[New post] Cult film review: Magic

New post on The Daily P.O.P. Cult film review: Magic by dailypop One of the weirdest and most unsettling horror films I saw as a child, Magic ranks quite highly in my nightmare fuel meter. Written by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives) and directed by Richard Attenborough (A Bridge Too Far, Gandhi), Magic is a totally bizarre horror film that skirts the limits of madness through the psychology of entertainment and identity. The film follows Corky Withers, a magician who fails horribly on his first stage performance. Looking for inspiration, he finds that a side-kick in the form of the wise-cracking Fats saves his career. Fats is a ventriloquil figure that wins over the audience and makes him a hit. However, when it becomes clear that stardom beckons on TV, Corky crumbles and fleas his agent for the Catskills to get his head together. In reality, Corky has become so addicted to his alternate personality 'Fats' that he literally cannot live without him. When his agent Ben Greene finds him in a secluded cabin, he starts to realize the severity of the problem. Corky cannot last five minutes without picking up Fats and cracking jokes through the dummy's mouth. But it gets worse. When threatened with seeking psychiatric help, Corky snaps and murders Greene, using Fats as the murder weapon. By chance he finds that his cabin is near his high school crush (played by the delicious Ann-Margret) whim he seduces and starts an affair with while he steadily loses more of his sanity. The entire movie is held together by an unbelievably intense performance from Anthony Hopkins (also seen in Thor and some other movies). Hopkins learned some real magic tricks for the role and appears to be so in character at times that I imagine he suffered greatly in attempting to separate himself from the movie. Earning Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations, Hopkins received acclaim for his part in Magic, a movie so creepy that the trailer was pulled from TV. Trailer If you're looking for some other cult/horror film suggestions for the Halloween season, why not delve into the Daily P.O.P. archives? Fiend Without a Face Casa Negra (Black Pit of Dr. M (aka Misterios de Ultratumba), Brainiac AKA El Baron Del Terror, The Curse of the Crying Woman and The Witch's Mirror) Bela Legosi – White Zombie The Ghost of Frankenstein The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies Videodrome Head Trauma The Last Broadcast The Host American Scary Gojira Phantom of the Paradise Tod Browning's 'Freaks' House of Dracula The Mummy (1932) Quatermass And The Pit AKA Five Million Years to Earth Dementia-13 The Evil Brain from Outer Space The Brain Eaters Phantasm Existenz dailypop | October 15, 2011 at 8:15 am | Tags: cult horror, magic anthony hopkins | Categories: cult movies | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-3bs Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://dailypop.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/cult-film-review-magic/

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Steve McQueen: Action limited edition book by John Dominis Posted: 14 Oct 2011 01:49 PM PDT A must for Steve McQueen fans, not least because the Steve McQueen: Action book by John Dominis is a very limited edition. It's actually been published to mark the John Dominis exhibition at La galerie de l'Instant in Paris, with these McQueen photos never before been exhibited in galleries. Dominis spent three weeks in 1963 with Steve McQueen, capturing a variety of shots of the star on his motorcycle, driving his Jaguar through to being at home with his wife. The book is in French and covers 64 pages, sized at 24.5 x 30.6 cm. Each one is signed by John Dominis and is in a limited run of 500. Want one? Colette is the place (who ship worldwide), the price being £70.07. Find out more at the Colette website

Limited Edition Star Wars: The Blueprints book Posted: 14 Oct 2011 10:34 AM PDT Here is a serious collectors item for all you Star Wars fanboys and girls out there.  This highly limited edition Star Wars: The Blueprints book features all the blueprints from the Star Wars saga. From the Millenium Falcon to the Death Star, the huge book is stuffed to the rafters with vivid and intricately detailed drawings that celebrate the artists and engineers who made the legendary films' backdrops and vehicles so iconic. With plenty of mock up drawings and fascinating commentary from the people behind the scenes, this book is every Star Wars geek's dream. The Star Wars: The Blueprints book is available as a limited edition of 5000, comes in a custom-made cloth case complete with a certificate of authenticity. £300 from Forbidden Planet.

