THE BLACK MAGIC WITH BUDDHA

The Black Magic with Buddha (1983) is a rare Hong Kong fantasy and horror film directed by and starring Lo Lieh, combining martial arts, supernatural horror, black magic and some of the more eccentric elements of early-1980s Hong Kong genre cinema.

My involvement with the film began in 2024, when I started working with its worldwide rights holder, Karmax-910, on the rediscovery of the film and the surviving original materials. What initially began as research into the film and its availability gradually developed into a much larger project involving rights, archival research, film materials, restoration and international distribution.

Working with the surviving elements preserved in Hong Kong, I helped identify and compare the different materials and versions of the film, including its Cantonese and Mandarin versions, which contain significant differences. The original elements were subsequently scanned in 4K by L’Immagine Ritrovata Asia in Hong Kong, providing the basis for a new restoration.

I supervised the restoration project in collaboration with Karmax-910 and French distributor Le Chat qui Fume, working on the reconstruction and comparison of the different versions and materials and following the preparation of the new restored masters. The project has also involved the preservation of alternative material and the production of new editorial and documentary content surrounding the film.

The restoration has since opened the way for the film's rediscovery by international audiences, with distribution and screening opportunities in several territories. In France, the restored film is being released by Le Chat qui Fume, while Mondo Macabro is handling its release in North America and the United Kingdom.

Beyond the restoration itself, The Black Magic with Buddha represents the kind of project that increasingly interests me: bringing together film history, archival investigation, relationships with rights holders, restoration, distribution and original documentary material in order to return a film to circulation after decades of relative obscurity.

This page follows the continuing history of the project — from the restoration process and the discovery of different versions and materials to screenings, releases, archival discoveries and new developments surrounding the film.

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