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A ghost of a chance.

2011 ‘ステキな金縛り’ Directed by Koki Mitani

Defence lawyer Emi is assigned to a particularly unusual case: a man is suspected of murdering his wealthy wife, and his only alibi is a 421-year old ghost, Rokubei. At first Emi is hesitant, but when she pursues her lead she is visited by the ghost herself. And so the fun begins in the courtroom when Prosecutor Osano starts to cross examine.

Eri Fukatsu Toshiyuki Nishida Hiroshi Abe Yûko Takeuchi Kiichi Nakai Kyoko Fukada Koichi Sato Kazuyuki Asano Keiko Toda KAN Fumiyo Kohinata Tadanobu Asano Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Kazuyuki Aijima Masachika Ichimura Zen Kajihara Toshiaki Karasawa Takayuki Kinoshita Ryoko Shinohara Kōji Yamamoto Katsuhisa Namase Kenji Anan Yoshimasa Kondo Nao Okabe Aki Nishihara

Director Director

Koki Mitani

Writer Writer

Alternative titles.

鬼壓床了沒, Once in a Blue Moon, Sutekina kanashibari, 了不起的亡灵

Mystery Drama Comedy Fantasy

Releases by Date

29 oct 2011, releases by country.

142 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by PlaguDocta ★★★½

Transparent laws. Labu the ghost dog. I almost didn't recognize Tadanobu Asano in those slightly goofy glasses. There are plot details left off-screen, while some make sense in deep thoughts, others could genuinely be lead into plot holes. There's a lack of wit and maturity here that is not the case in the other Koki Mitani theatrical worlds that I've seen up to this point, which can disappoint some; to be fair, there are times where the jokes aren't precise and calculated well. Disbelief must be suspended for a long time, though it depends on how long you can hold it. Past dispirited-ness catches up to cross between the absurd and surprisingly genuine; It's legal to be sad, so spread your tears around the floor of familial love.

Review by Carlo 666

Starting to question how much I really like Koki Mitani movies. They really tap into a part of my brain that enjoys high concept comedies that belong on a stage, but there's just as much there that doesn't really work comedically. Too much in favor of broad, faint chuckles (not to mention too long), where I'm looking for the bite of a Juzo Itami.

Review by Rolf ★★★★

A clumsy lawyer (Eri Fukatsu) gets assigned to defend a man who supposedly killed is wife and her only witness is a ghost (Toshiyuki Nishida) who can provide an alibi... This was so much fun! A court room drama comedy which mocks the traditional Japanese horror tropes in creating this hilarious ghost character who can only be seen by a few people which of course creates several obstacles to overcome for the defense. There's also room for some typical Japanese family drama which finally leads to closure for our heroine and lets the audience exit with a smile on their faces. And stay for the charming end credits as well! The all-star cast also including Yûko Takeuchi, Hiroshi Abe and…

Review by Varghese ★★★

A simple film with a big heart.Like Suite Dreams,this also needed trimming.

Review by Marco P. ★★★½

A low rate defence lawyer is tasked to defend a man who was arrested for the murder of his wife. The case seems normal until she finds out that her only witness is a 421-year old ghost of a dead samurai.

This was my fifth Koki Mitani movie - I've already seen "Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald", "The Magic Hour", "Airport" and "Suite Dreams". This has everything I've seen in the other movies like unique characters, unique comedy, unique story, unique direction but this might be my least favorite movie by him.

The cast is great and the courtroom scenes are all well done with enough drama and comedy, especially when they try to prove a ghost is a legit witness and his testimony is legal, however many scenes drag so much. A few cuts here and there and this would be perfect.

Review by 🦇Aal Bate🦇 ★★★★

Koki Mitani has once again made my evening.

Review by Derrick Dover ★★★★

Look... I'll be honest... I've criticized Japanese cinema for many of the reasons I love this film. It's bizarre, it's over the top, and it's ridiculous, but God help me I love it. However, unlike many other Japanese films, a Ghost of a Chance (aka Once in a Blue Moon) actually finds a balance with the narrative and this ridiculousness. While most Japanese films have me rolling my eyes at this kind of humor, this film had me laughing and crying. Of course it's absurd, but it manages to strike all the right chords in my heart. This is one of those movies I know I'll watch many more times in my life, especially when I'm down or having a difficult time. Sometimes, we need these ridiculous, cheesy, absurd movies to pick us up and carry us through difficult times.

Review by njubz ★★★

I really like Mitani's work. So I couldn't go wrong with this! I felt more emotional than I thought I would with such a film though. Watched it after rewatching The Magic Hour. Also great. Good vibes as always!

Review by WreckItDee ★★★ 2

Tragically, this could rank as my least favorite Koki Mitani's films so far but it was pretty hard to overtake the likes of "The Uchoten Hotel" or "Welcome Back, Mr MacDonald".

