The Erotic World of Linda Wong

After a four-year hiatus from the adult industry, "The Erotic World of Linda Wong" was intended to be Ms. Wong's comeback vehicle, but ultimately proved to be her swan song. In the latter half of the 70's, Wong had been a prominent figure in the adult industry and the go to actress for roles that played on "exotic" and "mysterious" stereotypes. However, by the end of her initial run, she had also developed a reputation for being unreliable and problematic. Sadly, these issues had not improved during her absence, with both producer Ed Depriest and director Charles Webb going on record as saying the making of "The Erotic World of Linda Wong" was difficult due to Wong's personal issues. As a result, the grand return quickly turned into a workable compromise and Ms. Wong never managed to reestablish her career before passing away two years later (allegedly, she was contemplating another comeback attempt at the time of her death).

Shot on video, in a San Francisco Bay area Victorian mansion, the movie lacks any discernible plot or linking narrative between scenes. At best, one might describe the story as five fantasy vignettes in Ms. Wong's "erotic world". The movie opens in a dreamy surrealistic fashion, with a silhouette dance by the title character, followed by a somewhat bizarre segment in which Ashley Wells and Mike Horner silently stare at one another as Linda Wong paces stiffly. However, the artistic approach is soon abandoned, and the remainder of the movie consists of relatively standard adult video faire. As Wong was never known for her acting ability, the movie relies heavily on scripted voice-overs and silence, but we are still "treated" to a few examples of her wooden and flub prone dialog delivery. Unfortunately, the unforgiving nature of the video format doesn't do Ms. Wong any favors, as her former natural glow was clearly diminished by this time, giving way to a more jaded and worn appearance. Additionally, she often comes off as rather aloof and simply going through the motions of what is expected of her; the all-star supporting cast appears similarly disconnected and performing by rote, resulting in the movie being somewhat of a wasted effort, with everyone merely trying to get through their scenes.

In summary, "The Erotic World of Linda Wong" may appease her diehard fans but offers little more than a last look at a fading star.