Search found 110 matches

by Oli Foster
November 8th, 2012, 3:36 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Best History of Magic
Replies: 11
Views: 3419

Re: Best History of Magic

Ah, but is your "old" my "old"? :) Perhaps not, if I'm that much closer to high school in my youthful ignorance ;) And how could we know the middle English pronunciation without standardised spelling?...

Haven't read those books. Why do you like them?
by Oli Foster
November 8th, 2012, 2:54 pm
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Best History of Magic
Replies: 11
Views: 3419

Re: Best History of Magic

That's the one and that's my point really. I enjoyed this one as I felt the external view on magic and the premise for the book (linking the developing persona of the magician with other popular culture) provided a narrative that was more readable for being more sparse on specific details. I've enjo...
by Oli Foster
November 8th, 2012, 7:30 am
Forum: Magic History and Anecdotes
Topic: Best History of Magic
Replies: 11
Views: 3419

Best History of Magic

Hi, Thought I'd start a thread on this, as I've really enjoyed a couple of individual books and wondered if you have any suggestions on must-reads. One thing I've found is that quite a few books seem to focus on the details of individual performers, without providing much narrative in the way of how...
by Oli Foster
August 10th, 2011, 3:34 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Even a Ranting Libelling Fool Can Get a Good Review
Replies: 28
Views: 4650

Re: Even a Ranting Libelling Fool Can Get a Good Review

Oh, I knew I recognised you from somewhere Richard! ;) He's said worse things about cancer patients and canadians, I'd take it as a compliment - or sue him! :) The one thing that slightly narks is he always seems to be on his high horse about other people ripping off his material. All I can say is '...
by Oli Foster
August 10th, 2011, 3:13 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Also, being realistic, how many people honestly sit around making rubbish home-made dvds?! Shops seem to stock a broader range of DVDs than music these days and everyone's got similarly extensive collections, and the prices are fairly static, so I find it hard to believe it's that much of a dwindlin...
by Oli Foster
August 10th, 2011, 3:00 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Yeah, we've just got to accept that they won't release magic dvds because these just don't sell to the general public. We're the only ones who would ever conceive of wanting to own this kind of thing to watch it again and again. Once you know how a trick ends, it's like a joke, what's the point in s...
by Oli Foster
August 10th, 2011, 2:48 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Even a Ranting Libelling Fool Can Get a Good Review
Replies: 28
Views: 4650

Re: Even a Ranting Libelling Fool Can Get a Good Review

Yes, I didn't want to be the odd one out, but I'm afraid I agree with the review. I saw his show in Bath about 5 years ago and still think he is one of the best. By the end of the show, he had offended everybody in the room, no minority or majority was left unsavaged by his unwavering obscenity - an...
by Oli Foster
August 2nd, 2011, 2:58 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: David Copperfield vs Harry Potter ;-)
Replies: 15
Views: 3196

Re: David Copperfield vs Harry Potter ;-)

I found this quite amusing and thought the above not-to-be-mentioned-again was funny. However, as down to earth as he may be, isn't he just doing it to get some more hits and associations from people looking at Harry Potter? Can't blame him for trying...
by Oli Foster
August 2nd, 2011, 2:53 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Being fooled by a decoy again! :) Nice to hear Teller speak!
by Oli Foster
August 2nd, 2011, 2:48 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: The Secret Cabaret
Replies: 6
Views: 1764

Re: The Secret Cabaret

Cheers Matt, I'm surprised by the lengths this chap seems to have taken to stop Simon selling the DVD and wonder whether he's aware of the remaining copies still being available through magic dealers. I guess Simon could say that he'd already sold them and it would then be a less attractive case of ...
by Oli Foster
August 1st, 2011, 5:27 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: The Secret Cabaret
Replies: 6
Views: 1764

Re: The Secret Cabaret

The website by the way, have a goose:

http://www.secretcabaret.com

Cheers
by Oli Foster
August 1st, 2011, 5:19 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Agreed, needle swallowing very cool. Also the 'swallowing' was pretty convincing :)
by Oli Foster
August 1st, 2011, 5:15 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: The Secret Cabaret
Replies: 6
Views: 1764

