In fact the rash of Harry Potter films, the wonderful Lord of the Rings trilogy and even Star Wars may be included. However, from a need to expand the list of magician galvanized or magically themed movies I have left these out as being 'too obvious'.

For reasons of brevity I actually have conjointly not included totally animated movies in this list, therefore the likes of Fantasia, Sword in the Stone and even The Illusionist (Sylvian Chomet's 2010 film) are not thought of.

I've conjointly ignored television series, like The Magician (Bill Bixby trained by Mark Wilson), Jonathan Creek, the quirky 1970's TV series Ace of Wands plus specific Colombo, Midsummer Murders, One Foot in the Grave episodes that were based around magic and magicians.

Therefore this brings us to a fast spherical-of some of the simplest of the magician-in-the-movies films I am awake to. Starting with those just outside the Prime Ten - not as a result of of any lack of quality, simply because they're a very little peripheral to the most list.

Ok not really a magic film, but options a performance of one of my all time magic heroes, Ricky Jay. Ricky is one in all a group of con-men during this Hitchcockesque thriller. Mamet, as perpetually does a nice job in capturing mood and also the movie explores human motivations and behaviours. Ricky Jay is after all no stranger to the big screen, with roles in the Bond Movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, Magnolia, Buck Howard, The Prestige and many additional. This, I believe but was his 1st venture onto the 'massive screen'

three. Houdini (1953) directed by George Marshall with Tony Curtis in as Houdini. This movie does have a heap to answer for in that it creates some of the longer lasting myths regarding the life of the genuinely 'mythic' Houdini. His death on stage as a results of performing the 'water torture cell' is not fact, however the movie actually hints at it. The 'brush with death' in an exceedingly frozen river; the first performance of the 'straight jacket' at a Magicians Society dinner almost surely never happened - but the romance and innocence of the moment saves it. The magical advisor on this movie was Dunninger.

I suppose it is price mentioning in passing that in 1998 there was a TV movie regarding Houdini (directed by Pen Denshem) and an earlier try at a biopic remake in 1976 with Paul Michael Glaser within the title role (directed for television by Melvile Shavelson). The movie Death Defying Acts (2007) directed by Gillian Armstrong focuses on Houdini's documented interest in mediums and psychics and he's really the vehicle through which another story can be told.

two. Magic (1978) directed by Richard Attenborough and staring Anthony Hopkins. Within the film Hopkins' character starts out as a magician, but sees success as a ventriloquist. The movie charts the fall into insanity as the relationship Hopkins has together with his dummy 'Fats'. It's a classic movie with some of the creepier overtones being softened by, what some claim to be, slower sequences of sentimentality.

1. The Illusionist (2006) directed by Neil Burger and staring Ed Norton. The pace and the feel of this film is wonderful. It is a love story with some nice performances from a very good cast. magician vancouver