Now You See Me Review!

Last night the Tannen's crew was invited to a sneak peak of the upcoming magic film Now You See Me.

The film was a blast, it moved quickly, kept the audience guessing and including some stunning magic! The main character named Michael Atlas played by Jesse Eisenberg always had Monarch Playing Cards in hand and was consistently doing flourishes. Dan & Dave Buck acted as hand doubles for Eisenberg, and as always their work was interesting and graceful.

Along with a fooling version of Force of Thought, one of our favorite moments was when a copy of Bobo's Modern Coin Magic made an appearance sitting on the edge of a bed. It was little moments like this that really made the film a treasure for magicians.

All in all we highly recommend the movie!

Desperate Acts of Magic Screening in NYC

Desperate Acts of Magic, an independent comedy film that happens to be quite magician relevant, will be screening in New York City starting tomorrow! Written about magic, this movie features professional magicians performing real magic without camera tricks or special effects.

"Capable performances...a believable script, and a handful of genuinely hilarious gags" 
- Pete Vonder Haar, The Village Voice 

"Fun. Inventive... Solidly entertaining... 8/10" 
- Mark Leeper's Film Reviews, Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer

The film will be playing at the Quad Cinema in NYC from May 3rd through May 9th. There will be Q&A's with the filmmakers after the 7:30pm screenings on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th and after the 1pm screenings on Saturday May, 4th and Sunday, May 5th.

Those who attend opening weekend will get a free Desperate Acts of Magic poster. There will also be live magic performances throughout the weekend.

Buy your tickets now and enjoy the trailer!

Ernest Earick Passes Away

Ernest Earick passed away this past week from cardiac arterial disease.

Earick's underground card classic, By Forces Unseen, has been a pivotal book in magic history. It has inspired legions of card magicians to grow and hone their craft.

"If, someday, some young magician approaches me tentatively to show me his or her creation using one of the sleights contained within these pages, ad my breath is taken away as I realize that this person has had the insight and creativity to pursue my original vision to a place I could not begin to dream of, I suspect that then, and only then, will I know just what a dreadful mistake this book has been. Oh well. Read on."
- Ernest Earick, Albuquerque, February, 1993

Our thoughts go out to Earick's family, friends and many many fans.

Spanish Magic: Dani DaOrtiz and Woody Aragon Seminar and Performance in NYC!

The talented and entertaining duo of Spanish magicians, Dani DaOrtiz and Woody Aragon, will be doing a seminar and performance in New York City this Saturday, April 20th.

Hosted by the Daily Deception and sponsored by the Blue Crown, the event provides a unique opportunity to learn hands-on close-up magic from two of magic's up and coming superstars.

The seminar starts at 10:30 AM and the evening show begins at 8:00PM, both will be held at the Roy Arias Studios & Theater.

You can buy tickets to the seminar and show separately or you can save $13 and buy the tickets together.

Enjoy this video of Woody and Dani discussing the event!

Ricky Jay Movie Premiering in NYC Tomorrow!

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay is premiering at the New York City Film Forum tomorrow!

The movie traces Ricky Jay's influences, from his apprenticeship at age 4, with his grandfather, to such now-forgotten legends as Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini and his primary mentors, Dai Vernon and Charlie Miller.

"One of the most compelling characters in magic gets his due..."
- John Defore, Hollywood Reporter

"Wonderfully engaging..."
- David Edelstein, New York Magazine

For magic lovers this film is a must see. Showtimes start tomorrow at 1PM and continue all day. The film runs in NYC through April 30th.

Check out the movie's trailer here.

10 Ways to Use Your Flash Thumbtip!

The Tannen's Magic staff put on their thinking caps and came up with ten creative ways to use the Flash Thumbtip.

They are...

1. Sneezing
2. Vanishing a Coin
3. Hypnosis?
4. Waking Up Your Best Friend
5. Exploding Light bulbs (Big Bang)
6. While Taking a Bite Out of a Coin (Bite out Coin)
7. Escaping from Handcuffs (Handcuff Escape: Professional)
8. Changing the Two of Diamonds into the Jack of Hearts (skills)
9. Solving the 'Heckler' Conundrum
10. Defeating the D'Lite

For the full 10 Ways to Use Your Flash Thumbtip experience, enjoy the video here. 

Card Tricks part of the Princeton Curriculum

A new seminar for Princeton University Freshman focuses on teaching mathematics through card tricks.

Students learn mathamatical based card tricks and a part of their homework assignments even include inventing their own tricks!

"This course is meant to show that math is not a robotic science at all. It is an art and has a truly creative side. That's how mathematicians approach mathematics — creatively," said Manjul Bhargava the instructor and creator of the seminar.

Now high school magicians have a new, and very good reason, to apply to Princeton!