Black Magic DVD – Lieh Lo, Ni Tien 

Orson Welles stars in this adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel ‘Joseph Balsamo’. The film tells the story of French gypsy Joseph Balsamo (Welles) as he learns the art of hypnosis from pioneer Dr. Mesmer (Charles Goldner). He ignores the doctor’s advice to use his powers for good and instead uses them to obtain wealth and fame and assumes the identity of Count Cagliostro. At the height of his powers, the Count is asked to cure a young girl resembling Marie Antoinette and decides to use the opportunity to finally get his revenge on Viscount de Montagne (Stephen Bekassy), the man responsible for his parents’ deaths.

Few Eastern frighteners build up quite as much menace and mania as 1975’s masterpiece of Southeast Asian eeriness BLACK MAGIC. One of the first horror shockers to be shot in the sun and cityscapes of Malaysia, and its picturesque capital Kuala Lumpur, BLACK MAGIC is a sordid story of sex, sleaze, slime and spells – with an ancient magician able to bring lonely spinsters together with their ideal partners thanks to some good old fashioned witchery. Of course, this is not say such demonic antics do not sometimes go wrong and with BLACK MAGIC viewers are exposed to some of the most sublime scares ever dreamed up by the Shaw studio! Featuring a leading man turn from the legendary Ti Lung (A BETTER TOMORROW), there is little doubting that BLACK MAGIC is one of the finest Asian horror gems ever concocted. Watch it now and prepare to be hypnotised by its gruesome greatness!