{"id":33123,"date":"2020-04-21T19:05:32","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T23:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=33123"},"modified":"2020-04-25T19:34:41","modified_gmt":"2020-04-25T23:34:41","slug":"carnival-magic-1981-blu-ray-dvd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/21\/carnival-magic-1981-blu-ray-dvd\/","title":{"rendered":"Carnival Magic (1981) [Blu-Ray\/DVD]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I was never aware of what \u201cCarnival Magic\u201d was until \u201cMystery Science Theater 3000\u201d covered it years ago. I\u2019d never seen an alleged kids\u2019 film that was so adamantly uncomfortable, and droning, and inappropriate before. Al Adamson, who was known mainly for adult exploitation films, took his hand at making a children\u2019s adventure film, ends up making in inadvertent cult item that promises to confuse and dumbfound movie lovers for years in the same ilk as \u201cManos: The Hands of Fate,\u201d and \u201cTroll 2.\u201d I don\u2019t know if I\u2019d call it a cult gem, but it certainly is a cinematic oddity.<\/p>\n

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Markov the Magnificent is a magician and mind reader whose career has hit the skids. However, when he teams up with a talking chimp – after a while, no one is really all that amazed that monkeys can speak. With the chimp named Alexander the Great, their dirt poor Stoney Martin Carnival finally has a chance to be a success. Then again, Kirk the alcoholic lion tamer and the doctor who wants to examine Alexander’s brain may screw it all up for Alex and his owners.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarnival Magic\u201d looks an awful lot like Al Adamson took a few of his buddies and crashed some kind of low rent carnival that factors in to the premise of the film by convenience. The movie is a surprising precursor to \u201cET\u201d coincidentally, as Alexander is basically a talking a chimp (if you call grunting \u201cyes\u201d talking, that is) who becomes the target of scientists that want to dissect him. He begins to die slowly from sadness the more he\u2019s in possession of the scientists. Aside from being called \u201cCarnival Magic,\u201d there\u2019s nothing at all magical about Adamson\u2019s film, as it meanders back and forth between carnival goers and weird locals.<\/p>\n

As well there are a slew of sub-plots all of which never add up to an entertaining kids film. Even calling it a kids film doesn\u2019t excuse the inherent laziness and god awful production qualities. Even stuffing a monkey on screen almost immediately loses all novelty, as Alexander is something of a raunchy character through the very end. I think Adamson and co. approached this movie with the idea that it could possibly appeal to kids and families, but I don\u2019t know any kid that could find this movie remotely exciting or appealing. Even for its schlock value, it doesn\u2019t bring too much to the table.<\/p>\n

For better or for worse, \u201cCarnival Magic\u201d is a movie you normally wouldn\u2019t see on Blu-Ray and for that it just might grab its fair share of collectors. Otherwise it\u2019s a tedious often inappropriate movie that tests your endurance and patience.<\/p>\n

The new Blu-Ray and DVD from Severin Kids includes \u201cA Boom To Science \u2013 A Critical Appreciation\u201d<\/strong> by Zack Carlson & Lars Nilsen. There\u2019s also an audio commentary with Cult Film Historian Joe Rubin and Producer Elvin Feltner<\/strong>. There are a series of outtakes<\/strong>, original TV Spots<\/strong>, and the original trailer<\/strong>. Also included is the bonus feature film, the ninety two minutes \u201cLost,\u201d<\/strong> along with twenty two minutes of rushed footage for the never produced Al Adamson kids film \u201cThe Happy Hobo.\u201d<\/strong> Finally, there\u2019s the inclusion of the original \u201cLost\u201d trailer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n