Friday, July 20, 2007

Dirty deeds...

DONE WITH SHEEP!!!!

Ahem - Helter Shelter: The Movie has been released.

Crawling forth from the twisted mind of Bizzaro, the Optical Illusionist, comes Helter Shelter: The Movie.

A visual guide to the book of the same name, Helter Shelter will take you on a journey through the gruesome details of the Razor Blade Illusion Mystery as well as the haunted 13th Street Morgue.

The first video of its kind to explain the intricate workings of the razor blade illusion as well as tips, tricks, advice, and even a few unique effects exclusive to this video including the never before seen Bizzaro Fan Stand.

With a special appearance by Randi Rain and music by Alex Can't Sleep, Helter Shelter: The Movie is a rare treat for those souls willing to take a brave look inside. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Availible at fine magic dealers all over the damn place or check out the official HS:TM page.

I hate to be a shameless self-promoter... but I am.

For those of you who didna like the book, you probably won't like the video...

but buy it anyway!

Bizzaro.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I have noticed a VERY weird tend in magic as of late. Overly complicated methods and very particular handling to make a minor miracle happen. Problem is there are TONS of magic effects that freak people out on a daily basis. How do you compare one to another?

Does a coin appearing in an ice cube have a stronger effect than say something that takes less set up and props than the Pothole Trick? Both are equally strong but totally different and impossible.

Healed and Sealed is a great effect. However look at Coin in Can (Sinful). Same prop, but no set-up on one of them. Both are STRONG magic. The reason I think about this is because of the effect Frozen I saw recently. It had a GREAT idea for how to produce "Icy breath" but the things you had to do to get a coin in an ice cube is a bit much and fairly impractical for the working professional. (Really good for the casual "Street thug" magician. Don't get me started on that tho')

All I can say is I don't want to plan my day so carefully that I have to know how many ice cubes to make the day before and how far I can go before I lose all my props and get a soggy pocket. It so damn odd.

These kids today have no idea what it is like to be a working pro. They think harassing a person on the street with some ladybug in a pocketknife is magic. (To this day I have no idea how Goldenhersch keeps track of them damn butterflies he uses so well)

On another note that is very similar in song and dance, one of my magical fiends and I were discussing how there are a lot of card tricks out there but not very many GOOD ones. I agree and would like to add UNIQUE good ones. How many collectors or ace assembly tricks are there? K-RIST!! Too many to count. KISS baby..

The shortest way to a good time is a straight line.

Just ask my ex-girlfriend.

Bizzaro.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Free tricks for all!!

I'll make a real post soon, but here is a little something I devised recently and now you too can confuse people with modern technology!!

Bizzaro.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Nothing's ever easy...

It's hard work to make something easy look good. As magicians we do seem to forget that the simplest tricks are sometimes the most effective. Human beings are inherently notorious for making things more difficult on ourselves than need be. In reality, the simplest solution is the best or most effective.

It's almost... too easy.

Sponge balls are a good example. The solution to how it's done is so BLOODY obvious, but it's so easy that no one notices. (And those that do, well can't fool everyone aye?) Even something as easy as double lift showing the wrong card, then putting it in THEIR hand, and showing it change is more effective than ANY sleight of hand you can pull off.

The quickest path between two points is a straight line.

It's true. No reason to convolute something that doesn't need it. No reason to dress it up like a weasel for it to be clever. As magicians we forget the effectiveness of a simple trick. Possibly because there is no challenge in it for us AT ALL. Whatever the cause' the solution is to merely remember thus:

Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Bizzaro.