Jackie Chan works magic with rubber bands
November 8, 2008
If you haven’t seen this video of the action movie star’s sleight of hand making the rounds, check it out:
We at the Ellusionist blog are waiting for the Chuck Norris version, performed with bungee jumping cords.
Lance Burton to levitate Heidi Klum for German show
November 7, 2008
If you’ve been wanting to keep up with who Criss Angel has been dating, and from whom he has been stealing girls, then this blog apologizes. We 1.) don’t care, 2.) get all those Playboy types confused and 3.) know it will last until the next big project comes along. (We’re a little jaded about celebrity relationships.) So, I almost missed this little, itty-bitty blurb about Lance Burton and Heidi Klum. (No, they are not dating.)
Robin Leach, in his Celebrity Watch column for the Las Vegas Sun, reported that Burton has been asked by Klum to assist with her “Germany’s Next Top Model” program. Burton will assist in several segments, to be filmed this January, and a levitation of Klum will be part of it. The Las Vegas Review-Journal said it will be filmed at the Monte Carlo.
The Inside Magic blog is pleased, calling the Burton hiring confirmation of how Klum is “classy and intelligent.”
Amazing Kreskin to unveil presidential prediction
November 5, 2008
Photo courtesy AmazingKreskin.com
It didn’t take long for CNN and other networks to call the U.S. presidential election. Shortly after Ohio and Virginia were colored blue, about 10 p.m. CST, the 24 TV news networks displayed large, “Obama wins” graphics that sent throngs in Chicago’s Grant Park into a frenzy.
Not bad, to have the election called three hours after polls closed in most of the Heartland. But don’t get too cocky, media types. The Amazing Kreskin called it 11 months ago. We’ll find out today whether he was right:
“I am staking my reputation on this prediction, and I’m completely confident that I’ve picked the winner. There is no doubt in my mind.”
The above quote is from a press release making the rounds. Kreskin made his prediction last December — back when there were more than a dozen candidates — and sealed it in a lockbox under the purview of Rabbi David Rosenn (pictured above, left). The box has been on public display at a trendy New York City bar; an NYC radio talk show host has held on to a backup. The lockbox will be opened at 1 p.m. EST today in the bar, and we’ll find out if he called it. The prediction will also have other important predictions relevant to the state of the world, according to the release.
As part of the prediction, Kreskin challenged anyone with enough cash to bet him that he was right. Strangely enough, no one accepted. But we didn’t need Ohio or Virginia to call THAT.
UPDATE: He did it.
Forum user’s claim inspires great feedback
November 3, 2008
It started innocently enough: Forum user Haydini said he had become “heckler proof.” What transpired after that was a thread packed with good advice about dealing with hecklers and tough cookies.
Don’t get us wrong: We dispute Haydini’s claim, because jerks are everywhere and multiplying. Becoming truly heckler proof is a pipe dream — and to be fair, Haydini admits that later in the thread. But in relating his story about dealing with a rather sadistic heckler, Haydini left himself open to criticism, and it produced some great contributions from forum giants such as Wolvy, Steerpike, 4757joshua2, desmit6, Soulgrind, Wanderer and even the man in charge, RJohnson.
If you are having trouble with hecklers, you really should be reading this thread. It’s this kind of thread that makes me proud to be part of the Ellusionist community.
Reviewers cast ‘Believe’ as bad beyond belief
November 3, 2008
Photo courtesy L.A. Times
At long last, the Criss Angel-Cirque du Soleil collaboration “Believe” is open to the general public. The show held a black carpet opening on Halloween. And how are those reviews that have been so hard to come by?
Reed Johnson of the L.A. Times says “Believe” is, in a word, unbelievable. Of course, he’s a critic, so he loves to use more than one word:
“Believe” suggests less an artistic marriage made in accounting heaven than a shotgun wedding of clashing sensibilities in which the shotgun messily discharges en route to the altar. Indeed, the smeared blood and entrails are piled high and deep throughout “Believe,” the most death-obsessed show to emerge from Sin City since “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Doug Elfman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (who has been openly critical of the show) said it was terrrrrrible (sic):
I had heard firsthand from some people who had seen “Believe” that it was abysmal and maybe unfixable, creatively. So my expectations were rock-bottom low (although open-minded), when I saw it Friday on opening night. And yet, it was EVEN WORSE than how it was described to me.
Is anyone going to back Angel up? Heck yes. Other magicians. Jeff McBride, Steve Wyrick, Lance Burton and Penn & Teller are all on the record in support of the Mindfreak. Said McBride:
“I think Criss has a really unique vision and an incredible commitment to trying something new and I think that will inspire other magicians to push the envelopes and take risks,” McBride said. “He seemed very focused on the work and very absorbed in the exploration and execution of the new effects in his show. He seemed very happy and pleased.”
The true judge of Believe’s success will be the ticket sales, of course. Until then, it’s good to see magicians backing up one of their own.
For sale: Houdini’s spirit in a brick
October 31, 2008
Photo courtesy The Detroit News
What better present is there to buy your favorite magician than a brick supposedly infused with the spirit of the great Houdini? Wait… the headline says Houdini may live ON, not IN? Dang. This was going to be a cool entry to type in on Halloween night. Oh well.
Plymouth, Mich. homeowner Jamie Flora, a Houdini fan, was at first intrigued to hear that his home might be built with bricks from the Garrick Theater in Detroit — the site of Houdini’s final performance. With some sleuthing through city records, he was able to confirm it. Now, he’s selling some spare bricked that were removed during a renovation project.
“I live in the house made from some of the brick from that theater. When I go to bed at night all the bricks on stage that night are around me and my wife and five kids.”
