Magic of the Movies

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There are a few great documentaries that profile magicians that I decided not to include in this list. Maybe it's that they seem to be more personal than about magic, but for some reason I didn't want to include them even though they are great films. Those movies include:• An Honest Liar: This fascinating and touching film about James Randi chronicles his career from magician to noted skeptic, and even delves into his personal secrets quite a bit. And with the technologies of today, movies have a wider reach than ever. We can watch movies from countries around the globe. With the occasional special guest, join the pair as they discover what it really takes to stay relevant in the public eye today. I come from that generation for whom ‘movies’ was a guilty pleasure. You had to hide your love for it, you couldn’t celebrate it; you had to pretend along with the others that it was silly: at best, a way to kill time, at worst, a waste of time. It wasn’t art, it wasn’t a career, (not even a Vis Com course in sight) it wasn’t respected or even respectable. It also had to do with the state of the art of our movies which, frankly, wasn’t state of the art ‘anything’. (Yes, there were some charming, poetic, sepia-toned Guru Dutt-type movies, and some artsy cinema — the parallel cinema — but right there was the problem: it stayed parallel, didn’t connect, didn’t touch, didn’t go anywhere). No one in their right mind could look at our mainstream cinema then and say: that’s the most vital art form of the 20th century.

Most of the actors, directors, producers, and crew on such movies have passed on. Yet their work of art is here to tell the story. They are alive in our imagination. It doesn’t matter whether we see them on the big screen or from the comfort of our homes. As long as they tell stories, we will be watching.You know what your problem is, it’s that you haven’t seen enough movies - all of life’s riddles are answered in the movies. ~Steve Martin Read My Lips", a 1993 episode of Batman: The Animated Series, features a villain called the Ventriloquist, who leads a group of criminals through the persona of his dummy Scarface. We build strong memories and associations with movies that we watched as kids and adults. They are part of our journey. Canby, Vincent (November 8, 1978). "Film: Dummy Takes Over in 'Magic' ". The New York Times . Retrieved December 30, 2005. Decide on a theme. What movies would you like to watch? You can choose a certain category/genre, director, actor, or production.

Joanna is the enthusiastic amateur - asking the questions she’s always wanted to ask - and Stephen is The Maestro, providing the answers. Who was better: Mozart or Beethoven? Why do certain pieces of music make us feel a certain way? What do conductors actually do? They also discuss the great composers and symphonies, and the often-remarkable stories behind them, all delivered in Joanna and Stephen’s unique, engaging and affectionate way.Laurence Olivier was offered the role of the agent but was unable to do it, and then Burgess Meredith was cast. [5] Meredith landed the role after walking into the 21 Club one night when Levine was there – Levine cast him on the spot. Meredith modelled 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. [7] Goldman later wrote about the film that "Burgess Meredith was perfect and Tony Hopkins...was so wonderful here. But running stride for stride with him was Miss Olsson. I think Ann-Margret is the least appreciated emotional actress anywhere." [8] I mean, prefer the way movies tell stories to how novels tell them. Oh, it’s not choosing images over words — I do a lot of heavy duty non-fiction reading and love the long-form, immersive factual narrative — it’s more from a preference now for stories narrated in pictures than in words. (I just realised this explains to me my growing interest in children’s picture books!). There was a time I never went to a movie based on a book without first having read the book. Now I put the book down and wait expectantly for the movie version. (You’ll be surprised how many of them turn out nicely). You probably know Joanna Lumley, but you may not be aware that her husband Stephen Barlow is a famed conductor, composer and musician - and the pair of them are passionate about classical music. On this, their new podcast, the pair welcome you into their home for a personal, fascinating and funny journey through a musical world.

Siskel, Gene (January 7, 1979). "Film clips and the year's Top 10 in review". Chicago Tribune. Section 6, pp. 3, 12 . Retrieved September 29, 2022– via Newspapers.com. For a long time now, that venerable storytelling art form — literature — hasn’t been able to do much for me. I had once written, in this very newspaper, that books had given me my longest standing identity: that of a reader. Now I’ll have to say I know myself more (and better) as a multiplex movie-goer and a home theatre DVD watcher. There is nothing wrong with watching a movie to escape and unwind. However, it’s more rewarding to watch with a clear purpose in mind, combined with a desire and curiosity to connect with the story and how it’s told. I don’t know how much this once large and troubling reality about going to the movies in India has changed for women, but I do see a few young women now, mostly college-going, catch a morning or matinee alone at a multiplex. Killing time, bunking college or an irrepressible passion for cinema? Whichever it is, it’s nice to see they can choose to watch alone. I wonder how much of that ridiculous old stigma had also to do with the poor reputation cinema had in India for several generations as trashy and artistically inferior cinema. Our movies are hip and cool now, but even until the late 90s they were thought of as cheesy and infra dig. (What we could all unabashedly relish and celebrate were the movie songs, especially the old Hindi songs). Kilday, Gregg (June 12, 1976). "MOVIE CALL SHEET: Knievel to Star as himself". Los Angeles Times. Part II, pp. 7– 8– via Newspapers.com.

Last summer I had a fun experiment with my family. We started watching the movies that won the Academy Awards for best picture. Today I’d like to invite you to immerse yourself in the movies you want to watch—not by just passively consuming the story, but by fully living and experiencing it.