A detective investigates the death of a little girl by her father. The man claims he was under the influence of a wizard's spell. He recounts the story to the detective who, through a series of bizarre events, travels to Thailand to learn the secrets of the supposed black magic rituals. He ends up learning more than he bargained for. After his return to Hong Kong, he learns in a most painful way that he has multiple spells placed on him by a powerful wizard learned in the black arts. A monk proficient in white magic, who has battled the evil wizard before, travels to Hong Kong for a final showdown.
Kuei Chi Hung's excellent horror tale is a spooky character piece punctuated by some gruesome scenes of gore and two elaborately staged duels between a monk and the evil wizard. Kuei was inarguably the best HK director for horror films. He was an acolyte of Chang Cheh and his gritty crime thriller, THE DELINQUINT (1974) was a precursor to his later grim output.
Ai Fei is the swaggering tourist on vacation in Thailand who meets up with a beautiful Thai girl. Feigning interest in her, he manages to steal her virginity before heading back to Hong Kong. Before he leaves, the girl gives him a necklace to remind him of his return a year later. Only he has no intention of returning. One night, an oily liquid seeps from the necklace beginning a terrible revenge exacted on the lying and cheating man. He murders his own daughter in a vicious, brutal scene where he bashes her over the head with a pipe. This entire piece is told in flashback to the detective (Wong) after Fei's character is condemned to hang. Hanging would be a blessing as his body begins to sprout many pimple-like sores that ooze a greenish pus. At one point, he is completely wrapped in gauze, his stomach swelled like a balloon. He then pukes up hundreds of maggots before stabbing himself repeatedly in the gut.
When the detective goes to Thailand to learn about the black arts, he invites trouble on himself and he, too is cursed after the monk does battle with the wizard who barely manages to escape the monk's powers. The wizard follows the detective back to Hong Kong where he places a series of nasty spells on him and his wife. Ultimately, the monk traces the wizard to Hong Kong to save the detective.
There are two duels of magic in the film. The first one is a staggering 10 minute sequence pulled off admirably by director Kuei. It's filled with creative back and forth exchanges of various magical counter moves including a nasty one in which the wizard drinks blood from a giant vase containing dozens of unborn babies and viscera.
Melvin Wong turns in a good performance here as the detective. He usually appears in martial arts films and seldom ever got a big role but he does here. He studied law in America before joining Shaw Brothers and he spoke fluent English.
Also of note is in the credits it is apparent that Kuei researched black magic arts for the production as well as a credit for 'the participation of noted sorcerer Hussein Bin Abu Hassan'! He would be the villain whose body erupts in a spectacular display of melting goo and abusive bladder effects the likes of which were seen in the American horror film, THE BEAST WITHIN (1982).
Director Kuei was an unusual and odd director. He had some interesting, sometimes brutal quirks. He would often go to extremes to get the right reaction for a scene. Extremes that often matched the subject matter. Chang Cheh remarked that Kuei once demanded his actors eat rotten food to elicit the proper response for the scene. He also refused to allow an actor to go to the emergency room after a failed motorcycle stunt until he caught the accident on camera! Kuei, regardless of his methods, was an extremely talented director who failed to capitalize on his success by emigrating to America after Shaw Brothers closed film production in the mid 80s to focus on television programming.
The film was a hit in HK and two years later Kuei returned to black magic territory to direct a sequel entitled THE BOXER'S OMEN (1983) or MO, which means 'Demon' in Chinese. The difference between the two films is that BEWITCHED contains much character and story development but also contains a lot of gruesome bits that would be pushed to the max in the sequel. The story takes a back seat in the sequel to the elaborately staged magic duels and scenes of totally outrageous gore. There are also evocative and surreal sets unlike anything seen in any HK horror picture. BEWITCHED is the better movie in terms of film-making prowess and story but BOXER'S OMEN is best for its ballsy attitude to shock with one gross-out scene after another.
