Magic in The Movies
We are accustomed to seeing magicians portrayed on TV as either goof balls who can't do anything right, evil criminals or beings with actual supernatural ability.
So when the film The Illusionist was released in theaters, I wanted to see it. There was one strike against it before it even came out, I hate period movies and that is what this was. On the other hand, a film about magicians. So I just had to go.
Was the last real movie about magicians really Houdini with Tony Curtis? Of course there was also Magicians with Alin Arkin but that was an indy film and a goofy comedy.
I know many of you absolutely loved The Illusionist. I thought it was fair at best, a boring & predictable love story with a frame up.
I turned my attention to The Prestige released just after. However when Michael Cain says in the trailer, "Its not a trick, it's real." I was immediately turned off and had no intention of seeing it at all.
Then they released Smokin' Aces (more magic) and I wanted to see that, until I heard the horrible reviews, so I'll wait for DVD on that one.
The Prestige just came out on DVD and I didn't even want to rent it. It's a period movie about a magician who does real magic. Ugh.
Clients in our shop stared talking about it and the exposure of Vanishing Bird Cage as well as a couple of other things exposed (Bullet Catch. & Cung Ling Soo's Fish Bowl Production. I was now intrigued and David from our shop, loaned me his copy and I took it home.
By the way the "exposure" a mixture of Hollywood stuff with some more credible things but harmless.
I loved every second on The Prestige. It is unlike any other movie I have ever seen. It is brilliant and weird. Not since Donnie Darko have I seen a movie so unusual.
Spoilers if you haven't seen it. "You're the lucky one today." I hated the fact that the birds had to die but that is a very important clue to the real underlying story.
Have a closer look at the Vanishing Bird Cage used by Harry Blackstone & Billy McComb . Be smart and use a Norm Nielsen Latex Canary for stage use, and if spectators are touching the sides, use and empty cage just as Blackstone did in each show. Don't believe what you see in the movies!
Thanks for reading.
Pete