Magus (2008)

Magic and the supernatural have been used as the basis for films from the start of the genre. Very often fantasy shifts over to horror often with mixed results at best. The latest film by new horror master John Lechago is fortunately one of the better movies to come around in this complicated genre. There are a lot of fantasy based horror flicks around flooding the genre film festivals and DVD releases. It is rare that one comes along with enough dedication and talent to actually be interesting. It is reassuring that some film makers are still trying to extend their mastery of the art of cinema instead of cashing in for a quick buck or two. The cast and crew here come across as people who did the best they could despite what appears to be a very low budget and extremely brief shooting schedule. Some of the best films around have been done under similar circumstances so blaming a failure on these conditions is a cope out. This film goes to provide that quality can be achieve with very limited resources. While this film does have its share of faults and missteps along the way it does provide very good entertainment. With all of the slash and dash flicks that abound it is refreshing to see something that at least makes the attempt to be different.

John Lechago is relatively new to film making but he is starting out well. ‘Magus’ is only his second time as a script writer and director but he has two more films coming up shortly. His first opus, ‘Blood Gnomes’ was an acceptable boobs and blood flick that pandered more to the puerile teenage boy market. It was a good way to get a foot in the door and hopefully the films that Lechago works on in the future will allow him to expand and develop his talents. He does uses some of the same techniques here but his sense of story flow is much more advanced. There is no shortage of either boobs or blood so his core fan base will be happy with this film. The script here relies on some time honored themes that lately have become all the rage; magic. Lechago creates a universe where wizards abound and can rise to positions of extreme power and ability. As with any well thought out universe there are rules to govern those with these magical abilities. If a wizard dares to break those rules and gain more control than he should over the world the consequences are sever. Of course what would a film like this be if the bad guy didn’t think he was above those regulations and flaunt then at every opportunity. With the advent of Harry Potter the idea of wizard councils and governing bodies are popular so it was only natural to take this theme to a more mature level.

As a director does a fine job with what he had to work with. There is some degree of pandering to the target demographic but it doesn’t feel as forced as many of the more recent installments of the genre. This film harkens back to some of the flicks in the eighties that are usually lumped in the new popular term of grindhouse films. These were ‘B’ flicks but the reason they were so popular is they were fun. The same goes here, the film is not a masterpiece by any means but it is enjoyable. The direction is straightforward in an eighties kind of vibe. Thankfully Lechago has some apparent distain for the shaky camera tricks far too many directors go for of late. He does have a perchance for flashing lights and rapid cuts which can get on your nerves a bit.

The film opens with a young woman sitting in the middle of a magical circle on the floor. The voice over explains that since the dawn of time people have practiced magic in secret to ward off evil and heal the body. I guess that whole burning at the stake thing kind of discouraged coming out of the magical closet. Usually the practitioners of magic adhere to the wizard’s code and keep things low key. Occasionally a wizard comes along who wants all the power and mastery over others. One such wizard called the Magus (Ron Fitzgerald) seeks the ultimate power that could reveal the magical realm to the world. The young woman on the floor, Sen (Eva Derrek) feels the intruding presence of the Magus which naturally gets her very upset. We next see the Magus coming out of a burst of light and fog in an alley. He approaches a man lying on the ground. The man throws a magical bolt at the Magus which is effortlessly repelled. The man begs for his life but the Magus only responds that he has a gift. It turns out to be a ball of light that burns the man from the inside out. Nice gift; the Magus must be real popular around secret Santa time. Sen gets out of a car in a short dominatrix outfit and is told by the Magus that they are going west. You got to love a sorceress in tight latex. The next thing shown is a man with a fortune teller, Madame Zelda (Julie Strain). Not only does this flick have Ms. Strain but it also features her half sister Lizzy Strain. With the Strain girls around it double the chances that tops are coming off soon but don’t get your hopes up. The man consulting Zelda is one of the Secret Chefs in charge of enforcing the wizard’s code. He thought the Magus was safely locked away but now he is loose and has learned how to turn the healing power to kill. The Magus is out to get rid of all the chefs which would free him to rule as he wants. It is now up to one broken down healer, Felix (Bill Steele) to stop the Magus and restore the code. Felix is close to his granddaughter Claudia (the aforementioned Lizzy Strain). She also knows some marital arts which will come in handy a little later on. She has to do a good deed for an exam and has chosen Felix as the object of that deed. This changes somewhat as Felix is drawn into a confrontation with the dreaded Magus.

There is more of a concentration on the story than gratuitous nudity and blood shed here. Ms. Derrek does get a full frontal scene as she tries top seduce her master and some of the murders are tame for the genre but still shows some gore. Surprisingly the Strain girls are modest in this flick. This has to be a first. The story is the thing here and Lechago focuses more on character development. This is especially true with the relationship between Felix and Claudia. There are elements of a buddy movie here that makes this film better than the rest of this type of flick. It does have a tendency to be a talkfest but there is enough action to move things along. Lechago is maturing as both a writer and director here and should be applauded for braking away from the usual devices and formulas. The film is good at telling a story and allowing the characters to grow. Lizzie Strain is amazingly good as the magical grandchild. She has an enthusiasm that carries her performance. Steele is also well cast as Felix. He makes his character a believable person.

The DVD comes from MTI and is just another one of their off beat little gems. They are always ready to bring out a film that few have heard of but should get to know. This one breaks the mold in many ways. There are some slow spots and many would have like more gore but it is a fun flick to watch.

Posted 03/26/08