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Rating:  -
Corky Withers is a young failed magician who makes a successful comeback as a ventriloquist. On the verge of stardom, Corky disappears for fear a deep dark secret will be revealed. Hiding in a small town, he finds comfort in the arms of a now married high school crush. As the shocking secret emerges and the truth is exposed, all hell breaks loose. This movie went bye almost unnoticed as it was released just weeks after director John Carpenter's famed and now classic horror, "Halloween." To its credit, "Magic" was directed by Oscar winning director, actor, producer Richard Attenborough. The movie is a slow mover but a chilling novel turned screenplay by William Goldman and brilliant performances by Sir Anthony Hopkins, the always beautiful Ann Margaret, and multi-talents of Burgess Meredith is the true "Magic" that makes this film work. Couch Potato Review 3 Potato 4.
Rating:  -
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.
Rating: -
Magic is one of my all time favorite films and I have seen it hundreds of times over the years. It never grows old and never gets boring because Anthony Hopkins turns in an amazing performance as a delusional magician/ventriloquist with schizophrenia which he manifests through his dummy "Fats."
This movie maintains a thriller aspect throughout and Corky (Hopkins) is entertaining, funny, and witty with Fats until he reunites with the girl he had a crush on back in highschool (Ann Margaret).
At this point, Corky's split personality really develops as his angry side gets the better of him through Fats, who becomes jealous that Corky is spending so much time with this girl.
Ultimately, Corky begins to self-destruct as he kills the woman's husband (at least she was planning on leaving him for Corky anyway) and his manager (played by Burgess Meredith).
Caught in a web of murder, lies and deceit, Corky begins to slip off the edge mentally as Fats continues to yell and torment him.
An overall surprisingly well-made thriller and a great story by Attenborough.
Rating: -
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.
Rating: -
I've been waiting for a decent DVD "print" of this movie for years. This is really a find. The transfer is amazing and the special features are well worth the ticket price.
The disc even includes the famous TV commercial that scared so many kids the networks had it pulled. 'Didn't matter. If you saw it once, it stuck in your head....
"Magic is fun....We're Dead!"
The soundtrack is MONO but that's the way it was released in the theaters and it sounds really rich.
I'm giving this one 5 stars for good reasons.
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