Naked Poison (2000)

When his herbalist grandfather dies, young Min (Leung) inherits his shop and all the medicinal ingredients and potions stockpiled within. Min's has long held an interest in traditional medicine but his childhood was so shady that the old man dared not pass on the art and its secrets*. The late Granddad's fears are quickly justified after his death.

Min's an unstable young man -- sexually frustrated, victimised in the office and home, uneasy with women and perving about town for kicks. When he applies his meagre knowledge of traditional medicine, he concocts a wildly effective snake venom aphrodisiac. It's the poison that gets folks naked, or the Happy Teaser for short.

A test run on sexy flatmate Madam Fai proves the drug wipes the taker's memory. It's an unexpected bonus, Min's impressed, and he takes the drug to work. The targets are the company boss and his mistress (Ngan), both of whom get whipped into lusty frenzies once on the Teaser. It takes just one hit to get the victims hooked. And those fixes must keep coming or else the users will become listless or even die. The craving hapless are left struggling for 'antidote' fixes from Min at all costs...

Addiction is familiar enough theme in foreign films like Brain Damage, but applied to Naked Poison it heightens the production above lower-rung contemporary Category III flicks. Production standards are unexpectedly high considering the dirt-cheap exploitation feel relayed by promo pics. The sordid plot is set in three main locations yet retains its seedy tone throughout, at times not unlike grimy '75 local horror flick The Killer Snakes. Occasional production flourishes include a particularly triumphant sexual moment set to a poignant karaoke duet and requisite foaming-at-the-mouth deaths. As with earlier films Fruit is Swelling and The Fruit is Ripe, director Cash Chin Man-kei delivers the racier highlights to viewers efficiently and in abundance. Naked Poison is hardly classic filmmaking but its sleazy and trashy charms exceeded my expectations all the same.

Naked Poison remarkably sees Samuel Leung in his largest role since Miles Apart and Hong Kong Pie, and his various bit parts elsewhere. His appearance as the main actor is surprising, as is the fact someone thought him lead material to begin with. Not so surprisingly, Leung's absent on the poster and billboards [see below]. Instead, Sophie Ngan and Gwennie Tam steal the publicity limelight, covered in spiders for added effect. Of the pair, it's Ngan who sinks herself into screen role the most -- cinemagoers familiar with Ngan's body of work are even presented a couple of surprises in her performance. Side characters in the film are surprisingly distinct, not least because of the compact plot and tight circle of characters. An especially odd diversion is a mincing cop who appears out of the blue with hopes of halting Min's evils.

The Naked Poison hand-painted billboard on the President Theatre.

A street level hand-painted billboard, also at the President.

* Note: The film references Min's past through old newspaper clippings. Unfortunately, this is presented without subtitles.

Credits:

Directed by Cash Chin Man-kei
Produced by Lee Siu-kay
Starring Samuel Leung Cheuk-moon, Sophie Ngan Chin-man and Gwennie Tam