Written by: Carroll Jenkins on April 30th, 2010
Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1999
Director: Wai-Man Cheng
Writer: Yiu Fai Chan
Cast: Pinky Cheung, Heung Kee, Ting Yip Ng, Tin-chiu Wan, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
DVD Released: N/A
Approximate Running Time: 86 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Full Frame
Rating: Cat III
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Mandarin, Dolby Digital Stereo Cantonese
Subtitles: English, Chinese
DVD Release: China Star
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC (Hong Kong)
Retail Price: OOP
Synopsis: Synopsis: A newlywed husband is having wet dreams because his wife is recovering from heart problems and he’s not getting any. Not only that, but his mother keeps going on about wanting to be a grandmother. An opportunistic black magician mysteriously appears and provides a free sample of erotic dreams in the method of a mystical tattoo of a girl on his hand. That night he has an incredible dream featuring a lithe and willing school girl, but the family dog is found dead in the morning. He eagerly purchases more dreams the next day [actually, he gets a subscription], but the morning after his mom is found slashed to death.. He learns that he has been bewitched by the ghost Dai, and that during his dream he promised her his most beloved – so his dear wife is next. That’s when the heavy blackmail action begins.
Anthony Wong has certainly done more than his fair share of notable CAT III exploitations, usually as a demented psycho. In this one he plays a mostly identifiable and sympathetic character. He is incredibly attracted to the ‘girl of his dreams’ played by Kei Heung in her only film appearance. This is quite lamentable as she is perfect in her role. She does the only nudity in the film, and quite a bit there is. She is extensively groped and fondled by Wong, and their scenes together are quite steamy. Also excellent are Berg Ng Ting Yip as the evil magician who considers domestic violence an aphrodisiac, and Pinky Cheung as his long suffering wife.
The DVD:
Alas, this China Star release is OOP. Please, someone, work a little magic here?
This is a great category III flick that features liberal doses of sex and gore. Not nearly so extreme to be notorious in the vein of The Ebola Syndrome, and much better made than many of it’s rather primitive brethren. Erotic Nightmare is captivating, provoking, and quite interesting without being overtly shocking or grotesque.