Is Carnival Magic Treasure or Trash?
Blu-ray Distributed By Severin / April 21, 2020
For his penultimate film, exploitation legend Al Adamson (SATAN’S SADISTS, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) made perhaps the strangest move of his career with this surreal foray into ‘family entertainment’: Severin Kids presents Adamson’s first children’s movie, a delightful tale of alcoholism, domestic violence, a talking chimp with a brassiere fetish, vivisection, suicide, ‘The Freak-Out Girl’ Regina Carrol – in her final performance – flaunting an array of skintight/low-cut outfits, and not a single role for children. Don Stewart (THE GUIDING LIGHT) and Joe Cirillo (GHOSTBUSTERS) co-star in the infamous ‘80s oddity that has been hailed as “possibly the worst kiddie movie ever made” (DVD Drive-In) and “the finest family film since E.T.” (Joe Franklin), now scanned from the only surviving pre-print 35mm elements with all-new Special Features – including his last complete feature, the Sandra Dee starrer LOST – that reveal Al’s bizarre kiddie matinee legacy.
Jamie’s Take 
(3.5 / 5)
The notorious exploitation director Al Adamson who was somewhat of an Ed Wood from the 70’s, directed one of his last films before his untimely death in the mid 90’s. Adamson decided to change up genres by directing this bizarre family film aimed at children about a talking chimp at a carnival. To say Carnival Magic is a family film is like saying a Hostess cherry pie is a fruit.
Filmed in 1980 in both North and South Carolina, this regional low budget flick stars Don Stewart (also the star of Adamson’s Lost) as Markov the Magician, a long in his tooth magician who really does know magic and whose show is the highlight of the carnival. Animal trainer Kirk (Joe Cirillo’s whose biggest claim to fame was calling William Artherton a “pencil neck” in Ghostbusters) cannot help but be jealous of Markov as his audience attendance during his show is starting to dwindle while Markov’s grows. Kirk convinces the carnival owner Stoney (Mark Weston from Shamus) to fire Markov in order to save money until Markov decides, thanks to Stoney’s tomboy daughter Ellen, to bring in a secret weapon that can help save the carnival: his talking chimp Alex.
Alex is a hit and the carnival starts to take off and make money. Even though Alex likes to get into mischief (he loves bras and even steals a car at one point without any repercussions) he is the main attraction due to the fact he can speak. Oddly enough, Alex’s voice sounds like a pedophile whose smoked too many cigarettes as he blurts out short sentences like “pretty girl” and “oh no”. The idea of having a talking chimp is strange enough but with this voice that the film makers gave him comes off creepy and ultimately hilarious.
Anytime the films shifts focus away from Markov or Alex and focuses on Stoney and Ellen’s relationship and her wanting to be accepted as a woman and not a child anymore is pretty much bland and downright dull. While your average movie watcher may find more fault in the directing, script, and acting I have more of an issue when a film ceases to be entertaining. Thankfully the scenes with Markov and Alex outweigh these dull moments.
The film takes an abrupt dark turn as Alex is kidnapped and studied on who eventually tries to commit suicide so he isn’t examined anymore, feeling abandoned by Markov. Yes, this family film suddenly shifts to suicide and when kirk isn’t beating up his girlfriend, Alex fights off hospital orderlies and eventually takes poison. Modern parents take head: your kids who are spoon fed Pixar movies may not be ready for Carnival Magic. I still cannot believe this movie was rated G. Ahhh, the good old days…
I have always been a fan of low budget regional films and what I loved about Carnival Magic is that the film is loaded with actors and extras who were not professionals. Most of the people you see in the background is just local residents. I loved seeing characters look at the camera or appear lost, wearing vintage early 80’s clothing. One young person had ice cream all over her face where Adamson must have also found funny as he left the camera on her face for no reason. There is a certain strange charm about Carnival Magic that is hard to explain. It’s heart is in the right place but due to its budget and Adamson’s directorial skills, the movie provokes a lot of laughs which are both intentional and un-intentional.
Carnival Magic was a lost film for many years until it was unearthed in 2009 and shown on TCM late at night (the first time I saw it myself) where the now out of business blu ray company Film Threat picked it up for a blu ray release in 2013. I have not seen that transfer but Severin’s new transfer looks great, despite some print damage. The colors look very nice and vibrant. No complaints here.
I would have been fine with just a bare bones release given how obscure the movie is but no, Severin goes all out and adds another Al Adamson family film: Lost. Lost, a story about a runaway girl and her dog in the mountains of Utah is pretty damn boring. While it has Doris Day in one of her last roles, the film is better forgotten as it’s just a bland, cheap family drama that isn’t exciting nor humorous. But Adamson fans will be happy to have this movie available. The best special feature here is the audio commentary by Carnival Magic‘s producer Elvin Feltner who offers some amazing insight on the film like what was cut from the movie, working with Adamson and the cast, and idea of a sequel and TV series that never materialized. This commentary track must have been taken from the older blu ray release since Feltner died in 2013.
I took a clip from Carnival Magic where Alex was driving a car and recorded it on my phone. I texted that clip to a few friends and got reactions like “Gross” and “What the hell is that?” and “Oh my God, what are you watching now?” That should sum up what most of you would think about Carnival Magic. Call me a troll or a weirdo but I like this one. It’s got a talking chimp wearing a bra on its head for crying out loud. How can you not like this?!?
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
Jamie says: Hidden Treasure!
| Jamie's Take: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| Blu-ray Extras: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (3.8 / 5) |
Special Features
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A Boom To Science – A Critical Appreciation by Zack Carlson & Lars Nilsen
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Audio Commentary with Producer Elvin Feltner
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Outtakes
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TV Spot
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Trailer
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Bonus Film: LOST
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The Happy Hobo – Rushes for Promo From Unproduced Adamson Kids Film
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LOST Trailer
