If the Shaw Brothers studio brings to mind only classic kung fu pictures, you're missing out on a great amount of their output. As Hong Kong's dominant studio for many years, the Shaw Brothers produced films in every genre, from comedy to drama to musicals, and even exploitation, as evidenced by releases like 1975's little gem Black Magic. Though it might come off as a bit tame for modern audiences weaned on Category III gore-fests, it's still a raucous and over-the-top romp that doesn't skimp on the naughty bits.

The story has Lo Lieh (nattily dressed in the best of terrible 70's fashion) trying to get into the pants of Tanny Tien Ni so he can get his mitts on her money. But Tanny is in love with Ti Lung, who is unavailable, since he's engaged to Lily Li. So what's an enterprising man to do? Why, hire a wizard (Ku Feng) to create a love potion, of course. The potion ends up backfiring, only lasting for one night. But it convinces Tanny to hire Ku for her own nefarious wants. As you might expect, things don't end up all that well.

If you're looking for something with a deep story, you'd better look elsewhere. Ditto if you're in the mood for good acting, or even a film that's technically well-made and pleasant to look at. Even the scenes intended to scare the audience fail to generate any real chills, as the not-so-special effects are more silly and sloppy than frightening or freaky. Low-budget even by the Shaw Brothers' miserly standards, Black Magic is pretty obviously meant to be taken in as a midnight movie produced to inspire feelings of cheap titillation, and if you view the film in that sense -- and perhaps with a few frosty beverages in your belly -- it's a winner.

Though I still prefer the sequel (which is really only related to this movie in tone and content only) since it ups the quotient of boobs and blood, the original entry is still great fun. There's nothing pretentious about it; just delivering raunchiness without going into Category III splatter or softcore territory is a perfectly fine way to produce filmic output that will keep you entertained for ninety minutes -- at least if you're not some sort of film school snob who turns up their nose on so-called "lesser" fare.

RATING: 7