Magical Universe (2013) User Reviews

The Magic of Magical Universe

[loveitallmatt · 8/10 · 20 May 2015]

Truthfully, the documentary is odd but highly intriguing. We get to peek inside the wondrous world of an artist enamoured with creating something new everyday with the love and passion of human expression. If you are interested in watching something odd, quirky but at the same time captures your interest... this is a film worth watching. The artist in this film has rooms filled with his masterpieces that are on display for his own enjoyment. With the help of a younger couple this 80 something year old man was share his art with a broad audience. Through this film we are able to see a man close to the end of his life realize a dream of his art entering the real world for many to enjoy. This film is a reminder that doing what makes us happy keeps our imagination on it's toes and can lead to a true appreciation for the gift of life.

Truly different but interesting

Creepy, Bizarre, & Fascinating

[larrys3 · 8/10 · 5 July 2015]

This unique documentary, directed by Jeremy Workman, focuses on the very strange world of 88-year-old Al Carbee, residing in Saco, Maine, who has spent most of his life creating photos, diaramas, and artwork of Barbie dolls. The film can be quite creepy, bizarre, even a little erotic (as weird as that sounds), yet can also be fascinating at the same time.

While on vacation in Maine with his girlfriend Astrid, the filmmaker Workman got a tip from a local newspaper photographer to check out Carbee at his home, where the odd and reclusive senior might be a good subject for a future documentary. Carbee allowed Workman to view some of his meticulous creations involving Barbies, that he had been working on, in private, for over 45 years.

Workman did create a short film (less than 4 minutes long) from the visit, but in time, as a friendship developed between the two men, he was able to expand it to this movie. In the last third of the film, they'll be some real twists and surprises for the viewer, which, overall, all add up to a remarkable experience.

I saw how some reviewers felt that this movie exploited Carbee, and I did get some sense of that while watching it and even afterwards. However, in my opinion, it didn't cross that line especially with Carbee so enthusiastic about his works and how they might be shown.

A compassionate look at a strange, lovely artist

[matchka-43956 · 9/10 · 29 June 2015]

I enjoyed this film so much; my attention never wavered. Delving into Al Carbee's world is like escaping into a storybook that feels like childhood but is very much grown-up. The film evoked compassion in me for this gentle, happy, strange old man with a vivid imagination and lovely spirit. Every time I watched him on the screen, I couldn't help but feel tender towards him. I wanted to hug him! The film shows how his art is so much more than "photos of Barbies" and the essence of his work is captured beautifully. I found myself coveting some of his photos. Jeremy Workman has created a splendid narrative about an obscure artist and his wonderful little world. What a touching tribute to Al Carbee.

The Magic of Humanity

[beai-78789 · 10/10 · 14 January 2016]

An impromptu change in their vacation schedule leads filmmaker Jeremy Workman and his then fiancé, Astrid von Ussar to a meeting with Al Carbee. A widower residing in a small town in Maine, Carbee is also a resident of his own universe, driven to endlessly create a personal landscape populated with a myriad of Barbies in countless scenes and situations which he then photographs and catalogs. His home is akin to a DIY fun-house, complete with man-made underground caverns and upper rooms where he toils in virtual solitude and anonymity.

I must admit to lukewarm expectations prior to screening this documentary; too often studies of this sort are either one- dimensional or tend to present eccentric creators in a rather tongue-in-cheek, vaguely insulting way. Instead, how surprised - and delighted - I was to see Al's universe through the eyes of Jeremy Workman, how privileged I was to experience their resulting friendship and subsequent journey as their lives intersected in a way that so often happens -- quite by accident. How satisfying and uplifting and yes, heartbreaking, to see two lives forever changed and enriched thanks to a moment in time that came so close to never happening. I was brought to tears, filled with both sadness and hope and finally, gratitude to have watched what Jeremy Workman and Al Carbee gave to each other and, in a very real sense, to a wider audience like myself.

MAGICAL UNIVERSE is not merely a chronicle of a widowed recluse who photographs Barbie dioramas. It is a celebration of humanity, a love letter to friendship, a reminder that, while the world may be a vast and mysterious place, we are just a single detour away, always within reach of our own magical universe.

Totally fantastic and endlessly inspiring

[laurajpbinks · 10/10 · 17 September 2015]

Wow!!!! Just watched Magical Universe - what an incredible adventure!

