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Revisiting: Documentaries
My recent post on upcoming documentary projects had me thinking about a few of my favorite ones. The reason that they’re favorites is not just because they are very well made but the love and respect that they show for magic is evident throughout. Our Magic (R. Paul Wilson): Whenever I feel discouraged about magic, Continue reading
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Coming Soon
Let’s begin with a syllogism: I like movies and documentaries.I like magic.Therefore, I like movies and documentaries about magic. The problem with syllogisms is that while they are logically sound; they are not necessarily accurate. In this case, I can name many films with performance magic at it’s center that I’d watch again and again Continue reading
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Media Notes: Tow
We’re blessed to have a small, independent movie theater nearby. Last month, we were treated to the latest Jim Jarmusch film, Father, Mother, Sister, Brother. It’s a wonderful anthology film about family relationships, struggles to understand each other, and how little we know about the people closest to us. It’s a great film that deserves Continue reading
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The Phoenix: Volume 1 Number 12
Yeah, I know. It’s been awhile since the last installment. Number 12 is all Lu Brent. According to Genii’s Magipedia: Lu Brent (1903 – 1993) was a semi-professional magician starting in 1927. He specialized in small magic. His legal name was Benjamin Joseph Lubrant. The name Lu Brent came accidentally, from a clerk’s mistake, when Continue reading
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Make Procedure Interesting
That was a phrase that was once spoken by Max Maven in a lecture I attended years ago. I don’t remember when exactly but it’s always stayed with me. I believe that the full comment was “the secret to mentalism is to make procedure interesting.” It’s not just mentalism but magic too. I reflect on Continue reading
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But Can I Keep It?
Recently Helder Guimarães entered the expanding space of subscription services. The idea of a subscription service wasn’t new to me as I was a supporter of Ben Earl’s The Family during its first year. I really enjoyed it however I found I was just watching the videos and not studying and learning the offerings. It Continue reading
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Book Notes: Maltese Falcon
John Huston’s 1941 film, The Maltese Falcon, is an amazing film. It had a great cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney Greenstreet, and Peter Lore. Like many films, it was first a novel. Written by Dashiell Hammett, the novel is not only a great detective story but it’s very well written. To John Huston’s credit, Continue reading