Magic - Die Puppe des Grauens

This was one of the first films I ever saw that absolutely creeped me out as a kid; I hadn't seen it in years and just caught it recently on Bravo, and I have to say that it still gives me the willies! Anthony Hopkins's performance is nothing short of remarkable (he's a great Lechter, but really, his first Oscar nod SHOULD have been for this film); his scenes with Fats - and the voice he provides for the character - still make my flesh crawl. If you can get past the low production values, and hang in there past the first 15-20 minutes (plus if you can actually find this in a video store), you're in for a pretty frightening psychological ride. Hey, DVD distributors, somebody pick this one up (and get a commentary track with Hopkins, Attenborough and Ann-Margaret!)

Richard Attenbourough has directed an intriguing and creepy little psychological thriller about a schizophrenic ventriloquist who 'splits' his identity with his dummy. Attenbourough has given a lot of attention to the setting creating an atmospheric effect such as the silent gloomy lake (inhabited by snapping turtles) and Corky's lonely cabin. The cinematography, particularly the closeups, are very impressive. 'Magic' is a simple film and while many have assumed that it's a horror film where the dummy is expected to become some kind of horrific entity (as I thought), that is not the case. Anthony Hopkins gives a stunning performance as the complex, shy and lonely Corky who finally finds love and his manipulative dummy Fats. There are so many moments of his excellent acting. Some examples include the scene where Corky is subjected to 'stop being Fats' for 5 minutes, the boat sequence and Hopkins's scenes with Ann Margret. Though he is more recognized for his 'chilling' Hannibal Lector persona, 'Magic' definitely showcases one of his best performances. The sexy Ann Margret also does an excellent job as the love of Corky's life. She brings a lot of depth to Peggy and she shows more than expected. Burgess Meredith leaves a mark as Corky's concerned manager. Overall, it's nice to see a different kind of Attenborough film. One that is quite well made and very well acted.

Sir Richard Attenbourough does a fine job directing this film about a magician that has little charm, personality, or self-confidence who must take a dummy into his act to let himself become famous. The only trouble is that the fine line that exists between the dummy and the ventriloquist becomes much too fine. Anthony Hopkins is really good as this shy, awkward man slowly descending into a world of madness as great success looms over the horizon. Hopkins also does the voice of the dummy, Fats, and lends his unique voice talents to create a very disturbing, eerie screen presence. The dummy is in many ways larger than life, and he steals almost every scene he is in. No supernatural puppet coming to life here, yet the character of Corky(Hopkins) gives his life to this dummy in a very unique way. The film is suitably creepy with some very atmospheric shots. As one reviewer noted, the scene where Hopkins is to not speak through the dummy for five minutes is easily the best. Each moment of that scene passed with incredible tension. It is downright chilling in fact. The other actors do very well. Burgess Meredith is made out to be much older that he was at the time, and I think he did a fantastic job. What can I say about Ann-Margaret. Stunning. She does a credible job acting, and let's face it, she looks like a million bucks(she even shows us more than expected as well). A spooky film, and a great screen performance by a much younger Anthony Hopkins.

The best meals and the best movies have this in common: they're filling. Hungry? Watch Magic. Goldman's intensely suspenseful, spooky novel shows up intact on the screen, featuring Mr Hopkins in the psychotic lead. I love Hopkins enough to have several favorite performances (Guilty Conscience, Silence of the Lambs, Magic, A Married Man); while additionally loving Goldman (Princess Bride, Magic, Marathon Man, The Hot Rock, Misery) enough for you to understand where I'm coming from. Our sympathy for Hopkins' character, Corky, a ventriloquist, is forced early on, as we begin to realize the relationship Corky has with his dummy named "Fats". So, there are two main characters...if you will. The other characters just get in the way...oops...I give too much away...

Look for the following scenes especially: 1) the card game; and, 2) Corky must remain silent for 5 minutes...

Ventriloquist "Corky" is about to hit the big time when he starts to realize fame and fortune isn't all it's cracked up to be. He retreats to a lakeside cabin owned by the woman he fell in love with as a teenager but things turn nasty. He is suffering from schizophrenia and uses the dummy to voice the things he can't bring himself to say. This is done superbly and Anthony Hopkins plays it all extremely convincingly. Ann-Margret puts in a mostly believable performance too although at times she seems a little unlikely. It doesn't detract though, her screen presence adds a lot to the movie and she looks radiant as ever. For a while when watching this film I had a horrible feeling that the dummy would turn out to have an intelligence of its own and would start walking around with a knife in its little wooden hands. Thankfully this doesn't happen and it's a much more sinister and impressive film for it. Overall this was surprisingly watchable, well made and at times genuinely scary. The violence is filmed well and doesn't resort to bloodfests to get the message across. One of the few 70's horror flicks I've seen with good acting and a credible plot, well worth watching!