Johnathan Szeles. Amazing to the end.

•March 18, 2022 • 2 Comments

When John Edward Szeles was born, in Detroit Michigan on September 9th, 1958, nobody realized that by 1976 the staid and demure magic world would be receiving the first tremors and shock waves from an entirely original phenomenon now known as The Amazing Johnathan. The Johnathan, that the world would come to know, earned his bones as a street performer in San Francisco. It was here that his magic and natural comedic flair coalesced into something new and singular. Another unknown magician performing on those same streets was Harry Anderson, and Harry may well have been instrumental in showing Johnathan how comedy and magic could create a synergistic force that galvanized those street audiences. Several times Johnathan attracted such large crowds that he was arrested for obstruction of the pedestrian traffic.

Szeles quickly progressed from performing on the streets of Fisherman’s Warf to appearing in outdoor shows at Pier 39. In the early ’80s, Johnathan made his first appearance at the legendary Holy City Zoo. His act was a smash hit and A.J.’s success started to pick up speed like an out-of-control locomotive. In 1983 Johnathan made his television debut on The 8th Annual Young Comedians Show. There followed a series of television appearances that continued throughout A.J.’s entire career, almost every TV show that featured comedy was listed on A.J.’s resume. From, Late Night with David Letterman, a record-breaking 24 appearances on Fox TV’s Comic Strip Live, to several specials on Comedy Central; The Amazing Johnathan was spread his blend of chaos, comedy, and magic on the airwaves. In 1991, Johnathan even hosted the variety/game show “Ruckus,” which he co-created with Merv Griffin. Along with his old compadre Harry Anderson, Johnathan became the hip new face of comedy magic. While Harry evolved into his smooth-talking, neo-noir, con-man character, Johnathan fully morphed into his Freddie Krueger of Magic persona.

The new phenomena of national comedy clubs in the ’80s created the ideal venues for Johnathan and allowed live audiences to enjoy his anarchic performances. From 1981 until 2001 Johnathan was the undisputed king of the comedy club circuit and he created a fan base that was unprecedented in the comedy magic world. In the ’90s A.J. visited Australia and characteristically took the country by storm due to his many appearances on Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday, and “take no prisoner” live performances. In 1995 Johnathan married his first wife Sandra Bowing.

While continuing his numerous television appearances, in 2001 Johnathan tired of all his road running and Johnathan stopped touring and took up residency at the world-famous Golden Nugget, in Las Vegas. A.J. received one of the most lucrative deals ever signed in Vegas and quickly became one of the biggest draws on The Strip. Accompanied by his new partner Penny “Psychic Tanya” Wiggins started breaking box office records. For 13 years Jonathan remained one of the top Las Vegas acts, moving from hotel to hotel, and taking his many fans along with him on the journey.

This era of his career was extensively chronicled by Mike Weatherford the Entertainment editor/reviewer for the Las Vegas Review Journal. On hearing the sad news of Johnathan’s passing, Mike offered this tribute; “Timing, as always, was everything. He got established just before the post-9/11 wave of other resident entertainers such as Rita Rudner, George Wallace, and Clint Holmes. But none of them “(came) onstage like a mean drunk, the kind you’d best let the bouncers tend to. As I wrote in 2003. Pulling a guy onstage and torturing for most of the show was ‘interactive’ before Instagram was a word.” Mike added; “Jonathan knew what worked in Vegas from playing Catch A Rising Star since the late ’80s, and his late-evening alternative to topless dance shows hit a groove that sustained him for the decade.” During these years Johnathan won “Best Comedian” award from the Las Vegas Review Journal, Comedian of the Year from Nevada Magazine, Top Ten Acts in Vegas (LVRJ), and also the prestigious Best of Las Vegas Award.

In December 2012, Szeles ended his one-year contract with Bally’s and ceased performing in Las Vegas. Johnathan spent 2013 performing special engagements in the Improv comedy clubs to sold-out houses and standing ovations. However, in 2014 shocked his many fans by announcing he was suffering from a “serious heart condition,” which his website identified as cardiomyopathy, and he announced that he was retiring from performing and his doctors said he had only 12 to 15 months to live. After performing an emotional, and characteristically raucous, series of farewell performances at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. However, with the help and loving care of his wife Anastasia Synn, A.J. seemed to be beating the doctor’s prognosis. He was recently featured in two different documentaries, both released in 2019, The Amazing Johnathan Documentary and Always Amazing: The True Story of the Life Death and Return of Amazing Johnathan.

There is so much more that can be said about The Amazing Johnathan. He was mercurial, rowdy, flawed, funny, endlessly creative and one of the most loveable “bad boys” who ever made an audience love him within minutes of walking onstage. Johnathan will be remembered, loved, and missed by a great many people. When magicians meet up his name will be mentioned frequently, stories will be shared and laughter will be remembered and continue for years to come. That’s the way it goes with legends, and there is no question that The Amazing Johnathan was a legend even during his life. He was a hero and inspiration to several generations of magicians. Our deepest sympathy and condolences go out to Anastasia and Johnathan’s family; with somebody so much larger than life than The Amazing Johnathan it leaves a big hole in many people’s lives. 

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NickPod coming soon!

•February 25, 2022 • 3 Comments

An Exciting new project starting soon.

What exactly is a NickPod? A very good question. It is going to be beginning this Spring, and it will be a 45-minute digital show that will be fast paced, opinionated, anded just filled with the kind of material that will delight viewers. Interviews, commentary, reviews, performance, classic footage, and just about everything you can imagine to keep a magician delighted for 45-minutes. A new episode will drop every couple of weeks and you will be able to download it from our website initially. Things are going to change a little I am sure as we get in the groove with it. However, initially all you need to do is sign up for our VIP List if you are not already on it, and you will know every time a new episode is released. As I am planning to teach a little magic, and discuss some slightly “secret” topics I am not going to go for huge numbers, but prefer to keep it tightly in the magic community and away from non-magicians!

Join us on this new venture as we look for ways to add extra ideas for our fine community of friends and clients. The idea is to make this a really fast paced and entertaining production, so fasten your seatbelts! Please feel free to share this link with anyone you think would like to join us for the ride. If you are not on our VIP Mailing List you can join it by CLICKING HERE I promise we will not sell or share your email address and will not bombard you with too many mailers clogging up your mailbox!

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The 2022 Valentine Awards

•February 23, 2022 • 1 Comment

This is my 2022 Magic Valentine Awards Presented in Association with Vanish Magic Magazine.

This is the next in my series of magical Valentine Awards . The original article was published in Vanish International Magic Magazine. As you will notice the piece is written in a very tongue in cheek manner, however I am very serious about each of the five awards, and they come right from the heart. The official Awards are going to be mailed to the recipients shortly. The next awards will be issued in the February 2023 issue of Vanish. I know that I am stating the obvious but needless to say absolutely no influence can be made on our decision through any means. That was just me being a wise ass and taking a sideways swipe at certain other awards!

