Originally released back in 1989, “You Bet Your Life” is a film that could never have been made anywhere but Hong Kong, combining as it does the ghost and gambling genres. Although directed by Liang Jia Shu, also responsible for the Stephen Chow comedy “Love is Love”, the film bears the unmistakable mark of Hong Kong comedy maestro Jeffrey Lau, who here produces. As a director, Lau dabbled countless times in the supernatural with the likes of “Mortuary Blues” and “Haunted Copshop” before striking it big with his classic “Chinese Odyssey” films, and more recently “A Chinese Tall Story” and “Kung Fu Hustle”, which he produced. Certainly, the film is very much in his manic, imaginative style, bombarding the viewer with non-stop jokes and outlandish set pieces.

The plot follows gambling-obsessed couple Mr and Mrs Luo (played by Lowell Lo, who usually works as a soundtrack composer and the instantly recognisable Sandra Ng, also in countless similarly themed films such as “Happy Ghost” and Jeffrey Lau’s “Thunder Cops”) who are having somewhat of a lean streak. After hearing that a rival called Snake’s recent run of luck has been due to his taking ‘coffin air’, they decide to follow him one night, ending up in a run down mortuary. It turns out that to receive fortune in this manner they have to allow a “Mr Vampire” style hopping corpse to suck in some of their life force, and so, understandably terrified, the Luos decide to flee. Another opportunity soon presents itself in the form of a female ghost inhabiting the deserted flat in their building, and they strike a bargain with the spirit, instantly transforming them into gambling masters. Unfortunately, the ghost’s help comes with a strange though strict proviso, namely that they always have to spend their winnings by the end of the night. Needless to say, this rule is soon broken, leaving the couple to face off against the furious spectre in a desperate though wacky battle for their lives.

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 “You 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.

Tommy Leung Ka Chun (director)
CAST: Sandra Ng, Lowell Lo, Gabriel Wong, Hui Siu Hung, Peter Chan, Yuen Cheung Yan, Wan Lai Yuk, Teddy Yip, Cheng Siu Ping, Lee Chung Ling