Oscar Munoz:

Oscar Munoz walks you through more than 6 routines that he has crafted over 27 years. See his LIVE performances as well as in studio instruction. As a leading specialist in educational and motivational magic shows, he will share his skill and humor with you.

2 DVD set available in physical DVD or 5 select performances available via download for only $10 each.

Physical 2 DVD set includes interviews, live performances and 3 bonus routines ALL NOT available in download.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=50980

Check out each of the 5 individual download effects. Only $10 each and get them instantly!

Linking Rings

Learn this elegant version of the Linking Rings from a master of the classics: Oscar Munoz. Oscar’s routine uses just three rings and it showcases several original, visual penetration sequences. The routine is best suited to music or light patter, and it’s the perfect length for a family audience.

Balloon Swallowing

One of the most popular parlor routines EVER is taught to us by Oscar, with all his professional touches. There is hardly ANYTHING that a magician can do to elicit a stronger reaction than to seemingly swallow a long balloon. This is the method to do it safely and entertainingly.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Streaming/Product.aspx?id=51026

Billiard Ball Routine

The billiard ball manipulation effect is a classic, yet good, PRACTICAL routines are almost impossible to come by. Oscar details a fun, comedic yet elegant routine that incorporates three color changes, a production sequence, and an elegant finale. He details all the props, moves, and routining that you need to perform this routine. Best of all, his routine is designed to look amazing from far away and quite close, so it’s perfect for family shows or parlor audiences.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Streaming/Product.aspx?id=51027

2 Rope Trick

This is a practical multi-phased rope routine based on the original “Sand-Sational” from George Sands. It begins with an amazing production of “ends” of the rope, and then transitions into a beautiful two-rope sequence. As ever, Oscar takes you through the routine step by step, giving all the nuances and touches on how to present this to a family audience.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Streaming/Product.aspx?id=51028

3 Ropes Across

This is an exceedingly clever way of dressing up Professor’s Nightmare. Rather than doing the classic trick in the same old way, Munoz shows two sets of ropes: one set has three ropes of equal length and the other set has three ropes of different lengths. Under test conditions and as visibly as possible, Munoz causes the sizes of the ropes to transpose.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Streaming/Product.aspx?id=51029

Those cads at theory11 have a bit going. They put Andre Jikh in front of actors from the upcoming Now You See Me (this time Isla Fisher), he interviews them for a minute or so and then… he pulls out the deck. And so begins the cardistry and the facial expressions of amazement.

Watch the clip here.

Almost as good? Freeze frames of Andre’s face.

Having been funded, we are all excited to embark on this amazing journey. Thank you for your support and for believing in us. Our Magic has already begun in earnest but you can still join us and be part of the adventure.

Our goal is to make Our Magic look as visually beautiful as the art itself. If you have already backed Our Magic then we hope you will encourage friends and family to join you and our growing family of backers.

Community, assemble!

We already have what we need to make a fantastic documentary, but with your help we can add more locations and crew, hire additional help, and develop a professional marketing and P.R. strategy to share “Our Magic” with the largest possible audience.

$50K – An additional $7,000 will help us to extend our production schedule and visit new locations.

$55K – Translation services for subtitles requires an extra $5,000 to send “Our Magic” around the world.

$75K – An additional $20,000 will fund equipment costs, help us to pay crew expenses, and expand our post-production schedule. Even with “friend and family” rates, travel, food, and equipment costs are considerable. These additional funds will add enormous value to this project.

$90K – A professional marketing strategy requires a substantial investment, and an additional $15,000 will help us to employ the experts we need to get our film the attention it deserves.

$95K – Finally, we want to share “Our Magic” on every platform, especially new media, using mobile-compatible Apps to give our supporters updates on progress. This will also allow us to receive your immediate feedback. Another $5000 will help make this happen and allow our community to be directly involved.

If you have already backed the film, please spread the word. Family, friends, magicians, and magic fans are all welcome!

