MUST DISAPPEAR TV?

The New York Observer provides further info on a proposed sitcom to be Exec Produced by Criss Angel. "The Angel project is based on an original idea that the 'Mindfreak' magician conceived along with producers Dave Baram, Jason Verona and Adam Shulman. Moynihan has joined in to write the project, which was inspired by Angel's experience as an up-and-coming magician. All four are aboard to exec produce the half-hour, which was pitched as a workplace comedy set in the world of magic."  Reed Thompson's review of Believe from the LA Times was quoted in the article as well. "If Criss Angel were blindfolded, straitjacketed, run over by a steamroller, locked in a steel box and dumped from a helicopter into the Pacific Ocean, he still might be easier to salvage from disaster than 'Criss Angel: Believe,' the gloomy, gothic muddle of a show that officially lurched into being on Halloween night like some patched-together Frankenstein's monster."

THE MAGICIAN VS MARTHA

According to several online news outlets including, Martha Stewart is being sued by a magician who also works as a hand model. According to one source, "The lawsuit was filed Monday in Polk County District Court in Iowa by Patrick Albanese, a magician and a hand model, who claims that the injury has affected his work. In the lawsuit, Albanese said he was moving the lounge chair on a deck when the front legs collapsed, crushing his right index finger between the chair legs and a bar that was located on the base of the chair." Our favorite was the original from TMZ entitled "Martha Stewart Sued Over Lounge Act."

WHAT IS INFANT?

We stumbled across this after a curious direct message on Twitter. Is it real or is it a joke? We assume that it is a joke in spite of the fact that it was posted by Paper Crane Productions, a legitimate developer and distributor of magic effects. Watch and judge for yourself. If you have more info on this, please email us with the details:   Infant by Shaun Dunn from Paper Crane Productions on Vimeo.

"JOE THE MAGICIAN" GOES TO THE MUSEUM

During the recent election, the McCain campaign invited supporters to submit videos explaining why they were "Joe the Plumber." Our good friend Joe Turner submitted his own story which he called "Joe the Magician." Shortly thereafter, his video appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, the McCain Palin webste and was referenced in innumerable blogs and newspaper articles. In an email message from Joe, he said, "the video has now been added to the collection of the Museum of the Moving Image.  In their “The Living Room Candidate” project, they have amassed a fascinating collection of political advertisements going back to the 1952 election.  Errol Morris, an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, included my video in his retrospective playlist of “Real People in Political Advertisements.”  My video was used as an example (actually “the” example) of the way modern technology has incorporated video-blogging and self-reporting into the political advertising process.  I contacted the museum earlier this week and my name has been added to the credits.  So I have become a part of USpolitical advertising history thanks to magic!" WATCH JOE'S VIDEO CLIP HERE:  

• You can see the ABC News report HERE.
• You can see the exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image HERE
• Visit Joe's Blog

 

MNW #68 :: NATHAN BURTON

The man with his head plastered all over the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas joins us for this episode of the Magic Newswire's "Spirit of Magic" podcast. Nathan was on site for the premier of the new Cirque show "Criss Angel : Believe" and tells us what he thinks of the show that has been taking it on the chin from reviewers. We also talk about his journey from doing the nickels to dimes trick at the age of four to becoming a Vegas headliner, and what it's like to be locked in a box with no food or water and seven Vegas showgirls as your only company.

DOWNLOAD THE MP3 :: OR :: GET IT VIA ITUNES

LISTEN TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH NATHAN BURTON: In case you haven't seen it before, check out Nathan on AGT doing the Microwave of Death:

DAVID BLAINE'S FAVORITE SPOT

David Blaine will join leaders of CITYarts program to celebrate the restoration of one of New York’s great cultural landmarks, the “Rolling Bench” at Grant’s Tomb, Wednesday, November 10th at 3:30 PM. The “Rolling Bench” is a combination of 17 mosaic benches built by 8 professional artists and 2,500 volunteers between 1972 and 1974 to commemorate the opening of the first national park, 100 years earlier. Last Summer, hundreds of community members, volunteers and professional artists, including Pedro Silva who worked on the original with his son Tony, now a professional artist himself, have worked to restore the single largest public art project in the country to its former glory. Blaine, a life-long New Yorker, was recently featured in a story naming the “Rolling Bench” as one of his favorite spots in the city. Blaine will perform card tricks for children at the event.

