Monday, November 7, 2016

Missing Costumes (失窃的服装)


Wendy is one of those film actresses brought up during the peak of Hong Kong movie industries during the 80’s and 90’s. During that time, an actress/actor could act in a few movies at one time hence their shooting schedules can be pretty tight. Accompanying with those tight activities are frequent travelling amongst various shooting sites, and the ability to switch between roles as an actress or actor would have different roles to play in different movies. Not to mention that these actresses and actors need to memorise various movie scripts and change into different costumes in accordance with the various roles they play at a single time.

Once, Wendy was rushing for shooting a ghost movie where she was to play a modern lady raped and killed and her soul subsequently transformed into a vengeful red shirt ghost to seek revenge on her killer. However, on arrival to the shooting scene which was located at a cemetery outskirt of Hong Kong metropolitan city; Wendy found that she was still wearing the costume she worn for her previous movie. It was too late to return and change now, so the film director at that time looked at her and said: “Why don’t you make a set of new costumes for this movie only? We shall continue the shooting two weeks later.”

Since nothing could be done then, Wendy returned and paid a visit to the company’s tailor to make a set of costume as requested by the director. Two weeks later, Wendy worn the new costume to continue shooting the ghost movie in that cemetery. An hour later, Wendy had to travel to another shooting scene for a police story. So, she again changed into other attire suitable to the police and crime scenes. In order not to misplace the new costume for that ghost movie, Wendy specifically told the filming crew to take good care of her costume.

Another week passed, Wendy returned to the ghost movie shooting scene but only to be told by the crew that her costume somehow mysteriously missing in action. The shooting cannot be continued and Wendy had to return to the tailor for another set of new costumes. For that trouble, the movie had to delay for another two weeks.

Once Wendy’s costume is readied, she went to the shooting scene at the cemetery to continue with the filming. This time, the shooting only lasted for an hour or so due to sudden heavy rain. And Wendy couldn’t wait as she got another appointment. Again, Wendy handed her newly made costume to the filming crew and went off for her police story on the other side of the filming scene.

Two weeks later, the filming crew and Wendy returned to the cemetery again to finish filming the scene they required. Again, the crews found that Wendy’s specific costume was missing again! The director was furious and he started to curse and swear four letter words while everyone just kept silent since there was nothing anybody can do… Suddenly, the cameraman Jeff’s eyes wandered off and caught a glimpse of a yellowish stuff covering a tombstone nearby.

He quickly approached the tombstone and there laid two sets of yellow costumes similar to Wendy’s! Nobody knew how the costumes gone there but no one has the courage to ask anyway. Right after the final scene in the cemetery was filmed, Wendy and the crew members burnt the costumes in front of the grave. They thought since the spirit liked those costumes so much, they would just donate the costumes to the spirit. Incidentally speaking, the owner of the tomb was once a pretty young lady.

Now I know that even ghosts like to watch movies and nice clothing too! I jokingly told Wendy perhaps the ghost that took her costumes were one of her fans underworld!

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