Is it Sex or Zen? Or the 3D?
It's been so long since we have a Hong Kong movie that becomes the talk of the town. 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy has finally hit the big screen after such a long wait. It's been a pleasure to witness the production of what was billed as the "world's first 3D erotica": from the pre-production stage and visiting the set featuring a gigantic penis fountain, to sitting at last month's first screening at Filmart in Hong Kong and having Agence France-Presse picking up my stories in the South China Morning Post, publicising the movie in international media outlets. The final product, though flawed, has kind of lived up to the hype (thank God!).
Previously I reported the audience's reaction at the Filmart industry screening in the South China Morning Post (Extreme ecstasy of slang outshines 3-D sex effects, City 3, March 24, 2011), in which I praised not the highly anticipated 3D sex scenes, or how the 3D images accentuated the physiques of the well-endowed actresses, but the surprising comical effects brought by the some-time ridiculous plot and the hilarious use of Cantonese slangs and swear words.
Now that the movie is already released at mainstream cinemas, the audience can make their own judgment of the movie's quality by themselves. But I can't help reviewing my review -- apparently I enjoyed the laughter more than just the sex, does it say something?
Sex is an integral part of the Four Fs - Fighting, Fleeing, Feeding and of course, Fxxking - the basic principles that govern the evolution of the animal world. But what probably makes sex different in human civilisation is that sex, apart from serving the reproductive purpose, causes our brains to release oxytocin, or commonly being referred to as the "love hormone", which boosts the trust feelings between partners, even though you might not know each other well.
Of course, the high level of oxytocin is not going to going to sustain if the sex is just a one-off thing; but if the act of is repeated with the same partner on regular basis over a course of time, the bonding between the two people is inevitably created, no matter how uncommitted you are. By then, sex is not just about sex, whether you are a man or a woman.
So up to that point, what keeps the sex going is no long the act itself. You enjoy the sex not just because you and your partner physically fit in with each other, but also the sex WITH the partner -- you begin to appreciate his/ her company because there's so much fun and laughter around; you trust your partner because you two share some intimate moments together over a period of time; and you might confide into your partner during the pre-/post- sex conversation. And most important of all, you like him/ her.
You of course at the same time would learn more and more about the other person, and you might discover some of the bad qualities of him/ her. You would probably be disappointed by those bad qualities, which could in turn become a huge turn-off. By then no matter good the sex is, if the things that you do not like about the partner outweigh the fun and enjoyment brought by sex, the desire to have sex with that person will naturally plunge to zero.
When there's no more laughter, all that's left with sex is merely an animal act. It's then the time to call it off -- it's no point to stay in something that brings you no fun but just disappointment. And you will be so glad to finally say: "I AM DONE!" We are not merely reproductive machines after all.
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很久都沒有一套港產片可以令香港那麼熱鬧了。由公司到髮廊，周遭的人都在談論及＜3D 肉蒲團＞。我報導了有關這部電影的新聞有一段時間，從預備，開鏡到上畫，以及 AFP <法新社>把我在<南華早報>的報導轉載到世界各地，我可算是見證了這部聲稱是世界首套以3D技術拍攝的情慾片誕生的經過。
現在電影已上畫，好不好看，觀眾自有主張。之前我也曾經在<南華早報>（三月廿四日）提及過觀眾於試片時的反應。對我而然，最好看的並非那些3D性愛場面或女主角們如何在3D鏡頭前的胸前偉大，而是一幕幕的笑料及那生鬼的廣東話操口。想深一層，這可能有令一番意思。
性本來就是動物世界中生存本能 Four Fs 中不可劃缺的一部份。那四個F是指 Fighting（打鬥），Fleeing （逃跑），Feeding（餵食）及Fxxking（性）。但人類的性跟動物的性有所不同，大概是造愛的時候，人的腦部會釋出一種叫 Oxytocin 又名 "Love Hormone" 的賀爾蒙。這種神奇的賀爾蒙會令人對造愛對手產生信任和愛慕的感覺，雖然你未必深入認識對方。
當然，一晚的溫存是不會持續令 Oxytocin 停留在高水平。但久而久之，就算大家是沒有 Commitment，Parnter 之間的 Bonding 就無可避免地建立起來。到那個時候，無論你是男還是女，性已不再只是性這麼簡單。你喜歡跟那人造愛，並不只是對方的技術好，還是 Physically 大家配合得到，而是你已認識對方，對對方產生信任，喜歡對方的 Company，也有意無意之間跟對方傾訴了心事自己也察覺不到。
但當你認識對方久了，開始發覺他／她有其他的缺點，累積下來，那些缺點很可能會很 Turn-off，很失望。到那個時候，無論之前的 Sex 有多好，你再也提不起勁跟對方做了。
如果去到那樣的地部，倒不如 Move on，因為性已帶給你的不是歡愉，而是失望。說到底，我們都不是生育機器。