The Last Magic Show
88 Minutes
Arkles Entertainment
Written and Directed by Andy Conlan
Produced by Andy Conlan, Alex Lee, John Davies
Cinematography Duncan Cole
Music Composed by Luke Fitzgerald
Sound Design by Kahra Scott James
Cast Andy Conlan, Jade Collins, Michael Hurst, Georgie Hill, Alexander Anderson, Matthew Sunderland, Lucy Wigmore, David Christian, Julia Hyde, Timothy Raby, David Hornblow, Robyn Duncan Cox, Daniel McAlpine, Molly Tramposch, Cohen Falke (as Tim Schijf)
88 Minutes
Arkles Entertainment
Written and Directed by Andy Conlan
Produced by Andy Conlan, Alex Lee, John Davies
Cinematography Duncan Cole
Music Composed by Luke Fitzgerald
Sound Design by Kahra Scott James
Cast Andy Conlan, Jade Collins, Michael Hurst, Georgie Hill, Alexander Anderson, Matthew Sunderland, Lucy Wigmore, David Christian, Julia Hyde, Timothy Raby, David Hornblow, Robyn Duncan Cox, Daniel McAlpine, Molly Tramposch, Cohen Falke (as Tim Schijf)
The Last Magic Show is a feature film written and directed by Andy Conlan, made with the support of Creative New Zealand's Screen Innovation Fund.
The story follows a down and out escape artist, Ronny Roman, who wants to stage a comeback by reattempting the escape trick that nearly killed him the previous year.
Before he can do this, he must come to terms with losing Charlotte, his childhood sweetheart and former stage assistant, to his superstar rival, Victorio the Great. The emotional trauma of Charlotte's betrayal left him hiding behind a deranged fantasy that he has real magical powers - powers so dark that anyone who comes close is in danger.
As the date of his relaunch looms, Ronny strikes up a friendship with Henry, a dying old man at a hospice where Ronny volunteers, and a hospice nurse gives him the idea that maybe his magical powers aren't as dangerous as he claims.
The film was released in New Zealand in 2008, through arthouse cinemas and the Rialto chain, and played for a season on the Rialto Channel. It won the Jury Prize at the Dances with Films Festival in Los Angeles, and the Technical Award at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards.
Filmthreat.com described The Last Magic Show as "Well acted, darkly lit, and gorgeously shot", and awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars at the time of release, adding "you will be reminded of exactly why you love independent cinema".