The Genii Forum

Bill Duncan

A handy glass with a bit of condensation on the outside, or a discrete "cough" into your fist can provide the necessary moisture for the "dime pickup." You might also try using quarters, as the shells are considerably lighter.

Bill Duncan

Latta used to say: Every move's a move. which is why I personally think coin magic is a lot tougher than card magic to do deceptively. Coin magic is harder because most of what's not a move is also a move. Doing something complicated, like a shuffle control, while doing something slightly less comp...

Bill Duncan

The Pink Purse video can be identified by Geoff using a pink fabric coin purse he had to borrow because he forgot to bring one with him when he sat for the video. The footage in The Long Goodbye is taken from that privately circulated video, which also includes Geoff tipping some (at the time) inner...

Bill Duncan

AND we'll get to see the other half of the Pink Purse tape...

Bill Duncan

It would be awesome if this sold out in the first run. It's such a wonderful tribute to an amazing artist.

Bill Duncan

Direct Link

Bill Duncan

Not having performed the effect, I can speak with authority, but it seems to me that you could reveal the sting while extending your arms in expectation of a hug. Should the assisting spectator step towards you for the embrace you could turn away allowing that person to see all the KILL cards, and g...

Bill Duncan

My initial reaction to the show, back in Season 1, was that it taught audiences that being fooled wasn't the be-all and end-all of magical entertainment, because some of the best acts didn't fool them. I think ultimately it has created a a different way of watching magic for laymen, and I've noticed...

Bill Duncan

However, I have read his mentor's book, "Strong Magic" and although I tried hard not to like it I have to admit that it was an excellent book with a lot of good thinking and intelligent observations. I have heard that the book was panned badly but am not sure why. I thought it was pretty ...

Bill Duncan

This was just great. When I got to the end it occurred to me that I've never read an entire interview in online form before.

Good stuff.

Bill Duncan

This is well trodden ground; Paul Curry and Ken Krenzel sre two names that come to mind. The first method HL teaches in The Magic Book is similar, though the pack is held at the finger tips instead of in dealing grip. I kind of wish we'd stop talking about the mechanics of the double lift so obsessi...

Bill Duncan

That's a great idea Bob. I've always had good luck taking a face or back OFF of a card, but they always seem a bit warped. Having clean thin faces to put on a skinned card is a perfect solution.

Bill Duncan

It really is. I'm quite fond of the lovely touch on the Stop Trick noted as "Or..." in the text.

Bill Duncan

I see a magic act as different from a play (or a musical like The Magic Show). To me magic acts are more like seeing a stand up comic, or a band. Generally speaking, I don't want to invest my time to see a cover band, any more than I want to see someone else do Mitch Hedberg's jokes. I'm perfectly o...

Bill Duncan

It's pretty simple really. If I make a movie, or write a play, and you recreate that using my words, you are wrong. Same with magic. if you make a movie about the same subject, even using some of the same plot points, you're a hack, but within your rights. If you take inspiration from something I wr...

Bill Duncan

Not to be too picky, but the number was twelve and the named card was tenth from the face of the pack. Also, why the heck would I carry a phone book around to select a number when anyone who would understand this trick would be able to think of a number between 1 and 52 without needing a book to &qu...

Bill Duncan

Ok, this is my new favorite quote.

Is he dead?

Yes. His is dead.
Do you have... the moist... cloth?

Bill Duncan

I generally don't favor the broom suspension-type tricks (I think Jerry Andrus referred to them as a physics lessons), but the kicker was fun (I first saw Stan Allen and Tina Lenert do this on an "It's Amazing" show). It's funny you mention him, because while I was watching it, I thought ...

Bill Duncan

While it would be lovely if your letter had any impact at all Mark, I suspect it won't. Fingers crossed though. I hope you'll share any response you get, even if it's just a canned "thank you for writing us..." sort of reply. It would be nice to think someone reads the emails. I do think t...

Bill Duncan

Agree. Combine the Essentials with his Fooler Doolers series, then add and Johnny Thompsons Classics of Magic videos and you'll have all the material you could ever need, and a pretty solid education in the bargain.

Bill Duncan

I've had great reactions to the Svengali deck. No doubt. I've never said it couldn't be used effectively, only that I didn't feel it was worth the weight. Beside all cards are the same, in particular are the sequence where the cards are cut into multiple piles and the top card of the pile selected ...

Bill Duncan

I agree with Mark. However, I don't think a magician would really understand why it is so great unless they pitched the decks for awhile. The recreations of the Svengali effects using a regular deck do pale in comparison to the real thing. " Ryan, Can you describe or demonstrate one of the eff...

