Entertainment
The 1970s, Extremely R-Rated, Thriller That Inspired An Entire Franchise
By Robert Scucci
| Published
If you’re a fan of the Child’s Play franchise, you owe it to yourself to look back a decade before it launched and check out 1978’s Magic. Often cited as a direct inspiration for the franchise’s infamous Chucky, Magic leans more into psychological thriller territory, though its story still centers on a ventriloquist dummy that may or may not be possessed by a murderous entity. Half the fun of Magic is figuring out whether the puppet itself is responsible for a string of killings that seem to happen nearby, or if his unstable puppet master is the real culprit.
Even better, the deeply unstable man at the center of Magic is portrayed by none other than Anthony Hopkins, who clearly knows a thing or two about playing total psychopaths (Hello, Clarice!). The dynamic between Hopkins and the puppet he’s constantly lugging around turns the film into a disturbing trip into the Catskills, where isolation becomes its own kind of antagonist and late night screams are guaranteed to go unheard.
A Magician, Turned Ventriloquist, Turned Psycho
When Corky Withers (Anthony Hopkins) endures yet another heckler-infused open mic night as an aspiring magician, he realizes it’s time to change his act. That realization leads him to introduce a talking dummy named Fats (voiced by Hopkins) to his routine. Almost overnight, Corky and Fats dominate the comedy circuit, eventually catching the attention of Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith), a seasoned talent agent with deep industry connections.
The cracks in Corky’s personality start to show once he’s offered a television pilot, under the condition that he undergo a full medical evaluation before any contract is finalized. To Ben, this is standard practice, as networks want to avoid pouring money into talent whose health may be deteriorating. Corky, however, sees the evaluation as a threat and refuses the offer outright, since he and Ben both know his mental health is far from stable.
The core issue Corky faces is that he cannot turn Fats off, even when he’s not on stage. The two are constantly bickering, and Corky can barely go five minutes without slipping back into his act, even when doing so actively makes things worse. Fully aware that he needs to get himself together if he wants to take his career any further, Corky retreats to the Catskills, where his former high school crush, Peggy Ann Snow (Ann-Margret), runs a quiet bed and breakfast.
A Budding Romance, And A Brutal Weekend
Magic takes a darker turn once Corky and Fats settle in and reacquaint themselves with their old stomping grounds. Peggy confides that she always had a crush on Corky and admits that her marriage to Duke (Ed Lauter) is falling apart. With some help from Fats, Corky quickly charms Peggy, and for a brief moment, things seem to be going his way. He’s getting the rest he needs before planning his next move back in the city, but that calm is shattered when Ben arrives unannounced to smooth things over, an encounter that ends fatally. Corky begins to spiral, confiding in Fats when alone while keeping up the ventriloquist routine whenever he’s around Peggy and Duke.
Teetering on the edge of a psychotic break, Corky grows increasingly fearful of what he and Fats might do next, especially after Duke starts to catch on to Corky and Peggy’s shared past. Tensions rise further when Duke notices Ben’s car on the property but can’t find Ben himself, leading him to suspect Corky is involved in his disappearance.
With no agent, no one he can trust, and a menacing puppet that appears to be calling the shots, Corky is forced to confront what’s really happening. Is he splitting his personality in two, allowing his violent impulses to live through Fats? Or is the puppet genuinely possessed by a malicious spirit, leaving Corky to reckon with the destruction he’s leaving behind?
Magic does an excellent job exploring Corky’s fractured psyche and the personality inhabiting Fats, ultimately leaving viewers with far more questions than answers. More importantly, Magic’s legacy can’t be overstated, as it directly inspired screenwriter Don Mancini to create 1988’s Child’s Play, which quickly became a full-blown media juggernaut. If you want to see the film that helped kick it all off, you can stream Magic for free on Tubi as of this writing.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on February 9
Tonight marks the Third Quarter Moon, halfway between full and new. We see exactly half of the Moon lit up, with illumination on the left-hand side. So, there’s around a 50% chance of spotting some features on the Moon’s surface, what can you see?