I know many people feel that too many awards are already being presented, however, I plan to fly in the face of this defeatist thinking. This column represents the first annual presentation of the Valentine Awards. The goal of these awards is to send out “Valentines” to members of the magic world whom our board of directors, board of trustees, and president feel deserve acknowledgment for their contribution to our community. Members of the Valentine Association have voted on the various nominations, and a highly respected accountancy firm carefully tabulated the results.

I rather like the high-toned and impressive stance of the opening paragraph. However, total transparency requires me to acknowledge that I, and I alone, comprise all the individuals referenced in the above statement. Unlike many other magic awards, I wish to clarify that cash payments, first-class airfares, and other expenses may directly influence my future choices for nominees and winners. Some ideas are just way too good not to appropriate. 

Having cleared up those initial details, let me say that it has not been an easy choice of award winners due to the continued erratic influence of the COVID pandemic that has hovered over the year’s activities. Therefore, the prevalence of virtual shows and events dictated by the current medical climate is duly reflected in these awards. However, some brave souls who persevered with live events are also celebrated in our choices. With no further ado, let me launch into our five awards, thus eliminating the powerful sense of tension and anticipation my readers will almost certainly be experiencing.     

The Zoom Communication and Virtual Fellowship Award.

Lance Rich

This award was pretty much a no-brainer to choose. With live shows, conventions, and club meetings so severely impacted in 2021, it is awesome that so many people have used the Zoom platform to create a feeling of fellowship amongst their fellow magicians. I think it appropriate that this year’s Valentine goes to David Sandy and Lance Rich for their spectacularly successful Magic Collectors Corner Zoom meetings. The Zoom cast that David and Lance created has been a source of delight and enrichment to magicians around the globe. From obscure props and arcane principles to up to the minute news, these themed meetings were a ray of sunshine to magicians amidst the wintery skies of our plague-infested boredom. The broadcasts were jam-packed with matters of interest to all the participants. David and Lance must be congratulated on creating a sharp and professional product that showed everyone the standards to which the Zoom platform could aspire. If you missed out on these events, check out their Facebook page for details about this ongoing series of events. Great job, guys, keep them coming!

David Sandy

I want to point out two very close contenders to this award, both of which deserve special mention. For 52 weeks last year, Drew Cardella has produced and hosted a lively and entertaining Zoom meeting every Wednesday. He continues this series in 2022, and if you wish to attend, I suggest you contact Drew at drewcardella@gmail.com for full details. One other honorable mention in this category is the Magic Castle. With the Castle’s doors closed for almost the entire year, the Castle shared superb video meetings and events for its members. The talented team of folk at the Castle threw themselves wholeheartedly into producing first-class entertainment for their members. They did a great job, and as an out-of-town member of the club, I hope this video content continues indefinitely as it made me feel much more included in club activities than I did previously. 

The Best Reason to Be Wary of Mentalists Award

Guillermo del Toro

While it has been a box office disaster, the Guillermo del Toro remake of William Lindsay Gresham’s Nightmare Alley is still a must-see event for many magicians. Gresham’s 1946 gripping novel was a masterpiece of pulp fiction that was as dark as one of Shin Lim’s tabletops. In 1947 the book was transformed into a movie starring Tyrone Power. Sadly it was also a box office catastrophe. The ‘47 production is now rightly considered one of the finest examples of cinema noir to be found. Will Guillermo’s movie achieve the same belated acclaim? Who knows, but a new black and white cut of del Toro’s movie is now being shown, and it is getting rave reviews. Whether you view the various movie versions or you read the novel, this story will make you very cautious of the dangers of getting too carried away with your mentalism or believing your own publicity.

Magician of the Year Award

Carisa Hendrix

There are many possible winners in this category, but I am sending a Valentine to Carisa Hendrix, aka Lucy Darling. Ms. Darling won the hearts of the magic world with her funny and polished comedy magic show when she performed it live. Without apparently pausing for a breath or a muttered, “Darling….” Carisa moved her performance into the virtual show mode, proving a well-built persona, carefully constructed comedy, and powerful magic work in whatever medium you perform them. Carisa is smart and funny, and I am looking forward to seeing what she does next. I give a very close second in this department to England’s Nick Einhorn, who took the virtual market apart and created magic for it that shone. Einhorn is a skilled performer whose grasp of this new performing platform was a total success.

Best Online Magic Store

Joshua Jay and Andi Gladwin

This award goes out to Joshua Jay and Andi Gladwin of Vanishing Inc. for the world-class job they do. While it is easy to lament the disappearance of brick-and-mortar magic stores, I find much that I like with the new breed of magic superstores on the Internet. The speed and efficiency that http://www.vanishingincmagic.com dispatch orders is exemplary, and on the very few occasions I have had any problem, their customer service proved outstanding. In honesty, Penguin Magic is also a terrific purveyor of magical items, but I must rate Josh and Andi a hairsbreadth ahead; maybe it is those daffy little “Thank you for ordering” videos the guys make.

I think it is time to accept the fact that those physical magic stores we all enjoyed so much in our early magical days are going the way of the dodo. If you have a great brick-and-mortar store in your town, then, by all means, support them. Don’t just pop in on a Saturday morning, though, shoot the shit, and leave four hours later after buying a deck of cards; buy something! Over the years, I was lucky enough to visit magic stores and be served by Jules Lenier, Al Flosso, Denny Haney, Pat Page, Michael Skinner, and Ken Brooke. I loved the expert advice and wisdom they provided, but those days are virtually gone.

Best Live Magic Event

This is an easy award to give out, and the winner is Bill Smith for his Magic Collector’s Expo 2021. Magic collectors events like this have a great heritage in the magic world, but Bill knocked it out of the park last year. The cherry on top of a already delightful magical sundae at the Expo was a visit to David Copperfield’s legendary Las Vegas Magic Museum.

Bill Smith

The Orleans Hotel and Casino housed the many lectures that comprised the body of the Expo. Still, it was a chance to visit David’s museum that resonated with every magician who had ever forced a playing card. The event sold out and received enthusiastic accolades from all who attended.

The 2021 event will be a tough act for Bill Smith to follow, but I feel he is moving solidly in the right direction by taking his Expo back on the road and visiting us here in Austin, Texas. The Expo will feature a tour of the spectacular Houdini Collection at the Ransom Center at the University of Texas and a special performance by Ray Anderson in Esther’s Follies. Of course, being Texas, barbecue, and tall stories will add to the fun! Very few registrations remain for this spectacular event that runs April 13th-16th, so snap one up by visiting www.magiccollectorexpo.com.   

