Number
119 - 5th October 2002
David
Blaine - Mysterious Stranger published by Villard Books is available in the UK
via
Amazon.co.uk The book includes a challenge to its readers.
Hidden in its pages are secret signals, clues, and codes that, once
understood and deciphered, will lead to the discovery of $100,000 which
has been hidden somewhere within the confines of the continental United
States of America. Where is it, and who will find it? If it's as difficult
to find as it was trying to establish an exact publication date
for the book then it won't be too easy.
Amazon.co.uk say that they can dispatch within 2 to 3 days, but some
sources say expect it later on in the month. The book promises:
Mind-bending tricks that readers can learn to do themselves, interactive
magic effects, mind-reading and psychic techniques, David Blaine's unique
perspective on the art of magic, a copiously illustrated history of the
art and an insight into David's private world.
5.10.02
Steve
Cohen's Chamber Magic - A demonstration of Modern Conjuring is on,
right now, in London at The Langham Hilton, Regent Street (photo). MagicWeek
went along to the press night and witnessed a great show. For details see
What's On To read the
review
Click Here
5.10.02
The
Finals of The Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year Competition 2002 take place on Sunday 13th October at The Magic Circle's London
headquarters. Through to the finals competing in this biennial event
are, in alphabetical order: Clyde Clayton, Roy Davenport, John Derris, Ian
Keable, Loki, Richard Pinner, Alfonso Rios, Rousseau and Duncan Trillo.
5.10.02
The
Puzzle is being advertised on MagicWeek from this week. Here's the effect:
A volunteer from the audience examines the pieces of a puzzle and
chooses one.
Once this has been done the magician uncovers a framed puzzle which is missing
just one piece. To the audience's amazement, it is the very same piece
that was selected just moments before! For more information visit the website:
magicpuzzle.com
5.10.02
Houdini
the movie
is on Sky Movies Cinema 1 today at 11am and again at 6.15pm. It
tells the
story of how a struggling performer became greatest escapologist of all
time.
5.10.02
Modern
Enchantments by Simon During is available now from MagicWeek in
association with
Amazon.co.uk Here's the synopsis taken from the Amazon website: "Magic,
Simon During suggests, has helped shape modern culture. Devoted to this
deceptively simple proposition, During's work, written over the course of
a decade, gets to the aesthetic questions at the very heart of the study
of culture. How can the most ordinary arts - and by 'magic,' During means
not the supernatural, but the special effects and conjuring of magic
shows - affect people? This text takes us deeply into the history and
workings of modern secular magic, from the legerdemain of Isaac Fawkes in
1720, to the return of real magic in nineteenth-century spiritualism, to
the role of magic in the emergence of the cinema. Through the course of
this history, During shows how magic performances have drawn together
heterogeneous audiences, contributed to the moulding of cultural
hierarchies, and extended cultural technologies and media at key moments,
sometimes introducing spectators into rationality and helping to
disseminate scepticism and publicise scientific innovation. In a more
revealing argument still, Modern Enchantments shows that magic
entertainments have increased the sway of fictions in our culture and
helped define modern society's image of itself." Over 350 pages. To order
Click Here and to read a review from the Guardian
Click Here
5.10.02
The
Art of Magic by Carl Waldman, Joe Layden and Jamy Ian Swiss is now available from
Amazon.co.uk complete with a re-vamped cover. We reviewed in back in July 2000,
Click Here
5.10.02
The
Tony and Yasmin Risotto Comedy Magic and Belly Dance Show will be at
the Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne, Dorset on Friday November 22nd 2002 at 8pm.
Tickets £8. Box office telephone: 01202 848014. More details:
www.tonyandyasmin.co.uk 5.10.02
7
Deceptions by Luke Jermay has just been published by Kenton Knepper.
"This material is so fantastic I bought the rights to it - I have never
paid for someone else's ideas to publish, and I may never do so again, but
Luke's 7 Deceptions is in a class all of its own." Kenton Knepper. The
book contains fifty full-size pages and has received some excellent
comments, for more information, and to order, email:
luke.jermay@talk21.com
5.10.02
TopHat is MagicBunny.co.uk's exclusive e-zine. It goes out to all
members once a month, around the 20th. TopHat features top articles and
effects from the month's postings in the forums, and also contains many
exciting news articles to keep you up to date.
If you have an article send it to
tophat@magicbunny.co.uk and
they will publish it in the next issue. There are
also back issues on the site:
Click Here
5.10.02
Whilst the UK's newest magic dealer, Alec Powell of the Albion Magic Company, was exhibiting at the at the Eastbourne Convention burglars were breaking into his warehouse at home. Alec received a telephone call on Sunday morning from the police informing him that the warehouse, known to many magicians as the venue for the 'Beechmen Circus Magic Car Boot Sale,' had been broken into during the past day or two. It appears that the burglars entered via a kitchen window yet fled without taking anything. "I have a theory about this" said Alec, "Outside the door between the kitchen and the warehouse is a certain item propped up against the wall. It is black with gold trimmings and big enough to hold a body. I think that my 'visitors' saw it in the dark, took fright and threw themselves back out of the window. I'm glad I let Black Hart store his coffin at the warehouse now!" Fortunately none of the stock of painted wooden props from Alec's Terry & Norma range were stolen or damaged. Keith Hart, the man behind Black Hart Productions and Black Artefacts commented, "I'd put a curse on anyone messing about with my coffin and it seems that it worked!" 5.10.02
This week we've added a new way to advertise something special in the For Sale section on MagicWeek - have a look • Costas Damianou emails with news of a new web forum, and more plans for the future under the Nexus banner. To visit the forum Click Here • Channel Five's new nightly TV Show Live with Chris Moyles (mentioned a couple of weeks ago) is a pretty dismal affair - they were looking for 20 close-up magicians to make up the crowd in the bar and perform some magic, but I don't think it's happened so far... • Your news is always welcomed, see you next week, Duncan. 5.10.02