Magic
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Movie Reviews of Magic
Movie Review: An underrated horror classic now on DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
Corky (Anthony Hopkins) is a failed magician who can still do tricks and finds the secret to his success in a big city night club thanks to being a ventriloquist with a dummy named Fats, his agent Ben Greene (Burgess Merideth) wants him to be on TV as Corky must be required a medical test before he can be on the show. Corky becomes obsessed with Fats especially having chats with him, he's too scared to have the medical test so he runs away for a while to a lake resort in the Catskills owned by the former love of his life Peg (Ann Marget) whom he falls for again, but Fats starts to become evil and wants to take control of Corky so he can kill people and go to the brink of insanity.
Highly underrated and unique cult horror thriller from Richard Attenbough and writer William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), the film was a minor hit back in 1978 and gained a cult following. It blends horror with some humor, a superb score by Jerry Goldsmith, and great acting by the cast. The dummy Fats himself is quite a scary little thing for as i remembered back in 1986 when i was 4 watching this movie on video or TV i was terrfied and made me afraid of dummies especially of my brother's dummy but luckily now i'm not afraid of them anymore as much as i was as a kid.
This DVD has great picture with sound quality and some good extras like a featurette, interviews, still gallery, trailer, radio spots and TV Spots like the infamous "Abracabra i Sit on his Knee" one. This is one of the best psycho and killer doll flicks ever, it's also one of my personal favorite horror movies that i strongly recommend for your horror collection.
Also recommended: "Trilogy of Terror", "Child's Play", "Sleepaway Camp", "Making Contact (a.k.a. Joey)", "Tourist Trap", "Perfect Blue", "Deep Red", "Puppet Master", "Friday The 13th", "Dolls", "May", "Tenebre", "Halloween", "The Dark Half", "Pin", "Devil Doll (1964)", "Dead of Night (1945)", "Pinocchio's Revenge", "Scream", "Misery", "Dolly Dearest", "The Pit", "Great Gabbo", "Psycho (1960)", "The Shining", "American Psycho", "Poltergeist", "Saw", "Saw 2", and "The Sentinel".
Movie Review: Magic.......
Summary: 5 Stars
The 1978 film Magic is one of Anthony Hopkins earlier movies and, after watching this, it is plain to see why he is the master of doing suspenseful psychological thrillers. Directed by Richard Attenborough, Magic starred Anthony Hopkins, Ann Margaret, Burgess Meredith and David Ogden Stiers. Written by William Goldman, it told the story of 'Corky' Withers who fails at his first attempt at professional magic. Coming back a year later with "Fats", Corky does well on the circuit. When his agent tries to sign him for his own TV show, when it is mentioned he has to take a physical- Corky quickly declines and bails out. Yet, the truth is, he doesn't want them to find out that he suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and he hears "Fats" talking to him. Once in the catskills, he meets up with an old flame-Peggy Ann Snow(Ann Margaret) who is in a marriage on the rocks. They both start up a relationship, which leads to the both of them making love & sparks the jealousy of both Fats and Peggy's husband Duke. That's when the fur starts to fly and the story gets even deeper.
It's been said that, when the movie's trailer first aired, parents claimed that it gave their children nightmares. The trailer itself featured Fats reciting a poem(Abracadabra, I sit on his knee. Presto, change-o, and now he is me! Hocus Pocus, we take her to bed, Magic is fun...we're dead.") after which his eyes roll back in his head. It's followed by a cast reading, then Fats opens his eyes and gazes to his left.
Siskel and Ebert loved the film and placed it at #9 on their top 10 list of great movies for that year. I, personally, loved the movie myself when it first came out and I still watch it from time to time now.
If I had any gripes about the movie, it'd be that Corky and "Fats" die at the end. I know that it ties in with what takes place in the book but it would have been cool to see a second film based on the characters. Alas, it wasn't meant to be...which is a real bummer. At any rate, Magic is a great movie. Definitley on my top 10 favorites of all-time.
Movie Review: Pure psychological terror!
