The Daily Dig: Black Magic (1975)

Beautiful filmmaking and a strong core message make the Malaysian-shot seventies horror exploitation “Black Magic” a timeless tale.

Lovers and admirers consult a wicked magician to employ spells for love and murder. Let’s dig into 1975’s BLACK MAGIC, directed by Meng-Hua Ho!

As I See It

Here, we’re exploring the absolute debasement of morals. Going against virtue, everyone here seeks out depravity for selfish pleasure. Even the victim, Luo Yin, who is made to sleep with her admirer thanks to a spell, immediately thinks about what that type of power could do for her. Not that she should languish, but there is no righteousness in her intent.

The old adage “Be careful what you wish for” is the lesson here.

Once Luo Yin gets what she wants, she wants even more. It’s not enough for her to catch the eye of the man she desires; she must eliminate any competition.

You’ll never be satisfied no matter how much you have unless you are already content with yourself.

It all probably seems like platitudes at this point, but that just makes it easier to take this kind of advice for granted.

I’m not into spirituality, which is on full display in this cultural representation, but there is a lot of value at the base of this horror tale.

A wicked magician, revenge, lust, and murder are all great window-dressing to use the genre to remind us of our humanity.

Famous Faces

If you’re heavy into exploitation and foreign films of this era, then you may recognize some actors — and your knowledge would be much broader than mine.

Of Gratuitous Nature

The magician slaps a handful of rice on the bikini region like a mud face mask before milking her for the potion he’ll use in a curse upon her fleeting lover. It feels like a contrivance with nothing but pleasure, the motive of the magician.

Heartthrob

The cinematography of Black Magic is beautiful. It’s amazing to think of the process of editing and color correction in a pre-digital era.

Ripe for a Remake

As I’ve stated, the message is not unique, but it still holds value. If someone were to take that message and craft their own culture around it into a horror tale, that would always be interesting.

Spawns

Director Ho Meng Hua returned with a sequel, Black Magic 2, the following year. This time, the evil magician brought zombies to the party.

Where to Watch

There is a DVD of Black Magic floating around out there from UK-based 88 Films. You can rent it on Google Play, YouTube, and Apple TV.