Why So Blu?

Witch from Nepal (Blu-ray Review)

The Witch from Nepal Blu-ray from 88 Films brings one of Hong Kong cinema’s strangest supernatural curios back into the spotlight. Part romance, part mystical fever dream, part action-fantasy, this 1986 oddity stars Chow Yun-fat in a role that swerves from spiritual awakening to bare-chested brawling. Shot partially on location in Nepal, it’s a visually interesting but narratively chaotic ride. Now cleaned up in HD and dressed in slick collector packaging, this release might catch the eye of genre collectors. But not every oddity is a hidden gem.

 

Film 

You’d be forgiven for expecting something grounded or even remotely coherent from Witch from Nepal. It opens like a romance, swerves into a Himalayan spiritual awakening, tosses in a prophecy, and then hurls you into kung fu territory with flaming feet, dream battles, and magical daggers. Plot? Barely. Structure? Questionable. But spectacle? Yeah, there’s some of that.

At the center of this swirling chaos is Chow Yun-fat, playing a vet who gets roped into a mystical destiny after a trip to Nepal. There’s a beautiful woman in distress (or maybe she’s a ghost?), a magical warrior, and a lot of scenes that feel like they’re happening just because the filmmakers thought they’d look cool — which, to be fair, they sometimes do. A handful of stunts land with punchy physicality, and the location shooting in Nepal gives the movie a kind of adventurous, globe-trotting texture that’s missing from more studio-bound fantasy fare.

But none of that can save the film from its own internal confusion. Characters drift in and out of the narrative. Themes are hinted at and abandoned. Scenes pile up like disconnected dreams. There’s a recurring tone of mysticism and destiny, but little of it holds together logically. Even for a genre film that leans into fantasy, Witch from Nepal feels like it’s been stitched together from three different movies that weren’t speaking to each other.

Still, it’s not totally without charm. Hong Kong cinema completists might find joy in seeing Chow Yun-fat dabble in this kind of spiritual-action hybrid before his international fame skyrocketed. And fans of obscure ‘80s cult curios might admire the film’s sheer audacity. But for most viewers, this is going to feel like a cinematic fever dream — and not in the good way.

Video 

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the Blu-ray.

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution:1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Region: B

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity and Detail: Detail is decent but inconsistent — interior close-ups look sharper than wide exteriors, and some of the more effects-driven sequences show their age. Still, the image holds steady without smearing or over-sharpening.

Depth: There’s a mild sense of depth in the better-lit scenes, especially daytime exteriors or brightly staged interiors. Darkness flattens out backgrounds more often than not.

Black Levels: Black levels are passable but hover in the dark gray zone more than inky black. Night scenes lack contrast, which dulls the impact of some of the film’s more atmospheric visuals.

Color: Colors are surprisingly vibrant during dream or temple sequences, with strong reds and neon glows. That said, the palette often leans toward a muted, dusty tone elsewhere — likely due to source limitations rather than grading choices.

Flesh Tones: Natural enough, though faces can shift slightly warmer or cooler depending on lighting. No obvious digital grading errors, just analog-era inconsistency.

Noise and Artifacts: There’s some minor speckling and light grain, but nothing egregious. No DNR scrubbing or compression issues to report — this is a clean, film-like encode that leaves the flaws of the source material visible but unmanipulated.

 

Audio 

Audio Format(s): Cantonese LPCM 2.0 (Mono)

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: Sound design is minimal, with most of the energy reserved for the occasional action burst or musical cue. There’s limited range, but the track avoids distortion and holds together cleanly.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: N/A

Surround Sound: N/A

Dialogue: Dialogue is intelligible but sits a bit flat in the mix. Room tone sometimes varies shot-to-shot, revealing the age and production quirks of the original audio. Still, for a mono track, it’s serviceable — and more stable than expected for this kind of catalog title.

 

Extras 

88 Films gives Witch from Nepal a surprisingly deluxe treatment, even if the film itself is an acquired taste. The disc includes a brand-new 2025 2K restoration from the original camera negative, paired with the original Cantonese mono track. Extras include a feature commentary by Frank Djeng, a newly recorded interview with Tony Rayns, a trailer, and a stills gallery. Physical goodies are where this release really flexes — there’s a rigid slipcase with Sean Longmore artwork, an O-ring, reversible cover art, a collectible postcard, and a 40-page perfect-bound booklet loaded with archive stills and new essays by C.J. Lines and David West. For collectors, it’s an impressive package built around one of Hong Kong cinema’s more confounding curiosities.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Interview with Tony Rayns
• Trailer
• Stills Gallery
• Reversible sleeve with brand-new artwork from Sean Longmore & original Hong Kong poster artwork
• Includes O-ring and rigid slipcase featuring artwork by Sean Longmore
• Collectable postcard
• 40-page perfect bound book featuring archive stills and new writing on the film by C.J. Lines and David West

 

Summary 

Witch from Nepal Blu-ray isn’t some forgotten masterpiece — it’s a cinematic oddball with flashes of style but no real cohesion. Still, 88 Films treats it with care, delivering a Witch from Nepal Blu-ray release that’s packed with collectible packaging, a 2K scan, and thoughtful extras. For collectors chasing down every corner of Hong Kong cinema or fans of Chow Yun-fat’s deep cuts, this Witch from Nepal Blu-ray might earn a spot on the shelf. If you’re curious what else 88 Films has brought to HD, check out our other 88 Films Blu-ray reviews here.

 

Witch from Nepal is released on Blu-ray in the UK June 23, 2025!

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