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Uncut UK DVD 
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Comparison between the cut Hong Kong Blu-ray by CN Entertainment and the uncut UK DVD by Soulblade
A few additional master errors on the UK DVD, each with a duration of < 0.5 seconds, were not listed in the report. A typical Hong Kong comedy with politically incorrect jokesIt's hard to decide where to start discussing the political and economic trajectory of the People's Republic of China, and we don't intend to delve deeper than necessary. There are certainly more than enough critical points to be found, although recent media attention has been focused more on the drastic rise of platforms like TikTok and Temu, which raise concerns not only in terms of data protection. However, we prefer to stay focused on the actual topic of "movie censorship" here. But to do so, we need to go back historically to December 1984 when it was decided between China and Great Britain to return the then British Crown Colony of Hong Kong to China in 1997. The resulting concerns of the population were subtly addressed in numerous Hong Kong productions of the '80s, sometimes more obvious to Western eyes than others. In 1989, it was officially announced that despite holding a British passport, one would not have the right to permanent residency in Great Britain. Moreover, the brutally suppressed Tiananmen protests took place in June of the same year. The Hong Kong Basic Law, passed in April 1990, further solidified the tensions. All of this was, of course, reflected in Hong Kong films in the early '90s, often quite cynically, as seen in films like John Woo's Bullet in the Head. The fears of mainland influence were also quite apparent in the 1991 action-comedy The Gambling Ghost, which stars Sammo Hung in a triple role as son/father/grandfather and features several cameos from well-known faces of Hong Kong cinema from the '80s. Superficially, this movie seems to have capitalized on the success of God of Gamblers and Stephen Chow's All for the Winner, which were significant box office successes, possibly because, unlike the societal circumstances, they focused more on light entertainment. The film also blends in the popular theme of ghosts. However, Sammo didn't refrain from giving his character some derogatory comments about the People's Republic of China. Other customs of the Chinese people are exaggerated and mockingly portrayed, and the 1997 handover is explicitly referenced multiple times. THE GAMBLING GHOST censored in its HD version for comments about ChinaWithout delving into this in detail as well, it should be known that there were mass protests in Hong Kong from June 2019 to 2021 against legislative changes that further tightened China's influence. Coinciding with this period, in January 2020, the HD premiere of The Gambling Ghost was released in Hong Kong. Numerous dialogues, sometimes brief, containing terms like "communist pigs" or entire scenes targeting the arrogant adversaries from the mainland in every possible way, were drastically cut. Admittedly, many of these alterations are hardly noticeable without knowledge of the original version. However, it's undeniably a significantly and clearly politically motivated censored version. Some scenes in the film, which, in typical Hong Kong movie style, are somewhat episodic and quirky, are almost deprived of their meaning. The cuts become more noticeable in the second half of the film, particularly when Sammo's character pretends to be a Chinese diplomat. Although the narrative flow couldn't be entirely disrupted due to the cuts, the context of many remaining scenes is hardly comprehensible due to extensive editing. The exact timing of these cuts remains unclear. The previous DVD, even in Hong Kong, was uncut, as were earlier releases. Following the Blu-ray release, the controversial Hong Kong national security law was passed in June 2020. Apart from the far more significant everyday restrictions for the locals, from the perspective of film fans, it's unlikely that they will get to see this title again in an uncensored HD format anytime soon. Realistically, for other Hong Kong productions from that era, one might only hope for releases from labels outside of Asia. Runtime information is arranged according to the scheme Introductory note: The English subtitles on the British DVD are the worst kind of "Chingrish", i.e. full of grammatical errors and with some rather absurd choices of vocabulary. The English dub has obviously also been created relatively freely as well, but is usually at least easier to understand than these subtitles. The descriptions of the cuts are therefore inevitably not 100% reliable, but the reference to China could ultimately be determined somehow either in the dub or the subs for really every single cut.
The title was redesigned for the credits, which are actually identical besides that.
A small picture comparison by way of introduction. The UK DVD is at least anamorphic, but often heavily darkened and generally has a low-contrast, dusty picture.
