Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie Review

Sex and Zen is one of the most famous of Hong Kong adult films. Based on the novel "The Carnal Prayer Mat" by Yu Li, Sex and Zen is produced by Johnny Mak (Lord of East China Sea, The Iceman Cometh). Executive produced by Stephen Shiu (Due West: Our Sex Journey, To Be Number One), Sex and Zen became a huge adult cinema hit – earning its reputation as one of the most successful adult films.

Mei Yeung-Sheng (Lawrence Ng) is a scholar who decides to challenge the moral high ground of the Sack Monk. Mei marries a virgin bride with no sexual experience and a night of lust soon arrives. Despite the night of lovemaking, Mei is still lusting for more sexual experiences with other women.

Despite the unfortunate element of not being well endowed (with a rather small penis), Mei sets out for more sexual encounters. Lovemaking with other women ensues. Mei can’t contain himself or his own womanizing ways.

The supporting cast of characters includes Dr. Tin Chan (Kent Cheng), Wong Chut (Elvis Tsui), Chor Kun-Lun (Lo Lieh), Huk-Yeung/Chau-Yin (Amy Yip), Shui Chu (Isabella Chow), Mistress Ku (Carrie Ng), Wong Chut's wife (Mari Ayukawa), and Fa Sun (Rena Murakami). The supporting cast adds to the filmmaking. The entire cast does a good job.

Edited by Hung Poon (The Grandmaster, Dragon Inn), Sex and Zen is well-edited. For an adult feature, the editing is well-done. The feature still feels like a genuine feature – as often is the case with old-school pornography. Poon helped to craft an excellent edit for the production.

The production design by King Man Lee (Eastern Condors, Tai Chi Master) is above expectations. The feature looks more impressive than a typical adult film. Lee made the film look impressive and the production has a lot of nice design elements.

Composed by Wing-leung Chan (Always on My Mind, The Iceman Cometh), Sex and Zen has a decent score. The music isn’t the most standout element of the film – in fact, for some viewers one might not even think much about it while watching the feature. Even so, a solid enough score and it certainly is a decent backdrop to the steamy sex scenes.

The cinematography by Peter Ngor (Mr. Vampire, Lady Reporter) is one of the highlights of the production. Ngor is a a talented cinematographer. The visual aesthetic is filmic and beautiful.

Written by Ying-Chiet Lee (Legend of the Brothers, Island of Greed), Sex and Zen has a decent script. Is it perfect? No, there are some elements that could be better written. It is a decent script for an adult film, though. Audiences won’t find much to complain about.

Directed by Michael Mak (Butterfly and Sword, Island of Greed), Sex and Zen is a worthwhile adult film. Mak made one of the most famous adult films. As far as classic pornographic films go, Sex and Zen is remarkably famous. The sex scenes are steamy and enjoyable. There are a lot of beautiful women – gorgeous and seductive in the feature. It is easy to be impressed by the sexual beauty of the film. Intoxicating beauty – it is easy to be seduced by the gorgeous women of Sex and Zen. A classic softcore porn with good reason.

Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Sex and Zen is presented in presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Sex and Zen is beautifully lensed and the cinematography is well reproduced on the release. The presentation is impressive and capably showcases the beauty of the cast. An impressive encode by Shout.

Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles), Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with English subtitles), and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The surround sound option sounds a bit flat and hollow compared to the stereo audio option. The stereo option sounds more natural and truer to the original sound design. The audio quality sounds worthwhile. The soundtrack is well reproduced. A solid encoding for the release.

Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary With Academic Gilbert Po And Critic Sean Tierney

Interview With Academic Chen Yu-Lin (HD, 17:38)

Interview With Director Michael Mak (SD, 14:01)

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3:17)

Fortune Star Home Video Trailer (SD, 1:53)

Image Gallery (HD, 8:15)

Sex and Zen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sex and Zen is a fantastic adult feature. The classic pornographic film is a must-see for fans of Hong Kong cinema. The sex scenes are seductive and beautiful. There are a lot of beautiful women in the film. The filmmaking is engaging. It is easy to feel mesmerized by the beautiful actresses of Sex and Zen.

The Blu-ray release features a quality transfer and lossless audio. The release also includes a nice selection of bonus features. Recommended.