Carnival Magic (1983)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Sadly Over-hyped

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

A magician in a carnival -- who actually can read minds and levitate people and objects -- works with a super-intelligent chimp named Alex, who can also talk.Whether this is a bad movie or a so-bad-it-is-good movie will be up to the viewer to decide. I mean, either way we have to all agree it is pretty bad, right? But it does have a certain charm.The "talking" ape is bizarre, because he basically just grunts and says nothing of value. There is a creepy 40-year old man who sexually assaults a teenage girl... and the next day she announces to her father that they are getting married. What? There is a mad scientist with s poorly dubbed German accent. Why? And a dead wife who is never fully explained.

Carnival magician Don Stewart (as Markov) is fired from his job, but gets it back when he makes his talking chimpanzee companion "Trudi" (as Alexander) part of the act. The attention has a bad side effect when "Alex" is chimp-napped by a mad scientist and jealous lion tamer who think he may be the missing link. Director Al Adamson's wife Regina "Gena" Carrol (as Kate) is Mr. Stewart's bosomy assistant. Fortunately, Stewart kept his day job on "The Guiding Light" serial. Even more fortunately, Mr. Adamson's threatened sequel "More Carnival Magic" (1982) did not materialize.*** Carnival Magic (1981) Al Adamson ~ Don Stewart, Jennifer Houlton, Howard Segal, Mark Weston

Al Adamson noted/notorious for making less than average films, outdoes himself with this creation "Carnival Magic !"Take several aging would-be actors, place them in a sub-standard setting(Carnival), add a chimpanzee with an incredible ability, stir the pot and voilà', a hysterical look at the American culture, albeit a limited slice of the pie but still a slice. Don Stewart as Markov the Magician has amazing powers , yet one of them is not having the ability to stay employed, unless , enter Alexander the Great(the chimp), who has the power to talk..wow...Nice gimmick, except like the rest of the film, it is poorly executed.Even Alex looks aged.Spoiler Alert, Alex is or was Trudi the Chimp in real life. Not since "The Crying Game" has the gender bender been played so royally...except this time they used an animal, like "Lassie."So, the jealous animal trainer doesn't like being second banana and arranges for the abduction of our talking hero, to the confines of a medical laboratory for a closer look, if you know what I mean.So obviously the story has to resolve getting Alex back, but not before a chimp/police chase, hilarious or could have been under better supervision. The closing credits roll over the carnival parade in Gaffeny, South Carolina, which has been a host to no less than 7 other films, what a hoot ! Watching Don tongue an underage girl in her teens is Classic, I guess his powers include perversion and statutory rape. Nice.Oh, look for the Shriners, it wouldn't be a parade without them ! BTW, the joke I referred to in the summary title, is that you can build a TV Show/Film and/or Video Vehicle around a chimp, i.e."The Monkees", "BJ and the Bear","The Hathaways", it is done over and over because they try to reinvent the wheel or at least disguise it for a buck. Al Adamson was no different, he just failed to use demographics and threw this film against the wall, to see if it would stick. 3 stars out of 10, but filled with unintentional laughs, once you know the joke. Chimps are funny, people are too, but that is a different show.

EDIT - 08/12/11 - Since posting this review my dreams have come true in the form of an actual DVD/Blu-ray release! I'm leaving this review as is, but know that you can and should pick up a copy in the format of your choice asap!***Spoiler Alert***1.) Any movie that casually features a talking-chimpanzee (with the attitude and vocal-inflections of a Mississippi blues-man) deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible.2.) Ostensibly a children's movie, it somehow manages to showcase domestic abuse, vivisection, alcoholism, animal exploitation, attempted suicide and carnie chicanery, all from behind the pulled curtains of a southern, traveling carnival midway.3.) The lead human protagonist is sort of a cross between Harvey Keitel circa "Fingers (1978)" and Patrick Swayze fresh off "Point Break (1991)".4.) It was one of the final productions by exploitation/schlock director Al Adamson.5.) It was the final film for Adamson's wife, buxom bombshell (and ex-Elvis arm-candy) Regina Carrol.6.) A major character progressively transforms from frumpy tomboy "Bud" into total woman and lover "Ellen".7.) A man gets mauled by a tiger.8.) 60 minutes into the movie, the camera suddenly and inexplicably cuts to a shirtless, midget hick with a mustache and a mullet.9.) A monkey performs in a magic show, steals a car and leads North Carolina police in hot pursuit, brawls with the staff (and random passerby) of a vivisection laboratory, and attempts to commit suicide.10.) More unintentional laughs than the entire first season of "Walker Texas Ranger".11.) There is a circus parade at the end of the movie. Seriously... who doesn't like a circus parade?12.) And last but not least, perhaps the greatest unfulfilled promise ever made... the post-credit announcement: "Coming next year... More Carnival Magic!"