On February 22, the streaming service Shout! TV hosted a 24-hour Marathon of Magic, where they screened “all things magic,” including classic TV and movies featuring the mystical arts.
The day included screenings of movies like the 1995 comedy, Rough Magic, starring Bridget Fonda and Russell Crowe, and the 1978 psychological horror drama, Magic, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring a young Anthony Hopkins. Programs like Masters of Magic and Ventriloquism for Dummies were also on the schedule, along with (and hold your nose for this one) several of the Breaking The Magician’s Code specials.
Three magicians—Misty Lee, Paul Draper, and Jon Armstrong—also provide performances throughout the 24-hour period. Even though the marathon is over, the movies and programs are available to watch on the Shout! TV streamer, the event will re-run at some point, and the magicians’ performances will find their way to Shout! Factory’s YouTube channel. And if that’s not enough, there’s at least one more magic-related movie on their roster that wasn’t included in the marathon: the 1949 film Black Magic, where Orson Welles played a fictionalized version of the 18th-century magician, Balsamo.