Well, this is my five Valentine Awards for 2021. I hope, but don’t particularly care, if you approve of them. What is essential is to remember, as hinted at before, send me a first-class return ticket, have a paper bag full of unmarked $20 bills waiting for me, and you too can be featured amongst next year’s winners! Actually both myself and Vanish Magic Magazine wish to thank all our Valentine Award winners for their contribution to the Magical Arts.

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The “Nick Lewin Special Edition” Vanish Issue.

•February 14, 2022 • Leave a Comment

I was delighted, surprised and proud to discover that Paul Romhany and Susan had managed to put together a really great 44 page collectors issue of Vanish Magic Magazine to celebrate my 70th Birthday today. At the heart of of the magazine is a wonderful biographical story by magician, producer and best selling author Diana Zimmerman. I was knocked out!

I want to thank Paul, Diana, Susan and everyone else who made this happen. In addition over 50 magicians wrote great birthday messages and tributes. Paul did an amazing job creating the layout which features photos of me and my show from the last 54 years. You even get to see some of my crazy hair styles over the years. He included several articles and stories I have written in the last decade. It was a true delight to take this trip down my person magical mystery pathway.

If you would like to get this issue as a free download then just CLICK HERE

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More New Rules For Magicians

•February 8, 2022 • 4 Comments

At the end of each broadcast of his HBO show, Bill Maher details new rules he feels should be mandatory for improving the collective quality of life. In November, I wrote a Vanish article featuring my magical version of Bill’s New Rules premise. I had a great reaction to the piece and many positive responses from readers. Frankly, I was somewhat surprised that I didn’t ruffle a few more feathers with some of my rules. Maybe I will do better his time. So ladies and gentlemen, in a spirit of sincere helpfulness, I would like to present my latest list of “Eight More New Rules For Magicians.”

Rule #1.  Try to remember what century this is.

When you look at the design and nature of magic props, it isn’t difficult to guess when some of them made their first debut. The Victorian era is clearly stamped on some items. (Yes, I’m especially looking at your change bags, and they frequently look like they were retrieved from the Egyptian Hall in one of those old-fangled H.G. Welles time machines.) If you really must use outdated props, have some style and arrive at your gig in a classic model T Ford. The other side of this coin is those “futuristic props” that look like leftover items from the old “Lost In Space” series. Why not go for a happy medium and think seriously about using props that look contemporary. If your props look like they represent the year you are performing in, they may well look less like “props” and more like items that you happen to be using on stage.

Rule #2.  Because you are a mentalist doesn’t mean you can read minds.

Nowadays, more mentalists and mind readers seem to be around than magicians. I guess it is just a sign of the times; I remember the time when you could count the number of dedicated mentalists on your fingers. Not any more. Many of these mentalists will try and convince audiences that they achieve their results by an unusually profound understanding of psychology and a powerful mastery of neuro-linguistic programming. No, guys, it’s usually a combination of tricks, switches, phony wallets, fake books, and electronics. I have noticed something of a trend amongst certain mentalists to get a tad arrogant about what they are doing. Don’t get carried away and believe your website. You are not wiser or more intelligent than an audience member who buys into your bullshit, so don’t give them “profound life changing advice” about their problems. It is all trickery, just like magic. As entertainers, we’re not descendants of philosophers or psychologists; we’re descendants of court jesters.

Rule #3.  (Pretty much) stop asking for free tickets.

There are occasions when it is just fine to ask a friend if you can attend their show on a comp ticket. Sometimes, that same buddy is looking for extra seats to be filled. If you are lucky enough to get a comp, arrive on time, be polite, and tip well. However, there are plenty of other occasions when you should just reach into your pocket and pay for your damn ticket. If you are taking up a seat that a paying customer could fill, you should think carefully about asking for the comp. If it is an ongoing show, you should inquire what performance would be the best for you to attend. The Magic Castle has a strictly limited amount of free guests, and any performer who appears there will attest that 90% of their guests want to visit the club on the Saturday night of their engagement, so be considerate. If you ask for comps from a performer you don’t know expecting free admission to their show because “I am a magician” does not cut it. 

Rule #4.  If you aren’t funny, don’t tell jokes.

Not everyone is funny; this is an honest to God truth. Comedy may not be pretty, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you are not a naturally funny performer, then put away that Bob Orben joke book and instead find a trick that creates a humorous situation. No—this does not include doing the Baffling Bra Trick even if you do it with a guy! There are plenty of strong tricks with compelling situation comedy spliced right into their DNA. Why not skip the one-liners, but make a written note of any funny comments/observations/ad-libs that come up during your performances, and make sure they’re a regular feature of the effect. Eventually, you will end up with a humorous, laugh-filled sequence that doesn’t feature a single joke.

Rule #5.  Realize that most magic props aren’t great investments. 

The old joke is about the magician who panics in case, after his death, his wife sells his magic props for the dollar amount he told her he paid for them. Magic is not an inexpensive hobby or profession. A paper bag filled with new props from the magic store can often be carried with two fingers and still support a hefty price tag. I usually react in profound shock at the incredibly high sums paid for old props/books/posters at the latest Potter & Potter auction. My initial reaction is often to run to my magic room and survey the shelves for that special something that I might harvest for the big bucks. Sadly, I am left face to face with the realization that I am just not a savvy magical collector; I’m merely a magical accumulator. Damn! However, the good news is that there is a healthy secondary market for non-collectible magic props. Just remember to keep your auxiliary props protected in a Ziploc bag, complete with instructions, and perhaps you may break even on your purchases.   

Rule #6.  If they ask for 20 minutes, do 20 minutes!

Go on, be a professional. There may be a reason that the buyer asked for 20 minutes. Because the act is going over well does not constitute a legitimate reason for doing 40 minutes. It is a sterling exercise in self-discipline to stick to your running time and, at worst, will result in you getting home 20 minutes earlier and not irritating the act who has to follow you. Just as importantly, if the audience is not responding enthusiastically, don’t bail on your 20-minute show after 15 minutes. Feel free to ignore this ‘New Rule’ if the following act is something really annoying, like a mime. 

Rule #7.  Quit picking on David Blaine.

Why is it that picking on David Blaine is considered fair game in the magic world? The guy did a fantastic job of coming up with something new in magic. The scorn that some of magic’s top performers have poured upon Blaine seems more than a little like sour grapes. I have read quotes from people who should know better, saying that he doesn’t perform any magic you couldn’t buy for $50 in a magic store. Let’s see how many people out there can spend fifty bucks at Tannen’s and become an international phenomenon. We should be grateful for the fresh burst of enthusiasm, and new demographic David has brought to magic audiences worldwide. One last thing, don’t ever reveal Blaine’s tricks to laypeople—let them spend those fifty bucks for themselves. 