I watched it with my friend Margaret. We were so moved by Al's story, artwork and creations. As one of his 'public' proclaims 'Al is a true eccentric', going about his life and artwork regardless of what anybody (especially his wife!) thinks. And yet he does have this yearning and searching for understanding and acceptance. He's proud of his work, happy to share his thoughts, but often asking if his ideas are reasonable. It was so uplifting and life affirming to see Al unburdened when his life's work, obsession and dream world was taken outside his home. Jeremy and Astrid's friendship with Al is equally moving. It was so lovely to see this young couple somewhat adopt this kooky creative grandfather figure. What an amazing sequence of events to have happen and have been recorded.

Thank you for making the longer version of the documentary Jeremy, you've touched and inspired us, Laura and Margaret

The subject is a complete original, but this amateur venture has very little magic...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 26 October 2015]

Wistfully sad (and sadly insufficient) documentary from amateur filmmaker Jeremy Workman regarding the eccentric art and reclusive life of Maine resident, veteran and widower Al Carbee. Workman's 'movie' is really just a project, one with little visual flair, no filmmaking vitality and, surprisingly, not even a sentimental overture at the finale. Expanding a four-minute short he had previously done on Carbee in 2001--photographing Carbee's photos, collages and Barbie doll dioramas--Workman doesn't even ask his subject any probing questions (with the exception of "Are you lonely?", which seems redundant). Carbee's rambling old farmhouse (in foreclosure) is revealed to harbor decades of pictures and diaries and personal artwork, mostly semi-provocative collages he's taken of his treasured Barbies. Carbee's late wife was embarrassed by her husband "playing with dolls," yet he always told her he was working with them as an artist works with his models (and we're to assume this did little to nullify her objections). The best section of the film, when the curious come with trepidation to see Carbee's showing at a local museum--and leave with smiles on their faces--is wonderful, but there's no follow up to Carbee's triumph on Workman's part; everything is allowed to be frittered away. So, where's the magic? ** from ****

Beautifully Magical

[stephmurphee · 10/10 · 21 May 2015]

Truly unique and refreshing, this is a beautiful journey throughout the mind (and home) of an artist. Something brilliant happens here that some may not understand... it takes a creative mind to get this film.

I don't normally say this about artsy documentaries, but there were times when I was literally on the edge of my seat wondering what oddity we were going to discover next! Something mentioned in the film... weird doesn't always mean bad, or sinister. There is an innocence and exuberance about Al Carbee that is magical, and I feel that this film is overall a celebration of an artist who wanted nothing more than to share his creative passion with the world.

This is worth watching!

Amazing Work of Art

[timmayo · 9/10 · 4 June 2015]

I apply that title to both Al Carbee's work as well as this film.

Like most I was wondering where it was headed after the first 15-20 mins but when I got a look into Al's world I was amazed.

Al's work, for me, is akin to listening to a lecture from someone like Terance McKenna or Timothy Leary.

Al's dreams and the way he translates them into visual works is extraordinary and Mr. Workman has done the same thing with his work introducing us to Al Carbee.

With any luck this film will serve as an introduction to the artist known as Al Carbee.

Unraveling the Mystery that is Al Carbee - a MUST SEE

[renbellu · 10/10 · 12 December 2017]

This making of this film was clearly a labor of love. It is a great movie, and not a mere "project" as one IMDB user reviewer falsely describes it. The filmmaker, Jeremy Workman, had to walk a tightrope between pity and piety, and only his honest and fearless love for his subject, a mysterious, bizarre and eccentric old gentleman, Al Carbee, kept him aloft. The result is a MUST SEE for audiences of all kinds. This film is not political; it doesn't have an agenda; it doesn't have a cause or an ax to grind; it is neither mean-spirited nor sarcastic; it's just plain weird fun, that pulls you in, engages you, but then, most surprisingly, leads you to ponder the most profound questions that one can ask. Fact is stranger than fiction, and the story of Al Carbee illustrates this strange fact perfectly. Mr. Workman's brilliance is evident in his artful slow peeling back of the layers of the endless onion that is the bizarre enigma of Al Carbee. You have to see this movie for yourself to understand why it keeps affecting people so deeply, and has garnered such a following, a growing following. The real mystery is this: was Al Carbee a silly old fool, or a sly mystical sage? What did Al Carbee actually know? Where did he actually go? And most important, what is and where is Epicuma?

