Written by John Kamps ("Zathura") and David Koepp ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") and directed by Koepp, "Ghost Town" is a light comedy about a misanthropic dentist, Bertram Pincus, who develops an unwelcome sixth sense after losing his vital signs for several minutes during a routine colonoscopy.

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As a light-hearted comedy, it contrasts with the historical epics and action flicks that make up most of China's domestic film releases, says Liv Yi, an analyst at Beijing-based entertainment industry consultancy Entgroup.

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As such there are marked contrasts, most notably the movie is a comedy-drama while the novel has little light relief.

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