Carnival Magic

The wonderful thing about living in Seattle is being able to choose among the many revival theaters that we film snobs have access to. On any given weekend we can choose between horror epics like Evil Dead, Psycho and Carrie; John Hughes' teen-angst epics like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink; or just plain obscure epics like Al Adamson's Carnival Magic.

Now, Carnival Magic comes nowhere close to resembling an epic in the Cecil B. DeMille vein, but does remind me of a particularly painful epic experience that I had at the dentist's office when I was around ten. The dentist pried, drilled, scraped and pulled for what seemed to have been ten hours and after the enamel and bone dust settled, I was a couple of pounds lighter and a much stronger human animal. If you are "fortunate" enough to witness Carnival Magic, I am willing to wager that your experience will approximate my dental adventure.

Carnival Magic is a children's film (I think) that "stars" Don Stewart as Markov the Magician (imagine a young Harvey Keitel). Markov is a magician who has the genuine ability to read minds, levitate and bend steel bars. When not performing one miraculous feat after the other, Markov meditates and hangs out with his English-speaking chimpanzee companion, Alex (yes, you read that right). On one ominous day, the carnival owner's daughter begs Markov to put Alex into his act to save her father's fledgling fair. Markov begrudgingly agrees. At first, ticket sales soar and Markov and Alex are carny heroes. Unfortunately, the jealous alcoholic tiger-tamer, who was once the main attraction, becomes tired of playing second fiddle to the damn dirty ape and decides to kidnap Alex and sell him to a vivisectionist.

As I'm sure you have surmised, Carnival Magic is sort of a simian version of Day of The Dolphin but, regrettably, Al Adamson is no Mike Nichols and Don Stewart is sure as Hell no George C. Scott.

This film contains endless scenes of North Carolinians (nothing against people from North Carolina, it's just where it was filmed) riding carnival rides, playing games and eternally sitting watching Markov perform his magic. Occasionally, the film kicks out of "She Freak" gear and grinds into never-ending inane dialogs between Markov and the other fair folk. In one infinite scene we discover how a former beauty queen is transformed, without supernatural assistance, from Miss Arkansas to Markov's assistant through a series of hard-luck choices she has made. Watching paint dry can be more fun.

I won't give away the big surprise ending, but if you make it that far you deserve the big payoff - bring plenty of Kleenex.

Critics and so-called film fans endlessly rail on about Edward D. Wood, Jr.s' Plan 9 From Outer Space, heralded as the "worst film ever made", (obviously, these people have never seen "Eight Heads in a Duffle Bag"), but you never hear anyone giving speeches about Carnival Magic. Well, that's just plain wrong. Carnival Magic is a cinematic endurance test of the highest caliber. It takes a magnanimous spirit to sit through an entire screening of Carnival Magic but once you do, you'll be altered forever.

Sitting through this film rather reminded me of my younger-self sitting in that unholy dentist chair. Sure, I had to white-knuckle it through the entire process, but it has made me a stalwartly cinema survivor. If I can sit through that, I can take anything they throw at me. If you consider yourself a true cinemaphile, (you must if you've read this far), you owe it to yourself to see Carnival Magic. Take it from me, you'll be a stronger viewer for it.

I found a DVD and just gave it a spin - not nearly as bad as a feared, but it's still one weird flick. I like that it captures the sleazy vibe of those flea market carnivals of the 70s - like the movie, they mixed kiddie attractions with crazy gross freakshows and sometimes burlesque and peep shows (I saw my first stripper sneaking under a carnival tent!). But the acting was so weak, it made Ed Wood's posse look like a PBS ensemble.

And what was up with that crazy chimp voice?? Al Adamson makes some of the most inexplicable flicks ever. There's a full audio commentary by the producer/co-director, "a critical appreciation" and silent outtakes, and the print quality is outstanding. How crazy that the flick was rated G! The producer says they had to cut the animal trainer slapping his girlfriend's face from three slaps down to two to get the G rating. His memory is astounding, he recalls where each performer was hired from. One gal was the rental car agent he picked up when he flew in, he just gave her a line in the midway scene!

There's one scene of the monkey running off after a trick - the producer says the monkey just ran off the set and was missing for hours! Nobody knows where he went or what he did. He just strolled back onto the set later that day, and they resumed shooting his scenes.