The poster for BEWITCHED is OTT and promises nutty thrills. Actually, everything on the poster is in the movie, but not in quite the manner presented on its advertising. What's funny is that the sequels poster masks the zany, totally freakish and often psychedelically insane movie it promotes. In between BEWITCHED and its sequel, Kuei would direct an elusive and rare horror flick, CURSE OF EVIL (1982). A recommended and highly enjoyable horror romp for different reasons than its more outlandish sequel.
Kuei Chi Hung's excellent horror tale is a spooky character piece punctuated by some gruesome scenes of gore and two elaborately staged duels between a monk and the evil wizard. Kuei was inarguably the best HK director for horror films. He was an acolyte of Chang Cheh and his gritty crime thriller, THE DELINQUINT (1974) was a precursor to his later grim output.
Ai Fei is the swaggering tourist on vacation in Thailand who meets up with a beautiful Thai girl. Feigning interest in her, he manages to steal her virginity before heading back to Hong Kong. Before he leaves, the girl gives him a necklace to remind him of his return a year later. Only he has no intention of returning. One night, an oily liquid seeps from the necklace beginning a terrible revenge exacted on the lying and cheating man. He murders his own daughter in a vicious, brutal scene where he bashes her over the head with a pipe. This entire piece is told in flashback to the detective (Wong) after Fei's character is condemned to hang. Hanging would be a blessing as his body begins to sprout many pimple-like sores that ooze a greenish pus. At one point, he is completely wrapped in gauze, his stomach swelled like a balloon. He then pukes up hundreds of maggots before stabbing himself repeatedly in the gut.
When the detective goes to Thailand to learn about the black arts, he invites trouble on himself and he, too is cursed after the monk does battle with the wizard who barely manages to escape the monk's powers. The wizard follows the detective back to Hong Kong where he places a series of nasty spells on him and his wife. Ultimately, the monk traces the wizard to Hong Kong to save the detective.
There are two duels of magic in the film. The first one is a staggering 10 minute sequence pulled off admirably by director Kuei. It's filled with creative back and forth exchanges of various magical counter moves including a nasty one in which the wizard drinks blood from a giant vase containing dozens of unborn babies and viscera.
Melvin Wong turns in a good performance here as the detective. He usually appears in martial arts films and seldom ever got a big role but he does here. He studied law in America before joining Shaw Brothers and he spoke fluent English.
Also of note is in the credits it is apparent that Kuei researched black magic arts for the production as well as a credit for 'the participation of noted sorcerer Hussein Bin Abu Hassan'! He would be the villain whose body erupts in a spectacular display of melting goo and abusive bladder effects the likes of which were seen in the American horror film, THE BEAST WITHIN (1982).
Director Kuei was an unusual and odd director. He had some interesting, sometimes brutal quirks. He would often go to extremes to get the right reaction for a scene. Extremes that often matched the subject matter. Chang Cheh remarked that Kuei once demanded his actors eat rotten food to elicit the proper response for the scene. He also refused to allow an actor to go to the emergency room after a failed motorcycle stunt until he caught the accident on camera! Kuei, regardless of his methods, was an extremely talented director who failed to capitalize on his success by emigrating to America after Shaw Brothers closed film production in the mid 80s to focus on television programming.
The film was a hit in HK and two years later Kuei returned to black magic territory to direct a sequel entitled THE BOXER'S OMEN (1983) or MO, which means 'Demon' in Chinese. The difference between the two films is that BEWITCHED contains much character and story development but also contains a lot of gruesome bits that would be pushed to the max in the sequel. The story takes a back seat in the sequel to the elaborately staged magic duels and scenes of totally outrageous gore. There are also evocative and surreal sets unlike anything seen in any HK horror picture. BEWITCHED is the better movie in terms of film-making prowess and story but BOXER'S OMEN is best for its ballsy attitude to shock with one gross-out scene after another.
The poster for BEWITCHED is OTT and promises nutty thrills. Actually, everything on the poster is in the movie, but not in quite the manner presented on its advertising. What's funny is that the sequels poster masks the zany, totally freakish and often psychedelically insane movie it promotes. In between BEWITCHED and its sequel, Kuei would direct an elusive and rare horror flick, CURSE OF EVIL (1982). A recommended and highly enjoyable horror romp for different reasons than its more outlandish sequel.