Rule #8. Don’t be a “Jack of All Trades” on your business card.

A magician’s business card is still a powerful tool for booking future gigs. However, many magical business cards try to convince buyers that the person who presented it to them can perform stage shows, banquets, corporate events, kid’s parties, close-up, Illusions, walk-around, television appearances, and keynote speaking. This scattershot approach just looks amateurish and desperate. It no longer costs an arm and a leg to print an excellent business card. If you must proclaim yourself as an expert in all these fields, visit GotPrint online and get a series of different (and different looking) business cards, each highlighting a specific magical talent. No one who plans to book a magician for a corporate show is impressed that he can also make balloon animals. On a related note, if you want to book corporate magic dates, do not, repeat not, have a business card feature tacky clip art of a rabbit in a hat. You’re welcome! 

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The Magic Collectors Expo 2022

•December 9, 2021 • Leave a Comment

Bill Smith is a successful and highly respected member of the magic community and has been for the past five decades. I fondly remember working with him in the old “Wine Cellar” Magic Cabaret showroom at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Bill was a fresh and funny performer who had the audience in stitches working with his bowtie-wearing live duck Gaylord. Smith spent his formative years as a member of the iconic Long Beach Mystics. The more you know about the Long Beach Mystics, the more impressive is their legacy. I sometimes jokingly refer to them as “The Illuminati of Magic” because their members seem to be everywhere, hidden in plain sight, constantly quietly influencing the course and shape of magic. After a decade on the road as assistant to Harry Blackstone Jr., Smith set his sights on creating, designing, and building magic props. Bill became one of the busiest and most revered illusion builders in the magic world in no time at all. Somewhere along the line, Smith was bitten by the collectors and magic history bug, which leads us to this post’s focus.   

Bill Smith attended the LA magical collectors events for many years and in 2005, in conjunction with Paul Stone and Bob Rossi, he produced his first Magic Collectors Expo in Las Vegas. The Expo was a resounding success and included such standout events as a panel featuring magical giants Channing Pollack, Marvyn Roy, Jay Marshall, and Johnny Thompson. The forum was hosted by Max Maven and even featured a “surprise” finale with Siegfried Fischbacher chiming in on the proceedings. So successful was the event that Smith went on to produce several more standout collectors’ events. Rather than focus solely on Las Vegas, Bill decided to take his event on the road and explore the magical heritage of other American cities, including a 2019 Expo in Minneapolis that he organized with David Sandy and Lance Rich. A solid core of magicians became big fans of Smith’s Expos and they have quietly developed into a “must attend” event for serious magic lovers. 

The Covid pandemic scuttled plans for a 2020 Expo, but Bill came storming back with this year’s Magic Collectors Expo 2021 at the Orleans Hotel back in his hometown of Las Vegas. The Expo was a sold-out event with a hefty waiting list for any last-minute cancellation reservations. One of the 2021 events highlights was a chance to visit David Copperfield’s legendary magic museum in its “secret” Las Vegas location. The Expo was a commercial and critical success and became the talk of the magic world. It included speakers such as David Charvet, Charles Greene, Mike Caveney, David Sandy, Paul Stone, Lance Rich, Richard Hughes, Gabe Fajuri, Les Arnold, Phil Schwartz, and Retonio Breitenmoser. One of the keys to the success of Smith’s events is the quality of speakers that they inevitably attract.

I am excited to say that Bill Smith brings his Magic Collectors Expo 2022 to my beloved hometown of Austin, Texas. Texas has a special place in the history of magic, and without a doubt, the upcoming Expo will be another sold-out event. The Expo will take place from the 13th through 16th of April 2022, and Bill has organized a unique schedule of events that will delight all the magicians in attendance. The Expo’s opening day features a guided visit to the superb Harry Houdini collection housed in the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin. The Ransom Collection is one of the largest and finest collections of Houdini items in the world. The collection encompasses unique props, publicity material, private and professional correspondence, photos, posters, and much more. The Ransom Collection is guaranteed to intrigue and delight any serious student of magic. This is the first time that this unprecedented level of access to the collection has been offered within the magic community.

The opening day’s activities continue on a high note with a visit to a special 90-minute performance by master magician Ray Anderson and the entire cast of Esther’s Follies. Esther’s is an Austin tradition and the longest-running revue in America. For the last 30 years Anderson, a 2018 winner of the Academy of Magical Arts Performing Fellowship, has added some spectacular magic to the show. Once a Texan prized secret, Ray now has a steady stream of discriminating magicians flying into Austin to see what many people describe as the finest magical revue in the world. If you have never caught the Follies, buckle up your seatbelt, you are in for one glorious ride! Later in the week, Anderson will participate in a Q & A session about this iconic show. With a special nod to Texas, these opening events are wrapped around a delicious barbecue dinner, and we take our barbecue very seriously in Austin. Food for the eye, mind, funnybone, and stomach is the order of the opening day’s activities. 

The Magical Collectors Expo will be centered in the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton just outside the downtown area. The hotel will be the center of activities for the remainder of the event and house the lectures, shows, and dealers’ room. As an Austinite, I hope that attendees will find time to sneak out and enjoy some of the incredible music and food truck cuisine that has made Austin such a popular destination. However, I suspect that most attendees will be enjoying the magic and camaraderie too much to venture too far from the home base. There will be two evening magic shows at the Doubletree with a stellar cast of magicians plus six-a-day lectures to entertain and inform the group. With each lecture limited to 20-30 minutes, a fantastic amount of information is shared without the risk of any topic straining the attendee’s attention span.

The 2022 lecture roster includes several Texas based magicians who will share some magical wisdom from the Lone Star State. Magician and speaker Trixie Bond will be discussing some of the Texan magicians who have risen to the very top of the magic hierarchy. Without wishing to second guess her choices, I think it would be tough not to include Mark Wilson, Willard the Wizard, Tom Palmer, Walter Blaney, Johnny Gaughn, and Bev Bergeron. Pat Hazell is another Expo speaker who calls Austin home. Pat’s roots are as a magician, but he went on to conquer the comedy world, including writing for the Seinfeld television show and creating the hit theatrical show The Wonderbread Years. Hazell has also achieved great success with his podcast Creativity in Captivity. As funny as he is wise, I know Pat will be a major hit with the Expo audience.

As part of the speaker lineup, Mike Caveney will interview Cathy Daniels, who will share stories and insights about her late husband and master illusionist John Daniels. Mark and Sue Holstein will be lecturing about Chicago’s distinguished ambassador of magic, Werner “Dorny” Dornfeld, and discuss his significant contributions to the magic world. The Holsteins will be bringing along some of their fascinating collection of Dorny’s original magic props. Talking about props, I am sure that Chip Romero will be share some items from his extensive collection of props and stage items once owned by the late Doug Henning. Romero will be discussing all the details of Doug’s early years, including the life-changing grant he received from the Canadian government to study and learn the magic that went on to make him world famous.

