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¤j«wÀã (1992)
Under the Rose


Reviewed by: dandan
Date: 09/12/2008
Summary: and into the gutter...

when i saw that joy sales had re-issued this, a documentary (and a catIII one, at that), i thought i'd investigate. all i could find out, was that it was directed by otto chan and was presented by james wong. now, otto chan has a few adult, crime and comedic features to his name; none of which i've seen. james wong, on the other hand, as well as having composed the music for dozens of films, throughout the eighties and nineties, is one of those guys who crops up all over the place.

and, so the the dvd arrived and, ably assisted by veronica choi, james wong takes you on a journey into the world of sex in early nineties hong kong: porn, dogging, public snogging, gigolos, bar girls, peep shows and prostitution. this is not a standard documentary. mixing tales of old, interviews, (actual and questionable) hidden camera footage and reconstructions, it paints a picture which flits between the scandalous and the silly. and, in a typically hong kong way, the humorous and the unsavoury have little to divide them.

not great; a little too sleazy at times, but rather funny at others. a curiosity, for sure...