandarinDolby Digital 2.0English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese [13]

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References

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  2. 1 2 Plot "Plot Summary for Gui xin niang (1987)". imdb.com . Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 List of cast "Gui xin niang (1987)". imdb.com . Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  4. "Hong Kong Cinemagic - Spiritual Love". hkcinemagic.com. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  5. "Awards for Gui xin niang (1987)". imdb.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  6. "Spiritual Love [VHS]" . Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  7. "VCD Spiritual Love Deltamac". cinemasie.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  8. "Spiritual Love (VCD) (Universe Version) (Hong Kong Version) VCD". yesasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  9. "Spiritual Love (VCD) (Hong Kong Version) VCD". yesasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  10. "Spiritual Love DVD Region All". yesasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  11. "Phantom Bride (Japan Version) DVD Region 2". yesasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  12. "Spiritual Love (1987)" . Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  13. "Spiritual Love (DVD) (Joy Sales Version) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All". yesasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.