No muss, no fuss – just pure magic

iTricks.com just posted information regarding the Japanese entrants at the 2009 FISM.

The video is a delightful young lady performing classic manipulation without any of the transparent cutesy crap we see so often. I love this routine:

Bill Malone – Entertainer

There was a recent article in the Chicago Tribune about Bill Malone and his newly released DVD set from L&L Publishing, Malone Meets Marlo. We’ll talk about the set a little later, but 1st I want to focus on Bill Malone.

Understand, I don’t know Bill Malone personally and he certainly doesn’t know me. I can only judge him by his public persona and magical output. One only has to view the video on the left to see he is a man of exceptional talent and showmanship.

There’s also a video available of him doing Sam the Bellhop. This is what a self working trick should look like, but SO SELDOM does.

Starting with the Henning Nelms book, magic critics and pundits have preached the entertainment angle of magic into a place it should never have been. Of course magic should be entertaining. That goes without saying. Entertainment is not weaving some inane story around a pedestrian trick while the magician wrangles a few embarrassing twitters from the audience. Wearing a humorous hat or putting one on the reluctant helper doesn’t help – trust me on this!!

I was fortunate enough to see David Williamson again recently and even though he is still magic’s best foole, when it comes time for the magic – he mystifies. More than any other time I’ve seen him, he emphasized the necessity of frying the spectator and ending clean. To, me, this has always been at the core of good/great magic. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to discuss his lecture in the near future.

Malone Meets Marlo – It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a set of DVDs as much as these. In recent years L&L seems to be stretching 2 DVDs worth of material on 4 to 6 DVDs. Frankly, there’s not a lot of good stuff left. Here we have 6 DVDs reasonably full of good material – some of it exceptional.

I never saw and Marlo in person. I have a hard time believing that he was a good entertainer, despite what people like Racherbaumer have written. He certainly was the most prolific author on card magic we have ever seen or probably will ever see. I know there are a lot of arguments regarding the originality of much of his material. I am not enough of a magic historian to make a proper comment on this. I do know, however, that some of you output is excellent magic.

What we can get out of the six DVDs, if nothing else, is Bill’s perspective on the best of Marlo’s work. Some of the tricks, when presented by Bill and least, are staggering. Any kind of a card man or a magician with an interest in cars will certainly find much of interest and some items to be added to the working repertoire.

Others, certainly more capable than me, will review the discs in depth. I’ll be interested in seeing their commentary.

This set of DVDs is much more subdued than the first two from L&L. I’ve heard it suggested that this is purposely done to preserve the deference Bill wished to express towards Marlo. I have no idea.

Although much of the usual crowd is there, the eye candy has certainly gone down hill, actually way down. They have gone from staggeringly good-looking women wearing the bare minimum to overly tattooed average lookers. To put it another way, Falanga has gone from tits to tats — not a good trade, Louis, not a good trade!

That minor criticism aside, you will certainly get your money’s worth from this collection.

Now here’s a magic book I would buy

There are several books out that teach you how to get women with your magic e.g. Tricks To Pick Up Chicks or PUMA. Those guys meet the classic definition of consultant:

consultant (k?n-s?l‘t?nt) someone that knows 350 ways to make love, but doesn’t know any women

Criss Angel may not be much of a magician, but whatever he does must work. His latest squeeze:

Way to go Criss!!

Polishing A Pig

You would not have to read this blog for long to know that I consider 2 types of people the worst forms of the breed – bullies and hypocrites. Some of my favorite characters from the Cafe are world class in both categories, including the primary subject of this essay. Bullies, in my definition, are those that take advantage of their status or situation to inflict their position on those unable to respond due to their respective stations (e.g. the abusive boss). There is no lower form of life and I know there must be a very hot place in Hell for them – it’s going to be a crowded place!

Some years ago, Stephen Youell, his holiness, ran a paid website called Cogitations. There was a lot of discussion whether Youell actually delivered what was promised. From my perspective and that of many others, he didn’t. His friends and other enablers persisted in excusing him by claiming they got value for their money. So what! The man had created a contract with your subscribers saying he would do certain things and he didn’t. That’s a fact.

I received and retained a number of messages that Youell sent to people that were just unbelievable in their hatefulness and meanness. At the same time the footer on his Café signature cited a Bible verse, hence the moniker his holiness. At the end of this particular conflagration Youell did his best you won’t have me to kick around anymore (Richard Nixon circa 1966) and rode off into the sunset. Apparently, his horse got lost and turned around. He’s back. Just like getting shit on your finger – you can’t get rid of it.

B. D. Erland wrote, maybe the most intense magic blog I’ve ever read. I don’t know who he is or even if that’s his real name, nor does it matter one whit. I do know that he is a young man who cares about his magic and the state of the art. His essays are brilliantly conceived and thoughtfully constructed. Do I agree with everything he says? Absolutely not! He is however someone who is willing to civilly debate any issue. After he closed his blog — come back B.D. — he apparently became embroiled in a verbal altercation with Youell on the Café.

Anyone that has been around the Café for any length of time realizes that trying to argue with one of Brooks insiders is absolutely fruitless. Your posts will be deleted and his buddies’ posts will either survive or be the last word. Here’s B.D.’s recount all of the altercation:

Ye Olde Magic Blog

(B.D. and others – put Evernote on your computer. When you get a PM or thread on the Cafe that you want to keep – move it to Evernote. Brooks and his henchmen are impotent to alter history then.)

The battle moved to The Weekly Magic Failure. Youell’s posts certainly fit the classic definition:

The act of trying to make something hopelessly weak and unattractive appear strong and appealing. An impossible process that usually results in a larger, uglier turd.

The whole thing is absurd. Youell long ago lost the right to claim any sort of heat of the moment defense. Hiding behind the incredible bulk makes it even less palatable.