Carnival Magic is a 1983[1] American film directed by Al Adamson and starring Don Stewart.
| Carnival Magic | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover art | |
| Directed by | Al Adamson |
| Produced by | Elvin Feltner |
Production company | Krypton Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Marketed as a family-oriented children’s film,[2] it has since gained a cult following in underground and B movie film circles owing to its surreal plot and incongruously-adult themes.[3] Carnival Magic is Adamson's penultimate film.[4]
Plot
editMarkov the Magnificent is a talented magician and mind-reader whose career is fading. When he partners with a super-intelligent talking chimp named Alexander the Great, the duo suddenly become a big draw—and the potential savior for their struggling, small-time traveling circus. Markov and fellow workers inside the circus must fend off a jealous, alcoholic tiger-tamer and an evil doctor intent on stealing the chimp.
Cast
edit- Don Stewart as Markov
- Regina Carrol as Kate
- Jennifer Houlton as Ellen
- Howard Segal as David
- Joe Cirillo as Kirk
- Mark Weston as Stoney
- Charles Reynolds as Dr. Poole
- Missy O'Shea as Girl in Car
Background
editPrincipal photography took place for the film over the span of three weeks in July 1980[5] in Gaffney, South Carolina,[1] during that city's South Carolina Peach Festival.[5] Many of the scenes in Gaffney were shot at the peach festival's carnival, its parade, and in a second parade staged for the movie.[5] Additional work for the film was done at the Earl Owensby Studios in Shelby, North Carolina.[5]
Producer Elvin Feltner and director Al Adamson intended the film as family fare, aimed at children, and it was in fact given a G rating by the MPAA.[1] However, the prevalence of adult themes (alcoholism, sex, abuse, violence) left many viewers confused. The film premiered at the Crosscreek Cinemas in Greenwood, South Carolina, on March 4, 1983,[1] and was also shown in other theatres in the region beginning on that date. By November it had seen a wider release, and was (for example) being shown in New York City.[6]
This was the last acting role for Regina Carrol, who was married to director Adamson and featured in several of his films.[7] Philip Morris, a real-life ringmaster, magician, and costume maker, appears as a carnival barker.[8] This was also one of Adamson’s last two films before retiring from the film industry and pursuing a career in real estate.[9]
Revival and re-release
editFor two decades Carnival Magic was considered a lost film, and no prints were known to exist. This changed in 2009, when a 35mm print was discovered in a warehouse, sparking a revival of interest among cult film aficionados.[6] Following the discovery of this print, Carnival Magic was restored and re-mastered in 2010, receiving its television debut on Turner Classic Movies in October of that year, as part of their TCM Underground series.[7] It saw a DVD release in early 2011 from Film Chest and HD Cinema Classics, reissued on Blu-ray and containing bonus material. The bonus material includes out-takes, trailers, audio commentary and interviews with cult film historian Joe Rubin and producer Elvin Feltner.[10]
The film was featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as a part of the show's eleventh season, released on April 14, 2017 through Netflix.
Targeted audience
editVarious commentators found the film was a "strange move" in Adamson's career[2] and that although its targeted audience was allegedly children, the film was not actually shaped to that purpose, one reviewer confessing for instance: "the G-rated Carnival Magic is the most thematically adult 'kids' film I’ve ever seen".[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Hite, Duncan (1983-03-04). "Movie premiering here should please soap fans". The Index-Journal. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ a b "Carnival Magic". mondo-digital.com. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ^ "Bumpy Ride".
- ^ "American Genre Film Archive CARNIVAL MAGIC". www.americangenrefilm.com. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ^ a b c d "Peach festival proof "dreams do come true"". The Gaffney Ledger. 2012-07-11. p. 44. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
- ^ a b Schlock, Temple Of (20 September 2010). "TEMPLE OF SCHLOCK: CARNIVAL MAGIC on TCM Underground in October!".
- ^ a b "Carnival Magic".
- ^ Taylor, Brett (Fall 2010). "The Amazing Philip Morris: TV Horror Host, Spook Show Magician, Ventriloquist, and The Man Who Made Bigfoot". Filmfax Plus (125).
- ^ Coffel, Chris (2020-02-25). "[Review] 'Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson' Shines Light on an Overlooked Legend". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Carnival Magic [Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack]: Don Stewart, Regina Carrol, Joe Cirillo, Al Adamson: Movies & TV". Amazon.
- ^ Drebit, Scott (2020-07-06). "Blu-ray Review: CARNIVAL MAGIC (1983)". Daily Dead. Retrieved 2023-05-30.