Horoscope 1: The Voice From Hell (1999)

Law Lan fans, this one's quite a screamer. In Horoscope 1: The Voice from Hell (spectacular title!) Hong Kong's favourite old spook eschews yet another role as "Granny" to become a crash-hot asthmatic mystic. Not only does she get to throw around the rice, paste up the yellow charms and plug her own last gasp with a frog; she even breaks out in kung fu - with a bloke's voice to boot!

When psychiatry student JoJo (Chu) isn't dodging an irritating traffic cop (Chin), she's playing social worker to Aunt Szeto (Law). During one of her home visits, JoJo's told of the sad fate of a mother and child burnt to death across in flat 643 - an event the dramatic opening sequence makes us well aware of. As it turns out, the gangster husband of the dead woman (Cheung) is seeking contact through Szeto; something the old lady sternly warns against. Regardless, the two angry spirits go on a possession spree seeking revenge against this hubby - he's seen as the ultimate cause for their death.

And the soon-to-be-possessed are none other than JoJo and her close relatives: heavily-tattooed herbalist Ng Chi-hung and his wife Yuen King-tan (once again, cracking breast jokes along the way). Aunt Szeto gives JoJo a drink to seal up her holes - it keeps her soul from escaping and protects against possession - but it's a no-goer. Pretty soon, Athena Chu's getting the screaming green-lit ghoul treatment, hair blown back by wind of unknown sources (and, as with the ghostly Pinky Cheung, it looks great!). The last half hour-or-so is a truly bizarre sequence, careening smack into an ultimate mushy ending. Yes, I'm plussed on this flick. Here's hoping the title implies a Horoscope 2...

Credits:

Directed by Steve Cheng
Produced by Wong Jing
Starring Athena Chu Yan, Helena Law Lan, Pinky Cheung Man-chi, Wan Tin-chiu, Chin Kar-lok, Ng Chi-hung, Kingdom Yuen King-tan, Spencer Lam and Simon Loui