We have added four new incentives and, if we hit 100K we will design and print a limited run of commemorative playing cards exclusively for backers of “Our Magic”.

Every dollar makes “Our Magic” bigger and better, and you can still be part of the adventure. Pledge today and join the team.

Best wishes,
Paul, Jason, Dan, and Dave

Insane optical illusion, just click here and then focus on the train either coming into to leaving the station.

Warehouse 13 will transmit the Illusion infused episode of the SyFy series tonight. Here is the synopsis.

Pete and Myka head to Las Vegas to solve a series of murders surrounding the world of magic; Claudia and Jinks search for an artifact used to rig horse races; Artie is thrown for a loop by the new bed-and-breakfast manager. Guest Cast: Polly Walker (Charlotte Dupres); Joel Grey (Monty the Magnificent); Kelly Hu (Abigail Cho); Steve Valentine; Nora Zehetner.

10 p.m. on SyFy Channel.

Some magicians like to pass themselves off as gamblers or grifters, but not Audley Walsh.

When not performing, he was Sergeant Walsh of the Ridgefield Park Police Department. Not only was he a prolific magic inventor, he also used his extensive knowledge of cons and gambling cheats to train all levels of law enforcement.

Audley Walsh was born in New York City in the summer of 1894. As a young man he worked at Wannamaker’s Department Store. He seems to have developed an interest in magic thanks to a slightly older co-worker named Joseph Dunninger. Despite the fact that he was rubbing elbows with a future magic superstar, Walsh’s interest in magic was, at least for the moment, a passing fancy. He went from the store to employment as a draftsman, where he acquired pen and ink skills that would serve him later in life. At this point, like so many other young men around the world, Audley Walsh’s life was interrupted by The Great War. Serving in the Navy, he was trained as a radio operator and after the war he briefly worked in radio before deciding the return to his career as a draftsman. Somehow, though, he connected with vaudeville comedian Tom Howard and began a stint as the successful comic’s straightman. In the mid to late 1920′s he made another (final) career change and
joined the Ridgefield Park Police Department in New Jersey.

In 1932, Officer Audley Walsh was in a serious motorcycle accident. He broke both of his legs in the collision and after time in the hospital he was forced to convalesce at home to finish his recovery. After a visiting magician made an impression on Walsh in the hospital, a friend gave him a basic magic book in hopes of giving the bored patient something to do while he recuperated. The one time spark of magical interest grew to a flame as the police officer slowly regained his health. In 1933 he wrote a booklet on John Scarne’s three card monte called Why You Can’t Win. By the Winter 1935/36 Special he was contributing his own effects to Anneman’s The Jinx, which would go on to print several of his effects. Around this time he also released an effect through Al Baker titled Number Please. The advertisement description in a 1935 Linking Ring sums it up nicely: You phone a friend, tell him to do thus and so with his own pack of cards, then you name the
one he chooses. Entirely impromptu, easy to do…

Back in the 1930′s police departments all over the United States had “bunco squads” which were dedicated to fighting crime in the form of gambling and confidence rackets. These squads targeted everything from crooked carnivals to larcenous door to door salesmen and took their name from a popular turn of the century dice game. Since Prohibition, though, bunco had been replaced by other games of chance that had become popular in the speakeasies, such as craps, roulette and a host of poker games. Officer Walsh must have seen that his new found sleight of hand skills could be used to his advantage when studying the methods of the corrupt gamblers and con artists. When the United States entered World War II, Audley Walsh’s contribution to the war effort was to tour military bases warning of the scams that criminals would use to try to separate the soldiers from their pay (or even worse, steal from supplies from the war effort). By now he was collecting
apparatus, too, and some of his collection were used as examples during his lectures. An article on Audley Walsh in the July 1954 issue of M-U-M mentions that in addition to many hold outs, fixed game wheels and other items he personally owned over 8,000 decks of crooked cards and 5,000 sets of fixed dice.

