jorgefromthefuture

Magic of Spell defies categorization as there really isn't much to compare it to. I might describe it as a Manichean, Kung Fu version of 1984s 'The Never Ending Story' on mushrooms, except WAY more inventive and unique. After creating Drunken Dragon in 1985 (a unique and fairly insane movie of it's ownw), director Chung-Hsing Chao left ALL inhibitions by the wayside and created this amazing and unique gem of a movie! Clearly made with love, it dazzles and amazes, while never taking itself seriously at all.

It's hard to say exactly what makes this movie work so well. If you lay it's elements out it seems to spell disaster. It has juvenile humor yet a fairly dark plot. It is a kids' movie, yet has a young teen in a romantically oriented relationship with an adult with a large power imbalance. Many rules of it's 'world' are left completely unexplained or understood. It is a sort of a lighthearted musical, yet various characters shine lights on deep psychological topics like narcissism or philosophical topics like judging what is important and solving dilemmas. Labyrinth skates right past all these issues and works very very well. So well, that it can only be described as a work of genius in my view. Nearly everything about this movie reads to me as a labor of love.

The Man Who Saved the World, AKA 'Turkish Star Wars' is a truly unique film. Definitely in the domain and purview of fans of terrible movies, this is easily one of the worst I have ever seen. Think of it as 'Manos, Hands of Fate' is boring, this movie is hyperactive, plus more insane. I have seen a decent number of B-movies, Troma, and worse, and I am telling you this is absolutely bottom rung, and the only one I would describe plainly as 'an assault on the eyes'. I was not able to watch it through without a 15 minute break in the middle of it. At several moments it had me doubled over laughing with my stomach hurting. Trying to follow the story is just was just as much fun as watching agape at it's costumes, effects, and epilepsy inducing editing. I can't decide whether to rate it 1/10 as the worst possible type of film or 10/10 as a riotous C-movie. Either way, there is no other movie like it that I am aware of. Enjoy.