The Genii Forum

I just had one of the creepiest sensations I can remember. As I was watching the video, I put myself into the host's place, and imagined what I would have drawn. I started out with a tree in my mind, and suddenly I started thinking about a pyramid . "Yeah, that's easier to draw anyway," I ...

I just want to add, that the show Helder and Derek are doing in the Peller this week is sensational . I love that moment, just before a trick ends, when you think "No, there's no way this is gonna end like this" - and then it does . These two guys give you that sensation again and again du...

Just one slight clarification: Rob Zabrecky is the regularly-scheduled performer in early close-up,while Deadeye is only filling in for him on Monday and Thursday.

I'm so sorry to hear this news! Hank was one of those rare people who could teach a blockbuster lesson with a single sentence. I speak from experience; I remember Hank giving a lecture back in the late 70's, when I was a teenager: - He held up three ropes and said, "Here's what I do at kid's sh...

Your points are well taken, Richard. And, please realize, I compare the two forums with all possible respect to both.

Sorry you feel that way, Roger. But, if you're suggesting that, because I'm an officer in the AMA, I'm also obligated to respond to anyone who a) isn't a member or b) is a member, but isn't interested in using his own name to prove same, then I would disagree with you, strongly. But, hey, I could be...

The fact that people persist in posting these "castle dirty laundry" threads here and not on the official Castle forums tells us that Mr. Crowley and those in charge are failing miserably in making said forums more conducive to that type of discourse. Chris, I would (slightly) disagree wi...

Erdnasephile, please don't misunderstand me; I added to this conversation only to lighten the mood a bit. At the risk of sounding rude: While I admit to "lurking" in this thread, I have no intention of contributing substantially to the conversation. The way I see it, the Academy of Magical...

I just had an flashback to that scene in 'Spartacus', where all the slaves on the hillside start standing up and confessing...

"I am undercut."

"No, I am undercut!"

{wink!}

You're right, Houdini's Ghost; this is getting nasty. I have no intention of discussing here, the details of the ethics grievance I've filed against Mr. McIlhany. (IMHO, the facts speak for themselves but, of course, thats for the AMAs Ethics Committee to decide.) I'm sorry (in this thread and in ot...

As many of you know, I no longer participate much in magic forums. But, a few things have been said here that I feel I have to respond to. Yes, I filed an ethics grievance recently against Mr. McIlhany, but I had no interest in making that matter public, nor will I comment now on the full extent of ...

Where do they discuss their thought/design process? In his book 'Scripting Magic', Pete McCabe includes a (IMHO) great interview with Teller, where they discuss The Care And Feeding of the Creative Mind. If you don't have this book - get it. If you already have this book - read it again. Either way...

(And now, folks, you see why I don't post on threads like this very much...) Steve, thanks for calling my perspective "crazy" and "nuts". It's always nice to know one is loved. If AMA members like you can't be bothered with attending a General Meeting (either in person, or online...

Steve, I'm the guy who suggested that AMA members watch the Webcast of the General Meeting. I'm not sure I "stretched any logic" when making that suggestion; if Joe Member were to get involved more (instead of waiting for information to be spoon-fed to him/her in multiple media), our Board...

After seeing Simon's performance, I'm wondering if we're seeing a new trend in magic, brought on by too much MTV: forget about blending one effect into the next with some type of continuity, just rat-a-tat the audience with one unrelated effect after the other. [I know, I know. That's not a trend; I...

Two gags come to mind when I read this thread: - A friend of mine worked in a cubicle farm, where one of his co-workers had the steadfast habit of breaking for lunch at 12:00 sharp, eating his (brown bag) lunch in about 10 minutes, then put his feet up on the desk to nap for the rest of the hour. Hi...

While we're on the subject of Jason Latimer, I'd like to add a very important point: Jason is one of the most easy-going, friendliest, and enthusiastic performers I've ever met. (I've conversed with many magicians with twice Jason's ego, but only a fraction of his accomplishments!) It's "kids&q...

Harry: I'm not extremely versed in history, and so I ask: was escapology tied as closely to magic before Houdini "lost the plot a little" (your phrase) back in his day? My point was, magicians often display other skills than those strictly meant to "entertain, amuse and baffle" (...

Originally posted by harry patter: I have a degree of respect for David Blaine and I believe he has done a great deal to promote magic, but has he not lost the plot a little? I became a magican to entertain, amuse and baffle. I'm not sure that David Blaine's current line of stunts do that. ... Mayb...

I was in southern California at 6AM that morning, leaving the house to go to a technical seminar. Hopped in to the car, turned on NPR, and started listening to a reporter telling what he was looking at first-hand... I remember thinking, "Hey, this is pretty cool - somebody's updated the Mercury...

Originally posted by WarlockDrummer:
Rich--please clue us in. It sounds so powerful.

No chance, WD. You'll just have to read the book, and come up with the sentence(s) that work for *you*...!

Lisa Cousins and I seem to have had the same experience with Strong Magic. It opened my eyes wide, and sometimes the incoming light was *intense*! For those that only read the commentary in this forum and have yet to read SM itself, I will tell you this: I took a *single sentence* out of the book (I...

Bill Duncan writes: Is there a reason that "Three Coins in the Hat" must be done with a hat? Other than the obvious one, I mean? A comment and a question from me, I guess: - In my street-performer days, I wore a top hat (for looks, for my 3C&H routine, and for -most importantly- reven...

I just want to thank everyone who posted on this topic so far. I've toyed with buying a copy of GM for years, but never got the proverbial 'Round Tuit'. After reading John Carney's challenge in "Secrets" ("For every magic video you watch, read two classic books"), I felt a twinge...

One of my favorite stunts was pulled decades ago by Arnold Furst, I think. (If I remember correctly, Furst describes it in more detail in his book...) He was flying L.A.-to-Hawaii, and phoned ahead to ask a reporter in Honolulu to go out and buy a fresh deck of cards, shuffle them thoroughly, and re...