For those of you wanting to use life savers are you even aware of how the effect is done? If so you know how odd you would look.

I think three lifesavers is the max you could do, but you would need a cup.....

I'd end up drooling though with that many lifesavers in my mouth...

Yup....

Did any of you actually watch this DVD??? While the methods explained actually work. The performance of said methods are AWFUL I mean SERIOUSLY TERRIBLE. The handling of Randi Rain's performance is one of the most uncomfortably awful things I've seen in sometime. Her hands are so full of crap she can't cut the paper. She looks like she is tearing the bag at the begining. When she goes to load the blades she holds the spool like a baseball. And on top of everything she had ZERO presentational skills... I hope she was performing that for the first time ever. Bizzaro also had some terribly akward handlings I think he needs to read some Slydini books and maybe Fitzkee's book magic by Misdirection. However, his handlings were not nearly as terrible as Rain's. If you want to do this effect... I suggest Tarbell, Potassy, or even that god awful Byrd and Coats DVD. Leave this one at the store... And even better, do needles. Something that makes sense... I did blades for sometime and have recently switched to Needles. Needles makes sense. And this way you don't need t do any akward crap. Or buy a crappy DVD.

Also, way to go on the unintentional exposure of cut and restored newspaper. The masked magician would be proud. I guess practice and rehearsal is outdated. What scares me is you used the BEST take. And Randi says bad stuff about Kristen Lambert... It's unfortunate. I think you owe Kristin Lambert an apology Ms. Rain. Think about it like this. We didn't have control of the takes used on Masters of Illusion... But you did on Helter Shelter. Scary to think about isn't it?

Who are you to comment on what's good and what's bad? You what to know what's bad? Your Straight Jacket Escape on Master's of Illusion. But I digress and will stay on topic!

To say that HS is crap just goes to show how much of an amateur you must be. I have studied the Razor Blades my entire life. I have been facinated by them and consider myself the "serious student" of the Razor Blade Mystery.

Bizzaro is to Razor Blades as Levent is to The Misers Dream. It's the most complete media I have ever seen on this effect. Bizzaro left no stone unturned!

As for Randi Rain, again...your full of $#%@. She is one of the top female performers in the field today! I tell ya one thing (since you brought it up in your 2nd post)...it should be RANDI on MoI and not Lambert. It's soooo painful to watch that child perform. She has absolutly no place (at this point in her career) to be performing on TV. Randi Rain could out perform just about anyone.

Much like Bizzaro, Randi's style is very differnt and doesn't fit your cookie cutter idea of what a Magician should do. But differnt is good...something you obviously don't know anything about Ferrell...from looking at your website and watching your demo material, your show is pretty much an "off the shelf" stock show that anyone could do! >snore<

I was going to send this to you as a private message but since you thought it necessary to publically BASH both Randi and Bizzaro, I changed my mind.

To everyone else. It should be quite obvious to everyone that Farrell is a complete HACK. For what it's worth (and this is comeing from a full time working pro) BUY this DVD and you won't be sorry! If you've ever wanted to learn the Razor Blade Mystery...Helter Shelter is the way to go. I also recomend purchasing the lecture notes of the same name. With the two together, you will be unstopable!

WHAT are you talking about? Are you talking about Sliced and Restored? Nothing is exposed there. Not even remotely! It's a great little extra to toss into your Razor Blade Routine. I use it all the time and it nails em' to the wall every time.

This is just another example that you have NO CLUE what your talking about!

This was just brought to my attention, and I think it's a joke.

My only question is to Chris and how do you know who this Farrell is?
This person is hiding behind a blank profile.

But who ever it is, this isn't worth anyones time.

Randi

Randi,

In his post, he mentioned he was on Masters of Illusion. I have all the MoI's saved on TIVO so I went back and watched and I remembered there was a performer on early in the series named Farrell Dillon who performed the most boring SJ escape I have ever seen...so I put two and two together. Had he not have said in his post that he was on MoI then I never would have known who this guy was.

You're correct...he's hiding behind an empty profile so for all I know, this could be anyone....????

