The Magic of the Movies

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Decide on a theme. What movies would you like to watch? You can choose a certain category/genre, director, actor, or production. 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

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. Directed by Sylvain Chomet, based on an unproduced script written by the legendary director Jacques Tati, ‘The Illusionist’ tells the story of a struggling French illusionist who travels to Scotland, where his life changes after he meets a beautiful young woman named Alice, who believes he genuinely possesses magical powers. I happened to watch this film recently and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The plot here isn’t particularly original or striking in any way but it’s Chomet’s treatment of the story that stands out for me. It is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated animated movies of recent times. 4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Some of the films on this list are fictional accounts of the lives of some of the world's greatest and most famous magicians, especially Harry Houdini. In the 1953 classic biographical film Houdini, Tony Curtis plays the late, great escapologist and Janet Leigh plays his wife, Bess Houdini. If you're interested in movies about magic, this one is a must see. 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). Most of the exterior shots were shot at Le Trianon resort on the Blue Lake in Upper Lake, California.If you’re looking for magicians in movies, Magicians probably has more than any other film. Magicians is a British film, largely based around magic and magic conventions in the UK. The leads are from the UK sitcom, The Peep Show. David Mitchell and Robert Webb play magicians Karl and Henry who want to take part in a magic competition. Stories are a big part of religion and culture. They indulge our imagination. More importantly, they bind us together. Right now we’re watching movies with Marilyn Monroe. It is so much fun to experience the stories from the perspective of the storytellers—the humor, the drama, the futility of most of our struggles, and the impermanence of everything as we know it in this life. Watching movies is not just about passive entertainment. Movies are, and will remain, an integral part of our cultural and artistic ecosystem.

Dive into the realm of new fantasy movies that have been bewitching both cinephiles and critics alike throughout 2023. From enthralling tales of magic and heroism to captivating adventures set in fantastical landscapes, this list showcases the cream of the crop in upcoming fantasy movies. The list is a culmination of carefully curated films that have garnered acclaim not only for their mesmerizing narratives but also for their impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores and undeniable potential as Oscar hopefuls.

19. Zorba's Dance - Sirtaki (Zorba The Greek)

The movies of yesteryear were entertainingly formulated. The operators in the formula were the hero, the heroine , the villain, the comedian and the host of extras. Mellifluous songs founded on high-quality lyrics added to the charm. The movies not only entertained but taught to be chivalrous like the hero, shun the evil acts of the villain and be humorous like the comedian to mitigate the agonies of life. Siskel, Gene (November 13, 1978). "Hopkins' stellar 'Magic' act weaves a spell". Chicago Tribune. Section 3, p. 6 . Retrieved September 29, 2022– via Newspapers.com.