Black Magic

BLACK MAGIC is a wonderful little horror film from the Shaw Brothers stable that proved they were just as adept at making horror films as they were martial arts flicks. The success and ingredients of this production would later lead on to many other infamous movies like THE BOXER'S OMEN or SEEDING OF A GHOST.

BLACK MAGIC is a densely-plotted yarn involving the nefarious adventures of a black wizard who's happy to cast all manner of spells on his victims...for a price. First to visit him is a sleazy guy (Lo Lieh, excelling in his role) who wants to spend the night with a woman who hates him. Later, the same woman decides she wants to cast a love spell on a guy who hates her in turn. Eventually the guy's friends realise what's going on and employ the services of a white wizard to combat the villain.

This is a film that has it all: sleazy rituals (including an obsession with procuring breast milk), violent death, and hints at the kind of grotesque imagery that would later follow in this series. The atmosphere of sleaze and creeping dread is spot on, as are the production values that make this just as colourful an adventure as the many kung fu flicks made by the team. Ti Lung is fine but gets relatively little screen time as the erstwhile hero; it's the women who really shine here, including the evil Ni Tien and the good-natured Lily Li. The various elements combine well and the outcome is one of the coolest of all '70s horror films.

"Jiang Tou," also known as "Black Magic" (1975), directed by Ho Meng Hua, is a captivating exploration of dark sorcery and the supernatural, steeped in the rich tapestry of ancient Chinese folklore. The film presents a world where spells, curses, and dark rituals shape the destinies of its characters, delivering a blend of horror and drama that is both intriguing and flawed.

The film excels in creating a vivid and immersive atmosphere. The detailed production design, from the eerie landscapes to the elaborate costumes, transports viewers into a realm where magic and mystery reign supreme. The use of practical effects, while somewhat dated, adds a tangible authenticity to the film's many supernatural scenes, giving them a unique charm despite their occasional campiness.

"Jiang Tou" struggles with narrative cohesion and pacing. The story, while rich in potential, often feels disjointed, with certain plot points lacking sufficient development or clarity. This results in a viewing experience that can be confusing and uneven, as the film occasionally meanders and loses focus.

The balance between horror and melodrama is another area where "Jiang Tou" falters. The tonal shifts can be jarring, detracting from the film's ability to maintain a consistent atmosphere of suspense and terror. Additionally, the special effects, though innovative for the time, may appear antiquated and unintentionally humorous to modern audiences, which can undermine the film's more serious moments.

Despite its imperfections, "Jiang Tou" (1975) is a film of notable ambition and cultural significance. It offers a fascinating look at the supernatural traditions of its setting and provides a narrative that, while flawed, is still engaging and thought-provoking. For fans of classic horror and Asian cinema, "Jiang Tou" is a film worth watching, offering a glimpse into a uniquely dark and magical world.

This film is so essence of B. It has it all: voodoo, old hags, centipede eating, breast milk and the clichéd good versus evil battle at the end. It's so B, you can't help, but laugh through it all. No matter how much you criticize the film for its cheesy plot and sets as you're watching it, you're sure to watch it to the end!

A working class guy tired of working for a living has his sights on the wealth of a very spoiled rich woman who won't have anything to do with him. She in turn has it all, but as a rich,spoiled woman that's not enough. She wants the man she can't have, an honest working class man in love with the good working class girl. Enter evil magician who specialized in both love and death spells.

"Black Magic" is an entertaining bit of Shaw Bros. craziness about witchcraft and breast milk.

The plot, as is often the case with Hongkongese flicks, feels like it was made up while the movie was made. For example, it concerns a battle between a good and a bad magician, but the good magician isn't introduced until the end of the movie. Wouldn't it have made sense to establish him as a good guy earlier on?

Characters also come and go without rhyme or reason. You get used to seeing certain people and expect they'll stick around, but oftentimes, they don't.

However, if you're a fan of weird Asian movies - and there are no weirder movies than those from Asia - you'll probably think that that adds to the film's bizarre, off the wall charm, which it has in spades.

The plot concerns several people visiting an evil magician in Malaysia to produce love potions and occasionally, to have people killed. These potions require hair torn from the person's head, and sometimes also breast milk taken straight from the source. I read some rubbish online about this movie being softcore, but that is ridiculous. There's no sex, and the only nudity shows a bare breast while the milk is extracted.

Anyway, assorted people visit the bad magician to get potions and put curses on each other, until the good magician is introduced and they have a fight in a construction yard.

Apparently (according to Wikipedia) the bad magician fell in love himself with one of the girls, but I don't remember that.

The movie is really just a collection of nifty set pieces involving black magic and its supernatural effects on people. There's not enough of a plot to string parts of the movie together, so I felt my attention waning. Either way, there's enough weirdness to please fans of Asian cult flicks, and the movie is generally entertaining.

Martial arts hero Ti Lung plays Hsu Lo,who runs up against an evil black magic practitioner San Kan-Mi.San Kan-Mi wants to seduce Hsu's fiancée Wang Chu-Ying and places a death spell on him and a love spell on her,hoping to kill two birds with one stone.Another veteran witch doctor comes to the rescue of the spellbound lovers...Slightly gruesome horror flick from the legendary Shaw Brothers.There is self-mutilation ,grisly black magic ritual involving freshly buried corpse and finally some people are disintegrating into masses of putrid flesh,maggots and bones in a matter of seconds.I haven't seen "Black Magic II",but it's supposedly even more gruesome.If you liked this check out also hysterically funny "Oily Maniac".7 out of 10.