Not everyone is impressed:
Kevin Connolly isn’t convinced. The member of the Magic Collectors Association has about 3,000 Houdini-related pieces, but said the brick isn’t any more valuable than a paperweight — even with concrete proof of origin. “To me it’s just a novelty. You’ve got to have provenance this is Houdini’s,” Connolly said. “When you look at my stuff you know that’s Houdini’s. That’s the quality I want. I don’t want questionable stuff.”
Bricks cost $450 for a smaller, collectible version or $945 for a museum edition that comes with a backboard and display. Don’t feel so bad about buying those Jerry’s Nuggets now, eh?
It’s getting colder… Frozen by Adam Grace
October 30, 2008
…and we’re not talking about the season’s first frost.
After three years of sitting on a shelf, Frozen — the latest effect from Adam Grace — is causing a cold snap. From Ellusionist General Manager Jason Brumbalow:
Previously known as Frostbite, this effect has been on the shelf for more than three years. Recently Adam Grace and Brad Christian found the holy grail they had been searching for: A street-ready method to blow frost onto a borrowed quarter and freeze it while completely surrounded by spectators.
What could you do with the ability to blow on something and freeze it? Once you learn the secret, you’ll be able to do incredible things.
More coming soon… talk about it on the Ellusionist forums, and keep an eye here as things get chill.
Bearwin Meily filming second installment of ‘Thou Shalt Not Blink’
October 28, 2008
In honor of Da Bear’s third TV special, soon to hit the air, we’re typing this entry with no edits:
Filipino entertainer Bearwin Meily is hitting the streets to film his second special, “Thou Shalt Not Blink 2.” No air dates have yet been announced for the special, which Meily is currently filming — and loading with Ellusionist effects, he told us via e-mail.
The high-energy Bearwin got his start in the show “Naks!” on GMA7. When the show was canceled, he self-produced a street-magic series called “Stealing Minds.” In April of this year, GMA aired “Thou Shalt Not Blink,” his second magic special devoted to eliminating edits. The feature effect of that special was a teleportation from the GMA studios to his home:
Bearwin said he trained under renowned parapsychologist and Inquirer columnist Jaime T. Licauco. He also rehearsed regularly with his team and his wife Lara, the show’s cinematographer. Teleportation requires no supernatural power, Bearwin said. “Anyone can do it,” he said. “You only need to study and train. Licauco’s has a research that shows a lot of documented incidents of teleportation in the country.”
Keep checking back here for more about him, his upcoming special, and why he would rather be called “an entertainer in the art of magic.” Until then, enjoy this card catch:
Luxor boss believes in ‘Believe’
October 27, 2008
Photo courtesy TVT
Last time we mentioned Criss Angel and his Vegas show “Believe,” things were in turmoil: The previews got bad reviews from early audiences, and there seemed to be creative differences between Angel and the Cirque du Soleil folks. Now that the show is three days away from opening, Luxor president Felix Rappaport (pictured above, right) is throwing his support behind the show.
As reported on iTricks.com, Las Vegas blogger Robin Leach reported that Rappaport, who bankrolled the $100 million production, has believed in Believe from the beginning:
“I’ve been through this before. I understand how the creation process works -– and all that it takes to go from idea to final execution. I was at our other MGM hotels when Cirque launched Mystere and Zumanity along with their other Vegas shows. I have never met a more disciplined hard working star than Criss to ensure this works as a huge winner. I have absolute belief in Guy Laliberte and his Cirque team of creators and that they are 100 percent behind this being a total success.”
Rappaport also mentioned those early reviews, which lampooned Angel for poor magic effects and cheesy lip-syncing of the “Mindfreak” theme. A lot of those problems can be blamed on construction problems and audiences paying too much attention to Angel. Hey, he said it:
“It’s come a mighty long way — 10 times better — since then. There were so many construction and permit difficulties making a new showroom specially for this show. It’s turned out to be an incredibly marvelous and beautiful theater. Once previews got underway all the additional new illusions could be worked in -– and now they are all working incredibly well in Believe. Some members of the initial audiences didn’t even notice the other cast illusions because they focused everything on Criss but now people are understanding the show they see all of its other aspects of creativity. There are over 20 magical elements in this production -– not as stand-alones but as an integral part of the storytelling -– and that’s a real first.”
Leach will continue counting down to the premiere on the Luxe Life blog.
Forum user: ‘Underground’ doesn’t mean ‘extremely skilled’
October 26, 2008
Truth be told, I almost missed this week’s Forum Post of the Week. I was skimming this interesting thread about Daniel Madison, not really reading it. Then another user nudged me toward this post by user Medifro, saying it was well-written. Once I read it fully, there was no doubt.
The honor belongs to Medifro and his thoughts about what it means to be an “underground” magician:
“This is not to say that there are no cliques in magic. You can form one yourself. Just get together with a couple of friends and start snubbing other magicians. But that’s no way the same as an underground magic circle. Its easy to understand why most of today’s magicians can’t tell the difference because they weren’t there back when magic was really an underground.”
Medifro goes on to define an underground magic circle as a group that hoards certain moves, sleights and techniques, keeping it from public consumption for years. As he notes later in the thread, it’s not a knock against professional magicians who market themselves as “underground” (he, like many others in the thread, compliment Madison’s skills) but those who fall in love with the concept of being “underground” without fully understanding its meaning. That perception can lead us to exclude others or close our minds to certain areas of magic performance. Here’s a tip: Don’t do that.
Good work, Medifro!
Vintage 1800 Deck
Ancient, worn and cracked. 1800's are ripped from history.
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