Film Review #177: SFS Restored Horror Double Bill
SFS Restored Double Bill: HK Black Magic
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.*
The rise of digital film restoration work has brought into the spotlight many films that would have otherwise been lost to time. Most prominent amongst many of these niche circles are sleazy, gory, B-horror films from all over the world. Singapore Film Society has brought in two restored Hong Kong midnight movies to local audiences: Red Spell Spells Red (1983), and Centipede Horror (1982).
CENTIPEDE HORROR (1982)
The first of the two Nikko Films productions presented here, which were made during the rise of Hong Kong productions taking place in “more exotic locales”. It’s a stomach-churning, almost nauseating beginning to the company's legacy, in all the best ways possible.
Directed by Keith Li, the film is about a vengeful sorcerer in Singapore who curses the descendants of an old villager who committed a grave atrocity against the village in the past. Its structural and narrative machinations are all familiar — with even the middle act sometimes getting a little sluggish — but the moment the third act kicks in everything escalates to heights I was pleasantly surprised to see.
The film has many sequences of various monks and sorcerers battling one another remotely in glorious fashion, and just when you think that it could not get any crazier, the film rips off its leash and lets loose, resulting in truly unhinged cinematic madness — I cannot remember the last time I saw a film climax with two sorcerers fighting each other remotely using centipedes and chicken skeletons respectively. There is also an impressive showcase of commitment here, where lead actress Margaret Lee vomits out real centipedes. It made for probably the most visceral moment of the entire film, which I’m still thinking about long after having seen the film. It is full blown bonkers B-horror that is endlessly charming and truly disgusting.
RED SPELL SPELLS RED (1983)
In response to the success of Centipede Horror, Nikko Films made this film, which revolves around a sensationalist documentary film crew who awaken a black magic legend that inflicts a curse upon one of the members, causing further destruction. The film’s Category III status promises a good serving of sex and violence, which the film does offer - though it ultimately feels more bark than bite.
The opening minutes of the film are possessed with a kind of manic energy that sucks you in, but it loses the momentum very quickly and the presence of said energy gets more and more sporadic, with the overall narrative meandering. That's not to say that the film falls off completely from that point onward; there are still plenty of shocks and squirm-inducing moments that make this a memorable night at the movies, namely a scene late into the film involving celluloid asphyxiation and another involving the consumption of a live chicken – which are probably the only other time that the film is repossessed by that very energy that was packed into the opening.
The film's usage of indigenous culture also comes across as exploitative and misrepresentative, sometimes almost to the extent of feeling like it's presenting caricatures of the people instead of who they truly are. It leaves a bitter taste despite the fun moments that the film has, which permeates the entire film. It is also ironic that it directly parallels the very documentary crew that the film is focused on.
It definitely felt like the film’s draw factor of shock was not enough to sustain the entire film, and ended up delivering less than what was promised. Nonetheless, when it’s at a high, it’s a memorable high that still makes the night at the movies worth it.
It feels great to be constantly finding an aged trashy gem everyday in the current cinematic climate, and this double bill is a delightful addition to the never-ending shelves of re-discovery.
The uncut restorations of Centipede Horror and Red Spell Spells Red will be shown at Golden Village Suntec City as part of SFS Special Presentation on 1-2 August and 5-6 September 2025. The 5 September includes a post-screening sharing on Southeast Asian Black Magic representation in film by NTU Assistant Professor Yeo Min Hui.
SFS Members are entitled to discounts to the screenings. Sign up for SFS membership here: https://www.singaporefilmsociety.com/membership
The restored films are also available on Blu-ray from the label Error_4444.
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About the author: Amadeus is a filmmaker who has loved cinema as far back as he could remember. Most of his time is spent in theatres, otherwise he is writing about the films playing in them.
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