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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Dark Sky Films
Salesrank: 17407
Released: April 25, 2006 |
| Our Price: $10.17 |
| Used Price: $8.71 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Academy Award®-winner Anthony Hopkins (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) is Corky, a painfully shy, failed magician who finds overnight success as a ventriloquist. His brash, foul-mouthed dummy, Fats, becomes a huge nightclub hit. With his star on the rise, talent agent Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) arranges an important shot at national TV. But the pressure of failing the network’s required physical sends Corky into a panic. With Fats in tow, he flees the city to a nearly-deserted resort in the Catskills run by the love of his youth, Peggy Ann Snow (Ann-Margret).
Peg’s spent years trapped in a loveless marriage with her high-school sweetheart, Duke. In Corky, she sees the chance for a loving relationship and accepts an offer to run away with him. After they make love, Corky confides to Fats that he may leave show business altogether. Fats becomes furious and lashes out at him, playing on his guilt and insecurity. Now under Fats’ control, Corky is manipulated into a series of violent and unexpected confrontations.
Based on the best–selling novel by William Goldman and directed by Sir Richard Attenborough (A BRIDGE TOO FAR, GANDHI), MAGIC’s stellar performances and shocking conclusion make for gripping suspense from beginning to end.
Magic Reviews:
Superb Suspense Thriller 
2009-01-07 - I was impressed with Sir Anthony Hopkins in this psycho thriller.I liked the chemistry between him and Ann Margret's character as an ex-classmate that he was shy about and his reconciliation of a relationship that never happened due to his painful shyness he exhibits toward her character in the movie. I felt sad for him not to mention the terrible consequences that results out his desperation of not dealing with his mental problems he did not want to resolve. Anyhow,it is a great suspense thriller and it will peak the curiosity of those that are true fans of Sir Anthony Hopkins.
"He's NO Dummy. . ."
2008-12-25 - Viewing "Magic" is when I first became aware of Anthony Hopkins as a brilliant actor. This movie coincided somewhat with his starring role in the highly praised QBVII, that was being aired on TV. I made a mental note to "watch this actor." I saw "Magic" at the Capital Plaza Cinema in Austin, Texas in the Seventies. One of the things I remember about it most, besides, spooky Fats, the dummy, was the haunting and eerie cords played on a "squeeze box" over and over throughout the movie, just two chords. They played when something creepy was about to happen, or had just happened. Hopkins was great as a type of stalker, psycho, who used Fats as a prop, Burgess Meridith was great as his manager and Ann Margaret was excellent in this dramatic and slightly kookie role.
"Magic" DVD
2008-11-30 - I am very satisfied with my purchase of this DVD. It is in excellent condition, and I can now share this movie with others who never saw it.
Hopkins' Menacing Stage Act
2008-11-02 - For fans of Anthony Hopkins' intensity and versatility as an actor, this late-seventies thriller is a shining obscurity. Hopkins plays troubled loner Corky, his years of preparation as a slight-of-hand magician thrust back in his face by a drunk and distracted debut audience, who then redirects his efforts into a ventriloquism act with an engagingly demented dummy-sidekick, Fats. The resulting sudden thrust into national fame causes a very real split within Corky, who has given away far too much of his sublimated soul to his wooden partner, and then finds himself totally dominated by his own creation -- who, it turns out, doesn't draw the line at murder when threatened. Ann Margret plays Corky's now world-weary and vulnerable high school infatuation, and Burgess Meredith is the veteran agent who is the only one to recognize the truth about his client: "Ya ain't in control, kid!" Side note: Hopkins threw himself totally into his role--all of the ventriloquism and slight-of-hand are his own.
Magic.......
2008-04-18 - 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.