Another speaker at the Expo will be Lance Rich, who, along with David Sandy, created the Magic Collectors Corner Zoom meetings that have kept magicians entertained and on a learning curve throughout the Covid pandemic. Lance and David were recently announced as recipients of the prestigious Allan Slaight Sharing Secrets Award for their contribution to the magic community.  Another speaker I am eagerly anticipating is Diego Domingo, author of The Magic Detective Blog. Diego has been fascinating the magic community through his blog with his deep dive into fascinating magical mysteries. I am also thrilled and proud to announce I will be lecturing at the Expo about my magical mentor Ken Brooke. Ken was one of the most influential magicians in the last 60 years and highly instrumental in the careers, and success, of Paul Daniels and Wayne Dobson. There will be other speakers and some exciting announcements at the Expo, but as a master magician in his own right, Bill Smith knows how to keep a secret or two up his sleeve. 

The Magic Collectors Expo 2022 is bound to be another sold-out event. The registration is $285 per person, but a $100 deposit will secure your spot, and the balance won’t be due until January 15, 2022. I look forward to some of our readers joining us on this exciting and uniquely magical experience. You can register and find more details at https://magiccollectorexpo.com/register/ 

 

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New Rules for Magicians 2021

•November 17, 2021 • 6 Comments

Back in what Billy McComb used to refer to as “Nineteen hundred and frozen to death,” one of my favorite places to work on new material was ‘The Horn’ in Santa Monica. This club was a gloriously eclectic little Californian nightclub boasting a house band and a widely divergent group of entertainers. If you managed to score one of the highly sought after performing slots, you never knew whether you’d be following an opera singer, a jazz musician, or a comedian. It was a splendid place to hone your craft.

Amongst the comedians who performed regularly at The Horn was David Letterman, who would walk to the club with his large sheepdog. The dog would remain tethered at the club’s door while David dashed in and performed a short set. Another comedian who graced the boards in this cradle of creativity was Bill Maher. The first time I met Bill was on an evening that I was acting as MC. I was in the green room discussing the running order with the club’s booker when I spotted an unfamiliar name. I asked the booker in I hoped a suitably quizzical manner, “What exactly is a Bill Maher?” At that moment, a short and somewhat crumpled chap walked through the door and, with a big smile, said, “I am, you %?@#$.” I have been a big fan of Bill ever since.

One of the features of Maher’s current late-night HBO series Real Time with Bill Maher is his ‘New Rules’ segment, during which he details new rules that should be mandatory for improving our quality of life in these changing times. So with my tongue firmly in my cheek in some cases but in deadly earnest in others, I  would like to present my list of New Rules For Magicians.  

New Rule #1  Realize that not everyone is fascinated by Houdini.

This may be the most controversial of my new rules, but I have to throw it into the mix. It has long been an article of faith that just by invoking the ‘Sainted” name of Harry Houdini, the interest of the non-magical world will be ignited like a Californian forest by an illegal campfire. This assumption has run its course and must now be replaced with a big MAYBE! Trust me, doing the Siberian Chain Escape and attempting to beat Houdini’s fastest time will not automatically result in the press beating a path to your door. 

 

 

New Rule #2.  Don’t treat your audience like idiots.

Your job is to deceive and the spectator’s job is to be deceived. There is no need to assume that an audience is comprised of morons just because they fulfill their half of the mutual bargain. Be grateful they know the rules. Let’s be honest, you might not want them to tell you how deceptive that deceptive base really is after they have seen four or five of them in the course of your show. Sometimes an audience is just being kind, so don’t ever get cocky about how smart you think you are.  Audiences are not idiots, so don’t ever treat them that way just because you have a few tricks up your sleeve. 

New Rule #3.  There is NO such thing as a semi-professional magician. 

I know many people are reading this thinking, “That is ridiculous, I am delighted with my semi-professional doctor,” and “That semi-pro airline pilot did a great job on my last flight.” However, there is no such thing as a semi-pro in magic. I am not saying that there aren’t some performers who only occasionally get paid for a show but are still very good at what they do. However, a professional magician makes his living performing or creating magic, and by doing so, he enters a different world governed by different laws. And no, working the Magic Castle once a year isn’t a real gig. Sorry.

New Rule #4. The amount of money you spent on a prop should not affect its running time in your show.

The audience doesn’t care if the new prop you just purchased cost you a king’s ransom; they are just interested in how much it intrigues and entertains them. Be ruthless in pruning your running time and never let cost be a factor in your consideration. If you spend a grand on a prop that achieves an effect in just 30 seconds, then don’t feel a need to make it play for 35 seconds unless you have added to the impact with those five seconds. The following rule is something of a companion piece to this one.

New Rule #5. Never “See how much time you can get out of a trick.” Instead, see how much you can get out of a routine in the least possible time.

Again and again, I hear performers use expressions such as, “I can get 15 minutes out of the egg bag.” Pardon me while I scream. The true goal of a strong entertainer is to tighten his performance and get every bit of impact from a routine in the least possible time. You can eventually say with pride,  “I’ve finally got my egg bag routine down to ten minutes,” if every one of those minutes is solid and vital entertainment. Look for the padding and then surgically remove it from your show; you will be a much better and more commercial performer.

New Rule #6  Try to remember what century in which you are living.

When you look at the design and nature of magic props, it isn’t difficult to guess when they were designed. The Victorian era is so clearly stamped on some props that they look like they were airlifted from the Egyptian Hall in one of those new-fangled H.G. Welles time machines. If you really must use outdated looking props, at the very least arrive at your gig in a classic model T Ford.

New Rule #7. If you aren’t Jeff McBride, there is no need to dress like Jeff McBride.

McBride is an outstanding performer and teacher of magic. Jeff has a truly unique approach, not only to his magic but also in his singular choices in costume and character. With his Kabuki style make-up, funky top hat, and eccentric sense of style, Jeff looks equal parts magical troubadour, steampunk visionary, exotic magician, and Asian warrior. It is a look that is all his own and is as unique as the man himself. I frequently bump into magicians who have learned much from Jeff’s invaluable lessons at his celebrated “Mystery School,” but quite a few of them seem to have borrowed liberally from his sartorial style as well. Sorry guys, but for the most part, you have to be Jeff to make it work. Learn Jeff’s lessons and then make them your own, beginning with developing your own personalized fashion style.

New Rule #8. Be original in your publicity material, or any seasoned booker will assume your show is just as unoriginal.