Bottom line is Farrell...for someone with ZERO performance skills himself (an observation made from what I watched on MoI) to be judging ANYONE's work is absurd! That would be like Christopher Reeves passing judgement on a dancing contest! (ok...so that was in bad taste...but my point got across)

You may have come to that conclusion and I will not say here nor there if your assumptions are correct, but NOTHING was exposed.

Way to be in denial lyle. Like my rhyme? Listen. I wasn't attacking you I just assumed those who can dish out the criticism could take it. I think Rain can. She dishes enough of it out on an 18 year old girl. So you can defend... But it doesn't change my opinion of this DVD.

Knowing all of the parties involved in this tiff, perhaps it will help if we realize that what this boils down to is a case of friends defending other friends' work. I would hope all parties would posses the self awareness to realize that all of them (all of US) have room for growth. I have seen Kristin work and when she is at the top of her game, she gives me hope. I do not think MOI portrays her at the top of her game. Of course, there are many reasons for this, including stupid directorial choices AND well - if what I have heard is true regarding the instructions given to the closeup performers, then it is a wonder any of them come off at all.

The DVD in question is far from perfect. Bizarro has an idiosyncratic understanding/interpretation of what the razor blade effect is. I believe it was Lovick who expressed it best from the Magic LIVE! stage when he stated that he felt Bizarro got in the way of the information that actually resides on the disc. I believe the general consensus was that the DVD managed to collect a good amount of the information available on the razors (most of it already in print), though the performances often contradicted/detracted from that information.

Randi is very popular in the magic community, as is anyone who looks good in a dress. I have seen her work, and while her ideas are definitely of a different stripe, her performance skills are still being honed. I think both Kristin and Randi would benefit from a smart director.

I too did not care for Farrell's routine on MOI, but I do not think that disqualifies him from being allowed/qualified to critique others. Being a successful or entertaining performer does not necessarily guarantee possession of a critical/analytical eye/mind and vice versa.


I suppose what matters is whether or not Kristin and Farrell consider their work on MOI an ending or beginning. I know for a fact that many people praised Kristin effusively following her performance at Magic LIVE! This may, quite possibly, be the worst thing that could happen to her. Well, not the praise per se, but should she actually listen to them. Given her age, looks, and gender many praise less to recognize excellence and more to flatter and flirt (yes, creepy especially given her age). Of course, the same is true for Randi (though maybe less so because of her age ) When people tell us we are great, and we listen to them, we stop growing. There is nothing more frustrating that watching a performer make poor choices that detract from a performance, when simply being open to a suggestion such as "We can't see your face when you do the trick, lower you hands" is met with rationalization and not consideration. You can imagine then how difficult it would be for someone who has been told all of their life that those cheerleader moves look great may have a hard time letting go of them now that they look out of place.

I have seen three of the four parties in this discussion perform real pieces in front of audiences (I have seen Chris do a trick or two, but would never judge him based on that). And while I am pretty successful in my own performances, I can state unequivocally that ALL OF US still have room for growth. Praise is our worst enemy. And even when we feel as if we are being attacked and insulted, there is value in looking at the foundation of that insult and there we might find a germ of value which can allow us to improve.

Brad Henderson

Well said.

I agree Brad.
Growth is needed for every person on this planet.
I am constantly changing and trying to improve.

I just want to point out that when I said something about Krysten, I made sure it was done in a constructive way. I have also thrown out some ideas. I have also given her compliments.
So the fact that this Farrell person says "Randi says bad stuff about Kristen Lambert" is a lie.
Then this Farrell person goes on to say bad things about me.
Does the words 'pot, kettle, black' mean anything to this person?
Then Farrel talks about exposing the paper tear...
then posts...
"You can see that the newspaper is folded up on the back of the newspaper plainly and clearly."
Again... pot, kettle, black.

So again... who cares what this person Farrell says?
Not me.

Randi

You are right randi... I did say bad stuff about you. I apologize. I could have stated what I said in a better way. But when I watch a DVD I assume the teacher put the master work in to the routine. I do think I could have taken a higher stance on this.

