Sharknado Hits Magic Camp… Chaos Ensues

I saw it.  In all its sharktastic glory.  Sharks in houses.  Sharks in nursing home swimming pools.  And, of course, sharks in tornadoes.  Sharknado combined two of my favourite things — sharks and nadoes — into one action-packed documentary (I think it was a documentary) of a ragtag (but very brave) team of bar-loving good Samaritans who save California with their bare hands, a shelving unit, a few bombs, and a chainsaw.  Oh, sorry, and a helicopter.  And two cars.  And a bar stool.

Sharknado was actually the second film we watched in a double-header last night, the first being the first half of the absolutely (and I really mean it this time) spectacular Magic Camp.  I first heard about Magic Camp a few months ago when Josh showed me the trailer.  It was only being screened in film festivals, and I know this because I was constantly checking to see if it was coming to a theater in DC.  We finally saw that it was on iTunes this week and immediately bought a copy.

It lived up to everything I hoped it would be.

I love this movie so much.

It follows a set of kids during their week at Tannen’s magic camp in Pennsylvania.  The girl who doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into being someone’s assistant.  The boy with Tourette syndrome whose symptoms come under control when he’s concentrating on magic.  The new boy who blooms at camp with everyone’s support.  The boy who ends up going home early and is missed.

I love that it shows the kids taking feedback, growing as performers, overcoming fears or limitations, and — in general — finding a place in the world where their freak flags can fly.  Because that’s sort of the whole point of the movie: that there is a place out there for everyone, and you just have to find it.

The twins love it too.  Which is a good thing since we bought it, which means I expect them to watch it over and over again.  They’ve already asked if they can go to Tannen’s magic camp when they’re older, and if I’ll stay in the area and sleep in a hotel during that week.  (Josh told them no to the hotel.  I told them yes to the hotel.  We both said hells yeah to the camp.)  We’re watching the second half of the movie today.  It really is like visiting Hogwarts, only better.

The only thing that could top seeing Magic Camp and Sharknado is if the two filmmakers could get together to make Sharknado II: This Time It’s Magical.  Pennsylvania could be experiencing strange weather due to a storm. (“Don’t worry, tornadoes never make it to Bryn Mawr!)  Suddenly, sharks are raining down on the campus.  The kids save the day by killing the sharks… with magic tricks.  Truly, I think Syfy may want to look into producing that.

So… Sharknado: so bad it’s good.  And Magic Camp: truly truly good and a must-see film unless you hate magic. (And really, why do you hate magic?  What did it ever do to you?  Cut you in half?)  Maybe skip the sharks, but definitely don’t skip the magic.  I rarely care this much about a movie, but I waited so long to see it and then it managed to live up to my hopes.  It’s on iTunes, it’s on cable, it’s on whatever on-demand-movie-thing you have on your television.  Go see it; if nothing else for the moment when one boy frets that the hidden pocket in his pants is frayed, and the other boy offers him his sewing kit.  I LOVED THAT KID!

And I can’t wait to see the end.