You Bet Your Life (VCD) (Hong Kong Version) VCD

Although book ended by fairly intense gambling showdowns, You Bet Your Life is basically a supernatural comedy, very much along the lines of other films of the time. Interestingly, it was one of the very first to combine the gambling and ghost themes, preceding Sammo Hung's (who basically invented the ghost comedy genre with his classic Spooky Encounters) The Gambling Ghost by a full two years. No one does spooky laughs quite like Hong Kong, and 밳ou Bet Your Life?is a fine example of the form, effortlessly throwing together ghouls and gags in a manner that rarely makes any sense, though which manages to amuse and entertain throughout. The film is definitely superior to most of its peers from the period, with expected slapstick humour being surprisingly well choreographed, and with Lau never allowing things to become too low brow or mean spirited. This having been said, the humour is for the most part is pretty unsophisticated stuff, as can be seen in the running joke revolving around Mrs Luo's younger brother Ming somehow managing to repeatedly end up in drag - though the film is arguably all the funnier for it. There are a number of stand out scenes, including the hilarious hopping corpse sequence and some genuinely funny moments involving a fat Taoist priest who tries to help the bumbling couple. Both Lowell Lo and Sandra Ng turn in game performances, and despite their obvious avarice and scheming, their characters make for a likeable couple with some decent onscreen chemistry. Indeed, the film as a whole is a very amiable affair, playing to its strengths throughout and managing to keep a smile on the viewer's face.

Surprisingly, although the focus is obviously on laughs rather than scares, there are a number of reasonably creepy moments, several of which could have been lifted from a straight horror film. The scenes in the mortuary are effectively atmospheric, and the proceedings in general do have a certain otherworldly air, in part due to some skilful use of weird, lurid colours. The special effects are used sparingly, being saved mainly for the final battle scenes, though they are impressive enough in their own way, and the film as a whole never looks too cheap or tacky.

Sadly, You Bet Your Life really is the kind of film that Hong Kong simply doesn't make anymore. Wildly amusing and packed with comic creativity, it serves as an excellent reminder of just how much fun the spooky genre could be, and will definitely be enjoyed by either fans of the form or curious newcomers.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com