ELLEN DEGENERES CONTINUES TO SHOWCASE MAGIC

According to MonstorsAndCritics.com, Ellen Degeneres continues to include magic in her shows whenever she can and she has a Really Big Show planned for TBS in late November. "In "Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show", the comedian will intro a slate of fresh talent that includes magician Hans Klok, celebrity impressionists and more.  The show will be taped on Thursday, Nov. 20, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and will air on TBS on Saturday November 29th."   According to the article, all of the acts are  "hand-picked by DeGeneres."  The live show will begin at 7 p.m. (PT) on November 20th and the television edition will premier on TBS at  9 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS. “We decided to bring the show back to Vegas because the first act we booked is a ‘brother-sister pole act,’” said DeGeneres.  “Apparently Vegas is the only place where you can get away with something like that.”

CAN YOU COPYRIGHT A MAGIC TRICK?

Guy Hollingsworth discusses magic and copyright in an article from the BBC Magazine today which also included a video of "Reformation." However, the bigger problem is this, says Hollingworth: "Can you stop the world as a whole from revealing secrets?" The answer would seem to be a resounding "no".  "There are many magic conventions around the world where magicians talk shop. Anyone can go to one of these, just as anyone can walk into a magic shop and buy one of the many books that explain magic tricks." "A lot of magic tricks are available outside magic clubs," says Hollingworth. "Fortunately most people aren't sufficiently motivated to go and find out how they are done. But it is difficult to for a magician to argue that they have maintained a trade secret."  Watch Guy in Action:

PAUL DANIELS IS MELTING

From a funny "On this Day" piece we learn that today is notable for a magic related event: On this Day in 2005 magician Paul Daniels learned that his Madame Tussauds waxwork was to be melted down because it scared children. It was saved from that fate with its' purchase for GBP 1,900 by London magic shop owner Berty Davenport. On his website, Daniel's remembers the press conference in which the sculpture was unveiled for a different reason. "Mme Tussaud's Waxworks decided to put me in the exhibition and I was sculpted for it. Eventually they had a press call and the reporters and the photographers gathered round. One reporter asked if I would be donating one of my wigs and I replied that I didn't wear a wig. The place went mad with photographers jumping onto chairs and tables to get photos of my head! The next day the press showed themselves in their true light. My 'loss of hair' was on Page One of several newspapers. This was the day that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant blew up with the terrible fall out and that was on Page Five!!!! I am amazed at how much interest a wig generates. If someone wants to wear a wig, why not? It is nothing to do with anyone else, is it? Do I miss it? No, except in the winter 'cos it kept my head warm."

ERIC DECAMPS "PURE MAGIC"

Broadway World promotes the return of Eric Decamps "Pure Magic" to the Metropolitan Room for an eight week holiday run ending on December 28th. In the Article, Eric discusses two pieces from his act. One is a tribute to Rene Levand and the other is the Davenport Spirit Box.  "I met René many years ago, and he taught me his prized trick with a tea cup and some bread crumbs.  After I mastered it, I performed it for him and moved him to tears.  That night he granted me permission to perform his most cherished mystery. "  Many who have seen "The Spirit Box" have sworn that they have witnessed the impossible.  "It gives you pause," DeCamps claims.  "It's especially gratifying when hardened skeptics admit that this may be their first brush with the supernatural." Pure Magic is directed by Bob Fitch. UPDATE (11/10/08) :: Eric was recently a guest on the Magic Week in Review podcast hosted by our friend Justin Robert Young. Listen HERE.