Sex & Zen II (1996)
Reviewed by: danton on 2002-02-13
Watching a lot of Loletta Lee movies lately, so I decided to rewatch this old Cat 3 classic starring her and Shu Qi. Been a few years since I last saw it, and I have to say the film holds up pretty well. It follows the proven formula to the letter, and if you've seen any of the similar period Cat 3 movies such as Sex and Zen, Chinese Torture Chamber Story, Erotic Ghost Story etc, you know what to expect.

However, the film is a lot better than most of the ripoffs that were produced later, and it actually has a decent storyline, as well as fairly high production values and nice camerawork and lighting. Elvis Tsui does his usual mad Cat 3 routine, and Loletta and Shu Qi (in a dubbed performance) are two very appealing leads. It's interesting to see this film now if only for the comparison of how far Shu Qi has come as an actress since those early Cat 3 days (although some early signs of her not yet fully developed screen charisma shine through even here).

Interesting to note also that she still draws a lot of vitriol from some corners for having done these nudie flicks, whereas Loletta Lee seems to have no problem as an actress in serious films despite her equally explicit cinematic past.

For those interested in the plot, it's about a demon called the "Mirage Lady" (Shu Qi) who has mastered the virgin stance and can now function either as man or woman, sucking the energy from her victims during sexual climax. She enters the house of Elvis Tsui and soon people begin dying. The only one on to her is Elvis' virginal daughter (Loletta) who is forced by her father to wear a rather nasty chastity belt contraption (that easily comes off at opportune moments, however). The movie climax, so to speak, is reached in an ultimate showdown between Loletta and Shu Qi that defies description and ranks as one of the more memorable scenes of this nature in HK movie history (along with the infamous Flying Kungfu Sex scene between Elvis and Julie Lee in ACTCS).

The movie has little or none of the somewhat nasty streaks of some later HK Cat 3 movies that focus a little too intensely on sex/violence, relying instead on atmosphere and on the good looks of the two lead actresses. All around an enjoyable viewing experience, and I would actually rank the film higher than the original Sex and Zen.