Re: The Secret Cabaret

Never too early for halloween, love it! :) Yep, this only contains Simon's illusions and none of the guests feature on it. I think this is because channel 4 didn't put out a dvd, so this has been put together by Simon himself and he only 'owns' his own material - but it looks like maybe not even tha...
by Oli Foster
August 1st, 2011, 3:05 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: The (medical) reason why the Houdinis never had children
Replies: 41
Views: 19528

Re: The (medical) reason why the Houdinis never had children

I didn't like Ruth Brandon's Freudian psychobabble, so this at least provides some room for the cynic to maneuver around a perhaps unduly harsh depiction of a modern Oedipus Rex, or otherwise adds fuel to the fire. It's interesting that the mainstream biographies all seem to have their own agenda, w...
by Oli Foster
August 1st, 2011, 2:41 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: The Secret Cabaret
Replies: 6
Views: 1764

The Secret Cabaret

Hi, Just writing to recommend a DVD I bought recently, The Secret Cabaret. In 1989, UK magician, Simon Drake created this show for channel 4, which was kind of a macabre showcase, featuring a variety of mysterious guests, from ghost hunters to vampires, with the odd magician - all wrapped up with so...
by Oli Foster
July 29th, 2011, 5:58 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

It's funny that, as when you see him do it on the street in Bath, he's just as bold but the loads seem to fly right past everyone. I think there's an element of looking at the person in the back row and people wondering if he's having to pack up or move on or something, or at least not worry too muc...
by Oli Foster
July 26th, 2011, 7:24 pm
Forum: Close-Up Magic
Topic: Original Card Control to the Top
Replies: 43
Views: 11753

Re: Original Card Control to the Top

Who know why Jean Hugard didn't know in 1936 that the "Hugard Palm" described in Card Manipulations no. 5 (1936) was the Loewy Palm and who know why Charlie Miller in Genii 1967 November wrote it the "Lowey Palm"? Subsidiary question : Who was the first to discover that The Disc...
by Oli Foster
July 26th, 2011, 5:23 pm
Forum: Kaufman & Company
Topic: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas
Replies: 704
Views: 319243

Re: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas

Good old Occam, not a champion of the multiple out then... :)
by Oli Foster
July 26th, 2011, 5:11 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Rescuing Out of Print Books
Replies: 1
Views: 757

Re: Rescuing Out of Print Books

I've just noticed that Secrets of Conjuring and Magic is available for the Kindle! Wahey! Like the learned pig website, this has to be the way to build up a good magic library without spending thousands if somebody like Marko has the patience to type it all up. Still difficult to digitalise that som...
by Oli Foster
July 26th, 2011, 4:57 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Et, tu, Legerdemain?
Replies: 18
Views: 4072

Re: Et, tu, Legerdemain?

I've just had a quick flick through Discoverie of Witchcraft, which has it down as "legierdemaine". That's 1584 and according to the 'online etymology dictionary', it's early 15th century. This would make sense as, up until some time around the 1400's, French was the language of the Englis...
by Oli Foster
July 25th, 2011, 4:06 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

They should visit cheltenham on a saturday night...
by Oli Foster
July 25th, 2011, 4:02 pm
Forum: Link Watch
Topic: A delightful waste of time...
Replies: 3
Views: 1296

Re: A delightful waste of time...

You're quite right, that is delightful.
by Oli Foster
July 25th, 2011, 2:54 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Yeah, this is a problem with the format of the show as a couple of the successful 'foolers', although great and no doubt worthy of a spot in vegas, have really got through on a technicality - none of which is interesting or relevant for any ordinary person watching the show. Hmmmm....
by Oli Foster
July 25th, 2011, 2:50 pm
Forum: Kaufman & Company
Topic: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas
Replies: 704
Views: 319243

Re: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Isn't that easier than getting the whole audience in on it in some kind of magician's version of the sting?...
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 7:25 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

Now got unwanted image of Lenny Henry lost in Dawn French's folds in small Premier Inn bed! Lush, cheers Richard!
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 12:36 pm
Forum: Kaufman & Company
Topic: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas
Replies: 704
Views: 319243

Re: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas

I don't think you need a stooge or editing or a fake reacting audience. If you look at the electric chairs routine, that's just two random guys being cued so you could certainly do the same for something as straight forward as a card and a number - and the bizarre set up gives you lots of places for...
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 12:25 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

