Ventriloquist's dummies...so many people are creeped out by them. Same as with clowns, they have always fascinated me so when I was given Magic to review, I knew I'd be watching this one by myself (Awesome Cupcake says they're too creepy!). So, let's check out the Blu-Ray being released by Second Sight.
Magician's assistant Corky performs disastrously at his first solo appearance and just cannot get a break. He is given a ventriloquist dummy called "Fats" to improve his act, and within a few years, Corky is at the height of fame. However, Fats has developed a mind of his own and wants to control his master.
Celebrity magician Corky uses a ventriloquist's dummy called Fats as part of his routines, and in the space of the year, he has a chance of hitting the big time, which scares him greatly. Seeking refuge from his newfound fame, he runs from the city and heads to an isolated mountain retreat in his hometown run by his high school love, Peggy, in hopes of starting a new life; but finds that Fats has somehow developed a mind of his own and has absolutely no intention of letting him off so easy, causing tormented Corky much grief and chaos....but who is the one that is really pulling the strings in the situation here?
This one is an amazing movie...it's creepy, sad, scary, romantic...it really does have a little bit of everything in there. This is a more than enjoyable movie and a great addition to anyone's horror collection. Anthony Hopkins plays Corky really well, and you have to feel sorry for this troubled young man (Hopkins shows he can play the more unhinged characters, and characters like Corky led to his sublime performances as Dr. Hannibal Lecter) and the other cast was chosen well too, although Burgess Meredith replaced Sir Laurence Olivier due to illness and as much as Meredith played Greene really well but I do wonder what Olivier would have been like. The sound is nice and crisp, as are the visuals (as they always are when it comes to an addition released by, and the subtitles are great too (a great boon at this time as I'm still recovering from an ear injury and mishearing things now and then).
With the continuing popularity and fascination of dolls and toys in the horror genre (Puppet Master, Child's Play, Hugo, Anabel, and - ugh - even the Banana Splits) we meet one of the original devilish dummies: Fats...the side-kick from hell. The movie is based on the book by William Goldman and is directed by Richard Attenborough. Goldman received a 1979 Edgar Award, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. Hopkins received both Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his role as the tragically disturbed Corky.
Magic initially was going to have Jack Nicholson as Corky, but when he found out that he would have to wear a hairpiece he turned it down. More interestingly, Attenborough and Goldman wanted Gene Wilder to play Corky originally, but Levine refused as he didn't want any comedians in the movie as he thought that it would detract from the seriousness of the movie. Many years after the release of the movie, Gene Wilder said that he would have loved to have played Corky as he felt that the character and movie would have been much better with a comedian in the role.
Anthony Hopkins actually took the Fats puppet home, and got freaked out by it...not surprising really, the model was specifically made to look as much like him as possible. Hopkins also got into the role by learning the skills of ventriloquism and magic tricks. Some people loved the puppet, however...Fats was the inspiration for Slappy, the ventriloquist dummy in R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and in the TV series the voice is similar to Fats too, so the legacy of this movie and book continued.
Second Sight certainly sprinkles its own magic on the Anthony Hopkins' 1978 horror classic with its first UK Blu-ray release with a host of brilliant special features. There are interviews, trailers, behind the scenes and also subtitles. Second Sight has made a nice edition here, the only thing I think is missing from this is potentially a photo gallery of posters, stills, and press materials, but even without this is a great copy and if you like puppet movies (not for kids!!), horror, and maybe even romance (albeit a tad twisted) certainly one to add to the collection.
Magic is rated 15 is available 23 March 2020 on Blu-Ray from Second Sight, preorder your copy here