MYSTICS IN BALI
Directed By H. Tjust Djalil
Indonesia/1981 – 80 Minutes/Anamorphic 2.35:1 Cinemascope
English Language Dubbed
DVD Provided By Mondo Macabro
Review by Michael Mackie

MYSTICS IN BALI definitely has a reputation that precedes it. Having been written about, sought after, and generally pretty elusive for most collectors, I was eager to finally sit down and see what all the hoopla was about. From the opening moments there is a strange “in your face” vibe; it never really goes away, either. The very first line is as follows: “I’m surprised that a pretty girl like you would be interested in learning black magic.” That “pretty girl” (eh…) has already been doing research in Africa on black magic and now she’s ready to further her education with the help of her friend Hendra. She (her name is Cathy, incidentally) and her would-be mentor are on the verge of a romantic involvement, something that obviously concerns the woman watching them from the nearby trees. It is said that the most powerful type of magic is Leyak magic so, naturally, this is the area of Cathy’s greatest interest. She wants to learn it herself so as to grasp the ultimate understanding of this black art. All this to write a book? Now that’s dedication. And still, the strange woman follows their every move…

A meeting with a Leyak Master is arranged and it’s during that meeting that Cathy gets her first taste of what this dark magic is all about; it won’t be her last. As fortune would have it, the one they meet claims to be this magic’s greatest master and she sure has the look to accompany that claim lemme tell ya. Imagine a shadowy figure akin to a stygian witch. Now add fingernail claws that would make a certain Mr. Krueger quiver, round it out with an ear piercing, maniacal laugh and you’ll have a pretty accurate image. Sounds pleasant and comfortable, no? It’s agreed that the witch will take Cathy on as a disciple in the art and they shake hands on it. The kicker here is that the teacher leaves her disembodied hand behind! No worries, though, it crawls away into the woods after its master.

The first night of lessons goes by easily enough. Cathy reports to an out-of-the-way area as she is told (with Hendra as her escort, of course) and, after some palming of diamonds and drinking of blood, has magical mantras scratched into the skin of her thighs by a floating twenty-five foot tongue. Clear instructions are given; Cathy is to come alone the next night. There is something about Cathy’s male companion that the witch does not trust. The following evening the sinister “Queen” takes her new star pupil to a more intensive level of training and, yet again, that same curious stranger watches from just out of sight. Unexpected transformation effects highlight these moments as the two practitioners transform themselves into a pair of pigs! At this point I’d like to state with great clarity that, yes, this movie is every bit as bizarre as it sounds!

Hendra is in a bit of a predicament now. He’s concerned that Cathy is getting in just a little too deep and visits his uncle, himself a man of magic, for assurance that what is happening can be undone if necessary. Well it can, but battling evil is never easy. Hendra is given some powerful secret mantras and a magical dagger that will add to his power, should he need it. Time to set all of this seriousness aside for a few minutes and focus on the romance: “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Don’t get all uppity now, it doesn’t take long to get back down to business, honest.

The last night of lessons Cathy has learned as much as she is able but the Queen witch demands her compensation. What could that be? Cathy’s head at her beck and call, that’s what. It floats around with what appears to be every last ounce of internal viscera hanging from the neck. The evil one has plans, you see. She now wants to use Cathy to help her “attain total power.” Strap in ‘cause it’s gonna be a hell of a ride from here on out…

The head flies into the house of an expectant mother, knocks the midwife through the wall and positions herself between the legs of the pregnant woman. The fetus is then sucked out and the blood is delivered (sic) back to the witch to use for her own nefarious purposes. Only a duel between the most powerful MYSTICS IN BALI will decide Cathy’s fate!

Seek this out and see all the chunky vomiting of rodents, hairy armpits, snarling fireball fights, pulsating transformations, smoking neck stumps, the aforementioned ass-kicking duel of the mystics and more all for yourself! And let’s not forget it’s also a love story! This movie is a veritable catalogue of cinematic insanity filmed with so much energy and urgency that it’s nearly impossible not to have a great time watching it all unfold. The pace is fast, the rewards are constant, and it’s all done with a thick atmosphere further aided by a terrific soundtrack to keep the mood going. There is a very similar vibe between this and BLACK MAGIC TERROR (A.K.A. QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC and BLACK MAGIC III) which also features, as does MYSTICS, a major role for actor W.D. Mochtar. I am starting to think of this guy as the Indonesian Lam Ching Ying, always around to do battle with the local forces of magic and their sources. Some of the special effects may not seem so special, (You can clearly see the string that hold up the floating fireballs, for example.) granted, but they are always imaginative and fun; endlessly entertaining on its own or with a group of your closest horror-fan friends.

The print shows a lot of deterioration but the image remains clear throughout. Blacks do not appear as dark as they should and the colors seem a little faded at times. Sound is fine, without ever standing out enough to be considered impressive. The extras really manage to compensate, and then some, for whatever troubles the print suffers from. Pete and Andy over at MONDO MACABRO have set yet another high-water mark with the 24-minute documentary Fantasy Films From Indonesia. In it there are interviews with several major players in the Indonesian fantastic cinema scene, not least of all MYSTICS IN BALI Director H. Tjust Djalil. He offers his thoughts and insights and even discusses the problems one of his other movies, LADY TERMINATOR, had after the censor had already passed it. Interesting and enlightening, I was sorry it didn’t run a lot longer! All this in addition to many clips from several other projects including bits from THE WARRIOR. The three films that tell the story of THE WARRIOR, which also turned actor Barry Prima into a superstar along the way, are part of a small yet ever-growing list of Indonesian genre product I have been trying to see, some for years! It was fantastic to finally see some clips. I hope it means releases are coming in the near future. I can only hope… Surprising and familiar passages of music can be heard every so often, like cues from VIDEODROME and SORCERER. TANGERINE DREAMS’ work seems to surface semi-regularly in Asian cinema, doesn’t it? Next is Mystics In Bali & The Indonesian Exploitation Movie, several pages of text that reads as a kind of companion piece/extension of the documentary; it’s equally worthwhile. Then comes what looks to be a full filmography of Djalil’s work, and lastly is a text piece entitled How To Become A Leyak! Yep, details on how to cross over to the “Dark Side”! There’s even a disclaimer at the beginning.

So there it is, in all its glory. The print may not be perfect but it isn’t enough to steal away from the enjoyment of the movie or any of its terrific extras. MYSTICS IN BALI is very highly recommended.