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With all the people who are watching Celebracadabra in Canada now it seems like there’s more and more people talking about the judges that were on the show.

I saw Rocco perform live once in Calgary several years ago, but I was too young to know anything about him. I did pick up a couple of d’lights though and I remember playing around with them in the hotel room. The only trick I remember Rocco doing was something where he takes a dice and slams it between his hands and it goes flat. I can’t remember if there was more to the routine or anything. I seem to recall something about it appearing on somebodies shoulder a few times, but I honestly can’t remember.

I’ve looked for videos of Rocco performing online but most of them are really bad quality with poor lighting and camera work. I came across this video today of Rocco’s award winning act. He won “Most Original Magic Act” in 2006 at FISM.

Great stuff. I love the smoke in the glass, the appearance of the popsicle, the fruit, and the glass filled with confetti at the end. Just fantastic!

It also looks like all of the Celebracadabra episodes are available as a digital download from amazon now. If you missed an episode then it might be worth it to check it out:

Well you can download Presto in highquality from the iTunes store if you’re from the USA. Well I’ve got great news for everyone everyone else, you can watch presto online right here (no torrent needed!)

It isn’t really great quality, but its watchable

Edit: Well it looks like the video is no longer available. youtube says “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by The Walt Disney Company.” That was fast!

Edit #2: Looks like another version made its way onto youtube

Edit #3: Well it looks like that video got taken down too, but it seems that it just keeps getting reposted over at youtube. Just goto this youtube search page to find a full video that works.

Well there’s be lots of talk on the blogs about how amazing Wall-E is. But, here at the magicblog we’re more interested in the short film before the movie called “Presto”. Well if you haven’t seen the movie (like me) you can still buy the short film online for $2 from iTunes. Or you could spend $5 more and go see the short film and Wall-E in theaters. Although… I’m sure that was their master plan all along!

You can find more wall-e tid bits over at kottke.

As many of you know, Dirk Losander and family are in need of our help. Here’s the letter Losander wrote to the magic community:

“I Need Your Help. Our little baby “Ione” was born 6 days ago. Today we found out she needs a heart operation and our insurance is not going to pay for it.

I am not writing you this to beg for money but if you need to buy something from my website now would be the time to help us out. Every Dollar counts and we really need all the support we can find right now! So if you feel like supporting this cause, go to my website and find your self some great magic and make this operation happen for us.

Click here!

Even if you are a non magician, we just came out with a new dvd “Las Vegas Greatest Magicians” which teaches you easy to learn magic. You can find it right here
or if you just want to donate some money for us please send it via PayPal to: losander@mac.com or just keep us in your prayers. Thank you so much for your support”

This is what Steve Brooks from the magic cafe had to add:

Now, since this letter was written little baby ‘Ione’ has had her surgery and is in revovery and doing very well.

That said, the bills continue to pour in to the Losander family on a daily basis. Not only has surgery been performed but many more visits requiring medical attention will be required.

So PLEASE, I emplore you to take a moment and seriously consider this very worthwhile cause. You’ll feel better for doing it and literally change lives in the process.

Thank you all and God bless.

If you’d like to support Losander but can’t find anything on his site that you’d like, check out the Vanishing Rabbit in Calgary Alberta.

The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop is donating 1% of all sales in July to Losander, Luna and their NEW Baby. So come in and by something.

This is a preview of Pixar’s newest short “Presto” that I talked about the other day. It will be releases along with the new Pixar film “Wall*E” that’s playing now.

Ten Cool (and Free) Magic Bar Tricks Check em out. A few I had never seen before.

The other day I posted about The Pendragons on America’s Got Talent. Well, there were a few other magicians who also made it in front of the judges but apparently they weren’t too impressed…

Its too bad actually. That last act that you saw was “Bizzaro” who’s material defiantly isn’t “mainstream” but that’s what everyone loves about it. Check out his 2006 Promo video below:

I love it. Its so different. America just doesn’t understand…

Last night The Pendragons performed on America’s Got Talent. Thanks to Doc for tip.

I doubt anybody, ever, will do that trick better than that.

For my newsletter I decided it would be neat to teach a magic trick. Now, I know the old saying that a “magician never reveals his secrets”. Well, that’s only half true. There are lots of tricks in magic that have been around for a long time that just keep getting passed on. The linking paper clips effect can be found in many beginner magic books, and has already been exposed online. For those reasons I don’t feel bad about putting together my own instructional video. I’ve also included it in my beginner magic trick section in the menu on the side.

I hope you liked the video. What do you think?

Derren Brown Trick or Treat S02E06 SEASON FINALE Part 1 / 4

Derren Brown Trick or Treat S02E06 SEASON FINALE Part 2 / 4

Derren Brown Trick or Treat S02E06 SEASON FINALE Part 3 / 4

Derren Brown Trick or Treat S02E06 SEASON FINALE Part 4 / 4

This is actually one of my favorite episodes in the series. The magic effects in the middle of the episode is great, and the psychological premises for the main effect is something everybody can relate to. I loved it.

You can read what Skepchick had to say about the episode over at her blog.

Cirque du Soleil of course! Last night my girlfriend and I went to go see the show “Saltimbanco” at Prospera Place. It was the second best live show I’ve ever seen (Mark Kalin and Jinger’s Magic Show being 1st)

The entire show from start to finish was just amazing. On one side of me was a mom and her 4 year old, and on the other side was a 30 year old girl and her date, and it was amazing to see both of them react in exactly the same way.

I’ve listened to Cirque music before and I’ve never really been impressed by it, but during the show it creates the perfect mood. The sets, the music, the choreography, all of it was just wonderful! My favorite part of the show was when a clown pulled somebody up from the audience and did a “do as I do” pantomime routine. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard before, i was in stitches for a solid 10 minutes.

[Left: This was my favorite costume from the show. Love it!]

At the end of August my girlfriend and I are going to goto Vegas, and now I’m pretty sure that we need to go see “O” while we’re there. I’ve had so many people say to me “Oh you’re going to Vegas? Don’t miss O!” So I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to go see that now.

After coming home from the Cirque show last night I began looking up circus stuff online. I came across this video from the Vancouver Circus School. It has some contact juggling, gymnastic silks, juggling, blue d’lights, and a really neat ring thing at the end that I’ve never seen before. I’d love to learn it though!

Speaking of the circus, I just saw an ad on TV for a new show on NBC called “Celebrity Circus“. The premise is that celebrities learn circus stunts and perform them in just 8 weeks.

I’ve seen one of these in person before. I think it was in the Banff National Park at the ice glacier museum. Instead of being on a stick though, it was against a wall and as you moved your head around, the eyes were always looking at you, and the nose always pointed towards you.

Have any of you ever seen this before?