3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy

Alas, I was unable to preview this extremely 3-D sex-and-sadism romp in actual 3-D. That's probably for the best, because I'm pretty sure I'd have been squirming in my seat too much to make any memorable mental notes on what turns out to be an unpredictably bizarre and tonally askew Hong Kong freak show. On the face of it, Extreme Ecstasy is an update of Michael Mak's well-regarded 1991 film Sex and Zen. While it does follow a similar path, this 3-D update ends up going into some pretty dark places – absolutely no pun intended – as it chronicles the sexual adventures of scholarly Wei Yangsheng (Hayama), who, in a bid to satisfy his insatiable new bride Tie, sets out across Ming Dynasty China to beef up his bedroom skills. Along the way he encounters sage carnal knowledge from the likes of the Elder of Bliss (Vonnie Lui), a gravel-voiced male disguised as a slice of Russ Meyer cheesecake. He/she asks Wei to steal "the Golden Plate of Death Avoidance" from Tony Ho's vile Prince of Ning, a journey that, through a convoluted series of events, ends up with the rape of Wei's beloved Tie. Confusing? Somewhat. Titillating? Not all that much. Nude female (and male) flesh is on display throughout the film, which includes a suitably creepy/wacky orgy sequence in Prince Ning's cavelike redoubt, but this is far from hardcore pornography. Both Mak's 1991 film and this update are based on the ancient Chinese book of erotica The Carnal Prayer Mat, and both films have a giddy sense of humor about human sexuality, especially as it pertains to seekers of sexual knowledge and the tremendous lengths they will go to to acquire it. But Extreme Ecstasy's "first you grin, then you bear it" tonal shift in the third act makes the humorous mugging and squealing that came before seem downright virginal. (The maggots-in-the-leg scene is sure to douse some viewers' tantalized libidos.) That said, Extreme Ecstasy is a beautiful film, full of lush blues and reds and art directed to within an inch of its protagonist's massively enhanced member. (Yikes.) I'm not certain I want to see it in all its fully erect, thrusting, 3-D glory, but then again, this could be the date movie of the year, depending on, you know, who you're dating.