Guests in the House a.k.a.
Ghosts in the House
Director: Jamie Luk
Year: 1988
Rating: 7.5
What a sweet good
natured ghost story this is with its theme of timeless love. It had me smiling
nearly the whole time.
DoDo Cheng gets a phone call from the contractor
who is building the new house for her and her fiancé (Derek Yee).
He tells her that the construction is way behind schedule and they won’t be
able to move in when planned. So they have to find somewhere to live until
the house is ready. A friend offers to let them stay in his grandfather’s
old house. As he tells them – it was where his grandfather once kept his
mistress. Well. It turns out his mistress – Nina Li – and her
maid (Regina Kent) are still in residence – though they have both been dead
for fifty years. They live quite comfortably upstairs in a room that is just
as it was the day they died. They have been waiting these fifty-years for
her lover to come back as he promised he would.
They are not your usual vengeful or angry ghosts though. They love having
some company after all these years and in particular enjoy this new invention
called television ! The old movies – especially the hopping vampire ones and
Casper the ghost cartoons are their favorites. Real couch potatoes are these
ghosts. And scaredy cats as well. They spend much of their time on the ceiling
– literally – while watching the old horror films. Of course they can’t help,
but have a little fun with their two guests from time to time, but also try
and help their love problems.
Nina Li as the old fashioned ghost still
in love with her man is wonderful. Beautiful and beguiling with a touch of
sadness in her eyes when she remembers the old days. The last scene of the
film is corny and perfect.
