The Magic Christian

This 1969 anarchic film comedy was based on a Terry Southern novel and championed by Peter Sellers, but it seemed to mark the start of a decline for both their fortunes. We take on Chris’s favorite movie, and try to get to the bottom of why he likes it, Charlie doesn’t, and everybody agrees with both of us.

Sources:

• https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145

• https://web.archive.org/web/20080115004058/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/0c63a2560495532008256cbb00826ca3?OpenDocument

• http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0081.html

• https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/specials/southern-magicfilm.html

• https://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-magic-christian-1969.html

• https://www.genxculture.com/the-magic-christian-the-most-60s-film-ever-made/20/04/2020/

• Flanagan, K. The Road to Excess Leads to THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN: Comedy, Excess, and the Limits of the Body.

• Dassanowsky-Harris, R. (1992). The Southern Journey: “Candy” and “The Magic” Christian as Cinematic Picaresques. Studies in Popular Culture, 15(1), 95–111.