There is chronically bleak outlook of Japanese cinema for the past 5 years in which I have to scrap the bottom of the barrel to find anything decent to watch like "Departures" or "Confessions", even those materials are rather heavy and sullied.

There used to be a galore of light-hearted fares offered from the Japanese cinema and Mitani was churning out a few good ones, even "The Magic Hour" had its moment.

Like most of his films, he had the right connections to rope in a slew of A-List…

Review by Hugo ★★½ 1

My sincere apologies, but this next directorial feature I quite highly anticipate from Mitani Koki-san of last night's "Suite Dreams" just wasn't for me.

I admit I do really like the concept; especially with the courtroom drama elements (or should I say courtroom horror-comedy?) that apparently make up the majority of the runtime.

I also really like Rokubei as the ghost, both performance-wise from the actor playing him as well as how he's written as a character. He's definitely the one who gives life to this film.

But I really don't like how the comedy becomes way too much, especially during the third act - which is honestly both the worst and the part that immediately changes my opinion on…

Review by kowalski ★★★★★

Very entertaining !!!!

Review by Sonia Chen ★★★★★

Once In A Blue Moon

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A Ghost of a Chance

Cast & crew, movie details, movies like a ghost of a chance, movie reviews.

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Ghost of a Chance

Original title: αιώνιος φοιτητής.

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In the casino there is only one queen, the small ball that spins on the roulette table. None of the players pays the slightest attention to the female dealers. But Takis, a «perennial» med student, doesn't go to the casino to win millions but to earn a day's wages. Vera works in a gym but trains and gets a second job as a dealer. Her aim is to protect her mother since regulations forbid relatives of employees from entering the casino. Let her Dad knock himself out. There's no way he'll ever play roulette again! At some point, Takis and Vera become lovers. They rig a game at the roulette table, leave the money with her mother and hide out in a friend's house, where their romantic dream soon succumbs to the wretched conditions in which they live. When her father dies of a heart attack in his Jeep, Vera suddenly finds herself with money. At the funeral, the manager of the casino threatens to send her to prison...

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MPAA Rating

Produced by, a ghost of a chance (1968), directed by jan darnley-smith.

• AllMovie Rating 6
• User Ratings ( 0 )
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

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• Cast & crew

Ghost of a Chance

A piano player is accidentally shot and killed by a policeman. He is sent back to earth to get the cop to help his son audition for a talent search, and in the process the detective discover... Read all A piano player is accidentally shot and killed by a policeman. He is sent back to earth to get the cop to help his son audition for a talent search, and in the process the detective discovers a ring of drug dealers and determines to break it. A piano player is accidentally shot and killed by a policeman. He is sent back to earth to get the cop to help his son audition for a talent search, and in the process the detective discovers a ring of drug dealers and determines to break it.

• Hank Bradford
• Dick Van Dyke
• Brynn Thayer
• See more at IMDbPro

• Julio Mendez

• Mr. Johnson

• Captain Tom Shields

• Detective Fein
• Marvin Goody

• Detective Ed Rose

• (as Luther Hansrai)
• Cotton Club Waiter
• (as Elliott McIvor)

• Bull Operator

• (as Barbara Harris)
• Detective Phil Hauck
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia According to Dick Van Dyke in his memoir, Redd Foxx was always drunk and high on cocaine during filming. According to Van Dyke, director Don Taylor innocently said "Oh, boy..." to a black crew member but Foxx misinterpreted it as a racial slur and pulled out a knife. Van Dyke had to physically restrain Foxx from cutting Taylor.

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• May 12, 1987 (United States)
• United States
• Como caído del cielo
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Stuart-Phoenix Productions
• Thunder Road Productions
• Lorimar Telepictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 2 hours

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A Ghost of a Chance (2011)

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Trailer Videos

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Kinoshita Takayuki (1972)

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• Cast & Crew

Ghost of a Chance

• 1 hr 36 mins

The spirit of a deceased musician (Redd Foxx) returns to Earth seeking the help of the cop who killed him. Dick Van Dyke. Johnson: Geoffrey Holder. Mendez: Richard Romanus. Jessie: Kimble Joyner. Kathleen: Brynn Thayer. Shields: Sean McCann. Fein: Timothy Webber. Directed by Don Taylor.

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A Ghost of a Chance

1968, Drama, 51m

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A ghost of a chance   photos.

Youngsters receive supernatural aid when they try to save an old manor from destruction.

Genre: Drama

Original Language: English (United Kingdom)

Director: Jan Darnley-Smith

Producer: George H. Brown

Writer: Patricia Latham

Runtime: 51m

Cast & Crew

Jimmy Edwards

Sir Jocelyn

Patricia Hayes

Miss Woollie

Graham Stark

Thomas Dogood

Bernard Cribbins

Terry Scott

Ronnie Barker

Mr. Prendergast

Cheryl Vidgen

Jan Darnley-Smith

Patricia Latham

Screenwriter

George H. Brown

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