Seven Deadly Sins plates set from Trixie Delicious on Etsy Posted: 14 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT If you love showing off vintage crockery but are reluctant to hang any old twee plates on your precious walls, this set of Seven Deadly Sins plates set from Trixie Delicious on Etsy should be right up your street. Trixie specialises in giving old fashioned china naughty makeovers. With this particular sets, she has used a selection of different vintage plates and emblazoned each with one of the seven deadly sins. If you look closer, you'll see that the Sloth plate also doubles as a clock. Perfect if you prefer to display retro goodies with a risque edge. The set is £97 from Trixie Delicious' Etsy store.

eBay watch: 1950s mini sideboard Posted: 14 Oct 2011 04:45 AM PDT Ok, it's not that small, but compared to the huge '70s numbers you often see in secondhand stores, this is a 1950s mini sideboard. It looks to be a good quality item too, dating back to the midcentury era and said to be a blend of different veneers (rosewood, pear or apple tree, cherry), with 'sculptural handles' on the drawers, ebonised feet with brass tipping and a large storage area (with key) alongside those drawers. It's described as being in 'very good' condition, with some wear around the edges and feet and a small repair in the bottom right section. If that's not a problem, £9 is the current price. Find out more at the eBay website

Alexander Girard Color book Posted: 14 Oct 2011 04:20 AM PDT Kids' books don't get much cooler than the Alexander Girard Color book, which is published by AMMO books. As you probably know, Girard is best known for his textile designs for Herman Miller, but also turned his hand to interior, graphic and furniture design, working with the likes of George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames in the middle of the 20th century. Influential, that goes without saying. This isn't your traditional book, this child-friendly book is a 'board book', with chunky pages featuring 26 classic midcentury Girard designs, as well as the 1972 'Girls' illustration on the front cover of the book. Saying that, we suspect this will be in the Christmas stockings of as many adults as children! The books is available as a discounted pre-order on Amazon right now, with a publication date of 5th November. £8.96 is that price. Find out more at the Amazon website

Dwell Mini Bar Side Table Posted: 14 Oct 2011 02:23 AM PDT The idea of having a bar in the corner of your lounge may not be considered as sophisticated as it once was, but the Dwell Mini Bar Side Table offers an acceptable alternative. By day it is a simple side table, but it opens out to reveal mini bar with storage space for a number of bottles and glasses. It's the ideal solution if you don't want to look like a complete lush! It is made from the ever-popular walnut veneer and costs £249. Buy it online from Dwell.

Leaf Tray Posted: 14 Oct 2011 02:11 AM PDT Whether you are serving tea, cakes or nibbles, this Leaf Tray will come in handy. Made in Sweden, the leaf design is typical of Scandinavian style. It is available in two unusual colours, either blossom pink or blackberry dark purple. The tray measures 32cm by 32cm, and is made from laminated birchwood. It costs £33 from Caroline McGrath.

Postmodernism oyster card holder Posted: 14 Oct 2011 01:39 AM PDT What better way to update your commute with this postmodernism oyster card holder. This oyster card holder follows on from the current V&A postmodernism exhibition and features art work from the covers of The Face magazine from 1980-90. Mixed onto the cover are photographs by Mario Testino, Jean-Baptiste Modino, Sheila Rock, Mike Laye and Peter Ashworth. There's actually a whole range of funky items in this range including a glasses cloth and notebook so if you're really keen you could buy more. And to make it even more appealing it's only £2 from the V&A shop.

Leopard collar 1960s coat Posted: 14 Oct 2011 01:27 AM PDT Hop back in time with this leopard collar 1960s coat. The bold, bright colour of this coat are bound to get you noticed everywhere you go and for all the right reasons. Not only will your friends never lose you in a crowd again, you'll be the envy of all coat-wearers around you. This 1960s-inspired coat oozes confidence and style and it sits well with many other items from this era currently on the high street. It's 80% wool so it will keep you warm as the winter comes along and we love it. This beauty if from ASOS for £90.

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