Troublesome Night 10
Director: Edmond Yuen
Year: 2001
Rating: 5.0
This
tenth film in the Troublesome Night series begins with a close-up of Sherming
Yiu's face which is never a bad place to start. She is a cutie who for reasons
unknown, got stuck in a lot of low-budget horror films. Her Japanese boyfriend
is breaking up with her because his parents don't approve of her. Since she
is a prostitute. He says he loves her. Then if we can't be together in this
world, we will be in the next, she says. And poisons him. A good beginning
to this one-story episode. Unfortunately as is becoming the norm it seems,
the writers had to stretch it considerably with a constant stream of dialogue
that never ends. If they really wrote it as opposed to just telling the actors
to say something, I am impressed. It wasn't Billy Wilder or Dalton Trumbo,
but there sure was a lot of it and those two gentlemen never had to write
a script about ghosts in Cheung Chau.
The island of Cheung Chau off of Hong Kong
is rather famous for ghosts. It is sometimes referred to as Death Island
or Ghost Island. It has four reputed haunted houses. It has a hotel called
Bella Vista Villa in which over 20 people have died, often from suicide.
If you ever go, you might want to avoid staying there even if the prices
are great. Visions of ghosts have often been reported. It is a lovely relaxing
island otherwise. It is where the wonderful Just One Look takes place. The
boss (Wayne Lai) of a small company decides to take his six employees on
a short holiday to the island. They consist of four horny males and two less
horny women. One of them is played by Grace Lam who was in a few Cat III
films in the early 2000's - and another is played by Tong Ka-fai who we have
met in the two TN films before this. His mother is played by Helena Law Lan
who works at Lin To Temple and is handy to have around when the ghosts show
up. Tong was to play the same character for the remainder of the series (up
to 19) and very few other films before he retired. He must have come cheap.
According to this film, nearly everyone
in Cheung Chau is a ghost - those guys doing Tai Chi exercises - yup, those
two pretty girls on the beach - yup and for sure that girl in the green dress
walking at night is. Played by Sherming. She captures the eye and loins of
the boss and he goes off with her for a night of fun and promises her to
always be together. Never tell a ghost you want to be with them forever.
In the morning when he wakes, she is gone. She only comes out at night. The
other six are not doing much better. Ghosts everywhere. Eventually, mom shows
up to straighten everything out. She is not a cruel exorcist - more an understanding
one. Tell me why you are so angry. I can help you. Probably not a film that
the Cheung Chau Tourist Board promotes, but it looks kind of wonderful. Just
ignore that old guy smoking a hookah. He is a ghost too.