There is a tendency for magicians to see photos and publicity material that other performers are using on sites like Facebook. I’m sure there was a first person to stage an 8X10 with a fire wallet, but now it is pure cliché. The current trend is the photo revealing a hidden ace in his sleeve. This picture is another cute idea that has become another instant cliché. These pieces of press material are the first items a buyer usually sees of an act. He is also probably looking at many other performers’ publicity materials, so why not use something more original. Why would he think you are going to be different and unique if your photo isn’t? Even a good picture of the performer himself is unique and unsullied by overexposure.

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The politics of being booked as a comedy magician.

•November 10, 2021 • 1 Comment

One of the very first things you learn when booking any comedy or variety multi-act gig is that as you start off in the opening slot. This is good and as it should be; you need to scope out the lay of the land, learn what to do, and have a place to make some mistakes where they won’t capsize the show. Since the death of vaudeville, the vast majority of variety bills have settled into being three-act formats. Just like any theatrical venture, three acts work very well just as it does in a play or movie. As you move into that middle spot a new dynamic enters the scene and we need to discuss it in some detail.

Comedy Club and other show bookers are very comfortable putting a comedy magician, or indeed any “variety” act, into that middle slot. Why not! This is a very natural way of splitting up the two comedians on a comedy club bill and creating a little variety, heck this is why we are called variety acts. However, once you accept that paradigm of magician as middle act, you have created a glass ceiling that can be tough to shatter. Bookers love to slot magicians into that easy safe slot. Once I felt comfortable and confident with the way my act was building on the comedy circuit, I refused to middle and only accepted headliner gigs. For me this was the smartest thing I could have done; let me tell you why.

What are the reasons for wanting to headline on a comedy club gig? Primarily you earn more money, sometimes a lot more money, get to perform a longer set, get the best room in the condo (the one with your own bathroom), receive better perks, and get a whole lot more respect. In the ‘80s if you were headlining in a club you were still working on your career, if you weren’t, then you were just marking time. Let me be clear about one thing, getting to middle in a show is probably the easiest gig in the world because you have way fewer pressures and a lot less responsibility. If you are working an “equal nations” gig and all the performers are receiving the same salary and performing equivalent sets with contemporaries, then you will find that any pro worth his salt will be fighting to see how early in the bill he can perform. Only the insecure or ego-dominated performer will want to close that bill, and the smart pro will be delighted to oblige them.

Of course, back in the wild west comedy club circuit in the 1980s, there were quite a few ground rules for a comedy magician to learn if he was going to assume the position of headliner and naturally assume that two comedians were going to open for him and let him swoop into the closing role. Primarily you had to prove that even without the magic you could be just as funny, or funnier, than your opening acts. One thing you could be fairly sure about when you were onstage closing a bill in a comedy club was that the other comedians were sitting in the greenroom bitching about the fact that a magician was heading in a comedy club. 

The heart of most club comedians’ beef with comedy magicians is that they can always jettison some of their comedy if the crowd were not responding and re-focus on the magic, and vice versa if the conditions made it more favorable. They look at this as akin to a form of cheating, I have always looked on it as a good career choice! In that decade plus that I headlined on the comedy circuit, I always began my show with a very fast magical sight gag designed to make fun of the traditional magician’s image. I then performed a faultless ten-minute comedy monologue that established that I could meet the opening acts head own in their own field. Only then would I launch into my comedy magic act. My show also built up to an actual highly effective finale that got a big applause based reaction. Comedians frequently just ended their set by looking at their watches and saying, “That’s my time,” and walking off stage. I wanted to get a reaction that the club owner would really hear back in his office where he was probably hitting on a cocktail waitress.

I was lucky enough to work in almost every geographical zone that had a comedy club. I never wanted to be a regional act, and that is another choice the performer can make for themself. I could work in Manhattan or Biloxi, Fairbanks, or Chicago. As long as you paid the right money, I was there! My most direct contemporaries in the comedy circuit were Paul Kozak, John Ferrentino, and the king of the genre, Amazing Johnathan. One thing that we all shared was a very universal appeal in our shows, and that isn’t something that happens, but something you need to work at day-by-day and show-by-show. I learned a great deal about what is funny by comparing audience reactions in different locations and then choosing material that worked everywhere. These were lessons that also yielded a great dividend in my corporate bookings.

Let’s get back to a more detailed look at my specific journey into the comedy club market when it was really flourishing in the ‘80s. Prior to that time I had been performing primarily on cruise ships, magic venues, and old-fashioned nightclubs such as The Playboy Club. Most of these gigs involved about 20-minutes sets, which were starting to seem a little too short to me, but on a ship at least you needed two different 20-minute sets. I had also appeared in an excellent review show in Lake Tahoe for Fredric Apcar, a top-notch Las Vegas producer. Apcar loved my show and repeatedly asked me to be a specialty act in one his shows, but the length of the set required was just 12-minutes which was way too little time for my taste. I also had a restless nature and really no desire to step into a long-term contract. I filled in for Fredric several times when his regular acts needed vacations; this was my first real casino work. However, to me, the concept of performing the same 12-minutes, twice a night for a year contract was the closest thing to living death that I could imagine. I always loved Billy McComb’s answer when someone asked him if he could do a ten-minute show. “Absolutely I can,” He would say, “now, in ten minutes I can either have a card selected and not find it, or find a card that no one selected. Which would you prefer?”

The comedy circuit offered me the perfect way to develop a 60-minute one-man show, which came in very useful as my corporate work began to arrive. Cruise bookings later began to change and rather than being a 20-minute part of a variety show they began to feature solo Headliner Shows where the entertainer performed his own 50-minute set. I will never regret my decision to work towards the long form with my show. In 1995 I began a five-year run in Las Vegas with my own one-man 65-minute show, I still had very serious reservations about a long run, but I was more than excited about taking a break from the road and spending more time with my wife and daughters. 

 

Posted in Magic, Magic and Magicians

The Hidden Cost of Being a Magician.

•October 26, 2021 • Leave a Comment

Being a magician is by no means an inexpensive vocation. From those early days thumbing through catalogs and sending away postal orders, to visiting buying illusions with your very own American Express card, it was never a cheap hobby/business.

I wouldn’t care to guess how many times I have walked out of a magic store holding a paper bag between two fingers wondering what the hell inside it could weigh so little and cost so much!

I have boxes and boxes, shelves and shelves just stacked with magic props that I just had to have. Many of them used once, or not at all.    90% of the props that I actually use are contained in a couple of pilots cases inside a cupboard next to my “working outfit.”

