gavin6942 A ventriloquist (Anthony Hopkins) is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart (Ann Margret).Of course, this is Anthony Hopkins' film, doing some fine work with two voices. How much is actual ventriloquism and how much was recorded after, who knows? But he more or less carries this film himself. For those who think Hopkins was not big in the horror genre until "Silence of the Lambs", this film will change your mind. But let us not forget the supporting cast.Laurence Olivier was originally offered the role of the agent but was unable to do it so Burgess Meredith was cast instead. Meredith got the role after walking into 21 one night when Joe E. Levine was there - Levine cast him on the spot. Meredith modeled his performance on the agent Swifty Lazar, even shaving his head to look like Lazar. "I tried to get his cool, understated manner, his sharp clothes and, most of all, his way of speaking softly so that you've got to lean over to hear what he's saying," said Meredith. This may be one of his best roles ever, clearly playing the stereotypical agent.

meddlecore In this bizarre classic, the late Richard Attenborough brings to life William Goldman's 1976 re-imagining of the 1929 film The Great Gabbo- where a ventriloquist suffers from dual personalities because of the nature of his trade. Shifting it from a romance to a horror (though there is still an element of romance).Anthony Hopkins puts on an incredible performance as Corky- a socially awkward magician whose act just isn't up to par. That is, until he comes up with a schtick where he teams up with a ventriloquist dummy named Fats (whose voice is also done by Hopkins). Together, they put on a self-deprecating stand-up comedy routine, with some magic tied in, of course. .They are a hit...and on the brink of hitting the bigtime. Their agent has a lined the duo up with a pilot, and potential series to follow. But- with Fats as the dominant personality- Corky fears that he will blow his big chance- or have to face reality- and thus flees back to his childhood home, in search of his high school crush, Peggy.He finds her running her families old motel. Though it's failing, along with her marriage. While her husband is away, Corky takes up residence in one of the cabins, as he tries to woo her with Fats.But after a while, it becomes unclear whether Corky is suffering from some sort of split personality disorder, or whether he is actually reeling from the psychological effects related to the burden of covering up for the fact that Fats is, himself, animate.Not only is Fats animate, but he also seems to be able to manipulate Corky. It's clear that he prefers this route too. During the killing of Gangrene, Corky is the one acting at the behest of Fats. But when Corky successfully woos Peggy, he becomes liberated from his fear-of-failure complex, forcing Fats to lash out on his own- like when he attacks and kills Duke, Peggy's husband.You start to think that Corky and Fats are definitely two separate entities (with Fats having his own soul or what not), but the ending blurs this distinction, and makes you re-evaluate what you thought you knew.I don't know if Hopkins was really doing the ventriloquism, or whether he was just acting it...but his performance is downright incredible either way. If only for the diverse range emotions and psychological conditions covered. As was previously mentioned, this film owes a lot to the 1929 film The Great Gabbo, and seems to have gone on to influence other films like Child's Play. Ventriloquist dummies are so badass, and make for solid psychological horror icons! This is one truly disturbing film that seems to be a sort of under-appreciated classic. A must see.8.5 out 10.

Eugene Alexander An excellent film with excellent actors. Ann-Margret as beautiful as ever and with amazing breasts considering that at the time women didn't user silicone enhancements. Burgess Meredith plays his role with great ease and proves again what a great actor he is. Ed Lauter was great too even though his role was a small one. But the whole movie is around Anthony Hopkins. He was a genius from an early age as anyone can see in this movie. After seeing the movie I am convinced that Anthony Hopkins actually is a schizophrenic! I guess that is why he plays the role so well in all his films. Thank you Anthony for being the mad man you truly are (smile). Can't wait for your next film!

inkslayer A successful ventriloquist - dependent upon his dummy's advice and whims - can't go to the next level of fame - TV - until he's checked out by a doctor. Instead of following his agent's advice to see a doctor, the ventriloquist heads for a remote Catskills lodge in hopes that the girl he held a torch for in high school is still available. When the agent comes a calling at the lodge, he tells the ventriloquist he can forgo seeing a doctor only if he can sit for 5 minutes without making his dummy talk. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as Corky, the insecure, vulnerable ventriloquist who suffers from excruciating headaches and uncontrollable bouts of transferring his thoughts and feelings into his dummy's mouth. Because of Hopkins' emotional performance, we actually believe Fats (the wooden imp with the big head) is controlling Corky's every move - good and bad.Ann-Margret is warm, tender, and touching as Corky's high school sweetheart Peggy Ann Snow. Her belief in Corky - and her love for the adorable Fats - is poignant. At the same time you want to shout at the screen and say, "What the hell are you doing? The guy is nuts!!!"Burgess Meredith is Ben Greene, Corky's cigar-smoking agent who hounds Corky about seeing a doctor. And Ed Lauter plays Duke, Peggy Ann's jealous husband who gets caught between Corky's and Peggy Ann's rekindled love for one another.Corky and Fats have many heavy conversations with one another. The best being one of the last:"It was never me. Always us." - Corky "Schmuck. Us was you." - Fats"What?" - Corky "It was you all the time." - FatsI saw Magic in NYC when it first came out in 1978. That being said, the movie is better viewed on the big screen for a number of reasons. The most important- so you can better notice and experience the dummy's different faces/expressions during certain crucial scenes and because psychological thrillers are just more affective on large screens. However, don't pass this film over just because you can't sit in a Ziegfeld-sized theatre.