Tragic Magical Universe

[tngray99 · 10/10 · 5 November 2014]

I love this film. It speaks to anyone who loves art, who has created art, or is just plain weird themselves. Al Carbee is one of the most unique characters i've seen in cinema in a long time. He proves the old maxim "You Just can't make it up." The movie is uplifting in its message (who cares what others say follow your passion) but also tragic in the way that "The Man' will aways crush, or bury, passion in one way or another. I never thought i'd be so interested in a movie about Barbie dolls. After all that's what we are talking about here. An octogenarian and his passion for photography Barbie on moonscapes, in the ocean and anywhere between.

.

Filmmaker meets Barbie Enthusiast.

[queenrenee · 9/10 · 13 November 2014]

What an interesting journey this documentary takes you on! I grew up collecting and playing with Barbies, but the star of the film, Al Carbee, takes it to a whole other level, and it's truly fascinating. Throughout the many rooms of his house, Carbee crafts complicated vignettes with Barbies and photographs them. The fact that the world would never know about Carbee's work if filmmaker Jeremy Workman hadn't happened upon him accidentally and realized the incredible story and friendship he stumbled upon, is incredible. Carbee had literally been quietly working alone for years and years, tucked away in his house. In Workman's hands, Carbee's "magical universe" truly comes alive, and it inspires the viewer to create something great too.

A Must See For Any Creative Person

[melissa-virzi-50-149922 · 10/10 · 2 November 2014]

Magical Universe is an inspiring documentary and a must see for any person who considers themselves creative. Al's mantra that "a creative person has to create" rings true for anyone who's ever faced difficulty in pursuing their passion. Despite difficulties throughout his life, Al doesn't think twice about spending all of his money on supplies and dedicating his entire life to his artwork. I was so inspired by his lifelong dedication to pursue something widely considered bizarre (Barbie doll photography) and throw aside all judgment. It's truly incredible to witness one person's passion that has been contained for years released into the world and embraced by it.

You can't help but fall in love with Al Carbee and his way of approaching the world. We could all benefit from looking at life a little bit more like Al - that no matter what life throws at you, a creative person has to keep creating..

An original man who brings near human status to Barbie dolls.

[pacop · 10/10 · 6 November 2014]

I rate this film a "10" for the sheer uniqueness of its subject, and the way the exploration and discovery of Mr. Karbee is threaded through the variety of scenes and interviews and interactive events. Mr. Workman is a dynamite editor. This film is a documentary about a very present-day man - a person not easily contained under one discipline, or field, or skill, if you like, but an artist at least, an artiste in all, an arranger, a master builder in his way, a couture, a realist, a visionary, a dreamer who lived day & night for his passion in innocence, and with a consciousness - the master behind all his creativity - near limitless and certainly profuse. And he is no stranger to expressing his mind. Al Karbee and Jeremy Workman entered into the experiences of each other. The film is told with humor, amazement, and compassion. And there is success, and success did not spoil the artist.

a strangely moving and compassionate film

[beckina · 10/10 · 15 November 2014]

Jeremy Workman tells a lovely story in this film. Al Carbee was an "outsider artist", an old Maine hermit, who created oddly beautiful and elaborate dioramas with Barbie dolls, then photographing them and creating collages. His work was visually interesting and really quite compelling. This is a strangely moving and compassionate film about an interesting artist and man, and the relationships he forges in his later years, and is a meditation on making and the development of an artist through stages of life. The soundtrack is beautiful. Photography by John Monroe captures some of the sense of the mystery and amazement of meeting Al for the first time.

All the Beautiful Things Are in Your Mind

[ivananagyfife · 10/10 · 10 February 2020]

Indeed all there is - is in our mind. Everybody has his own universe. He lived reclusive because he had such a rich inner life, that was his experience. Wonderfully quirky.

For Creators

[gracermcnally · 10/10 · 28 January 2018]

The compulsion to create was innate in Al Carbee and so his art, if odd, also feels necessary and natural. Even though each piece was painstakingly contrived and crafted by him, his body of work feels inevitable.

This film feels similarly motivated and is therefore one of the more moving documentaries I have seen.