There is another series of boxes and shelves that contain the other depository of items that represent what I like to call “The Hidden Cost of Being a Magician.” These are the outdated, non-functioning and often barely used electronic item, and leads, leads, leads, plugs, plugs, plugs that presumably once serviced them. There are coils of wires and leads ,apparently writhing, in the right light, that look to all intents and purpose like those snake pits in the final episodes of Cobra Kai on Netflix.

There is a Digital Tape Player, half a dozen MD player, strange little box like units, weird hubs, old phones, early digital players, cameras and god knows what else. There is one entire shelf of aging hard drives, and I am pretty sure none of them have cables with plugs that will interface with my MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone or iMac, …… and did I mention the leads? Leads, Leads, Leads it is like the wheat chorus in Woody Allen’s Love and Death. There are magician collectors who make a tidy sum of money as their purchases build into a Rickey Jay type collection. Not me, I am an accumulator, which is time and space filling, without much chance of anything being worth big bucks except by accident.

There is something about magicians that often manifests itself as technophiles. No, I am not talking about the current breed of lame and lazy-ass magicians who perform “electronic magic” or “iPhone tricks” that manage to avoid any actual magical skills. I am always amazed how many people are fooled by iPhone tricks. Of course, it is mostly magicians who are fooling themselves. They fail to realize that when they pull out a phone, that 95% of spectators realize that it is the phone who is doing the heavy lifting.

Magicians are hard wired to want the latest device to run their music, adjust their lights, and do everything else their hearts desire. I know this because I am one of them. My shelves and boxes of expensive and outdated props and tech gear attest to it.

It is very hard to throw away any of this stuff though because you never know when you are going to need irreparably crumpled silks, or a die box that is missing the die. Every now and then I want to check on one of my six previously indispensable Macs, hook it up to a 30 gig hard drive, and see if they contain the photos from my 1990 trip to Tokyo. The trouble is I can never find the right lead to plug everything in. While I have endless supply of leads they are never the right ones– kinda’ like a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross.

Well, enough of this rant, I have to return to Google and search…… Someone old me that Amazon now sells that floating/revolving music player that David Bowie had in The Man Who Fell To Earth. It is exactly the item needed to put my act into high gear.

I will illustrate this post some pictures of electronic paraphernalia that I found, and discarded, from a “Garage Box” that I was exploring this morning. Believe me they are the very tip of the iceberg, the entire iceberg could sink the iceberg!

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“Yes, Time To Spoil.” The Bond obsessives’ roundtable. Spoiler Alert!!!!!!!!

•October 16, 2021 • Leave a Comment

I am excited to share the following discussion of the 25th James Bond Movie “No Time To Die.” However, as noted below by Mike Weatherford.

PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS IS YOU HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT.

“Yes, Time to Spoil”

The Bond obsessives’ roundtable

The bland poster. The generic title. The tight-lipped interviews with Daniel Craig and the creative team. The new James Bond movie No Time to Die doesn’t spill the beans on how different it really is, and no one can talk about what they really want to talk about. Until, of course, they see it. Then they demand, “Can everyone else just see the dang thing so we can talk about it?”

Three of us Bond obsessives gave you a whole week. And now, we give you a spoiler warning or three. 

If you don’t care about James Bond at all, please don’t read this. Because we really embarrass ourselves.

If you plan to see the movie and haven’t, please don’t read this until you do. With major secrets just a few keystrokes away, the collective pop-culture media has done a pretty good job of not spoiling things, and we don’t want to be the first.

But for fellow fans who have let James Bond consume much of their lives since childhood, help yourself to a discussion from:

 

– Nick Lewin, venerable comedy-magician who is actually British, and has traveled the world over with a tricked-out briefcase; as close to Bond as he figures he can get without knowing how to fly a plane. At a very early age, Nick made his own From Russia With Love briefcase out of cardboard. It scared no one.

 

 

 

– Mike Weatherford, who arrived in Las Vegas in time to see Licence to Kill at the movie theater on Charleston and Decatur that’s long since bulldozed, and went on to write about shows until well after Spectre came out. (He also saw Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace with Nick.)

 

 

– Steve Bornfeld, who has written for every publication in town, some twice, and some, thrice. A lifelong   Bond-phile, his life is often shaken,  never stirring.  He can only fantasize about having pussy galore, and he looks awful in a tux (white, black or even that crushed velvet raspberry monstrosity Daniel Craig wore at the No Time to Die premiere). 

 

 

Mike: So this movie put a longtime critic (or at least a reviewer of acrobat shows) into an ironic position: Combing through the reviews, reading the opinions of others, to try to make sense of my mixed emotions about this one. 

Thinking about this  movie, I remember something once said about  the romantic misadventures of someone (ahem) in our circle of friends: “He tried too hard and not hard enough, all at the same time.” In this case, I feel like the movie obviously made an extremely radical decision. On the other hand — maybe to justify said decision? — I think it fell back on ‘callbacks’ and too much rehash of the other movies in the Craig cycle, all to convince us of what we know wasn’t true: that all five of his movies were a grand design from the beginning.

I’m not sure I felt the way I was supposed to at the end. So my question to you two: Do you feel like the ending was earned? Or contrived?

 

Nick: Well, I am still processing the movie. Having seen every Bond movie in the cinema since Dr. No, my commitment is very strong. I have also read every book, including each of the post- Fleming books. My days have been liberally sprinkled with comments that sound like I consider Bond a flesh-and-blood character. I am of course fully aware that this affectation is exactly that, an affectation.

Now to the movies. I totally agree that the decision to make a separate arc for the Daniel Craig movie cycle was piecemeal and random. It really wasn’t in the least bit convincing or logical. However, I never really looked for the series to be convincing  (on the conceptual level) or, least of all, logical! I did look for a continuation of the specific qualities I found so irresistible in the Bond character. This was largely achieved over the course of 25 movies and six Bonds; ups and downs, but overall it has been a good ride.

I thought that after a smashing start with Casino Royale the franchise had some fairly spotty moments that were totally redeemed by Daniel Craig’s performance. I thought that Quantum of Solace was rather underrated and Skyfall a little overrated.  Spectre was dwarfed by its opening Day of the Dead sequence and the rest was kinda flat. Bond and Blofeld are half-brothers? This didn’t play even if you saw a glancing sly reference to Star Wars! I have watched it another time on DVD, but it really didn’t stay in my mind or give me as much enjoyment as even low-level (Man With The Golden Gun)  Bond movies. I didn’t even remember the Madeleine Swan character.

Now on to, No Time To Die. It was a good movie and well made. I was enjoying it as we watched it, with the Cuba sequence a highlight. I was deeply surprised when Felix died. However, no one viewed the Bond movies to watch Felix Leiter! Many critics found the movie too long, which I personally didn’t, as the half-thought-out plot was popping along fast enough to keep me totally involved. I would have cut the last 20 minutes though. I really did not want to see the character killed because the actor playing him was leaving the franchise. It is like a sheet of glass, once broken it will never be put back together again. Whoever comes up next in the part has lost the continuity needed to retain my previous level of complicity with the series. I felt sad and somewhat betrayed by the end of the movie. They have lost my commitment and interest in the franchise.

