Magic in the Water | |
---|---|
Directed by | Rick Stevenson |
Screenplay by | Rick Stevenson Icel Dobell Massey |
Story by | Ninian Dunnett Rick Stevenson Icel Dobell Massey |
Produced by | William Stevenson Matthew O'Connor |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Thomas Burstyn |
Edited by | Allan Lee |
Music by | David Schwartz |
Production company | |
Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
Countries | United States Canada |
Languages | English Dutch |
Box office | US$2.68 million [1] |
Magic in the Water is a 1995 American family adventure fantasy film directed by Rick Stevenson and written by Icel Dobell Massey and Stevenson from a story by Stevenson, Icel and Ninian Dunnett. It stars Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson, Harley Jane Kozak and Sarah Wayne. The plot follows two siblings and their preoccupied father who take them on a vacation to a remote Canadian lake in British Columbia, where the siblings discover the lake is said to be inhabited by a mysterious lake monster. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures and produced by Triumph Films released to generally negative reviews. [2]
Ashley Black is depressed because her father Jack spends all his time focusing on his job instead of her and her older brother Joshua. She constantly records his radio show and listens to it. One day, her father takes them to a remote Canadian lake that is popular with tourists due to a myth about an aquatic monster named Orky. They rent a cabin next to an elderly First Nations man who uses a wheelchair. Jack meets a local psychiatrist, Dr. Wanda Bell, who is trying to aid some local men who claim that they have been possessed by Orky. When Ashley runs away, Jack also has the same experience while looking for her. As a result, he becomes more devoted to his children.
Ashley and Joshua find out that the reason that Orky is possessing people is to try and tell them that he is dying because an evil businessman is dumping toxic waste into the lake. Ashley and Joshua help the old man in the cabin next to theirs find a totem pole in the woods. With the help of Hiro, the son of Japanese monster seekers, they expose the businessman's illegal dumping. Orky, however, still dies from the poisonous waste. The old man summons a lightning bolt which enters a hole in the cave where Orky lives. Ashley and Hiro stay on the dock overnight and leave some cookies out. When she realizes that the cookies have been eaten, Ashley screams with joy, which suggests that Orky is still alive, or reincarnated.
Magic in the Water received generally negative from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 21% based on 24 reviews. [2]
Critic Leonard Maltin wrote in his book that "All the magic must be in the water; there's certainly none on the screen. Routine family film feels like recycled Spielberg." [3] Roger Ebert criticized the film's special effects, describing the creature Orky as an "ashen Barney". He also notes that Orky barely appears in the film at all. [4]
At the 16th Genie Awards, the film won for cinematography and sound.
Leonard Michael Maltin is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, published annually from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film critic on Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2010. He currently teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and votes for films to be selected for the National Film Registry.
Schizopolis is a 1996 surrealist experimental comedy film with a non-linear narrative written and directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1941 American horror film starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, and Lana Turner. The production also features Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, C. Aubrey Smith, and Sara Allgood. Its storyline is based on the 1886 Gothic novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. There have been many filmed adaptations of the novella. This movie was a remake of the Oscar-winning 1931 version starring Fredric March.
The Shaggy Dog is a 2006 American science fantasy family comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by The Wibberleys, Geoff Rodkey, Jack Amiel, and Michael Begler. It is the fifth overall installment of the titular franchise, and is a reboot of the 1959 film of the same name and its 1976 sequel The Shaggy D.A., both of which were loosely based on the 1923 novel The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten. The original film had a character named Wilby Daniels transforming into an Old English Sheepdog after putting on a magic ring, whereas the remake presents a character named Dave Douglas transforming into a Bearded Collie after getting bitten by a sacred dog. It stars Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Davis, Danny Glover, Spencer Breslin and Philip Baker Hall.
Infinity is a 1996 American biographical film about the romantic life of physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman was played by Matthew Broderick, who also directed and co-produced the film. Broderick's mother, Patricia Broderick, wrote the screenplay, which was based on the books Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, both written by Feynman and Ralph Leighton. It is the only film Broderick has ever directed.
