Erotic Ghost Story: Standard Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1990
Director: Ngai Choi Lam
Writer: Kwan Tsang
Cast: Amy Yip, Hitomi Kudô, So Man, Lap-Man Tan, Chi Jan Ha, Manfred Wong, Gwa-Pau Sai, Wai-To Chan, Kiyoko Kamimura, Liang Chiang, Chung Lam

Release Date: September 26th, 2022
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 25 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Our ghosts are a trio of saucy spirits with nothing better to do than to deceive unwary (and/ or horny) men, but that's until all three of them get the hots for a hunky scholar. They settle down to show him the pleasures of the flesh. Except the path of true lust does not run smooth..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "Stunning new and exclusive HD restoration in 1:85:1 aspect ratio."

Erotic Ghost Story comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.9 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look healthy, image clarity and black levels are strong throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both of these audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, they handle ambient sounds well, and the score sounds robust. Included are two subtitle tracks: English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English subtitles for Cantonese text for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a reversible cover art, Tai Seng trailer (1 minute 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Cantonese and English text), an episode of Celebrity Talk Show with James Wong, Ni Kuang and Chua Lam who visit the set of Erotic Ghost Story (45 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, and an audio commentary with film critic and author Samm Deighan.

Summary:

Erotic Ghost Story was directed by Ngai Choi Lam, whose other notable films include The Seventh Curse, Her Vengeance, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, and The Cat. Erotic Ghost Story’s two main influences are The Witches of Eastwick and Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

Despite the fact that sex and violence are the two elements that unite Cat III cinema, the best examples of Cat III cinema are the films that are balanced between these two elements. Films that lean more towards sex are the ones that do not hold up as well as films that are overtly violent or are a combination of sex and violence. A case in point is Erotic Ghost Story, a film that has an ample amount of sex and any voilence is limited. That said, when it comes to violence, what few moments there are in Erotic Ghost Story are very effective moments, most notably a scene where three sister fox spirits witness a demon unleash his fury on a woman he has lured.

Anyone who has seen any of Ngai Choi Lam's films knows that they are not rooted in reality. He has directed some of the most adventurous films to emerge from Hong Kong in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. And though Erotic Ghost Story has many elements that tend to pop up throughout Ngai Choi Lam’s filmography, Erotic Ghost Story is his only foray into erotic cinema. That said, when it comes to this genre's tropes, he does a great job of mixing them with his cinematic style.

Though there are a few secondary characters, Erotic Ghost Story is ultimately carried by its four leads. In the roles of the three sister fox spirits are Amy Yip (Robotrix), Hitomi Kudô, and So Man, and Lap-Man Tan (City Hunter), in the role of a scholar who is seduced by the three sisters. That said, all three female leads have ample physical assets, which provides plenty of eye candy. Also, Amy Yip and So Man will return for Erotic Ghost Story II.

Besides an ample amount of nudity and some well-placed moments of erotica, sex also plays a significant role in the dialog. And, despite the fact that Erotic Ghost Story is softcore erotica, it throws in some martial arts for good measure. Ultimately, Erotic Ghost Story is a thrilling film that lives up to its name.

Erotic Ghost Story gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer