Abacadabra, I sit on his knee. Presto, Change-o, and now he's me. Hocus Pocus, we take to her bed. Magic is fun... we're dead.

Anthony Hopkins stars in this dark thriller about a magician's assistant who falls prey to the power of his own act.

Hopkins play Corky, a magician's assistant who finds it difficult work as a solo artist. he lacks any real charm, personality or self-confidence and his first so-so performance is a complete disaster.

To improve his act and gain stage presence, Corky begins to use a ventriloquist dummy called fats. The dummy proves such a success that Corky and Fats are soon on the road to stardom.