Summary: 5 Stars
Magic is one of those rare cinematic gems that deserves a wider viewership. The story centers around Corky [played to great effect by Anthony Hopkins] who is shy and self-effacing, and desperate for a break in showbiz. His luck turns around when he comes across a ventriloquists' doll, Fats that is incorporated into his act, bringing him fame and fortune. His agent, Ben Green [Meredith Burgess] gets him a TV stint, but Corky refuses to get a physical 'on principle'. He flees in a panic, and ends up in his hometown, where he stops by a rental cabin that, as it turns out, is owned by Peg [Ann Margret] a girl he had a crush on back in high school. This is where things start to escalate, for the worse, as Fats doesn't 'seem' too happy about Corky's affection for Peg, and acts out in a jealous rage...worse still, matters get complicated when the agent, Ben tracks Corky down, and the appearance of Peg's husband. The movie is held together by the spellbinding performance of Anthony Hopkins. He actually trained for the role, and Fats' voice is all his. The frustrations, and conflicts that Corky goes through is vividly evoked by Hopkins' facial expressions and suitably modulated voice. The supporting characters are equally effective - Ann Margret's Peg & Burgess Meredith's Ben are the most convincing. The effects are more old school, no CGI here - but very effective is conveying a sense of menace in the atmosphere, that there is something darker to the relationship between man and doll. Question is: who is orchestrating whom here? Is Corky being controlled by Fats or the other way around, or is there a supernatural undertone here. You'll have to view this movie to find out, but its worth it. The extras are pretty good too - there is a featurette titled "Fats and Friends' that traces the history of ventriloquism & the movie. Also included here is an interview with Hopkins. Final verdict - eminently watchable suspense flick with a psychological twist.Movie Review: "Take Two...They're Big..."
Summary: 5 Stars
What I first loved about the 1978 film "Magic" was the fact the television trailer I saw in the summer of that year caused me to run out of the room. Granted, I was eleven years old, but the creepiness of this alone made me want to know more. I wouldn't find out more until years later when the film was broadcast in an "edited for television" version. I liked it then, but love it in its complete form provided on this dvd.
As some viewers may have already expressed, "Magic" contains one of greatest scenes in all of American film. Not by chance, it occurs between two fantastic actors: a young Anothony Hopkins and Burgess Meredith. In the scene, "Gang Green" (Meredith) pays his client Corky (Hopkins) a surprise visit in a country cabin. Green is convinced that Corky has gone insane and presents him what should have been a simple challenge: "Make Fats (the dummy) shut up for five minutes." The tension that follows is unmistakable as we watch the brilliant Hopkins struggle through these seconds. Meanwhile, Green studies his client with a prophetic eye, knowing that his young magician client can't accomplish the task. It's incredibly suspenseful waiting for Corky to crack, because we already know what Green does, and now are just anticipating his reaction. You will likely never forget this scene, and will feel compelled to watch the film repeatedly just because it's there.
Of course there are many other delights in this minor horror film, which had the misfortune of being released at almost the same time as John Carpenter's "Halloween." For those of you who enjoy Ann Margret, we get an eyeful of her as well, and Ed Lauter is superb as her suspicious husband. The star of the film is Fats himself, who is charming and creepy all at once. The DVD also contains some nice bonus footage, including the trailer that I previewed as a child.
Movie Review: A classic. One of the 100 best films ever made.
Summary: 5 Stars
Magic (Richard Attenborough, 1978)
Abracadabra, I sit on his knee.
Presto chango, and now he is me.
Hocus pocus, we take her to bed.
Magic is fun... we're dead.
It is likely that anyone over the age of thirty will remember the traumatizing television spot for Magic, David Attenborough's riveting drama about Corky (Anthony Hopkins), a magician who's on the skids until he teams up with a dummy named Fats (also voiced by Hopkins). When Ben Green (Burgess Meredith), Corky's agent, mentions that Corky will have to have a medical exam before doing his first television special, Corky flips out and retreats to his childhood home, where he meets up with Peg (Ann-Margaret), a girl he had a crush on in high school. Will Peg be Corky's salvation, or will Fats get jealous?
Adapted by William Goldman from his own novel, Magic is a wonderful piece of work that's finally gotten itself a good DVD treatment (including, of course, the infamous television spot). While Attenborough is usually a brilliant director, Magic shows him at the height of his powers. Every shot is perfectly framed, the pace is right on cue at all times, and he pulled incredible performances out of his entire cast. While the film faded into entirely undeserved obscurity, now it's poised to return to its former glory. If you've never had the pleasure of seeing this brilliant film, do so. **** ˝