Wednesday, March 25, 2009

CME is here!


FUN Inc is proud to announce the release of our newest DVD project: Card Magic Essentials!

Tomas teaches 30+ of the most commonly used card sleights and moves. This DVD is designed for the beginner, teaching everything from how to grip the deck to a few routines using the sleights taught on the disc.

I wrote and directed the project, and I'm very pleased with the final product. Any card magic newbie is sure to get their money's worth from this DVD!

Check it out from your favorite dealer!

Friday, March 20, 2009

At The Table reviewed in April's Genii


Tomas' "At the Table" DVD got a positive review in this month's Genii Magazine. From reviewer Joe M. Turner:

"This latest disc from Fun Incorporated is an easy reccomendation - a collection of impromptu magic effects that can be performed at a bar or restaurant...There is some neat twisting to the oldies here."

"Don't write this off as just another collection of old chestnuts, though."

"...this one is a steal at $15."

Check this out from your favorite dealer...Joe said so!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Invisible Hand is here!


I know I'm excited about this...

Who wouldn't want to make their magic a little more visual? The Invisible Hand is Michel's re-working of the classic Jack Miller Hold-Out. Michel's creation is a utility device that makes the impossible possible - and damn good to watch.

TIH opens the door to dozens of effects. Mentalism, magic with silks, coins, cards, and many other objects are given a fresh take with this device.

My personal favorite is Michel's original routine, The Silk Story. Check out this YouTube vid:

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Our Favorite Magic Movies

With the impending release of The Great Buck Howard, Tomas suggested we blog about our favorite magic movies.

The one I like the most isn't The Illusionist, or The Prestige, but a little known independent film titled Magicians. It stars Til Schweiger as an entertaining but technically-challenged conjuror, who recruits a pickpocket, played by Fabrizio Bentivoglio. Together, with their coach/manager and lovely assistant (Alan Arkin and Claire Forlani), they set out to make it big in Las Vegas.

Of course, we get to follow them on their journey to making it big - playing tiny rooms with unfriendly crowds, developing the act along the way. It was realistic enough for me to recognize parallels in my own performing career!

Tomas writes...

My all time favorite magician movie is Herschell Gordon Lewis' THE WIZARD OF GORE. For those not familiar with H.Gordon Lewis, he's a low-budget filmmaker responsible for inventing the "gore movie". No, the Wizard of Gore isn't for everyone. In fact it's loaded with buckets of guts. Sometimes its fun trying to work out which is worse - the acting, the script or the production values.

Honestly, it's all AWFUL, but fun to watch with friends. Especially magic nerds. Montag the Magnificent (Ray Sager) is WORST magician ever, but he's an excellent hypnotist. Montag performs standard illusions, only his lovely volunteers drop dead shortly after each performance. He hypnotizes the entire audience and they see the typical "Lady Sawed in Half" trick, but in reality he chainsaws her. The assistants get swords crammed down their throats, spikes in their stomachs, and nails in their ears. Each time Montag makes a bunch of crazy faces and squishes their slimy guts between his fingers. Once he's done, he snaps the audience out of their haze and everyone goes along their merry way, none the wiser.

The movie is definitely not for everyone and Painfully good. Recently, Crispin Glover stars in a re-make of the Wizard of Gore. I have yet to see it, but I'm assuming it's not as fun with a bigger budget and slicker special effects.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Artist Spotlight: Paul Gertner

This coming weekend, I'm headed up to Colon, Michigan, and the Abbott's Magic Close-Up convention. Unlike the Abbott's Get-Together, which is a four-day event in August, the Close-Up convention is a much smaller affair. Because of the intimate nature of the event, it affords the attendees a chance at face time with the convention's special guests.

This year, Paul Gertner is the main guest. He'll be performing and lecturing - including, I hope, his famous Steel and Silver routine. Let's take a look at a few of Paul's recently released products.

Bite Me: A card is selected, signed and shuffled into the deck. You call attention to the Joker which reads: “These cards should not be thrown, inserted or ingested.” “Ingested?” Watch them freak out as...

YOU TAKE A BITE OUT OF THE ENTIRE DECK AND SWALLOW ALL THE PIECES!

Heartbreaker: A heart is drawn on the face of a card. The spectator’s initials from their childhood are written in the middle of the heart. A second heart, a broken heart is drawn on a different card...The initials of their childhood sweetheart are written in the middle of the broken heart.

NOW...Watch their reaction as you magically heal a broken heart from long ago!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Scientists Study Magic

At least, that was the headline for an article I saw in The Chicago Tribune today. Naturally, the first thing that came to mind was guys in lab coats, surrounded by Bunson burners, doing Miser's Dream.

Read the article here.

I suppose it does go to prove how we've been on the cutting edge for some time, and civillian science is just now catching up to us. The only thing that really upsets me is I had no idea this event was happening in my own city! I totally would've been there!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Gemstones is here!

After his breakthrough appearance in Sankey's "Underground Jam" DVD, Jeff Stone has published his second solo DVD, but the first one we've had here at FUN. "Gemstones" is now out on DVD, with a smattering of effects from Jeff's personal repertoire.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Artist Spotlight: Harry Anderson

Best known as Judge Harry Stone on the '80s sitcom Night Court, Harry Anderson made his way from magician to accidental TV star. Performing on TV and around the world as a magician, he made his foray into the acting world via a guest spot as Harry the Hat, a con artist who hung around Cheers.

Harry has several routines published and out on the market. I wanted to take a moment to spotlight a few of them:

Three Card Prince: Harry's giant monte routine, Monarch Monte, has been shunk down to a more manageable size. The cards are still jumbo-sized, but pack a little bit easier than the giant posterboard-sized cards that were made previously.

Cufflinks: As seen on Harry's television special, "Hello Sucker!" Cufflinks is actually two of Harry's signature routines woven into a single act. Talk about time and audience tested: Harry's been doing these routines for decades!

Royal Fantasy: Wouldn’t you like to have a visual stunner that blew away millions of TV viewers? Well, Lubor Fiedler’s Royal Fantasy did just that for Harry Anderson! For stand up or close up, no palming, ends clean... what more could you ask for?