By the end of World War II, Walsh’s side career as a magician and magic inventor was movingly along nicely. Magic periodicals such as The Jinx and Hugard’s Magic Monthly had published several of his effects, including a wordless explanation of The Lovers’ Knot in Jinx #28 (done as a pen and ink illustration), The Magician’s Dream in Jinx #43 and the Slip Palm Sleight in the June, 1944 issue of Hugard’s. He also illustrated at least one of Cardini’s columns for New Conjuror’s (February 1945). His effects were appearing in collections by Hugard and in the Tarbell Course, too. He had released a booklet detailing his sponge ball routine in 1936 and updated it in 1940. Walsh’s Chang-O Card was featured in 1945 Tannen’s ads and Kanter’s Magic Shop started offering a “Audley Walsh’s Special Routine” with their Radio-Vision Frame sometime in 1944. Their ad copy proclaimed: Audley Walsh, that clever idea-man, comes along and says our Radio-Vision Frame is a swell
number and deserves something special in a routine– so he dopes out and presents it this way: No cards are thrown at frame, thus no time lost later in picking them up. A card is selected and returned to pack. Attention called to empty paces in frame which are then covered with a hanky, lifted out of frame and given to spectator to hold (still covered). Card is found missing from pack, spectator lifts hanky and discovers card between panes of glass! It’s a darb. Beautiful outfit with Walsh routine.

Walsh’s law enforcement career was also going very well. Early in 1947, there is mention in magic magazines that he had received a promotion to Sergeant. A few months later Linking Ring announces that he has been lecturing FBI personnel and that his material on gambling and con artists would be added to the New Jersey Police Academy curriculum. His lecture on the topic had been refined after countless addresses of military bases and law enforcement groups; it was now titled Rackets Are My Racket. Thanks to his work with the FBI and local police groups, his lectures began to see national attention outside of the magic periodicals. Around the 1947 holiday season the New York Mirror did a two page spread on Walsh, in color, headlined Suckers at Cards. In spring of 1948 the Rackets Are My Racket lecture was featured on television for the first time. He would go on to do several television appearances, including The Arthur Godfrey Show (1949), We The People
(1950), The Fay Emerson Show (1951) and The Gary Moore Show (1953). Unfortunately, most of these appearances seem to be lost. Walsh supposedly made a theatrical short at one point on gambling cheats and cons that was sometimes featured on television. If this is true, it may still exist since it was on film. He also expanded his lectures, speaking to parent-teacher groups and other organizations about how to protect one’s family from thieves and grifters.

Not be outstripped by his day job, Walsh’s career as a magician continued to find success. He became increasingly interested in offering his own props and gimmicks in addition to booklets such as Triple Trik (circa 1948). In 1948 he released Expert Dice manipulations for $7.50, complete with all dice and gimmicks necessary. Even though it was a bit expensive by some standards, Bill Larsen used his column to tell other magicians that it would “repay you many times for the few moments you’ll have to devote to its mastery.” By the next year he was offering his own style of hold outs for $25 and in the early 1950s his custom designed card droppers hit the market. He eventually teamed with George Brand to create more items. Their first offering came out in mid-1955 but unfortunately the partnership was a short one. In June of 1957, Sergeant Audley Walsh of the Ridgefield Park Police Department passed away due to coronary thrombosis at the age of 63.

Penn Jillette fell short to Trace Adkins last night but no surge of Swirtle sales could have helped the magician. The larger, louder half of Penn and Teller sold more of the Walgreens ice cream than his country star counterpart, but Jillette lost this final frame long before he even bellied up to the boardroom table this season.

Trump made sure to let him know that this essay, published in his most recent book Every Day is an Atheist Holiday sealed his fate. In it he skewered the show, decimated other contestants and spared no venom for Trump himself.

Jillette had long since moderated his opinion and the air had theoretically been cleared between him and Trump. But as time ticked down during the live All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale with the choice between Penn and Adkins so close, Trump made sure to bring up Penn’s unkind words seconds before he choose Trace.

