Ascanio Video

[Leonard Hevia]

Stevens Magic still hasn't transferred the Greater Magic Ascanio video to DVD. Does anyone have this tape on their sell list?

[Richard Kaufman]

Has nothing to do with Stevens Magic. They sold the rights to Twin Cities. Look on their website.
The Michael Weber video has also not been transferred.

[Leonard Hevia]

I know it's now Twin Cities, but their website appears to be getting revamped. It's only one page right now and filled with costumes. Magic Inc. sells 57 of the GM DVDs and Stevens sells 48. It appears that at least 57 of the tapes have been transferred to DVD. The Ascanio tape is still not part of group. I understand that Weber refused to give permission for the transfer of his tape to DVD.

[Richard Kaufman]

Ascanio made the tape not long before he died. He was already quite ill and moves and talks very slowly. He was an entirely different man and performer when I first saw him, before he became ill. You're really better off not watching the tape.

[Leonard Hevia]

That's saddening. It reminds me of Skinner's declining health when he made those 4 instructional videos.

[erdnasephile]

As RK has said before: There is definitely a lesson to be learned from situations like this.

I complain a lot about the glut of product out there now, but I'm glad that many legends (or soon to be legends) are now putting their performances on widely available video while they are still at (or near) the top of their game.

[Leonard Hevia]

I was under the impression that Ascanio was in apparent good health and was felled by a sudden heart attack. That was what I remember reading when he died. I'm still grateful for those Skinner instructional videos.

[Richard Kaufman]

Incorrect. Ascanio had been in declining health for years. Before he became ill, I would rate him as good as any card magician I've ever seen.

[Leonard Hevia]

I remember reading Jim Krenz's review of this tape in Genii back in the 90s. He didn't seem to notice anything amiss about Ascanio' s health.

[Krenz]

…He didn't seem to notice anything amiss about Ascanio' s health.

I'll step in for a moment and say that I reviewed the material, not his health. Arturo was a friend, and there are some things that one does not discuss about friends.

Although this tape is not Arturo at his best, if you watch it with an open heart, you will experience the essence of his genius.

I miss him a lot.

[Leonard Hevia]

Hi Jim--you and David Parr wrote great video reviews for Genii back in the 90s. I enjoyed them tremendously! Thanks for chiming in.

[Krenz]

Thanks Leonard—I enjoyed doing them!