Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 07/09/2011 On the surface, 1993's Finale in Blood would appear to be pretty much your standard Hong Kong ghost movie. However, in one of his first efforts as a director, arthouse favorite Fruit Chan plays with the genre a bit, adding in a bit of flavor that was seemingly influenced by the filmography of the Coen Brothers. This doesn't totally elevate Finale in Blood from the realm of the average, but it at least creates some interest and sets the film apart from the crowded pack of ghost-themed productions, which as one of the more popular permutations of Hong Kong cinema has seen dozens (if not hundreds) entries delivered to audiences over the years. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: ororama Date: 03/14/2010 Finale In Blood is a typical Hong Kong ghost story with several interesting flourishes. The atmospheric opening suggests film noir, quickly followed by the comic adventure of a young radio reporter (Lawrence Cheng) trying to pick up some easy money, leading to problems with gangsters and the police. He is saved by an umbrella and the ghost (Tiu Gwan-Mei) whose soul resides in it, who is seeking to resolve the conflicts that led to her death. The mood shifts as she tells her tragic story with his assistance on a radio program. He assists her in the completion of her mission, as the story continues to veer between drama and comedy. A comic scene involving a corpse suddenly becomes erotically charged, and the relationship between the ghost and the reporter instantly is seen in a new light. The romantic obsession of the woman who returns as a ghost to reclaim her husband, and the obsession of her rival which mirrors it, lend a fatalism to the ghost's quest that leads to a memorable finale. A coda follows in which a last joke leads into a haunting final image. Tiu Gwan-Mei is charming as the young woman who has the misfortune to fall in love with the wrong man, which gives weight to her increasing desperation as she tries to hold on to him. David Ng offers a flashy surface, covering the emptiness of his shallow hedonism, as the cop that she falls in love with. Lawrence Cheng plays the reporter mostly for laughs, although he has a few poignant moments of longing for an impossible love. Chikako Aoyama serves primarily as a beautiful decoration as the cop's whore, until the wild finale when she becomes the catalyst of the action, and proves to be as uncompromising in her passion as the ghost has been. Finale In Blood is an uneven film that probably would have worked better with less comedy and more focus on the tragic fatalism at the heart of the story. A few moments surprise in this fairly typical Hong Kong ghost story, and director Fruit Chan shows the first glimmers of the talent that would be revealed in his later films.

Reviewed by: dandan Date: 01/02/2008 Summary: beginning for fruit... cheng (lawrence cheng) is a radio announcer, who delivers the grocery prices every evening. one day, he decides to try and make a little money, by passing on some smuggled pharmaceuticals to for a friend. whilst doing this, the police turn up to bust the smugglers, who think cheng is a cop and throw him into the ocean. cheng is saved, from drowning, by an umbrella, which he takes home. when cheng gets home, he finds fong (ruth winona tao) waiting for him; fong is a ghost, trapped in the umbrella after her husband (david ng) and his lover (aoyama chikako) killed her. fong wants revenge, but can't bring herself to kill her husband and decides to hang round with cheng whilst she decides what to do. however, when one of cheng's colleagues is ill, he and fong begin to relay her story on air; leading her husband and his lover out of the woodwork... yes, as you can probably tell, this is not your standard romance / drama / ghost / revenge comedy. it certainly wasn't what i was expecting, i thought; fruit chan's debut, erotic / revenge / ghost story, may be interesting. well, i was right about it being interesting and i certainly didn't expect it to be what it was, or to enjoy it quite as much as i did. it is an odd little story, but it is done very well; lawrence cheng does a great job, alongside ruth winona tao, and makes the film very watchable. david ng and aoyama chikako provide good support (which the latter certainly needs - fnar...) and there's even a weird cameo role for big tony leung. for fruit chan, this is a good debut; anyone who manages to successfully blend so much into a film, whilst keeping it engaging and making it an enjoyable watch is obviously going to go far. so, an enjoyable (if slightly crackers) narrative, good performances and nice production values all add up to make a very entertaining film. good stuff...

Reviewed by: STSH Date: 05/26/2000 Summary: Not bad ghost comedy Bit of an odd mixture, and certainly not what one would have expected from such a cast. David Ng is reasonably effective in a limited role. Chikako's massive mammaries (comparable to Amy Yip's) are given several flashes, and she's okay as the ghost's jealous rival. But the interaction between the wimpy Cheng and the ghost is nicely done, balanced between romance and comedy, with a little vengeance thrown in. Offbeat, and recommended. Reviewer Score: 7