The Incredibly Stinky Burt Wonderstone?

[Richard Kaufman]

The Amazing Burt Wonderstone starring Steve Carrell and Jim Carey is looking pretty dismal:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/61377

And here:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_inc ... nderstone/

[Tom Leyland]

Gosh,

I hope the critics are wrong, I really wanted this to be good. Invariably, as you mentioned before; this sort of press only hurts the interest and promotion of making major motion pictures about Magic.

[MagicGraphics]

My friends and I totally ignored the critics giving "A Good Day to Die Hard" a 13% and went to the movie and loved it. It was all you would expect from a Die Hard Movie. We went on the opening Friday and the theater was literally empty, us three and may 6 or 8 more people.

I went again a week later with another friend and his sons and the theater was more full. The word of mouth must have helped.

For sure this movie cannot be bad with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. Just watching their facial expression will bring $10 worth of laughs.

[Richard Kaufman]

John, it costs more than $10 to go to the movies where I live!
We're planning on seeing the new Oz movie tomorrow. I think tickets are over $15 each.

[Jonathan Pendragon]

I saw the film at the special screening arranged for the Magic Castle. Member after member entered with low expectations regarding magic being the butt of jokes. As it turns out it's performance stagnation ad-nauseum, vastly inflated egos, and the difference between magic and masochism that gets targeted for farce. It never goes after magic, in fact, it's affectionate rendering of Alan Arkin as the "magician who inspired us all to become magicians" includes a joke written just for us. This is a sweet low brow comedy with uneven moments punctuated by some great gags that had my booming laugh shattering those sitting near me once or twice. Do I think it will hurt magic? NO, it's not that kind of movie. I enjoyed it and all the magicians I talked to after the show had fun too. I don't know how reviewers will critique it, but if they use the film to attack magic as an art, they are channeling their own prejudice.

[erdnasephile]

John, it costs more than $10 to go to the movies where I live!
We're planning on seeing the new Oz movie tomorrow. I think tickets are over $15 each.

Richard, please let us know what you think of Oz after ya'll see it.

(PS: Is that $15 the 3D price?)

[JohnCox]

Saw it at the Castle screening. I enjoyed it.

I also liked OZ. Two big movies about magicians opening in the same month. Wild.

[Richard Kaufman]

Went to see "Oz the Great and Powerful" this afternoon with the Little Genii.
We paid $13 per ticket, plus the Fandango fee.

We both loved the movie. It was really good. And very nice 3D.

Do I wish Robert Downey, Jr. had taken the lead role? You BET. The only part of the movie that was not up to the rest was James Franco. He comes off fine as a two-bit hack magician in a traveling sideshow (Downey would have charmed you even when being a putz and lothario), but Franco's transition to being a "good man" is only partially successful. Nevertheless, it doesn't sink the movie, and some might argue that he's entirely apropriate.

Good all around, and highly recommended.

[Max Maven]

My reaction was different.

"Oz the Great and Powerful" was neither, but it was long.

Some lovely visuals, but that did not outweigh the weak script and some poor performances.

[Richard Kaufman]

Max, what did you think of Burt Wonderstone?

[Max Maven]

Haven't seen it yet. I opted not to go to the free screening, because rather than see it surrounded by magicians I prefer to wait and see it with a lay audience. I'll be interested in their reactions.

The trailer indicates that it's well made, but suggests I won't care for it -- but I shall endeavor to approach it with an open mind.

[mrgoat]

The trailer indicates that it's well made, but suggests I won't care for it -- but I shall endeavor to approach it with an open mind.

Couldn't agree more. The trailer was horrible.

[Richard Kaufman]

With 92 reviews in on Rotten Tomatoes, Burt Wonderstone stands at a rotten 39%, however the good news for the producers is that 98% of people want to see it, meaning it will be number 1 at the box office this weekend, knocking Oz the Great and Powerful to number 2.

