The New Year is always a time of lists and it's no different here at magic.about.com. In addition to setting magic resolutions, it's always fun to look back. Here's some of the best and worst in the world of magic from 2005.
The Artists
The biggest thing in magic this year was a well known performer who succeeded in television. David Copperfield toured; Lance Burton performed his steady Vegas gig and prepared to entertain millions at the 2006 Rose Parade and David Blaine mainly stayed out of the news. Meanwhile, Criss Angel was on the air weekly, risking his life and presenting great magic. And equally important, the goth/rocker/magician performed with a fresh, new approach that appealed to a young demographic. His first season on A&E was a success and we look forward to watching what he has up his leather sleeves in his second season.
I enjoyed lots of live magic this year, courtesy of the Magic Castle (I live near Los Angeles). Clearly, the most astounding act that I saw this year was that of Arthur Trace. His abstract painting act offered a truly magical experience where inanimate objects, through Trace’s amazing manipulation skills, come alive. If you have an opportunity to see Trace, don’t miss him.
2005 continued the reign of Jason Latimer. This creative and talented magician was rocking the world with his take on the world's oldest trick, the cups and balls. His clear cupped approach was a magic experience to behold. Look for lots more to come from this magic genius.
The Tricks, Books and DVDs
We reviewed lots of new magic tricks and DVDs. Here are the best:
We evaluated some great DVDs, but Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster, in their 24 Years of Living Next Door to Ellis and Ellis in Wonderland, effectively raised the bar by which we review instructional DVDs. Ellis and Webster offered a pair of brilliant, hilarious and entertaining DVDs that are filled with first rate, commercial effects that range from close-up to stand-up and stage. And there was lots of good, real-world advice. The fun premise in "Years" is that a nosy neighbor, played by Webster, is constantly spying on Ellis in his home and figuring out and explaining his tricks. Here, the explanations were as entertaining as the tricks.
If you want to learn flashy card flourishes to dress up your magic routines or establish a foundation in xtreme card manipulation (XCM), Ellusionist's latest DVD, Xtreme Beginnerz, offered an excellent and thorough teaching tool. This two-DVD set offered hours of first rate instruction and tips from experts Devo, Jerry Cestkowski and other pros.
Offering a treasure trove of powerful card effects, Bill Goodwin’s book, Up in Smoke, resurrects Larry Jennings' earlier book of the same name. Goodwin completely rewrote the book's 12 effects, added photos where none existed before and included two new effects. The title offered excellent instruction and some great card routines.
