The Genii Forum

mike cookman

Lisa Menna

mike cookman

David Roth has a great explanation for the spider vanish on his Live in Philly video, during his explanation of his great Stonehenge Coin Assembly. Also, Paul Cummins offers a neat variation on his Up in Smoke video. :)

mike cookman

I like the David Williamson videos, too. I also like all of the Gary Kurtz videos, as well as Aldo Columbini's Lasting Impression series.

mike cookman

Don't get me wrong, Karen. Even though Columbini was in town, I'd still go out of my way to see you and Mark.

mike cookman

Thanks for filling me in, Karen. I hope you and Mark are feeling better. You were here the same days as Aldo Colunbini lecture, which was fun. Windy City is a fun place. See ya. :)

mike cookman

They just got back?! WAAAAAH! I missed them. I've got to stay more in touch. Thanks, Michael.

mike cookman

When are they coming to Chicago?

mike cookman

I watch L&L videos for the material, primarily. I dont care at all that those two guys are always there. I didnt see anyone complaining about Tania always being there. I certainly have no complaint with her being there.

mike cookman

I had Trend Setters years ago. I don't remember it well. Seems to me there was a lot of "moves" in the book...

mike cookman

I've been a Harry Lorayne fan, but I'm not spending 150 bucks on any book. Maybe there will be a paperback version of the new one.

mike cookman

Jack Carpenter's Expert's Portfolio is quite good, I've been reading that one, too. I also have been enjoying David Acer's Natural Selections Volune 2. Lots of good stuff. :)

mike cookman

Natural Selections 2 has some great stuff. Time Flies, Mail Fraud, and Double Vision are well worth the price of the book.

mike cookman

This thread seems to be about celebreties interested in magic. No offense, but I don't think Charles Manson counts.

mike cookman

David Williamson has done some fine "Rocky" performances.

mike cookman

Check out John Carney's "Fruit Cup" from Carneycopia, for a chop cup routine that is very magical, won't cost anything, and requires no gimmicks.

mike cookman

I'm feeling kind of slow at the moment, so I dont understand---if you don't know what the other magicians are doing in this hypothetical audition, how will you know if you are repeating something? I would do Dean Dill's Coins, Glass, and Silk, but only if I knew Mr. Dill was not there. Peace.

mike cookman

I took this notion to mean that you are with some people who ask you to do a trick, and somebody offers you a deck of cards. I said I'd do the original Twisting the Aces, but I would first produce them in a magical way. So, technically that's two tricks, isnt it?

mike cookman

Since you like to use quarters, Jay Sankey has a great trick in his lecture notes "Amazing Tricks" where two initialed quarters change places in your hand and a spectators hand, and then the initials both end up on one quarter. I think those lecture notes are available on his website.

mike cookman

I have fun doing David Roth's Shell Coins Across. After giving a spectator the coins and vanishing the shell, others usually ask that spectator, "did you feel anything?" I don't believe I have ever heard anyone ask, "are those real half dollars or trick coins you buy at a magic shop?&...

mike cookman

I often have specatators ask if those are dollars or half dollars, but I've never had anyone say they are my "magic coins." Don't let it get you down. :)

mike cookman

Well put, Brian. I never did search for any kind of three fly trick, but when i ran into Kurtz' Trio in his book, I thought it was great. That book alone is money well spent. So is that Willamson book. So much good stuff out there. Magic is fun.

mike cookman

Very well put, Steve.

mike cookman

Well, we're really laying down the law now. I dont know about you guys, but I dont hear much about what the "competition" around here does. So I dont know what to compare my act with. I dont do sponge balls, simply because I've never bothered to learn anything about them. But I do a cups a...

mike cookman

Thanks for the tips on the Ultra Move, Richard.I'm going to play with it and see what happens. I'll probably never use it, but it's fun to learn stuff.

mike cookman

Is the Ultra Move, or whatever it's called, worth learning? I've not learned it. I have the Buckly book, I'll consult it this evening. Thanks Richard. By the way, the Buckly Card Control book is also available at your local Borders Books and Music.

mike cookman

No Jacket Required(video-Non Stop Magic party), Paralel Worlds(video-best of, vol.3), The Changeling(lecture notes-Amazing Tricks). Very magical stuff. Easy to do and, yes, very magical. And fun. Groovy.

mike cookman

Sorry. This thing started out being about Gary Kurtz, didn't it? Well, Gary, wherever you are, I think your magic is tops.

mike cookman

Whoever performs mentalism:that's great! Whoever performs magic:that's great, too!

mike cookman

I would do Twisting the Aces, the original. In my opinion, this one is still the best. Thank you and goodnight. :D

mike cookman

I don't use any kind of gags in my act, and the only purchases I make are decks of cards. Oh, I bought a cups and balls set, too, and I buy limes before each performance. Oh yeah, I bought a set of linking rings, okay. I have never looked at magic as "hiding behind props," and being myself...

mike cookman

A lot of magicians do card tricks. I'm not going to remove card tricks from my act just because others do them. :rolleyes:

mike cookman

I'm scared of Hang Ping Chien moves. The Gallo Pitch is fun, though.

mike cookman

I'll settle this---I created Three Fly. All the moves, all that stuff. Hee hee. By the way, how does Kenners Three Fly look? I've never seen it. I've seen Kurtz', but not Kenner's or Townsends or any of the others. Sorry.

mike cookman

A new book by Darwin Ortiz is always something to look forward to. So, is it out yet? Huh? Is it? Mark Ennis, you know Mr. Ortiz personally, so what's the scoop? By the way, Mark, you remember me? We used to hang out at Al's on satudays.

mike cookman

Mel Gibson has long been into magic. I, too, saw him do a couple of tricks on Letterman's show, and he does a coin roll in Lethal Weapon 2.Plus he has talked about his magic interests on talk shows. Val Kilmer does a decent coinroll in Tombstone, as does Jude Law in Road to Perdition.

mike cookman

I like ace assemblies. I am partial to Darryl's Diamond Bar and J.C Wagner's The Assembly, as well as Harry Lorayne's Rock n Roll Aces, for non gaffed variations, and Gary Kurtz's Amplified Ace Assembly and Ultimate Progression for gaffed versions. If anyone out there has any favorite assemblies, pl...

mike cookman

Thanks for the warning about his super powered brain energy, Jay. I'll let you know how it goes. I like Mr. Kurtz's Flurious, too. I've been working on it. Maybe, someday...

mike cookman

I'd like to learn what David Roth thinks of Gary Kurtz' version, because by the time he gets to the three fly part of "Trio" he has long since shown his hands empty via edge grip handlings. I'll go ahead and write to Mr. Kurtz about the origins of three fly. I'll bet green money he doesn't...

mike cookman

I believe that whether or not you use a shell, coins across can be one of the most magical looking routines a magician can perform. I have no moral qualms with a shell. I love my shell. And David Roth's Shell Coins Across ends with you vanishing the shell and the spectators all looking at the one sp...

mike cookman

While we're on the subject, has David Roth done anything Three Fly-wise? By the way, I never meant to suggest that Gary Kurtz created it, I just think his routine is very magical.

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