Help me remember the name of this magical movie
April 23, 2011 11:03 PM Subscribe
Help me to come up with the name of this movie. The world contained magic, and Michael Caine was a strong magician with an 'evil eye'.
He used his magic to take the main character's wife (and threatened to kill her?), and the main character had to consult with a powerful mystic for help. The key interesting thing was that it was just like a normal, everyday place, except that everyone in the world, on one level or another, had magical ability--the mob, the barber, everyone.
Google searching fails because Michael Caine was in so many 'magical' movies (even Bewitched!), and was 'magical' in almost every roll. It is a distant memory, so there's a possibility that maybe it wasn't Michael Caine (I know that doesn't help).
He used his magic to take the main character's wife (and threatened to kill her?), and the main character had to consult with a powerful mystic for help. The key interesting thing was that it was just like a normal, everyday place, except that everyone in the world, on one level or another, had magical ability--the mob, the barber, everyone.
Google searching fails because Michael Caine was in so many 'magical' movies (even Bewitched!), and was 'magical' in almost every roll. It is a distant memory, so there's a possibility that maybe it wasn't Michael Caine (I know that doesn't help).
Response by poster: No, because in this movie, everyone is a magician at some level.
I've gone through filmographies with no luck, which is why I'm doubting my memory of the bad evil magician being Michael Caine.
posted by eye of newt at 11:22 PM on April 23, 2011
I've gone through filmographies with no luck, which is why I'm doubting my memory of the bad evil magician being Michael Caine.
posted by eye of newt at 11:22 PM on April 23, 2011
Response by poster: Not the Prestige. When I say 'magician' I mean more 'a person with magical abilities'.
I'll mention a couple of scenes that come to mind:
I guy is in a barber shop, getting a haircut. Something happens that gets him mad, so he starts concentrating, and a few glass things around the shop shatter. He has a small, kind of annoying, magical ability.
There's another scene where a guy goes to a brothel to talk to the owner. He's offered one of the women, which he refuses. While the brothel owner is talking to him, the woman in the scene begins subtly changing. After a while you realize she's become more voluptuous. The brothel owner obviously has better magic.
They don't make a point of this magic, which everyone has. It is just something that is in the background of an otherwise normal world--except when it comes to the evil magician, who's very arrogant because he has very strong magic and just walks over everyone, including just kind of taking over the main character's wife. There's a kind of voodoo mystic that the main character consults.
I like the idea of making everyone have a little magic, like it is just a normal part of life, like the sense of smell. So I was curious to see this movie again after all these years. But I can't find it!
posted by eye of newt at 1:01 AM on April 24, 2011
I'll mention a couple of scenes that come to mind:
I guy is in a barber shop, getting a haircut. Something happens that gets him mad, so he starts concentrating, and a few glass things around the shop shatter. He has a small, kind of annoying, magical ability.
There's another scene where a guy goes to a brothel to talk to the owner. He's offered one of the women, which he refuses. While the brothel owner is talking to him, the woman in the scene begins subtly changing. After a while you realize she's become more voluptuous. The brothel owner obviously has better magic.
They don't make a point of this magic, which everyone has. It is just something that is in the background of an otherwise normal world--except when it comes to the evil magician, who's very arrogant because he has very strong magic and just walks over everyone, including just kind of taking over the main character's wife. There's a kind of voodoo mystic that the main character consults.
I like the idea of making everyone have a little magic, like it is just a normal part of life, like the sense of smell. So I was curious to see this movie again after all these years. But I can't find it!
posted by eye of newt at 1:01 AM on April 24, 2011
Best answer: It's not Michael Caine in the movie, it's Dennis Hopper.
The movie is called "Witch Hunt" and the scene in the barber shop is where Hopper (a detective) goes to talk to the guy about alimony or something similar. The owner gets angry and uses his power to make all the mirror-shards and scissors fly across the room at Hopper, who uses a chair cushion or something to protect himself.
It's a strange movie but worth the hire.
posted by ninazer0 at 1:16 AM on April 24, 2011
The movie is called "Witch Hunt" and the scene in the barber shop is where Hopper (a detective) goes to talk to the guy about alimony or something similar. The owner gets angry and uses his power to make all the mirror-shards and scissors fly across the room at Hopper, who uses a chair cushion or something to protect himself.
It's a strange movie but worth the hire.
posted by ninazer0 at 1:16 AM on April 24, 2011
Best answer: Is it Witch Hunt, the sequel to Cast a Deadly Spell? They both make magic commonplace, and Witch Hunt has a brothel scene and IIRC sort of a voodoo mystic consultant.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 1:16 AM on April 24, 2011
posted by Monsieur Caution at 1:16 AM on April 24, 2011
Jinx. :\
posted by Monsieur Caution at 1:17 AM on April 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Monsieur Caution at 1:17 AM on April 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I think that is it!
I'll have to watch it just to see why my contorting memory turned Dennis Hopper into Michael Caine.
posted by eye of newt at 1:28 AM on April 24, 2011
I'll have to watch it just to see why my contorting memory turned Dennis Hopper into Michael Caine.
posted by eye of newt at 1:28 AM on April 24, 2011
Response by poster: I was thinking of Julian Sands, who looks a little like Michael Caine (if you squint).
The main character is named after HP Lovecraft.
posted by eye of newt at 1:40 AM on April 24, 2011
The main character is named after HP Lovecraft.
posted by eye of newt at 1:40 AM on April 24, 2011
Scody: a drive-by thank you for bringing The Magus to my attention. I had no idea someone had filmed that mindfuck of a book.
posted by Leon at 2:10 AM on April 24, 2011
posted by Leon at 2:10 AM on April 24, 2011
A movie worth checking out that stars Michael Caine as a man who thinks he has strong magic is A Shock to the System.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 4:39 AM on April 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Benny Andajetz at 4:39 AM on April 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
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posted by scody at 11:15 PM on April 23, 2011