Let’s face it, everyone has an insatiable fascination with magic. With the advent of the Harry Potter series, magical movies enthusiasts have even more reason to put on their capes and black pointy hats, shouting ‘Expecto Patronum’ with rabid fervor. But before there was Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the wand-toting gang, there were classics like Bewitched, a classic TV-series which ran for 8 years,starring Elizabeth Montgomery, and even a more modern version of sorts, Charmed, which captivated TV audiences for 8 years dating back 1998-2006.
Storybook adaptation such as Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court have also seen the light of the big screen. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is the most recent telling of a magical tale to hit the big screen. Starring big names like Nicolas Cage(Ghost Rider) and Alfred Molina(Spiderman 2), and set in modern-day Manhattan.
This magic movie boasts of stunning Visuals and astounding screenplay which is probably amiss in most if not all conventional Fantasy/magic-themed movies. The film grossed a total of $26 million on its first week worldwide, and closed at $215 million, still a decent tally in relation to movies released at the same time, e.g. Inception and Despicable Me.
Movies dealing with magic have always been a staple cash cow, as evidenced by all 7 Harry Potter films making a killing at the box office, and ranking in the top 40 highest grossing movies in this decade. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ranking the highest at 8th, with gross earnings of $974 million worldwide. The latest sequel in the Harry Potter series, Deathly Hallows has also been widely received at box offices worldwide, grossing at $782 million, enough to rank 33rd overall.
Truth be told, these magic movies/TV series/made for TV movies have not even scraped the surface of true and conventional magic, the way performance artists like the famous and oftentimes infamous David Blaine and Criss Angel have. Yet there is a certain charm that draws fans, young and old to the movie stands.
Every time Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts gang wave their wooden wands, or anyone or any movie with a penchant for spells,potions and witchcraft for that matter. It is a phenomenon in its own right, probably in an unrealized way most of us don’t even notice. Magic has and will always be an invisible, penultimate force that attracts even the most wayward soul to the silver screen.