03:51 / 03:51-03:55 Fatty takes another step to the side and pejoratively calls the guy walking away a communist. 3.5 sec
06:14 / 06:18-07:01 After Fatty closes the elevator door, a scene with Leo (Man Hoi) and Boss Lee is completely missing. Leo knocks on the door and tells his boss to get ready because his wife is there. Sex noises can be heard coming from the room where Lee is busy with a mistress. Leo then reaches his boss from the other door and he says that his wife is not here (but "in Mainland China"). They then switch to Fatty, who is in contact with Leo and makes a makeshift radio call to say that "the car should be driven away quickly". The boss's wife and a beefy female companion are walking behind him, so he obviously can't speak freely. The companion also wants to eavesdrop on the door to another room, but Fatty stops her on the grounds that a member of the Communist Party is in there. She makes contemptuous remarks about the filthy things happening inside the room. 43.1 sec
07:27 / 08:14-08:44 After the wife pulls the gun, Fatty says he'll report to her - but wants a little more money in return. The wife reaches down, causing Fatty to back away fearfully. However, she does take out some money and gives him her card. She says that she works in the justice department in China. Fatty comments that he didn't even know there exists a justice system in China. She snorts at him again and leaves. Fatty hurries to the window. 29.3 sec
15:48 / 17:05-17:57 Fatty's father (also Sammo) walks away in a short additional shot. Then it starts earlier at Fatty's workplace: Mr. Ho arrives and his companion mentions money debts, which Mr. Ho could take his time with. Ho then says that he will make a fortune with planned sales in China and pay it all back. As they walk past, Fatty says "What a jerk!" about him. At the door, he grabs a girl and comments on something that is translated in the subtitles as saying that there are no such pretty girls in China. His companion says that this is illegal in Hong Kong. Ho announces that he will simply change such laws after 1997. Fatty hisses another insult ("commie jerk" according to the subs or "communist pig" in the English dub) afterwards. Finally, he looks in the direction of Lily (Nina Li Chi), with whose arrival the Blu-ray starts again. 52.8 sec
21:52 / 24:01-24:05 Mr. Chu announces another high stake for his friend, to which Fatty and Leo look surprised. 4.2 sec
22:18 / 24:31-24:33 At the end of the shot, Fatty says something that sounds like "foreigner" in the English dub and is translated in the subtitles as: "He's the dignitary." 1.6 sec
30:47 / 33:01-33:55 Mr. Yeung threatens the triads behind him in the English dub, while the "White Hand Party" is mentioned in the English subtitles to the original soundtrack - one phone call and hundreds of men would rush to his aid. The officer mentions the number 27 in a relaxed manner and suddenly changes his outfit: if he calls his men, the whole red army would come. Now a few policemen join them, but they immediately clash with the "comrades" from the red army. The policemen are taken away without further ado and the officer says that he has always suspected them of smuggling. He says to Mr. Yeung that nothing ever happened here and walks away. He removes the key, sits down in the boat and orders the policemen to be tied up. 53.8 sec
32:49 / 35:57-36:00 Mr. Yeung adds as a further threat that he will sell Leo's organs to China. 3 sec
53:54 / 57:04-57:07 Mr. Yeung still remembers all the weapons from China. If he can't get any further with his hands, bullets will certainly help. 3.1 sec
55:38 / 58:51-59:02 At the beginning of the shot on the stairs, Leo talks about a friend who is an exorcist with superpowers. He emphasizes that he is very famous for this in China and when they swam over from China to Hong Kong, he used his powers to ward off a shark. 11.2 sec
61:26 / 64:50-64:52 Fatty mentions at the end of the shot that this (= revenge and manslaughter) might actually be legal from 1997 onwards, but not yet. 2.5 sec
62:41 / 66:07-66:20 In the flashback, the first casket is opened and the man takes out the china (no pun intended) with a satisfied grin. Fatty comments as a ghost that bribery was already widespread back then - "just like in mainland China". The next box is then opened a few insignificant frames earlier. 12.5 sec
The flashback was also in B&W on the Blu-ray up to 63:08 / 66:47, but with a smooth dissolve it then looks normal. The UK DVD has color again from then on as well, but still looks even more yellow than usual throughout the film.
66:18 / 69:57-70:08 At the magazine stand you can see another cover, according to which a mainland Chinese man would have discussed oil deals at a secret meeting in Hong Kong. Mr. Chu comes around the corner and spies at the magazine. Looking at the cover again, you can still read the question of who the mysterious man from Beijing is. 11.4 sec
66:36 / 70:26-70:48 In an additional shot, Mr. Yeung says that two communists are expected today. The camera moves to the side and Fatty, clumsily disguised as a Chinese man, clears his throat. He spits into a garbage can and comments that these "wash basins" in Hong Kong seem quite strange. The men immediately mumble that this must be the mysterious man. Fatty continues into the next room and sees something there, whereupon there is a brief flashback to the porcelain pieces shown in the cut scene just before. 22.2 sec
68:24 / 72:36-72:38 A question is asked about a shot of Mr. Chu, which in the English dub is rather harmless ("How long have you been here?"), but in the subtitles to the original soundtrack was translated as "...from South China Sea". This context was probably the reason for the cut. 2.2 sec
68:49 / 73:03-73:39 At the end of the scene, Fatty says that he has to leave now. However, he wants to make something particularly appealing to the investors from Hong Kong (according to the subtitles to the original soundtrack: "Hong Kong syndicates"). After all, they could participate in the "motherland" here. If things go well for him, they would also benefit from it. He also promises that there will continue to be betting on horse racing after 1997. The investors rejoice. The subtitles also mention a "fundraising held by our Shanghai executive" and the "oil fields in South China Sea". 35.6 sec
69:02 / 73:52-73:59 Leo looks at a few more gifts of stock and Fatty says that it's no wonder why the Chinese like to come here so much. Then the pager starts beeping and they look for it for a moment. 7 sec
69:57 / 74:54-75:03 The conversation at the pool table begins a little earlier. Mr. Chu mentions a few gifts according to the dub and in the subtitles to the original soundtrack he addresses the two "senior officers". 9 sec
70:34 / 75:40-75:43 Lily stands up while Fatty is introduced as Mr. Lee and Leo as Mr. Yeung from China. 3.1 sec
70:50 / 75:59-76:17 Fatty is brought to the table longer and Mr. Chu praises the chefs from Beijing (according to the subtitles "the best"). One of the chefs then has a mishap during preparation and immediately apologizes. After a cut to the boss, Lily asks if the two are really from Beijing. They seem more like "locals" to her. Fatty begins to make threatening remarks - which he addresses to the chef in the subsequent shot. 17.4 sec
71:53 / 77:20-77:23 Another short cut to the real boss, who asks Mr. Chu if these are the two "senior officers" according to the subtitles. 3.8 sec
72:15 / 77:45-77:50 Mr. Yeung has a few more words left on screen to Fatty, with the subtitles talking about "pretended officers". 4.4 sec
73:05 / 78:41-78:46 Longer tussle over the suitcase, during which Fatty refers to the "oil field in South China Sea" again according to the subtitles. The boss reprimands the two from off-screen. 6.5 sec
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