Two of Hong Kong Cinemas favorite obsessions
- ghosts & gambling
- come together in You Bet Your Life (1989). Producer Jeffrey Lau (A Chinese Tall Story), the regions most acclaimed comedic filmmaker this side of Stephen Chow, has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to tickling audiences funnybones; this genre-bending crowd-pleaser beat Sammo Hungs own supernatural card shark comedy, The Gambling Ghost, to the punch by a full two years. Starring Sandra Ng ( Alls Well Ends Well) & sometimes-actor Lowell Lo (who earns his real living composing the musical scores for films like A Chinese Odyssey & Shaolin Soccer), as a money-hungry couple who enlist otherworldly powers to help them win big at the casino, You Bet Your Life truly captures the zeitgeist of the cinematic times.
Mr. & Mrs. Luo love to gamble, even though theyve yet to win any actual money. When a smarmy acquaintance suddenly enjoys an incredible winning streak, the couple resolves to discover the secret of his success. It turns out a hungry ghost is rigging the games in exchange for the mans life force, a prospect the Luos find more tempting than terrifying. Never ones to shy away from a bet, the Luos promptly summon a wandering female spirit & cut a deal of their own. The proposition: the Luos will never lose a game, but if they cant spend their winnings in a single day, one of them dies!