Product: Magic [VHS] (1978)
Rating: 5.0
Horror that comes home with you
I have become convinced over the years that Anthony Hopkins could do one of those motivational infomericals and he'd still be creepy.Here is an inexplicably obscure movie in which Hopkins is a lovelorn puppeteer with a tenuous grasp on reality. By itself, his dwindling sanity provides more chills than most modern horror, because few people can depict madness like Hopkins. Add a leering puppet to that dawning lunacy and, well... This is the kind of movie that makes you want to look over your shoulder every thirty seconds.I saw it as a young boy and could not sleep that night. I kept imagining I would look up from my pillow and see Fats the dummy grinning from the foot of my bed. I revisited the movie decades later and the creepy crawliness of the film was not diminished. Fats still evokes childish fears and Hopkins is still a master of delivering that kind of unease. It's a lethal combination.Magic is a movie that should be more frequently discussed in horror circles. If you haven't seen it, it's a must. If you saw it years ago, it's worth a second viewing. You'll still want to look over your shoulder every now and then to be certain Fats isn't behind you with that hideous, wide-eyed grin and some really vile intentions.