Sheng si quan ma (1974)

(AKA Sinful Confession) A Shaw Brothers production with amazingly beautiful interiors (super seventies mod designs), plentiful nudity, and silly entertaining stories each featuring Michael Hui.

The film is comprised of several stories recounted at a Mahjong table. Chin Hu (best known as Hu Jin) is perhaps the most well known Hong Kong celeb in the film.

The first story is maybe the weakest, but absolutely mind blowing in terms of cinematography and direction.  The way the city neighborhood and the apartment is filmed, the way they look.... I've honestly never seen anything like it. Legendary director Han Hsiang Li is a genius.

Each of the stories star Michael Hui; in this segment he's a famous film critic, Jimmy Fang.

There are several guest stars, including Ingrid Yin-Yin Hu.  This part will be absolutely pointless and boring to anyone except for those very familiar with Hong Kong cinema.

Jimmy Fang likes to use his telescope to view all the sexual escapades going on in the neighboring buildings.

He spots a man climbing into the window of room where a sleeping woman is lying nude.

It looks like he's witnessing a crime.

As the camera pans to a one-way mirror, you begin to see crowds outside.  This isn't a rape, it's the set of a movie.

This first segment certainly has a weak story, but it seems to mainly serve as a way for the director to flex his muscles and demonstrate some major league artistic flourishes. The next story is more coherent and humorous.

The story centers around the uppity gynecologist office of Dr. Wu Hsin-Chien, also played by Michael Hui

Rich women will pay top dollar to be examined by the good doctor.

One day, the doctor meets his match, a sexy woman named Yu Chuan-Chuan (Renee Pai)

Check out the fab office decor.

The doctor doesn't see anything wrong with Yu, but she still demands a medical examination.

Yu tries hard to get a rise out of the family man doctor, but he remains professional.

Yu returns for another visit, this time claiming she has a lump on her breast and fears it's cancer.

Yu calls the doctor and requests a house call. 

The doctor is finally swayed and agrees to come over.

The camera does a great job of ogling the actress, each time in a different position on the bed.

The story of Renee Pai (AKA Pai Hsiao Man) is a tragic one. She was discovered by director Li Han Hsiang and secured a five year contract with Shaw Brothers. She was cast in this film, which is Pai's only movie for Shaw Brothers, before committing suicide at the age of 19 while filming The Empress Dowager in 1975.

The doctor arrives.  Again, check out the amazing interior.

Yu is there to meet him.

I dig those records.  I actually have a record with the same cover as "CHA" but it's called "Soul Sauce".

The doctor goes all-in, and starts manhandling Yu.  She yells "stop", but he keeps on going.

Yu's husband arrives unexpectedly. 

They work it out where the doctor will write him a sizable check if he lets this whole thing go.  

We're back at the Mahjong table, and another tale is told...

A couple are making love in a house of ill repute.

The girl goes to take a shower, and the man is horrified to find a creepy hand emerge from under the bed.

The couple are scared to death, and when they look under the bed, they find it's empty!

Their screams awaken all the neighboring rooms.  No one believes their ghost story.

Michael Hui is a lowly janitor in this love house.  He's beckoned to the room of one of the prostitutes.

When he approaches to look under the bed, she pulls his head right into her muff.

He goes into another room and finds himself haunted by that creepy hand.  But he gets tot he bottom of it...

It's a fake.  In the adjoining room, a couple guys are pulling this base in and out of rooms, which contains a guy with the creepy hand.  It's hard to explain.

There's a final story set at a casino, but I found it boring.

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I found the stories a bit lame, but that weakness is more than compensated by the incredible direction of  Han Hsiang Li.  As I said before, I have never seen anything quite like it.  It's not only gorgeous to behold, but the way the camera moves, the scenes are framed... I was blown away.  The T&A wasn't too shabby either, with Renee Pai smoking up the screen.  If only she hadn't taken her own life, think of what we're missing!
★★★★★★★☆☆☆