Mystics In Bali

Gift for my grandson. He loves it.

I honestly really love this movie. The budget for this movie was obviously pretty low and the effects can look painfully cheap at times, but it's easy to see what this movie was going for. This is one of those movies that if given the right budget and director would make one hell of a remake (and I am not one to push remakes). The story takes from great Indonesian folklore and even though the budget was low they made a lot of the effects work well still. This was also the countries first real horror film so even more pints given in my book. If you can be as forgiving as me with the FX then I strongly suggest giving this one a go.

Here is an interesting film that seems to defy being categorized.It is called an Asian horror film because it takes place in Indonesia, but it is not one of those horror films like THE GRUDGE (I, II and III), THE RING, or THE EYE that have some believable sequences filmed with imagination and-- dare I say it?-- originality. Despite its location, it is not really just another Asian horror film. This one is about a Leyak, a creature in Indonesia and Mayalsia that is able to separate its head and entrails from the rest of its body and go after people. Like the Kuntilanak (shown in the far-better films called KUNTILANAK and KUNTILANAK II), the Leyak is a creature that intelligent people from, or living in, the above-mentioned countries actually believe to be real. Supposedly, these creatures have been seen by credible witnesses. These things, like the Queen of the South Seas (shown in an awful film from Indonesia called LADY TERMINATOR), are not mythological beings like vampires and werewolves that come originally from Europe and are not, as far as I know, witnessed in everyday life.The acting in MYSTICS IN BALI, unlike in the film KUNTILANAK II, is so bad -- or badly dubbed into English -- that it is hardly worth mentioning, even though I just have. The German non-actress in the lead, supposedly recruited by the Indonesian filmmakers from a beach in Bali, doesn't even try to act. She just spouts her lines as if she were rehearsing a high school play. Apparently, verisimilitude is not a requirement for these films. When the girl's head, and trailing entrails, finally leave her body, no acting is required. Nor, apparently, are semi-believable special effects. Her image changes color and texture just before the separation is made, so we can tell what is going to happen. It is not shocking, as the Amazon reviewer claims, or frightening. It is just different from other horror films. More subtle means might have been employed to suggest this separation of her body and entrails from the torso, the way the mothman being is subtly shown in far, far superior THE MOTHMAN PROPHESIES.Check out this film if you are merely curious enough to see something different from other creature films that you have seen. Better yet, read about these creatures and talk to some people from Indonesia and Malaysia before speculating on whether or not these might exist in the real world. Remember the famous line which Hamlet speaks to Horatio at the beginning of the classic Shakespeare drama and decide for yourself.If you cannot decide, don't be dismayed. I still cannot.

mondo macabro continues their outporing of excellent films deserving wider view.bizarre and shockingly original visual devices fill this movie. attempting to detailit's narrative shortcomings undermines what is at heart a film steeped inentertainment at all costs, budget be damned. gamelan filmaking, intricate and magical, yetloads funnier than black magic. somewhat in the realm of the 'something weird' run oftrashy gold that must be seen to be believed.

If you’re in the market for green-screened guts, black magic curses, pig monsters, and birth-robbing vampirism, then look no further! The very premise of this film is the product of unfettered screenwriting lunacy and, thankfully, subsequent filmmakers stood on the shoulders of the minds behind Bali to get even weirder.Boasting a movie poster labeling this “the Holy Grail of Asian Cult Cinema,” Mystics in Bali has always been something I wanted to see. For decades I’ve seen images and posters in Fangoria magazine and websites and horror convention artists’ booths, building to the eventual day that I finally just bought the movie! And having just recently enjoyed another Asian cult movie (The Boxer’s Omen) also featuring a flying disembodied head dangling its guts below, today just felt like the day to watch it!Based on the novel Leák Ngakak, the story follows American occult researcher Cathy (Ilona Agathe Bastian) who is interested in learning the practices of Leák black magic solely for the purpose of writing a book about it. So her friend Mahendra (Yos Santo; The Devil’s Sword) arranges for her to meet a monstrously disfigured evil witch (Sofia W.D.; The Queen of Black Magic) known as the greatest master of the Leák, who agrees to teach her. What could possibly go wrong?The dialogue with the elderly witch has the maturity and exposition of a child’s fairy tale, and Cathy’s first lessons in black magic are visually just as silly. The animal transformation scenes are… well… they tried. But the major special effect of this movie is when Cathy’s head flies away from its body with her bodily organs and guts in tow. The effects are done by some pretty poor rotoscoping, and lack the grossout appeal for which we’re accustomed in newer movies. However, in concept, the movie remains an oddity in that Cathy has become a sort of floating head vampire which feeds on unborn children still inside their mother during childbirth. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yup, I’m reminded of that scene from Re-Animator (1985) as well! Unfortunately, we only witness this gag three times, and only once with any “feeding” action. So it’s mostly just a head flying around with its lungs and intestines dangling about, often on a hokey zipline cord when not green-screened. Personally, I’d prefer more birth-robbing vampirism. But that’s just me.How crazy one considers this movie will be inversely affected by the number of crazy Asian movies they’ve seen prior. If you’ve seen few such insane oddities, then this will be a ridiculous delight. If you’ve seen many, then it will seem less provocative; even tame for its wacky subgenre. So all told, (for me) this movie isn’t super exciting at all. However, it clearly paved the way for subsequent, and even more nutty movies. So for his service to wild cult cinema, we owe director H. Tjut Djalil (Dangerous Seductress, Lady Terminator) a great debt. And speaking of wild cult cinema, the final fight would lead me to suggest The Manitou (1978)—which is also an amazing piece of completely unfettered cinema lunacy. This final fight in Bali is extremely clunky with wooden acting and yet more rigid action choreography. The “laser fighting” is laughably stupid, the pig monster was ridiculous, and when the battle ends… so does the movie! Huh? Just roll the credits? Alright, I guess.I’ve seen a lot of wild Asian horror, and this one is very patient and thorough in its storytelling and exposition. In fact, the story actually makes more sense than most of these zany Asian movies. Given the far slower pacing of Mystics in Bali, I’m inclined to consider The Boxer’s Omen (1983) the far more bonkers and vastly superior of the two films. But credit must be given that Mystics clearly influenced Omen. This film is… special.

Boy, oh boy! The cast and crew must of snorted mountains of cocaine while making this. Sheesh!! Recommended to those who like their movies reckless and insane.

We love trashy movies and then one delivers.

Better than i remember!