It’s the kind of trademark lack of subtlety pioneered by a man who builds gilded skyscrapers where you can find his name laser etched on the underside of mirror reflective toilet seat covers.

Trump: Penn you said some bad things about me the last time you got fired. You were nice enough to write a letter but you attacked me in a lot of ways. You even attacked my hair.

Penn: In a funny way.

Trump: But you did say it was real. Okay, do you regret that?

Penn: No, I don’t regret telling the truth but my mind has changed. I did not know my first time on the show that it was honest. I thought this was a second chance, I think you can say that since the second season started I’ve been polite and energetic and nothing but Pro-The Show. My team won the more my ideas were used.

Trump: And the letter you wrote me was from the heart?

Penn: Completely sincere.

Don’t worry, Penn raised a boatload for his Opportunity Village charity and ticket sales for P&T are up 30% compared to last year.

The question is, now that everything is over and a third spin on the show (which may or may not be renewed, and garnered a series-low finale rating) unlikely: what will Penn say now?

Menny Lindenfeld shares his top secrets on this amazing DVD with fresh ideas, NEW techniques and innovated methods to create highly visual, HARDCORE metal bending MIRACLES on… METALISM Episode 1: Self Bending Paperclip.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=48384

Self-Bending Paperclip comes with EVERYTHING you need to perform this incredible effect right OUT OF THE BOX. Includes DVD instruction and ALL gimmicks.

· NO magnets.

· NO memory metal.

· So super EASY to learn and prepare.

This will be the start of an ongoing series that you WILL NOT want to miss!

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=48384

METALISM
Episode | 01
Self Bending Paperclip:

In the 1st episode of METALISM – The Self Bending Paperclip – magic inventor, Menny Lindenfeld, teaches you two methods (gimmick and impromptu versions) to perform a powerful and highly visual metal bending effect with an easy-to-find object, a paperclip! Learn to fully control bend timing, pace and shape, while causing the paperclip to impossibly bend by itself.

Original Concept.

Highly visual effect.
Only 30 seconds to prepare.
Easy to master and perform
Fully controlled bend timing, pace and shape.
No freezing or heating.
Packs small and plays big.
Compatible with all common paperclip sizes.
DVD + Gimmick included

ALL EYES ON YOU..
as a balloon RISES UP and FAR OUT of your hands.

Ready to see it?

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3479

1. Have a friend blow up a balloon

2. Concentrate and watch it RISE OUT OF YOUR HANDS.

A perfect party trick. No talking necessary means you can do it ANYWHERE, from the loudest club to the quietest library.

Under your complete control
EASY TO DO
No threads
No helium
No static electricity

And with a national helium shortage making headline news, it’s never been more topical to show your balloon levitation powers!!

Watch the demo:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3479

PROFESSIONALS: Strong enough for a stand-up show, HALO is also a perfect trick to do when you’re off the clock and you want to spice things up. Fun, colorful and completely startling.

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3479

Angry Bird fans will be delighted to know that the new update to Angry Bird seasons features a magic theme and is entitled AbraCaBacon.

What’s more? iPad Magician Simon Pierro is here to tell you more about it!

Great work by Nicholas Johnson and friends who sent this video along.

Let’s not mince words here, the general buzz around the new show Centerfold’s of Magic at the Plaza was macabre. Magicians hoping to see a train wreck of a magic show that would be closed within six weeks of opening.

Now, few can predict the longevity of a show but it appears as if Centerfolds is entertaining… dare it be written… on purpose.

This according to Las Vegas Weekly columnist Rick Lax.

Here’s the amazing thing: The show wasn’t a train wreck; the show was a triumph.