Bill Duncan

I wonder why magicians think it's a notable observation that most magicians are bad? I've seen a [censored] of bad comedians, but I don't hear the same complaints about how many bad comics there are. Hell, Max Maven once quoted Sturgeon's law (90% of everything is crap), but suggested that in magic,...

Bill Duncan

So it is no good quoting big names in the world of magic to me since the odds are that I will sniff derisively at them and suggest they have rather a lot to learn. I think you misunderstood Mark, I was addressing someone else. But thanks for sharing such valuable information. [censored], there I go...

Bill Duncan

You appear to have some disdain for magicians focusing on presentation. Not at all, just a distain for magicians who don't bother doing the work so they can "focus on presentation." That was the sarcasm I was talking about. What I think about what is important in magic (or any performing ...

Bill Duncan

I suspect if you strung together the same effects with a regular deck you could not get the same impact as doing them with a Svengali deck. The routine would not have the same flow due to some of the compromises made necessary when using the normal deck. I would suggest that Daryl's Ambitious Card ...

Bill Duncan

What do the lay audience think when you do the Hindu Shuffle move where you keep showing the same (bottom) card? Speaking from personal experience, I assumed a Svengali Deck*. So it was pretty darn amazing when he cut the selection into the pack (palming it out) and handed me the cards so I could s...

Bill Duncan

This is how I'm always going to remember him: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/harry-anderson-monologue/n9337 I'm happy to report that NBCs website is unable to play the clip at the moment. Apparently, Harry had a lot of fans who want to remember him tonight. My thoughts go out to his w...

Bill Duncan

I believe it may be the trick Brad mentioned.

The "extra" die, is a sort of shell that works like a Boston Box.

Bill Duncan

Is the dice trick mentioned the one shown on Steve Darcri's L&L set?

http://www.llpub.com/index.php?main_pag ... ts_id=2330

It's also on the L&L Mix Tape on dice.
http://www.llpub.com/index.php?main_pag ... ts_id=2412

Bill Duncan

Performer, my good friend, I have no reason whatsoever to doubt what you have said. However, many modern routines I have seen involve turning a card (really a double) face up and then (apparently) placing said "card" in the spectator's hand. In such a situation I don't believe there is a ...

Bill Duncan

Why would it be "unnatural" to turn the card face down on the pack? Do laymen have protocols for looking at the face of a card? I don't think so. The point of turning a card face up is to see it's identity. Once that information is obtained the flipping of the card face down SHOULD be an i...

Bill Duncan

Submitted for your approval: Garrett Thomas's Stand Up Monte. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Ct3Dm8Boc I'm a big fan of it. I love Garrett's routine. It is so much better than the more popular gaffed monte that people associate with Mike Skinner. The gaff allows for a much cleaner show and you c...

Bill Duncan

I hadn't seen Michael's lecture in years, and went mostly for old times' sake. The lecture today was just as great as the first one I attended, the original Topit lecture tour, "ahem" years ago... Nobody comes away from an Ammar lecture unhappy, and I left with half a dozen new ideas swirl...

Bill Duncan

I agree with you completely but I hardly think this vulgar. Just a bit of playground humour which is a big difference. It’s the sort of thing you would a clown use Vulgar: "lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined." or "making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily ...

Bill Duncan

Ignore the opinion of magicians. They really don't count. I can't be the only one who's rolling on the floor laughing that the irony of that... Good one Mark. performer's second bit of advise, about working for laymen is certainly worth listening to... but my psychic-reverend powers tell me you're ...

Bill Duncan

Yes, another purely subjective statement that can be made to mean anything one wants about any trick, any sleight, or any idea. Sure, it's subjective. But not without merit. Aesthetics aren't math after all, even if they do have a mathematical componant. I've always taken Darwin's suggestion to mea...

Bill Duncan

Yeah - Mike used to quote that rule a lot. I have such fond memories of his time at MAGIC magazine. He is my all-time favourite magic reviewer. No matter how skilled you are - something will always look a bit better if it is easier to do. It is nearly impossible to hide that element of tension that...

Bill Duncan

It seems like using a webcam or similar would be superior to a mirror. That would allow you to watch in a focuses manner, after the fact, instead of dividing your attention between what you are doing and the mirror in real time. Plus you could focus on an imaginary spectator or two when practicing i...

Bill Duncan

A few names you might not hear often: David Acer I saw him lecture at PCAM years ago, and he was a perfect mix of silly and funny punctuated by the insights of a real world performer who thinks deeply about his magic. I'm not sure if David still lectures, but if you get a chance SEE HIM. Francis Men...

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