Erotic Ghost Story (1990)

Rating: B

Dir: Lam Ngai Kai
Star: Amy Yip, Man So, Tan Lap-Man, Kamimura Kiyoko

It’s pretty much a given that most soft-porn films from Hong Kong are just as tedious as soft-porn from anywhere else, so it’s a nice surprise when one like this comes along. The key can be found in the title; not only is it erotic, and contains ghosts, but the makers have remembered about the story, all too often lost in the welter of Cat. III couplings. Here you have a trio of female spirits – attractive, natch – trying to remain pure and study hard for karmic purposes, but lost in the distractions of a local scholar, equally trying to keep his mind on, er, the matter in hand. Chuck in the god of carnal lust and a Taoist priest, and you have enough plot for a normal movie; add Yip and her two firm friends (welcome to the TC Double Entendre Masterclass), and you have enough sex to…well, let’s just say “enough”. Indeed, the middle part turns into a bit of a bonkathon, which is a tad tedious; still, it’s all nicely shot, and there are enough ideas on view to overcome easily both this, and some amazingly poor special effects.