I've got the book, the book on CD, a bottle of bourbon, and a copy of the movie on DVD. For selfish reasons, I don't want "them" to ruin it by making a crappy version of the movie. Interesting to read everyone's opinions and speculations, but "they" should just leave it well enough alone. I'm perfectly content to keep things the way they are with this subject.

We don't need a remake for that to happen. Its happening all the time. I suppose a major film would reach even more people.

Nope. Nightmare Alley should stay right where it is: a hidden gem...a perfect private little thing.

Loved the book...like the movie a lot...learned oodles from the line "Every kid had a dog."

Nightmare Alley is one of those brilliant-smack-you-over-the-head-and-open-your-eyes stories. It should be required reading for performers, right alongside Corinda and Annemann. And, besides...Zeena's sort of hot.

David

I see your point and I agree now. It's too dangerous to show a film depicting false explanations if they're ever going to see a mentalist perform. In the moment of mystery the audience can't have an inkling how it's being done or even that it can be done. I had hoped for a way to let film-goers peek behind the curtain without jeopardizing mentalism.

This film is an affecting one. I just watched a video I posted online a year ago. Comparing it with one taken three weeks ago I now see less "Magic Mike" in my character and a bit more Stan Carlisle. It had always been improper to strip for my audiences, anyway. (In seriousness, "Magic Mike" was an obvious nickname old friends called me when I performed as a magician. It had nothing to do with the film of the same name. Still, it was always inappropriate for me to strip but audiences loved it. See an old thread called "Einstein in My Pocket" in Inner Thoughts for clarification.)

I'd like to see a remake- one not limited by the Production Code, as the first one was. A made-for-cable (or Netflix) mini-series would be ideal. A program like HBO's "Carnivàle" showed how the gritty, sleazy carnival world can now be portrayed without any sugar coating or censorship constraints. This is the type of treatment "Nightmare Alley" deserves.