SEX AND ZEN (1991)
Sensual Sinema #2
Label: Umbrella Entertainment
Duration: 99 Minutes
Region: Region-Free
Audio: Cantonese & English 5.1 DTS-HD MA & 2.0 Dolby Digital with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Michael Mak
Cast: Lawrence Ng, Amy Yip, Kent Cheng, Lieh Lo
The artful softcore Category III sex-comedy Sex and Zen (1991) is a humorous, erotic comedy about one man's quest for sexual pleasures beyond hos marriage, and the ramifications of such a quest. Impressively directed by Michael Mak with terrific set design and acrobatic sex acts it tells the cautionary tale of a sex-obsessed scholar named Mei Yeung-Sheng (Lawrence Ng) who marries a beautiful young woman Huk-Yeung (Amy Yip, Erotic Ghost Story), the virgin daughter of a high scholar. However, when he finds sex with his new wife unfulfilling he sets out on a sexual odyssey in search of erotic pleasure with as many other women as possible.
These carnal cravings leads him down the path of decadence, soon encountering a notorious thief named Choi Kun-Lun (Lieh Lo, The Chinese Boxer), who is said is not only a master thief but also wise in the ways of fornication, The thief advises him that his tiny digit will prove to be a hindrance when it comes to pleasures of the flesh. To that end he seeks the assistance of a drunken transplant surgeon (Kent Cheng, Dr. Lamb) who surgically replaces his diminutive penis with a 22-inch horse cock, quite literally.
Now armed with a new super-sized dork he sets his sights on a pretty fabric seller (Mari Ayukawa), much to the chagrin of her abusive and well-hung husband Wong Chut (Elvis Tsui, The Boxer’s Omen), who takes his revenge on the horse-cocked adventurer by seducing his wife and then forcing her into a life of prostitution. This begins his wife's own sexual adventure, exploring her own kink, Sapphic tendencies and the art of writing with her vaginal secretions.
The flick has abundant nudity, lots of fornication, sexual slapstick humor, and set pieces of erotic fantasy that are both visually delightful and titillating. The production design is quite impressive a are the sometimes absurd and comically exaggerated sex scenes, with scenarios ranging from riotous hot tub sex, to toe-sucking, playful bestiality, and a pair of women sharing a flute like it's a 2-sided dildo - you have been warned!
Audio/Video: Sex and Zen (1991) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment as the second offers from their erotic Sensual Cinema line-up. Presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 the source is in good shape with only a few light scratches, colors are strong, and grain looks natural. Audio comes by way of Catonese or English-dub in DTS-HD MA 5.1 or Dolby Digital 2.0, the audio tracks are clean, well-balanced and show no age related wear. The English dub is not quite synced to perfection but it's a solid dub, if you're foreign language adverse it will suffice nicely.
Extras include a 14-min Interview with director Michael Mak and a 3-min Theatrical Trailer. The single-disc release arrives in an oversized clear keepcase with a 2-sided, but non-reversible sleeve of artwork. with artwork on both the front and back. It also includes a limited pink slipcover that is branded with the Sensual Sinema logo and is numbered on the spine.
Special Features:
- Interview with director Michael Mak (14 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min)
Few softcore flicks even come close to blending outrageous humor and acrobatic eroticism the way Sex and Zen (1991) manages, it's a deft melding of comedy and fantastical sex, and the cast are superb and the film is absolutely ridiculous
in the best possible way. I cannot think of a film that both turned me on, shocked me, and made me laugh in equal measure as this masterpiece of softcore cinema. This comes highly recommended for those looking for fun bit of erotic arthouse.