I love the way that if you leave a Genii thread long enough, it'll inevitably go through a politically incorrect phase, followed by an online punch up. Cracking stuff ;)
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 12:21 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

Don't want to be horrible but I don't disagree with Mr Goat's slating of American shakespeare. The thing that springs to mind is Baz Luhrman's film of Romeo and Juliet: visually stunning but everyone butchers their lines, Dicaprio probably being the worst offender. The verse is written for English i...
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 12:03 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

Yeah, the problem was the bits when he was shouting and crying, a titter gradually grew into general hysteria and from then on, nobody could take him seriously. Don't know whether it's the brummie accent or the unrefined audience in my neck of the woods but he should throw shakesperian tragedies int...
by Oli Foster
July 24th, 2011, 7:08 am
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry
Replies: 21
Views: 3951

Re: Second Series of BBC's The Magicians, No Lenny Henry

Saw Lenny Henry playing Othello to unintentionally hilarious effect. He should stick to advertising travelodge... However good the magicians are, I wish they weren't doing another series of this, as the celebrities just kill it. Even great tricks are made to look amateurish by being slowed and pulle...
by Oli Foster
July 21st, 2011, 6:57 pm
Forum: Kaufman & Company
Topic: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas
Replies: 704
Views: 319243

Re: New Book Coming on the Card Magic of David Berglas

I might be wrong but I think there was some cueing. He says there was no rehearsal which, no doubt there wasn't, but it would be easy enough to have a visual prompt on the table or on the rose, or, failing that, a good old fashioned whisper while attention was on the other guy. Occams razor: the sim...
by Oli Foster
July 20th, 2011, 6:59 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Borders update
Replies: 34
Views: 5978

Re: Borders update

Death, taxes and pie: life's three certainties in ascending order of preference
by Oli Foster
July 20th, 2011, 6:54 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Which is another point really: There must be very few principles that will properly fool experienced professional magicians, most of which probably aren't all that interesting for real people, so they've got to fill it out with a variety of entertaining stuff. With maybe one or two exceptions, I thi...
by Oli Foster
July 20th, 2011, 6:46 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

No, not unless he throws in some card magic as well, but I'm pleased he's been able to do it, as it's a great routine, so a good opportunity to get some exposure (hopefully not literally!)
by Oli Foster
July 20th, 2011, 2:35 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

good grief, the only vehicle Jonathan Ross should get is one heading straight for him.. Gosh, don't know where that came from. I think, whoever owns the format, it doesn't stop it from transferring if it's a good show and there's money in it. I'm just thinking, wasn't it Ricky Gervais who made all t...
by Oli Foster
July 20th, 2011, 2:22 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Borders update
Replies: 34
Views: 5978

Re: Borders update

Crikey, HMV's in trouble as well then. It's interesting that the same thing (to a degree) is happening to books as music in terms of online media. Still can't bring myself to buy a kindle though. I may be a materialistic luddite but I'm not sure I like this gradual ethereal consolidation of worldly ...
by Oli Foster
July 19th, 2011, 4:46 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

Interesting re UK shows being produced for American TV. I think there's a problem where the show format hinges on a 'personality' like Gordon Ramsay or Anne Robinson or Jamie Oliver because there's the extra element that the english are still slightly foreign and, with the best of intentions, that b...
by Oli Foster
July 19th, 2011, 3:21 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Borders update
Replies: 34
Views: 5978

Re: Borders update

We had Borders for a brief while over here in the UK and I used to walk up to the Clifton triangle in my lunchbreak to pick up Magicseen, which they incredibly stocked, along with some dover magic books and the odd more unusual one as well. The UK stores must have closed, I'd say, a couple of years ...
by Oli Foster
July 19th, 2011, 3:10 pm
Forum: Buzz
Topic: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'
Replies: 197
Views: 52890

Re: Penn & Teller 'Fool Us'

My apologies for this being slightly off-topic but, on remembering how great the secret cabaret was, I googled it and found the site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.secretcabaret.com/">http://www.secretcabaret.com/</a><!-- m --> It's sad that Simon wasn't able to continue selling his...

Go to advanced search