NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray (August 2024): Vinegar Syndrome have transferred A Chinese Torture Chamber Story 1 & 2 to Blu-ray. They are cited as being "Newly scanned and restored in 2K from their 35mm original negatives". They both look quite pleasing with a brief sequence in the original film having a few lines of burned-in subtitles and some frame specific damage (see below.) Other than that the quality is relatively consistent (#1 might be a small notch superior to #2 in terms of video.) There are bright colors (reds) and fine textures.

NOTE: We have added 86 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome use DTS-HD Master mono tracks (24-bit) in the original Cantonese language with an optional English DUB for the first film and optional Mandarin DUB for the second film. The first film is also offered in a separate transferred Mandarin edit DUB. There are some over-zealous fighting effects, egregious whips and tortured screams. The score for A Chinese Torture Chamber Story was by Hon-Kam Lee (Sixty Million Dollar Man) and Marco Wan (Return to a Better Tomorrow) and for A Chinese Torture Chamber Story 2 by Lincoln Lo (Forbidden Legend of Sex and Chopsticks.) They can be subtle but surprisingly effective via the lossless. Vinegar Syndrome offer optional English subtitles (and English SDH on the first film) on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray offers two new commentary tracks. For A Chinese Torture Chamber Story we get film historian Samm Deighan (Revolution in 35mm: Political Violence and Resistance in Cinema from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse, 1960–1990) She tells us that the actual translation of the film's title is "Ten Tortures of the Manchu Qing" and she unpacks some of those historical references and how the film gives the impression in the opening scenes as being Hong Kong version about historical torture porn. She provides context for CAT III films, with details on the career of Wong Jing and much more. For A Chinese Torture Chamber Story 2 the commentary track is by film historian Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) He is the go-to guy for Asina films and has done commentaries on Blu-rays of The Swordsman of All Swordsmen, Slaughter in San Francisco, Magic Cop, Angela Mao: Hapkido & Lady Whirlwind, Knockabout, The Shaolin Plot, Dreadnaught and many more. He describes that actors, characters and storyline, Kin-Nam Cho, director of Chinese Erotic Ghost Story with Ka Ling Yeung (Sex and Zen III), made in the same year as Chinese Torture Chamber Story 2. Frank always uncovers a lot.

I can't say much about the alternate 92-minute Mandarin language edit of A Chinese Torture Chamber Story except the quality is a notch lower and the running time a minute shorter although it doesn't appear to have any of the sex scenes censored. There is no English DUB offered, but it does include optional English subtitles.

Vinegar Syndrome do include a brand new 5-minute interview with 69-year old Wong Jing, producer of A Chinese Torture Chamber Story 1 & 2. Wong has directed, produced or written over 175 films, occasionally acting in them as well. "The CAT III Films of Wong Jing" is an 18-minute video essay by Justin Decloux of The Important Cinema Club providing and overview of the CAT III rating evolution and one with a Wong Jing association. Also included is "Titillating Torture" - an 18-minute video essay by film historian Erica Shultz (The Physical Media Advocate) talking about modern torture films like Hostel or the Saw series and how they seek creative ways to display onscreen torture. She states that the films here simply looked at history and provides examples. There are also original Cantonese and English trailers for A Chinese Torture Chamber Story and an original Cantonese trailer for A Chinese Torture Chamber Story II. As well, the English opening title sequence for A Chinese Torture Chamber Story is included and the package has reversible sleeve artwork and a liner notes booklet with an essay by film historian and author Grady Hendrix (The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires) 

We have reviewed a few other Hong Kong Category III films including the Amy Yip joy's Erotic Ghost Story, Sex and Zen and Robotrix - even Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution and Johnny To's Mad Detective made the under-18 ban. Firstly the original, A Chinese Torture Chamber Story, is amusing and sexy offering a case of 'Murder by Aphrodisiac'. It is more ribald and envelope-pushing than the Amy Yip breast-fests. It has an insatiable nymphomaniac wife, an abnormally large penis (that explodes - literally), judicial torture, voyeurism, lesbianism, titillating sex toys and a sequence combining martial arts and intercourse ala flying forest gods (techniques include 'undefeatable tongue') reminiscent of similar in A Chinese Ghost Story. Also note the film has an attempted invisible sexual assault scene milder than The Entity with a humorous 'wrong hole' penetration. On the other hand A Chinese Torture Chamber Story II doesn't seem to relate to the first film in any meaningful way (and had only a fraction of its financial success.) It's not much of a comedy, is less erotic and the torture scenes are brutal and distasteful (dismemberment, castration, sodomy etc.) One of the only things in common that I see is that part 1 stars Yvonne Yung (Y.Y.) and, in part two, the lead gal is Yolinda Yam, another Y.Y. An uncommon set of initials and I'll bet that this is the only time in history that an original film and its squeal have, different, female leads with these same atypical initials. Both films do use flashbacks from the opening sequence to relate their respective stories. So, I like the first one enough to rank it equal parts humor and wild fantasy eroticism. I'm not as keen on the second entry but the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray package offers so much from two expert commentaries, interview, two video essays and a booklet. For this niche quasi-genre; 'CAT III HK sex / comedy' the original Chinese Torture Chamber film could be considered an essential for fans to have in their digital library. Recommended to those appreciative physical disc advocates.

Gary Tooze