Magic (1978)

Magic is probably a curate's egg of a movie at best as viewing experience but it's an interesting piece of work. Great filmic idea but with a dull and middling script and directed too loosely for a semi horror suspenser. There is nowhere near enough suspense which the subject demanded and although the pay off scenes are unnervingly creepy and very good you may have drifted off before they come, which will be a shame.However the upside is if you're still with it for the final scenes then the lead character will make you squirm with horror film satisfaction as it turns out he may have spent a little too long with his dummy as his only companion. With a better script and tighter direction by a suspense or light horror specialist and not the big scale, big subject specialist that Attenborough was then Magic could easily have been a minor classic like Halloween or The Howling of the same era instead of the forgotten curio it's become. There are even hints of what the film should have been in the major classic The Shining made a year later which handles the same theme of isolation leading to unhinged happenings much better and drenches us in suspense. I like to think Kubrik took this from the less showy Magic and maybe Nicholson realised his mistake in turning down such a role and dived into his part in The Shining. As said above though it was a box office success thanks to a memorable trailer and a strange story and I urge a viewing if you haven't yet seen it.

NB: This review contains one major spoiler. Anthony Hopkins used to creep me out, which is why I never watched "Magic" when it was released in 1978. (Ironically, I started loving his acting after he played Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs.") It is worth noting that Hopkins' ascent to super-stardom more or less coincided with his decision to quit drinking, so perhaps the viewer senses that he now saves his personal darkness for his roles, and seems remarkably open, charming, and at peace as a man. Hopkins' demons and his charm are fully on display in 1978's "Magic," a compelling thriller written by William Goldman. Richard Attenborough does a fine job directing "Magic," however there is one major plot hole that somewhat spoils a key scene in the film. Hopkins plays Corky, a talented magician whose performance anxiety disappears when he teams up with Fats, a wooden dummy. While Corky is shy and tongue-tied, Fats is confident, vulgar, and funny."Magic" is not a horror movie, but rather a psychological thriller. While the storyline about a ventriloquist and his all-too-human dummy has been compared to the famous Michael Redgrave vignette from the British horror classic, "Dead of Night," there is no real twist in "Magic." The filmmakers are clear from fairly early on in the film (except for one teasing moment) that Corky is an unstable schizophrenic who uses his dummy to express shadow parts of himself. However there is one major plot contradiction, in that, on numerous occasions, Corky is able to function just fine without Fats, which is why a key scene between Corky and his agent, Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) didn't quite work for me. Hopkins not only learned magic tricks for the film, he also mastered ventriloquism well enough to voice "Fats." His chilling and sympathetic performance (along with those of Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith) is reason enough to add "Magic" to your must-watch list. If not quite on the level with "Psycho," at least Hopkins didn't get typecast for life for playing a violent schizophrenic, as Anthony Perkins did. Corky is not the role of a lifetime, but it is a real corker of a role.

In this bizarre classic, the late Richard Attenborough brings to life William Goldman's 1976 re-imagining of the 1929 film The Great Gabbo- where a ventriloquist suffers from dual personalities because of the nature of his trade. Shifting it from a romance to a horror (though there is still an element of romance).Anthony Hopkins puts on an incredible performance as Corky- a socially awkward magician whose act just isn't up to par. That is, until he comes up with a schtick where he teams up with a ventriloquist dummy named Fats (whose voice is also done by Hopkins). Together, they put on a self-deprecating stand-up comedy routine, with some magic tied in, of course. .They are a hit...and on the brink of hitting the bigtime. Their agent has a lined the duo up with a pilot, and potential series to follow. But- with Fats as the dominant personality- Corky fears that he will blow his big chance- or have to face reality- and thus flees back to his childhood home, in search of his high school crush, Peggy.He finds her running her families old motel. Though it's failing, along with her marriage. While her husband is away, Corky takes up residence in one of the cabins, as he tries to woo her with Fats.But after a while, it becomes unclear whether Corky is suffering from some sort of split personality disorder, or whether he is actually reeling from the psychological effects related to the burden of covering up for the fact that Fats is, himself, animate.Not only is Fats animate, but he also seems to be able to manipulate Corky. It's clear that he prefers this route too. During the killing of Gangrene, Corky is the one acting at the behest of Fats. But when Corky successfully woos Peggy, he becomes liberated from his fear-of-failure complex, forcing Fats to lash out on his own- like when he attacks and kills Duke, Peggy's husband.You start to think that Corky and Fats are definitely two separate entities (with Fats having his own soul or what not), but the ending blurs this distinction, and makes you re-evaluate what you thought you knew.I don't know if Hopkins was really doing the ventriloquism, or whether he was just acting it...but his performance is downright incredible either way. If only for the diverse range emotions and psychological conditions covered. As was previously mentioned, this film owes a lot to the 1929 film The Great Gabbo, and seems to have gone on to influence other films like Child's Play. Ventriloquist dummies are so badass, and make for solid psychological horror icons! This is one truly disturbing film that seems to be a sort of under-appreciated classic. A must see.8.5 out 10.

Richard Attenborough's Magic (1978) is an exceptional work of cinema that has so much to offer to the viewer at different levels. It features Anthony Hopkins in the role of a shy ventriloquist named Corky Withers. Corky's act in which he uses a dummy to perform on-stage magic tricks is an instant success. Corky is at height of his fame and probably a single step away from becoming an icon. But, things are not as simple as they appear. Believe it or not, but Corky's dummy Fats has developed a mind of its own! And Corky must learn to control it before it's too late. Anthony Hopkins, I daresay, delivers the best performance of his life. The role of Hannibal Lecter may have elevated Hopkins to apotheosis but Corky has a sense of vulnerability that makes it appear far more realistic than Lecter. A comparison between Lecter and Corky is inevitable for both the characters lie on the brink of insanity... while the former can control it to a great extent the latter is always at the mercy of his vicious alterego. Magic (1978) is a psychological thriller of the highest quality. And Hopkins' sublime portrayal makes it an experience of a lifetime. Ann-Margret is brilliant in the role of Peggy Ann Snow. Burgess Meredith as Ben Greene virtually steals every scene that he is a part of.Magic (1978) is indeed magical. And the dream-like combination of two great Englishmen, Richard Attenborough and Anthony Hopkins, makes it possible. A necessary watch!http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/