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, Feb. 9, the Moon phase is Third Quarter. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 652% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
But what can you see? With no visual aids, you should be able to see the Mare Imbrium, Copernicus Crater, and the Aristarchus Plateau. With binoculars, you’ll also be able to see Clavius, and the Archimedes Craters, and the Grimaldi Basin. If you have a telescope, you’ll also be able to see the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Rima Ariadaeus.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on March 3.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says that a complete lunar cycle takes around 29.5 days. This is the time the Moon needs to orbit Earth once. During this cycle, it goes through eight phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the visible portion that is illuminated changes as the Moon travels along its orbit. The varying amount of sunlight reflected off the Moon is what causes it to appear fully lit, partially lit, or nearly dark at different stages. The eight phases of the Moon are:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac and PC gets smarter with AI, now 60% off
TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC is on sale for $99.97 through March 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT, offering 60% off Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more.
$99.97
$249.99
Save $150.02
If your work revolves around documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and email, Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business brings those core tools together with updated features designed to keep everyday tasks moving efficiently. The lifetime license for Mac or PC is priced at $99.97, representing a 60% discount off the regular price, and ends on March 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Included are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook — the familiar lineup, installed directly on your device for both online and offline use. Office 2024 brings performance improvements across the whole software. In Excel, for example, working with large datasets or handling multiple workbooks is quicker and more reliable. For anyone who routinely works with numbers or builds reports, this added speed can make daily tasks less tedious.
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Content creation tools have also been refreshed. PowerPoint now supports recording presentations with voice narration, video, and closed captions, which is a plus for remote meetings, online classes, or sharing presentations after the fact. Word adds Focus Mode to help reduce distractions as you write, alongside AI-powered suggestions to sharpen up your prose. Built-in research features keep citations and references at your fingertips, so you can stay in the zone without switching tabs.
Microsoft’s Fluent Design system brings Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook a cohesive look and feel. Touch and pen support is now smoother on tablets and convertibles, and customizable templates and themes make it easy to create polished work without a designer’s eye.
Collaboration tools are built in as well. Real-time co-authoring allows multiple people to work on the same file simultaneously, with chat, comments, and version history helping track changes and feedback. Deeper integration with Microsoft Teams centralizes file sharing and communication within the Office environment.
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Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is designed for users who already rely on Microsoft’s core apps and want updated features without changing how they work. For $99.97 through March 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT, the current deal makes it easier to step into the latest version at a lower cost, especially if those tools are already part of your daily routine.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Super Bowl LX performers: Who is singing the anthems
The Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl pre-show featuring Green Day may be taking up all the attention when it comes to Super Bowl performances — and rightfully so! Everyone is looking forward to what the internationally known artists will do or say regarding President Trump and ICE.
However, other musical artists are performing at this year’s Super Bowl as well.
Charlie Puth to sing national anthem
Kicking the show off with the U.S. national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” is the Grammy-nominated singer Charlie Puth. Puth’s debut single, “Marvin Gaye,” featuring Meghan Trainor, was a Billboard chart hit upon its 2015 release. Puth has since had other hits, including “We Don’t Talk Anymore (feat. Selena Gomez),” “Attention,” and “Nothing But Trouble.”
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Brandi Carlile to perform patriotic song
Next up, singing “America the Beautiful” is singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. Carlile has a whopping 11 Grammys and two Emmy awards. Her biggest hit was 2007’s “The Story,” but she is also known for songs like “Broken Horses” and “The Joke.”
Coco Jones to sing Black national anthem
Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Coco Jones will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has become a Super Bowl staple since 2021, when Alicia Keys performed it at the event. Singer and actress Ledisi performed the song at last year’s game.
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on February 9
Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac and PC gets smarter with AI, now 60% off
