Movie Review: Tales From the Dark 2/李碧華鬼魅系列:奇幻夜

***Just in time for the Hungry Ghost Festival,  Tales From the Dark 2/李碧華鬼魅系列:奇幻夜 opened last week in Hong Kong.This installment is markedly different from Part 1, the most obvious difference being the Category III rating of Part 2.*

The overall tone is also different, with this installment being much darker and not as light-hearted as the first half.

The first segment, Pillow, is directed by Gordon Chan. Fala Chen and Gordon Lam Ka Tung star in a story of a couple who have some relationship difficulties.

Like her weird bathing habits.

Speaking of difficult relationships, I wouldn’t blame people for saying that my unfamiliarity with Hong Kong’s news media has a marked negative impact on my knowledge.

But for me, that’s a plus.

The news media here are infamous for giving away plot points as well as endings in their ‘coverage’ of local film.

My favorite was when they said Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier was the first movie where he died at the end.

Gee, thanks.

I say all that because the news media had given away dome of the storyline of this segment.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I don’t want to tell you what the story is, because it would be hard to do without giving too much away.

And, to be honest, because I felt the ending was not only contrived but rushed.

Still, I enjoyed this segment a lot, if for rather personal reasons.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sexually explicit scenes in the film, and not for the reasons you may assume.

It was nearly shocking to me to see Fala Chen doing a sex scene. It struck me as highly unusual, and even daring, for her if not for the director.

Or Gordon Lam.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see Joman Chiang in a small role.

Even if she had no sex scenes.

Dammit.

The story is interesting, mostly well-told, and very well-acted. It naturally transcends simple logic more than once, but as a ghost story you have to expect such things.

The middle segment is Lawrence Lau’s Hide and Seek.

A group of students return to their primary school, which is scheduled for demolition, for an illicit party. They decide to play ‘ghost hunters’ and, (super)naturally, find more than they bargained for.

The young actors manage varying levels of acting skill, though I managed to stay in the story most of the time.

I really liked the ‘crazy’ janitor.

Some of the scares seemed cheap, not only narratively but in their technical execution.

On at least one occasion, the make-up was obtrusively bad, and I personally am never a fan of the LOUD JUMP SCARE.

But even some of the ‘cheaper’ effects were still fun and interesting.

Welcome to Dorian Gray Primary School.

This segment seemed to be the audience favorite, and I assume that peoples’ experiences in similar schools allowed them a much greater opportunity to get caught up in the story.

I guess my own background in classic slasher films makes me giggle every time teenagers are imperiled, because that’s what drives the slasher genre.

I’m not saying I enjoy watching teenagers die, I’m just saying it doesn’t scare me.

This segment would have been very much at home in Part 1, and I think it’s unfortunate that it gets sandwiched between segments that force it to be viewable only by a Category III audience.

I think this segment would be very popular with the under-18 crowd, and I am sure a percentage of that audience will get to see it.

One way or another.

The third and final segment is Teddy Robin’s Umbrella, starring Teddy himself.

It’s the story of a mysterious man making his way across Hong Kong at night, intercut with a parallel story of a prostitute (played by Aliza Mo) gratefully making preparations to return to her home in China.

Directorial privilege.

The segment feels very much like a postcard to the city’s vibrant nocturnal environment, populated y all manner of interesting people.

The climax of the segment was very entertaining to me, if only because, like the first segment, I was shocked seeing not only the things being done but the people doing them.

I really enjoyed this segment for its look, its feel, and its story. At once cynical and wistful, the story’s end point gleefully dances with its contradictions on a floor slick with blood.

I doubt everyone will think this is the best segment, but I had a lot of fun and found myself thinking about the questions and ideas posed by this segment long after the film was over.

I really enjoyed this half of  Tales From the Dark 2/李碧華鬼魅系列:奇幻夜, and I was glad to see a ghost movie in Hong Kong.

Let’s hope it’s a trend that continues.