Picture of a Nymph

Even a creative genius isn’t born in a vacuum. While Sam Raimi’s visual razzle-dazzle in The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 were wildly entertaining, any self-respecting fan of Asian cinema could see the influences written on the cabin walls. That’s not an insult. In fact, it’s an opportunity for fans to branch out into the Hong Kong horror-fantasy genre for more of the same. Take 1987’s Picture of a Nymph, itself a retread of A Chinese Ghost Story, which pits a pair of demon hunters against the only supernatural force they weren’t prepared for: true love.

The adopted son of a Taoist monk, Shih Erh, (played by Yuen Biao) strikes up a friendship with a desperate scholar (Lawrence Ng) who falls in love with a wandering ghost (Joey Wang) kidnapped on her wedding day by a local spirit. Unsympathetic to their doomed love affair, Shih’s master wants to send them all back to the hell they came from. But his student takes a stand to prove that love can still survive beyond the grave.

Director Wu Ma reprises his role as the curmudgeonly demon hunter from ACGS – along with Joey Wang as the supernatural love interest. But the addition of Yuen Biao, his first of several forays into the fantasy genre, is what separates Picture of a Nymph from its predecessor. And it starts right from the opening scene with Biao taking on an elderly demon whose beard, hair and eyebrows are living entities unto themselves! It’s a stunning opener, full of visual gymnastics that match Biao’s own legendary physicality. So much so that the movie never quite tops it, despite several subsequent scenes featuring Wu Ma going head-to-head against a gang of paper umbrella wielding phantasms.

Picture of a Nymph uses Biao as a crutch to support its romantic agenda, leaning into the generally G-rated idea of ghostly passion and destiny. That’s not necessarily a handicap as audiences are served up plenty of cleverly choreographed action to balance things out. And as an unofficial sequel to ACGS, Wu Ma’s film actually makes a few improvements. But one can’t help but wish for a few more demons to crash the afterparty.

88 Films’ limited edition Blu-ray has got some real heft to it, shipping with an O-Ring and rigid slipcase featuring new artwork, a 40-page book and collectible postcard. The film itself gets a new 2K restoration from the OCN, new subs, two audio commentaries, image gallery and trailer.

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