[Jonathan Pendragon]

I have been kind to this film because there are some funny moments and I was relieved that, in my opinion, magic wasn't trashed the way I feared it would be from watching the film's trailers. Most of the unfavorable reviews critique the formulaic script and Carell's performance. Carrey's performance seems to be getting the best buzz. I think this film will have very little impact on magic either way.

Olivia Wilde was wasted in this film. Women in magic, what an absurd concept? The writer's inability to create a better part for her reflects a dated stereotype. And what she sees in Carell's character is the film's greatest mystery.

In 1995 there was a cyberpunk film called "Strange Days" which starred Ralph Fiennes, Angela Basset and Juliette Lewis. It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, a great director, whose later work includes "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty." Elements of the film were very thought provoking, but one plot point was like, "Is this guy nuts?" Fiennes spends most of the film trying to rekindle a relationship with ex-lover Juliette Lewis who is clearly messed up in major way. What makes it unbelievable is that gorgeous, smart, ethical, resourceful and faithful Angela Basset is there from the beginning and he doesn't see it until the last minute of the film. This plot point isn't unique and has worked in other films, but in "Strange Days" nobody could figure out what he was waiting for. Carell's character is so obnoxious for so long that it makes Wilde's interest and enduring faith in his redemption hard to believe.

[Tom Stone]

Anyone figured out an IRL solution for the Dove from Saltshaker effect yet?

[Tom Moore]

I'm working on a dehydrated dove.....

[Bill Mullins]

In 1995 there was a cyberpunk film called "Strange Days" which . . . was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, a great director,

Bigelow's best movie is a little-known vampire movie called "Near Dark". Well worth seeking out.

[Richard Kaufman]

Near Dark is great. Lance Henrikson is great. Vampires that are older than 17 are great

[Bill Mullins]

Lance Henrikson is great.

"I fought for the South. We lost."

[Master Payne]

Well, I saw this tonight. I have to be honest, I went into this with pretty low expectations. But surprisingly enough the movie still failed to live up to them.
The few humorous scenes were labored, predictable and telegraphed the punch lines. The script was tired and cliché. The actors seemed to just be walking through their parts.
I will admit that I am not a big Carell fan. Nor one of Ferrell. So to have to sit through a performance of Carell trying to be Ferrell was excruciating.
The only bright points in this film were the ones with Arkin. But these were too few and far between to salvage this piece of celluloid pabulum.
If you want to see a good magician buddy film find a copy of the Turkish movie Hokkabaz. A far better story of the foibles of childhood friend magicians trying to make their way in the world.

[Jonathan Pendragon]

Tom
Clearly it was an invisible harness and a really strong thread. What fooled me was how he knew Burt was going to join him at the table.

[Richard Kaufman]

I'm really surprised more magicians haven't seen this movie yet and posted about it here.

[Bob Farmer]

This is a much better movie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_to_Know_Your_Rabbit

There is a great scene with Orson Welles teaching a magic class.

[Richard Kaufman]

Jeez, Bob, I'm a big Orson Welles fan, but Get to Know Your Rabbit is impossible to sit through because it's so excrutiatingly bad.

[Bob Farmer]

I enjoyed but it was 1972 and my enjoyment may have been enhanced by other, possibly, illegal factors.

I haven't seen the Wonderstone movie but the comments reminded me of something Philip Roth said during the Nixon era about the problems fiction writers were having. I don't have the exact quote but the gist was this: when reality is so unreal--i.e., Nixon is real person and he's president--how can fiction writers create believable characters. If a writer had created Nixon he would criticized as too unreal.

There's no need to parody Blaine, Angel, S&R, etc., because they are already a parody, so fictional versions aren't required.

[Ian Kendall]

I'm really surprised more magicians haven't seen this movie yet and posted about it here

Having just spent twenty five pounds taking Ben to see The Croods this afternoon, I'll be waiting until the DVD comes out...

[Tom Moore]

Jonathan - Equivoke; i'm sure the diner table force is on a Maven DVD somewhere

[Jeffrey Korst]

Jonathan - Equivoke; i'm sure the diner table force is on a Maven DVD somewhere

Really? I figured he just read the script.

