Magic (1978)
February 20, 2024 5:10 PM - Subscribe
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
Tracked this down after vaguely hearing about it for years; partly because it was featured in a short Shudder doc about childhood fears triggered by horror movies (or horror movie ads, in this case), and then seeing this amazing clip and knowing I'd have to watch the rest of this.
And IMO it really stands up; Hopkins is stellar as Corky and as Fats; I was completely sold at several points on Fats being an entirely separate 'person' from Corky. Burgess Meredith is great as the crusty ol' talent agent.
The only sour note is Ann-Margaret's inexplicable movie-trope attraction to a schlub who is obviously at least partly out of his gourd, and who completely loses his shit on her while trying to show her a card trick. She does good work in the role, but it's so obviously plot-driven that it's actively irritating.
Jerry Goldsmith delivers a Jerry Goldsmith score, but with a genuinely jarring harmonica shredding across the soundtrack in some of the Fats scenes.
Maybe there's an inherent goofiness to it that has kept it out of the public sphere as one of the greats, but I was really impressed with it -- I think it deserves a spot in the canon. Fascinating to see Hopkins 13 years before Silence of the Lambs trying on psychosis, but with a character that's hardly as composed or calculating as his career-making turn as Hannibal Lecter.
Tracked this down after vaguely hearing about it for years; partly because it was featured in a short Shudder doc about childhood fears triggered by horror movies (or horror movie ads, in this case), and then seeing this amazing clip and knowing I'd have to watch the rest of this.
And IMO it really stands up; Hopkins is stellar as Corky and as Fats; I was completely sold at several points on Fats being an entirely separate 'person' from Corky. Burgess Meredith is great as the crusty ol' talent agent.
The only sour note is Ann-Margaret's inexplicable movie-trope attraction to a schlub who is obviously at least partly out of his gourd, and who completely loses his shit on her while trying to show her a card trick. She does good work in the role, but it's so obviously plot-driven that it's actively irritating.
Jerry Goldsmith delivers a Jerry Goldsmith score, but with a genuinely jarring harmonica shredding across the soundtrack in some of the Fats scenes.
Maybe there's an inherent goofiness to it that has kept it out of the public sphere as one of the greats, but I was really impressed with it -- I think it deserves a spot in the canon. Fascinating to see Hopkins 13 years before Silence of the Lambs trying on psychosis, but with a character that's hardly as composed or calculating as his career-making turn as Hannibal Lecter.
Another very memorable novel & screen adaptation from the novelist & screenwriter who brought you Marathon Man and The Princess Bride along with a long list of screenwriting credits (including two Academy Award winners).
Surely William Goldman deserves a mention in the tags section?
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:43 PM on February 20 [2 favorites]
Surely William Goldman deserves a mention in the tags section?
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:43 PM on February 20 [2 favorites]
This movie always seemed to be on TV in Toronto in the early 80s when I was a kid. I remember that it somehow managed to be simultaneously scary and really boring.
posted by chococat at 1:38 PM on February 21
posted by chococat at 1:38 PM on February 21
I was at a boarding school in the 80s. On Saturday nights they used to show a film to keep people entertained. And sometimes there were showing for older kids only. I don't who chose the films (actual reels fed into a projector, then) but have vivid memories of Alien... and Magic - so I guess they cared not if we had nightmares.
Worth watching "In defense of...Magic" - as they say, we might not have expected Dicky Attenburgh to be the one directing a killer doll movie.
posted by rongorongo at 12:39 AM on February 23
Worth watching "In defense of...Magic" - as they say, we might not have expected Dicky Attenburgh to be the one directing a killer doll movie.
posted by rongorongo at 12:39 AM on February 23
Love, love, LOVE this movie.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:03 AM on February 27
posted by Paul Slade at 12:03 AM on February 27
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posted by SPrintF at 5:36 PM on February 20 [1 favorite]