Starring – Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith
Region 0, Dark Sky Films.
Released 28th April 2006.
Corky starts out as a struggling amateur magician, coached by a frail old man named Merlin. When he doesn’t get his break, he introduces a foul mouthed ventriloquist doll into his act, who goes by the name of Fats. Just as Corky is about to hit the big time, he abandons his agent and seeks out his school sweetheart. As the pressure affects Corky, Fats begins to control his actions, with murderous consequences.
Now this is quality psychological horror. By concentrating on the schizophrenic actions and thoughts of Corky, Magic scares because of the reality of the situation. We can see him descending into madness, listening and obeying the manipulative Fats who sabotages Corky’s romantic plans, all to get him to return to the limelight. Although we know that Corky is imagining Fats’ voice, Hopkins’ brilliant performance, backed up by the sterling doll movements and voice, really brings him alive, making us as confused about him as Corky is!
Magic contains four great central performances. Anthony Hopkins nervous, shifty Corky bubbles with underlying tension and menace, while Burgess Meredith’s Ben Greene is all business with his assumption that Corky’s condition is caused by a fear of success. The lovely Ann-Margret is superb as Corky’s former love; she is so very natural that you cannot blame Corky for wanting to run off with her.
Finally there is the biggest star of all, Fats. Some people find puppets pretty scary, and Fats will not disappoint. He is cocky, calculating and evil and although he never moves unless Corky is controlling him (except for one surreal moment) you always feel as if he is equally as dangerous as the fully mobile Corky himself. The life injected into Fats is courtesy of the puppeteer (one hesitates to call him a ventriloquist as you never see him) Dennis Alwood assisted by Anthony Hopkins voice.
Richard Attenborough’s direction is good, but the real, ahem, magic, comes from Victor Kemper’s cinematography. From the long shot of New York’s busy streets near the beginning, Kemper slips in beautifully framed sequences every few minutes. Check out the great telepathy sequence with Peg and Corky at a card table. This sequence also stands out as a chance to see Anthony Hopkins card skills, giving even more weight to his complicated character.
The Disc
Dark Sky films re-mastering job on Magic is very impressive. Comparing the movie to one of the trailers on the disc, it looks super-clean and crisp. I could honestly find no fault with the picture at all. The sound is also good, although presented in only Dolby Stereo. Jerry Goldsmith’s score over the opening titles has great stereo separation too.
There is also a healthy array of extras. A Blue Underground produced documentary named Fats and Friends is the standout piece, which talks to Dennis Alwood about the creation of the Fats puppet, his career and some history on ventriloquism. This is very informative and enjoyable, especially if you are a fan of ventriloquism, as Alwood shows off his talents several times.
The rest of the disc contains a make-up test for Ann-Margret, an informative interview with Victor Kemper, TV and radio spots and a photo gallery. Strangest extra is a Spanish/English interview with Anthony Hopkins talking about the movie. It’s amusing to see Hopkins have to stop speaking while the interviewer rapidly changes from Spanish to English! Overall, the disc has a good collection of extras to accompany the classy film.
Conclusion
Magic is perfect for anyone wanting a break from today’s over-the-top horror. With only a smattering of violence, Magic concentrates on the terror of losing your mind and passing control over to someone with evil intentions. Magic comes from the golden decade of movies and its casting, direction and style would be a dream even today. Seeing their combined talents at work here, especially in a horror movie, makes Magic a real treat.