[Richard Kaufman]

25 pounds!
25 pounds for two movie tickets?
That's $20 each?
I paid $9 to see Burt Wonderstone this afternoon.
I get The Croods was better.

[Tom Dobrowolski]

I saw it last night and enjoyed it. It's a fun movie. Alan Arkin was terrific.

[Leonard Hevia]

There's no need to parody Blaine, Angel, S&R, etc., because they are already a parody, so fictional versions aren't required.

Exactly. Franz Harary was quite the entertainer:

"Are you feeling it?"
"Clap your hands!!!"

[Herb]

This movie had the potential to be a lot better than it was. It could have been a very funny satire along the lines of This is Spinal Tap, but the material is just way too out of touch with the genre it is attempting to poke fun at. The computer-generated tricks--as one example--set the movie in the realm of special effects rather than the actual style and mannerisms of magicians. Comedy needs to be based in some sort of truth for it actually to have an impact. The method for the grand illusion at the end is preposterous and to me was just creepy and not at all funny. On top of it all the characters are bland and shallowly written. I'm not a big fan of Jim Carrey's cartoonish approach, but he's the only one here who manages to seize onto something above the ordinary. I was looking forward to this movie a lot. But hey, the poster is kind of nice. They were giving out copies at my local shop.

Much funnier parodies of magic include the episode of The Simpsons in which Lisa becomes a magician - and the "Curtis Angel" videos...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLvjzLihMR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy_75WoonX0

[Jonathan Pendragon]

Script? There was a script?

[Ian Kendall]

25 pounds!
25 pounds for two movie tickets?

This is why I don't go to the cinema much...

To be fair, the tickets were 21 pounds (and only that cheap because Ben got a child ticket). A small bag of popcorn was five pounds. I took four of us to see the Hobbit, and it was over forty pounds...

The Croods wasn't bad, but not fantastic either. Would have normally been a DVD choice...

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, guys.

Reading this thread already saved me $17.00! (BW and Oz)

(Wasting the talents of Carrell, Carey, and Buscemi is a crime)

[Richard Kaufman]

From today's New York Times:

"Steve Carell’s 'Burt Wonderstone' (Warner Brothers) was a disappointing third [at the box office], taking in an estimated $10.3 million. This film, which received dismal reviews and a C-plus score from audiences in exit polls, cost $32 million to make."

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/ ... office/?hp

Show's over, folks.

[Patter]

I saw Burt Wonderstone with my wife last night. We both liked it. I gave it an 8 out of 10 and she gave it a 7. I thought it was charming and funny.

[Richard Kaufman]

Glad you got your money's worth: you're two of the few.

[Bill Marquardt]

Oscar candidate? Probably not; still, I enjoyed the movie. I liked the Arkin character's attitude toward what I call "stunt magic," which is not really magic at all. Don't get me wrong. I believe there is a place in the entertainment world for stunts of the kind Blaine and Angel perform. I just don't think of them as magic.

As a youngster I only knew of Houdini as an escape artist. I was a teenager before I even learned that he was a legitimate magician. (Keep in mind there was no world wide web back then.)

Anyway, I would say to anyone on the fence about seeing this movie to go ahead and see it, or at least watch the DVD when it comes out. For me, the biggest flaw was that it seemed Carell was trying hard not to be Michael Scott from The Office, so his character seemed to lack genuineness. He came across as playing a caricature of an egomaniac, rather than an actual one, if that makes sense to anyone.

Still, it had some laughs and a bit of nostalgia for us old timers.

[JKeppel]

For those looking for another magic movie. "The Great Magician" just came out on DVD two weeks ago. Its out of China , came out in 2012 and stars Tony Leung. Its a period piece in the vein of "The Illusionist" and slightly similiar in the fact that he's looking for a lost love. If you can get past the first 30 confusing minutes with the multiple plot lines there actually is a lot of magic in it. 10 bucks on dvd 15 on blu ray. its all over, I got mine at target. The scene were they start builing the magic theater is a lot of fun