Black Magic

"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.

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.

As far as I know this is a shaw bros. film. You can see touches of what I like to call "shaw-gloss". If you have seen many shaw movies you know what I am talking about. Reguardless of what I guy above me said, I enjoyed this film. I found it compelling to be quite honest. The setting being a "modern" urban city and jungle. A morality play or soap if you will, with bits of horror/gore thrown in for good measure. Fans of Asian horror might want to give this a try. It is oldschool. This is not a martial arts film . In one movie you get Ti-lung, Lo-lieh, nudity, breast-milk, potions, human flesh, decapitation, cool cars, crazy colors, Ti-lung with shades, a warlock, the list goes on. I bought the 2002 celestial/image version DVD. Quality was great. Decent sound/subtitle options. Tons of trailers which we all love. Keep an open mind this is an older movie from another country. Try something different!

Black Magic is a Shaw Bros. film made back in 1975. Some think it is their first horror film but it is not. The movie is basically a modern story (modern of '75) of old Asian folklore. This movie spawned many films that were similar but none were quite on par with this. Usually, the others were far more violent and that is what they relied on. This movie didn't need to be gory in-order for it to be good.

The story is about a very selfish rich woman. She can have anything she wants. Anything except a certain man who wants nothing to do with her. So she goes and finds the help of a Black Magic Magician to put a love spell on him. The spell works until the mans wife and friends find the help of another magician to break the spell and kill the Black Magic Magician.

That is the storyline for the most part. You would have to watch the film because there is a lot more going on than just that.

This film is certainly not as violent as some of the Shaw Bros. films that I have seen, but, it is a nice change from all of their Martial Arts films, which are excellent as well. The story is well done and you actually start caring for some of the characters. So when bad things happen to them you start getting really frustrated.

For fans of Asian Cinema everywhere, this movie comes highly recommend from me and from many others. Check out the nice DVD that was released not to long ago, it's worth the money. 8/10

Excellent cinematography, well-lit and razor sharp. Insane black magic rituals loaded with gore and offal. A creepy, well-directed classic from the Shaw Group, Black Magic is packed with sickness and perversity. The Saturday morning kids' TV show optical effects at the end was a poor way to end it.