Well, apparently you do - enough to take the time to reply.

As I said, I think the "friendship" factor is what is at work. What may have been intended as constructive criticism gets filtered when it goes through the ears of someone who is looking out for a friend. Part of the problem may have been with clarity of writing (I read the post in question but do not recall anything about it), and part I am sure was colored by interpretation. It is the nature of communicating via text.

Hopefully Farrell will understand that your intentions were to be positive and that will ease some of the feelings he may be experiencing. Likewise, perhaps others can look at Farell's criticisms and re watch the DVD from a different perspective.

We can observe other people.
We can observe ourselves.
But perhaps the greatest value comes in observing how we are seen by other people.

Thing is, we have to remember, in the latter case - THEY are ALWAYS right.

That's why a director is so important. What we think we are doing is not always what it looks like we are doing. If someone says it looks like we are doing something, then it looks like we are doing something. No time to argue. Only time to change.

Brad

Farrell beat me to the punch. Someone is psychic.

In regards to Farrell being a "Cookie Cutter" magician whose act was purchased from a magic store, that was the intent. Farrell is making fun of magic. Let's be honest, who seriously does the Chinese sticks these days, and yet every magic shop you walk into has hundreds of the bloody things. Farrell intentionally does hack tricks, but he does the exceedingly well, and a he'll of a lot funnier than anyone else on the market. He's also technically gifted. I had the opportunity to work the castle with Farrel, and there wasn't a single magician in the palace of mystery who didn't eagerly anticipate Farrell's beautifull and well thought out manip act. Watching his promo on his website and making a judgement on that is ridiculous. That video is to get work from the lay audience which he does, constantly. He recently returned from China, where he played to packed houses and rag reviews.

In regards to Farrells straight jacket routine on MOI, I !@#$%es at him for weeks after that, because the producers cut the rest of the act he lost atleast twelve solid callbacks from the rest of his act. I book magic shows an I book comedy shows all over Los Angeles. I book Farrell as often as I can because he's one of the few magicians who REAL audiences enjoy. He's anything but a hack, he has comedy chops, and I say this comming from a background as a comic who has worked the roughest bars and nicest theatres. Farrell is anything but a hack. He's making fun of magic, something most conjurers are to scarred to do because oh lord, what would the next magic club meeting think about me.

I've seen Farrell perform both Razor blades and needles, more to the point I've seen Spill do the needles, and while I have respect for Bizzaro I'm going to go with Farrell on this one. Vallient effort kids, but not my cup of tea and going into the consignment bin at the magic shop as soon as I put my pants on. If you want to put things in your mouth, string them together am regurgitate them there are better resources.

If there are anyof you who would like to come see Farrell live, come watch as he co-hosts Dr. Presto Magic Mansion in Hollywood. You probably won't like it because we put incredible performers like Bruce Gold, Andrew Goldenhersh, Jon Armstrong, Arthur Trace, and other magicians like Farrell who are hacks, and do the show with myself and Farrell because we are hacks. You know what, don't come. You would probably get upset because we might not have enough room to accomodate you considering that we pack the club with people who flock to see a show filled with hacks.

Take the review Farrell gave and rethink your impressions of the tape. I know he did when he read your reviews, and it didn't change his mind. If he got up of his doughy little keester to write this review then something is amiss.

-Sincerely,
Dr. Presto

Well... here is my review of your post... Dr. Presto.
It was pompous and arrogant and therefore has no merit what so ever.
You just proved what Brad was talking about.
Besides both me and Bizzaro make fun of magic in our routines.
So obviously you're talking out the side of your mouth.
Not to mention... I will be 38 in August... I am no kid!!

Personally.. if there are people who didn't like the video. That's fine. It happens. I didn't make a single penny off of it any way, and there are a lot of things I don't like that others do.

It was the name calling and now your post that is the problem.
At least Farrell had gall to appoligize and take the high road, but now you just killed it for him.
Way to go!

Randi

.: runs and grabs scratch paper, and scribbles feverently :.
...Randi will be 38 in August.... the truth is out there...
:P
And here I thought you were 25...