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When I get a package of screeners from  , I generally tend to brace myself for mediocrity. I don’t say that to be mean or to cast aspersions on the editing staff. What I mean is I pretty much know that when I open that package, I won’t be getting a  screener for say… X-Men 3. That doesn’t mean the movies I get aren’t good. Generally they are. It just means that I usually don’t wet myself with excitement from just seeing the cover art.
Lucky for me, I was in the backyard when I opened the package containing Magic. The puddle was easy to hose off the concrete.
Magic stars Anthony Hopkins (yes… that Anthony Hopkins), Burgess Meredith (yes… that Burgess Meredith) and Ann-Margret (yes… that Ann-Margret) and it was directed by Richard Attenborough (yes… that Richard Attenborough). See why I made a mess?
Magic is a movie that, in my opinion, gets unduly beaten down a lot by critics. I’ve read reviews that talked about it being predictable. I’ve read reviews that it was overly melodramatic. I’ve also read reviews that said the only thing worth watching it for is Anthony Hopkins. These peoplewouldn’t know a good thriller if it jumped up and bit them on the ass. Magic is tense, disturbing, and downright scary. Additionally, the direction and cinematography are superb. The only thing that spoils this from being up there with my favorites is that I feel it has a cop out ending.
The story revolves around Corky (Hopkins), a magician trying to break into the entertainment business. His act mostly revolves around card tricks, and unfortunately for Corky, he has absolutely no stage presence. Soon though, things change for Corky because he finds a ventriloquist doll and melds it into the act. The doll’s name is Fats and all the charm that Corky lacks becomes manifested in the doll’s personality. Soon, the two are poised to hit the big time, but inexplicably, Corky starts balking at the television deal he’s being offered.
 Meredith Burgess plays Ben Green, Corky’s manager. He can’t understand why Corky is afraid of success and before he can get to Corky to calm him down, the magician has grabbed Fats and some clothes and hopped in a cab to disappear for a while. Corky travels back to his hometown, and upon stopping by a vacation cabin rental to look for a place to stay, soon realizes it’s owned by Peg (Ann-Margret), a woman he always had a crush on in high school. The two remember each other, and very quickly a romance begins to develop.
Ladies and gentlemen, at this point we’re only about 30 – 40 minutes into the film. Things have happened pretty fast and we’ve gotten the back story out of the way. That’s good, because from this point forward you really start to delve into just what makes Corky tick, and that’s something that is disturbing indeed.
 Why is he afraid to take a medical exam? What happened to his father and brother? Why is it that he holds entire conversations with Fats when no one is in the room but him? Could Fats really be alive?
All of these questions and more surface over the remaining 70 minutes, and some of them will end up unresolved. However the one thing you should know is that Fats, real or imagined, is one jealous son of a bitch, and when something stands in his way, he won’t rest until it’s removed.
Hopkins is amazing in this role. He was not a ventriloquist prior to this movie but he learned to be and performs all of the voices for Fats that you hear in the film. One thing that really stands out is his facial expressions. Watch him disappear while Fats is talking and it only adds to your suspicions that the doll may be controlling him.
 Burgess Meredith plays my favorite part in the film, as a super-agent with more money than he knows what to do with. He plays the part like no other and has some greatlines here. Lighting a cigar as long as my forearm, he smiles at Corky and says, “I invented conspicuous consumption.”
Priceless.
Ann-Margret is also phenomenal and incredibly sexy as a neglected wife, ready to turn over a new leaf and fall in love again. Her performance is equal parts vulnerability and strength as she struggles with her decision.
The only thing holding this back from being a four star movie is the ending. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone reading this, but after almost two hours of tension it’s pretty anti-climactic. Still, that’s no reason not to watch this film. It’s a very, very solid thriller.
 Presentation
This release looks very good. I was very impressed with the transfer and the way it sounds. It’s Dolby Mono 2.0 but it’s fine for what it is.
Extras
Here’s where this disc gets an extra 1.5 pants. I loved the film. I loved the fact that it was available to a new generation of fans who maybe hadn’t seen Hopkins in anything but Silence of the Lambs, but I really loved the fact that Dark Sky gave this movie some serious love.
 First up, the featurette “Fats and Friends” is actually almost creepier than the feature film.
It’s a short history of ventriloquism that moves on into a short history of the film. If Fats freaks you out in the movie, you’ll really get the willies looking at bunches of dolls in varying states of decay. My arm hair is standing up just thinking about it.
Next, an interview with Anthony Hopkins from the 1978 press tour is included. This was an interview for Spanish television (no, not Telemundo) and Hopkins talks quite a bit about his acting method and finding the character. Also included is an interview with cinematographer Victor J. Kemper, A.S.C. which is very entertaining and informative. Kemper explains how much of the look for this film came from him and also tells some stories about life on the set. Some may think this would be dry, but it’s not. He points out some of the tricks they were doing with light and shadow to really bring home the tension. This is a fantastic addition to the disc.
 There is also a radio interview included with Anthony Hopkins that is not bad. It is short and mostly goes more into the character and what he did to prepare for the role. There’s also a silent Ann-Margret make-up test that only exists for people who obsess over Ann-Margret. Then there is the theatrical trailer,a photo gallery, radio spots in Spanish and English and Television Spots in Spanish and English. It doesn’t get much more comprehensive than this.
The Bottom Line
Suspense movies don’t come much better than Magic. Without a doubt, any Hopkins fan should see it, and any fan of psychological horror should be chomping at the bit as well. Dark Sky did a good thing bringing this one back and they threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Don’t miss it.
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