I bet there's some neighbor somewhere near where they shot this who's still telling wild tales that nobody will believe about the day that monkey showed up and raided the dog food dish....

My review was written in November 1982 after viewing at a screening room in Times Square.

Lensed in 1980 at Earl Owensby Studios and other Norh Carolina locations, "Carnival Magic" is a mild children's film about a carnival magician and his talking chimp partner. Lacking any special effects or adult audience hook, the low-budget Elvin Feltner production faces tough sledding in the marketplace, though it may find takers in U. S. regions and foreign territories hungry for family fare.

Don Stewart toplines as Markov the Magnificent, a small-time circus magician whose chimp partner Alexander the Great (Trudi the chimp) can speak (well-synched dubbing by Linda Sherwood). Amidst very tame romantic subplots. Film's sole conflict arises when Markov's popularity overshadows that of the circus's lion tamer, who kidnaps Alex and gives him to an unscrupulous doctor for scientific experiments.

With filmmaking technique more appropriate to "backyard" pictures, "Magic" offers little beyond its fantasy element of a talking chimp. Judging from the lack of on-screen reaction to Trudi's dubbed dialog, even this factor seems extraneous. Since the old-fashioned magic tricks are achieved by editing, only the smallest tot will be impressed.

Acting is weak, with lead Stewart baring his chest a lot but underplaying to dreary effect. Tech credits are subpa, with director Al Adamson, vet of dozens of action and horror/sci-fi cheapies, unable to conjure up the sentimentality the script aims for.

This was shot in the summer of 1980, but not released until three years later. So, while it's listed as a 1983 film, there's a lot of late 70s' residue.

Regina Carrol as Kate is one of the main highlights. She was 37 during shooting in the summer of 1980, but still very beautiful (physically and inwardly), even stunning. There's a good scene that specifically explains why she was a little long in the tooth as the magician's assistant. She happened to be director Al Adamson's wife from 1972-1992 when she died of cancer at the too-young age of 49. Al passed away three years later.

There are other points of interest, like Don Stewart (known for his ten-year stint in Guiding Light) as the brooding-yet-principled magician with mesmerizing powers learned in Nepal, as well as the setting of the traveling carnival itself. I realize it's a 'B' production with some third-rate acting (e.g. Stoney), but the flick works mostly because it fleshes out the characters and you care about them and their story.

Anyone who appreciates low-budget movies involving circuses, like "When the Circus Came to Town," "Roustabout," "Circus of Horrors" or "Circus of Fear," aka "Psycho-Circus," should find something to like.

It runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Shelby, North Carolina, which is almost an hour's drive west of Charlotte; as well as Gaffney, which is a half-hour drive south of there, across the border in South Carolina.

GRADE: B.

Ironically, people giving a 10 star "so bad it's good" review may have their heart in the right place, but sadly do themselves and everyone else a disservice. At the time of this review, IMDB has Carnival Magic at 2.3. WAY too high.

I understand "The Room" holds the title of worst of all time (the WOAT?) But I strongly disagree. So what is it about Carnival Magic that makes it worse than The Room? I'm glad I asked! It all comes down to intent. Call it conspiracy theory but I've long felt The Room just a little TOO awful. Tommy Wisough(sp?) saw the masses of nostalgic hipsters and created for them their "Citizen Kane" (something I genuinely respect BTW). Carnival Magic ALSO thinks it's Citizen Kane. How does a movie this bad slip through so many people and get released? Well it's something future historians will struggle to answer. Its been said archeology is the study of trash, people's culture defined by their garbage. Carnival Magic is beautiful garbage. Real people wrote this script, real actors read for these parts, real casting directors hired these roles and somewhere a real director has this on a resume. Its a beautifully orchestrated train wreck done right, with tickets sold to passengers NOT to spectators!

(that train analogy was awesome)

So while the sheep continue "ironically" worshipping false idles, purchasing 4K special editions of Sharknado, waiting hours in line for a selfie with Tommy Wisoeh(sp? I refuse to Google that man), it's quiet unsung heroes, heroes like Carnival Magic, who sadly go unappreciated.

I urge you. Do what's right here, look into your heart. Give Carnival Magic the 1 star it deserves, the 1 star it earned.