Product: Magic [VHS] (1978)
Rating: 2.0
Not what it could have been
I really wanted to like this movie. I'd heard about it for years, and being a fan of subtle horror as opposed to thestandard blood and gore crap, I must have unconsciously expectedthat this was a lost gem with the great Anthony Hopkins. It isn't.I haven't often encountered films that are deservedly obscure but this isn't one of them. It is really disappointing to see Hopkins' talent wasted on a one dimensional mess of a character, the schizophrenic Corky, and see that really creepy dummy Fats, and realize what this film could have been if any imagination or effort had been into it.This was undoubtedly a chore for Richard Attenborough. He had rich material, great actors (Ann Margret, the late Burgess Meredith and of course Sir Anthony), and emerged with an unbelievable clunker that at times borders on sheer absurdity.The whole turn of events from the beginning of the film is beyond belief. We first see that Hopkins' character Corky is ashort tempered, quirky man who has aspirations to be a magician. He is laughed out of numerous clubs and booed constantly to his angry dismay. Then just a little later on the film we hear he's been on Johnny Carson. And yet he's still "scared of success" and doesn't want to make it big?None of this makes any sense.The "love affair" between Ann Margret and Corky is ridiculous. All the sudden Corky, who is certainly no catch, decides to take up residence while hiding from his agent in a cabin structure deep in the woods that just happens to be run by the girl he loved in high school. He behaves like temperamental, freaky jerk and all the sudden Ann Margret falls in love with him and wants to leave her alcoholic husband for him. By the end of the movie he's killed two people and Corky still thinks he can just leave and have a happy life with her.The only remotely effectual part of this movie is the relationship between Corky and Fats, and there are some chilling moments. There are some bone chilling scenes as we see just how insane Corky is, unable to make decisions without Fat's illusory confirmation and constantly being tormented by him. Fats is also amusing, though. He talks like a little mafioso.The ending is sad, true, but not that sad if you look at it logically: Corky has murdered his rich, famous agent and Ann Margret's husband, and I guess there's supposed to be some tragic irony that she wants to run away with him when he's dying in his cabin. So what? He would have been caught anyway and she probably would have noticed at some point that he was a complete schizoid, what with not being able to stay away from Fats for five minutes. Even as a psychological piece this is a little disappointing since nothing is elaborated on. Another reviewer mentioned that this may have been based on the Twilight Zone Episode with Cliff Robertson. If that's the case, watch that instead, as I'd recommend that half hour over this entire film.