Penthouse Pet/Emcee Taya Parker was hilarious, spontaneous and brave as hell. Her Magic Coloring Book and Arm Chopper were error-free. The dancers’ Sword Basket was, well, no worse than any other Sword Basket routine. Lip-syncing prop comic Joe Trammel revealed as much flesh as the women and won the audience over halfway through his first set. And the show concluded with an original illusion: teleporting an audience member’s wallet to a suspended lockbox.

It road to fun was a bumpy one though. Apparently one of the producers, John Lewis, pulled out of the production and left with his big illusion props. Readers might remember Lewis from his sordid involvement with various incarnations of the Scarlett show.

Centerfolds was left to scramble for an act and apparently did a pretty good job. Good for them. And good for you, since me posting about the show gives us another excuse to show you a picture of Taya Parker.

Jessie Eisenberg is interviewed by Andrei Jikh of theory11 about his upcoming role in Now You See Me. While the questions are good, the best part comes later in the interview when Andrei performs some of his unique cardistry for Jesse.

But not cool enough to SOLVE RACISM!

As it turns out, participants who took this challenge with a darker skinned limb actually were found to be less prone to racial bias after the experiment.

“Our results show that we can positively alter them by understanding how the brain is processing sensory information from our bodies and that of others,” Tsakiris said. “It will be interesting to replicate the effect with different social groups and see if we can generalize these findings outside of a laboratory setting.”

Who says illusions can’t change the world. Or trick racists.

Wow, What A Review! 92% Rating!

Featured on the Best Seller list of some of the worlds largest magic sites, there is lots of discussion all over the web about this dvd and especially “Fool Me Once” – check out the Magic Cafe to see more great reviews.

You can pick this up today from

http://www.system6magic.com/collections/tricks/products/6-by-six-michael-six-muldoon

or order it at from your favorite dealer!

Be sure to check out more Wizard Product Reviews at

http://www.worldmagicshop.com/Wizard_Product_Reviews_s/145.htm

Menny Lindenfeld shares his top secrets on this amazing DVD with fresh ideas, NEW techniques and innovated methods to create highly visual, HARDCORE metal bending MIRACLES on… METALISM Episode 1: Self Bending Paperclip.

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=48384

Self-Bending Paperclip comes with EVERYTHING you need to perform this incredible effect right OUT OF THE BOX. Includes DVD instruction and ALL gimmicks.

· NO magnets.

· NO memory metal.

· So super EASY to learn and prepare.

This will be the start of an ongoing series that you WILL NOT want to miss!

http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=48384

METALISM
Episode | 01
Self Bending Paperclip:

In the 1st episode of METALISM – The Self Bending Paperclip – magic inventor, Menny Lindenfeld, teaches you two methods (gimmick and impromptu versions) to perform a powerful and highly visual metal bending effect with an easy-to-find object, a paperclip! Learn to fully control bend timing, pace and shape, while causing the paperclip to impossibly bend by itself.

Original Concept.

Highly visual effect.
Only 30 seconds to prepare.
Easy to master and perform
Fully controlled bend timing, pace and shape.
No freezing or heating.
Packs small and plays big.
Compatible with all common paperclip sizes.
DVD + Gimmick included

Major Spoilers has a super early review of Now You See Me. It’s the first we’ve seen of anyone writing about it considering there are no official reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes.

So, is it good?

Now You See Me is a fun popcorn flick that is both smart, funny, and a lot of fun. In a summer filled with heady sci-fi epics and muscle bound superheroes, Now You See Me keeps you guessing without a clear villain and protagonists with questionable motives. The star of the film, in the end, is the magic itself. And like a great trick, the fun is all in figuring out the reveal in the end.

Check out the rest of the review here.

Criss Angel will film a new segment for his Spike series on Friday across the street from his theatrical home at the Luxor.

This Friday at Festival Park opposite the Luxor, he takes his frightening risks even farther. His eyes and face will be duct taped. He will be hoisted five to 10 stories high and walk from one side of an I-Beam to the other, but he must avoid a 2-foot break in it, which would plunge him to his death if he fell.

No word yet on a time.