Being an all-black tape gives Black Magic a built-in draw. And it's a good thing, too, because there is nothing magic about the acting or sex here to entice a large video audience.

The story revolves around Madam Andrea's crystal ball (which isn't even crystal). People wanting to know their sexual futures find the answers in the glowing orb, which transports the dreamers into what amounts to several vignette fantasy sex scenes.

And the sex is a fantasy for the viewer also. The small cast switches partners for a string of drawn-out guy/gal scenes, and the film "climaxes" with a three-way where Madam Andrea practices what she preaches. But each of the scenes are boring; just two people in a bed going through the motions as if they were following a "hot-to" manual. There is nothing spontaneous, erotic or exciting.

The production values start off on shaky ground with muddled audio quality. They improve, but the camera work never gets better. Most of the shots, especially the close-ups, are off center making it difficult for the viewer's eyes to focus on the "action."

Still, I have no doubt this tape will find its way onto store shelves. Consumers have expressed a desire to see blacks as featured performers in full-length productions, and that's about all they'll see here. The weak story and sex are too much for director Phil Prince to shoulder, and even assistant director Billy Dee, normally a voracious sexual performer, feels the pressure as he has a hard time keeping it up through this limp feature.