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THE MAGICIANMovie Reviews
Crime comedy about a hitman who commissions his next-door neighbor, a film student, to make a documentary about him. Cast:Scott Ryan, Ben Walker, Massimiliano Andrighetto, Kane Mason, Nathaniel LindsayDirector:Scott RyanRelease Date:October 29, 2010DVD Release:December 29, 2010From:Regent ReleasingLength:1 hr 27 min
The Magician played in New York City and Los Angeles to weak reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Ernest Hardy wrote in the Village Voice and LA Weekly, "The viewer is meant to chuckle at the escalating violence-ringed absurdities and at Ray's brutish philosophies, but the chuckles are few." • And Kevin Thomas wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...unspools like a disarmingly amusing shaggy dog story..." More Reviews Below...
The Magician Positive Reviews (6 Reviews, reviews below)
The Magician has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (4 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "If the aim of the movie is to prove that the life of the average hit man is as grindingly tedious as that of the average road sweeper, then mission accomplished.... spectacularly uninteresting..."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 11/12/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a darkly comic faux documentary, a gritty, shot-off-the cuff gem and a top prize winner in its native Australia.... unspools like a disarmingly amusing shaggy dog story..."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 10/29/10
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Ye gods, it's another mockumentary.... The viewer is meant to chuckle at the escalating violence-ringed absurdities and at Ray's brutish philosophies, but the chuckles are few."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 221 words, 11/10/10
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
The Magician has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Ye gods, it's another mockumentary.... The viewer is meant to chuckle at the escalating violence-ringed absurdities and at Ray's brutish philosophies, but the chuckles are few."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 221 words, 11/10/10
Diego Costa, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "No matter how natural director Scott Ryan's performance as the hitman is, the film ends up as more of a testament to new media's promises of the democratization, and banalization, of filmmaking, than as a mastering of it."(See all of Diego Costa's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 10/27/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "If the aim of the movie is to prove that the life of the average hit man is as grindingly tedious as that of the average road sweeper, then mission accomplished.... spectacularly uninteresting..."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 11/12/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a darkly comic faux documentary, a gritty, shot-off-the cuff gem and a top prize winner in its native Australia.... unspools like a disarmingly amusing shaggy dog story..."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 10/29/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Richard Kuipers, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "None of this would really work without a fair amount of memorable dialogue and a charismatic central performance: Debuting director Scott Ryan is the whole show here and shows impeccable timing in milking maximum laughs from the episodic format."(See all of Richard Kuipers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 460 words, 06/30/05
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a darkly comic faux documentary, a gritty, shot-off-the cuff gem and a top prize winner in its native Australia.... unspools like a disarmingly amusing shaggy dog story..."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 10/29/10
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "If the aim of the movie is to prove that the life of the average hit man is as grindingly tedious as that of the average road sweeper, then mission accomplished.... spectacularly uninteresting..."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 11/12/10
26.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Magician's reviews are separated by an average 26.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Magician (6 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Magician's reviews cover 7.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 1,824 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 304 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Magician Coverage, Volume & Length (6 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 103 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Magician's reviews on average broke 103 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Magician's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Magician (6 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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