Watchers is a 1988 science fiction horror film directed by Jon Hess and starring Corey Haim, Michael Ironside, Barbara Williams and Lala Sloatman. It is loosely based on the 1987 novel Watchers by Dean R. Koontz.
Transylvania 6-5000 is a 1985 horror comedy film about two tabloid reporters who travel to modern-day Transylvania to uncover the truth behind Frankenstein sightings. Along the way, they encounter other horror film staples—a mummy, a werewolf, a vampire—each with a twist.
Humanoids from the Deep is a 1980 American science fiction horror film starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, and Vic Morrow. Roger Corman served as the film's uncredited executive producer, and his company, New World Pictures, distributed it. Humanoids from the Deep was directed by Barbara Peeters and an uncredited Jimmy T. Murakami.
The Contract is a 2006 German-American action thriller film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by television writer Stephen Katz and John Darrouzet. The Contract stars Morgan Freeman as professional assassin Frank Carden and John Cusack as a teacher who gets entangled into his latest assignment during a camp trip with his son. Released direct to video in the United States and Europe, The Contract received little critical notice despite its high-profile cast.
The Pope of Greenwich Village is a 1984 American crime black comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her two-scene role. The film was adapted by screenwriter Vincent Patrick from his novel of the same name.
Be Big! is a Hal Roach three-reel comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was shot in November and December 1930, and released on February 7, 1931.
The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a 1959 American monster film. It was produced by Jack Kevan, directed by Irvin Berwick, and stars Jeanne Carmen, Les Tremayne, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn. The film was released by Filmservice Distributors Corporation as a double feature with Okefenokee.
Cold Steel is a 1987 American thriller film directed by Dorothy Ann Puzo, and starring Brad Davis, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Banks, and Adam Ant. It was Anthony LaPaglia's film debut.
The Boost is a 1988 American drama film directed by Harold Becker and based on the book Ludes: A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream by Ben Stein. It stars James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, June Chandler and Amanda Blake.
Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster is a 2010 American made-for-television comedy horror mystery film directed by Brian Levant for Cartoon Network and based on the Saturday morning cartoon series Scooby-Doo by Hanna-Barbera. It is a sequel to the 2009 film Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. Robbie Amell, Hayley Kiyoko, Kate Melton, Nick Palatas, and Frank Welker cast reprise their roles. The film was shot in Santa Clarita, California, and Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, and premiered on October 16, 2010.
Hardbodies 2 is a 1986 adult comedy movie sequel to the 1984 film Hardbodies. It was directed by Mark Griffiths and featured Brad Zutaut, Fabiana Udenio, James Karen and Alba Francesca. The plot involves two men, Scotty and Rags, and pair of film crews in Greece, assuming the identities of students taking part in Semester at Sea, and derives humor from the use of profanity and nudity. The movie was released by CineTel Films and it has a run time of 88 minutes. Leonard Maltin gave the film a "bomb" rating. The film features the Epirotiki Lines cruise ships Apollon XI and MTS Oceanos, which ran aground in 1989 due to Typhoon Dan and sank in 1991 due to uncontrolled flooding, respectively.
Buddy the Detective is a 1934 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Jack King. The short was released on October 17, 1934, and stars Buddy, the second star of the series.
Buddy Steps Out is an American animated short film, released by Warner Bros. on July 20, 1935. It is a Looney Tunes cartoon, featuring Buddy, the second star of the series. It was supervised by Jack King, and musical direction was by Bernard Brown. Notably, Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett are credited animators for the short.
Mama is a 2013 supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti in his directorial debut and based on his 2008 Argentine short film Mamá. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash, and Javier Botet as the title character.
Edge of Sanity is a 1989 slasher film directed by Gérard Kikoïne and starring Anthony Perkins. It mixes elements of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with those of tales of Jack the Ripper.