PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When thinking about my all time favorite horror movie, I always land on a lesser known Anthony Hopkins vehicle. This story about a ventriloquist and his ghoulish ventriloquist doll was always so creepy to me. That movie is called Magic.
The reason I find Magic so fascinating is because on one seamless night, my dad and I went to Blockbuster. As a kid, I was just getting into films and was already a huge Hopkins fan. Dad admitted, “This film freaked me out so much when I was younger!” So, of course, I had to rent it. He was right… it freaked me out big time! Director Richard Attenborough (A Bridge Too Far 1977) did a phenomenal job with storytelling and character development of this film. Read on for my thoughts on the film.
https://youtu.be/Ib_N-4vZUkU
First, the synopsis for Magic:
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
Now, my thoughts on each aspect of the film:
The Acting
Actors Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs 1991) and Ann-Margret (Grumpy Old Men franchise) are objects of beauty in Magic, adding so much more than suspense! It’s a shame that this film is so under looked and underappreciated.
The Story
The story is based off a William Goldman novel, who also wrote the cult classic The Princess Bride, which still has its place in my family. For the longest time, my dad would keep getting it as a gift for my older sister, and to keep the inside joke going, I bought her the novel recently. The story is a true romance that you don’t see in horror often, and it’s perfect. Anthony Hopkins’ character, Corky, struggles with fame, reconnects with his high school crush, and they rekindle their youth. You see, Magic is a rom-com disguised as a horror movie with ventriloquist dummies.
The History
Laurence Olivier was offered the role of the agent but couldn’t do it. Steven Spielberg expressed interest in directing Magic with Robert De Niro which makes sense after seeing him in The King Of Comedy (1982). Anthony Hopkins went on to gain a Golden Globe nomination for this film. The coolest thing is that Hopkins and Ann-Margret were both paid $300,000 for their parts equally, which was unheard of at that time in Hollywood. The film received positive reviews, holding an impressive 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Distribution Company
Dark Sky Films is known for releasing films like this, similar to Miramax and A24 in their heyday. Most recent franchises for Dark Skies include Adam Green’s Hatchet. They don’t have many misses though. A lot are low key releases and some are considered hidden gems. Movies like this find their cult following on home video.
This is why Magic is my all time favorite horror movie of all time. What do you think of Magic? If you have seen it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!