To answer your question Commander Weatherford, I think it was totally contrived and absolutely not earned. This was the ending of 25 that Danny Boyle proposed, and had his screenwriter put on paper. The entire creative team thought it was a bad idea then, and I still do. A good part of the Bond mythos has been fractured. Bond does not die no matter what the odds, Michael and Barbara (the producers) confused the actor and the role. The actors are interchangeable but the character and qualities of Bond are carved in stone. If Lashana Lynch was an indication of where the franchise is heading then count me out. I would have been more forgiving if they had just let 007 retire to his Jamaican paradise. I lost John Prine last year and didn’t need to lose another hero this year. Since the franchise seems to be looking towards a more woke sensibility, maybe they should have let Bond die of COVID, dying of  ‘Freddie Mercury poisoning’  didn’t cut it for me. Over and out, other than to say I watched From Russia With Love again last night to see if it could still cast its spell and it did.

 

Steve: If you can’t stretch logic and flip the bird to continuity for 007, then what is the world coming to? There is enough emotionally overwrought entertainment in pop culture to get heart-invested in. I never needed Bond for that.  What I need him for is the absurd wow factor and the fantasy, even at my age as an old, decrepit but still childlike 64. (In that way, I’m still the kid whose parents once bought me a toy suitcase from From Russia with Love, complete with a slide-out rubber knife, but alas, no gold coins or capacity to explode. No gypsy babes, either). My main complaint from the start of Craig’s run is that it had no interest in good old fashioned,  no-strings adventure, with the possible exception of Skyfall, which seemed great until it wallowed in his oh-so-terrible upbringing in its 3rd act (only his under-the-ice fight scene redeemed all that). Craig was,  all in all, a good Bond, but saddled with too much backstory, which is perhaps why the death of his Bond, though it did originally shock me for its novelty and frankly, ballsiness, doesn’t now leave me shaken or stirred. 

To answer the question: Yes, within the needlessly emotional bubble they created in the Craig-verse, the death was earned.  It closes the self-contained arc it committed itself to and frankly,  makes it easier for the next series of films to pretend it didn’t happen and start again. With the death,  it feels like it validates the Craig era as an outlier, and as such, to exist separate from the bigger Bond-verse, without having to torture ourselves to square it within the larger ouevre. I am grateful, though,  that Craig kind of validated my favorite Bond actor after Connery, the criminally under-appreciated Timothy Dalton, who made the character grounded and serious — and really shined in small moments of genuine regret and rage, particularly in Licence to Kill —  but not so emotionally tumultuous that I had to give a damn about the operatic toll on his inner life.  Just save the day,  Jimbo. And have a little drink and a screw or two while you do it. James Bond will return.   

 

Mike: Thanks to Nick for giving the world the phrase “Freddie Mercury poisoning.” I think that’s going to catch on. The more I let the movie sink in — versus watching the credits slack-jawed, annoyingly repeating “The rumors were true!” over and over again — the more I agree with Steve that it worked, more or less, given the road they forced themselves to travel by making the Craig-verse a self-contained arc. Sounds like we all three agree that was forced and unnecessary, especially because it meant making this one a direct sequel to Spectre, which did a better job leaving a thread for ‘more Blofeld’ than it did for ‘more Madeleine.’ But if only because they talked Craig into doing another one, I think they had to go big or go home. Driving the DB5 into the sunset with the girl is the ending they already used in Spectre. Once the rumors that Danny Boyle bailed over the decision to kill off Bond (there seems to be confusion about whether he left because he did or didn’t agree), I spent too much pandemic time wondering, “Hmm. If that were to happen, what would be a satisfying way for that to happen?”

And that’s where all this still bothers me. You guys don’t pay as much attention to the Star Wars or Marvel movies as I do, but some people are pointing out the parallels to Robert Downey’s send-off in Infinity Wars. My favorite of the new Star Wars movies is the stand-alone entry, Rogue One, for which there will be no sequel because the heroine bravely stands on the beach facing her destiny, waiting for the final explosion. Sound familiar? If you’re going to do something like this, don’t do it just because two other hugely commercial franchises gave them a … license to kill.

I am, however, all for giving Craig the swansong he deserved. One thing I’m sure all three of us like to do is endlessly reshuffle our list ranking the movies in order. Mine changes every time, but I do know Casino Royale and Skyfall will always be in the top third of it — and that Craig’s other three — hmm, well, they will never fall into the bottom third. 

So, what now? Nick has already weighed in at least in part on this, but one more round from each of you (and we all three know it doesn’t have to be a martini). Is as Nick suggests, the franchise irreparably broken? And if so, was it broken on purpose? And is it time for us old guys to say goodbye and let that happen? Here’s what I mean by that: My main concern is that Jeff Bezos and others who stand to make money from these movies will try to reinvent him (or Lynch as ‘007’ but not Bond) in a way that appeals to young people for whom martinis and tuxes are no longer touchstones of sophistication. There’s a reason why those Fast and Furious movies are so popular, and one of them is that young people see themselves in the multicultural cast, the tattoos, and shaved heads.

Nick and I didn’t get a chance to discuss this, but Steve has heard my theory that perhaps No Time might be the swansong for producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson as well; that they may cash the check, surrender their role as caretakers of Bond as we’ve known him and let Bezos and Co. go hog wild and make Ariana Grande the next James Bond or whatever else they want to do.

Assuming that’s *not* the case though, they certainly seem to have painted themselves into a corner. It’s one thing to make Natalie Portman the new Thor – who wouldn’t want to see that? But reinventing Bond while still retaining the decades-long appeal of Bond? Hmm. As part of your thoughts on the future of the franchise, let me run these possibilities past you for comment and to see if you have any others.

— A transitional/stop-gap or spinoff series starring Lynch as the new 007, perhaps in a buddy team with Ana De Armas’ character. I don’t see this as replacing the Bond character as much as I see it testing the waters and buying the main series time. It was hard to give Lynch enough screen time in this one to make a fair decision, given the twin tasks of properly introducing Nomi (unfortunate name-share with Showgirls there)  while giving Bond himself a proper sendoff. But a huge strength of it would be retaining the continuity of Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw, and Naomi Harris. Which would be hard to do if …

— They tried to pair a new Bond with that supporting cast. Just not sure how that would work, except for the popular fan theory that likens Bond to Dr. Who: M would tell the newcomer, “Using your real name would threaten your family, so you inherit the name and honorary title, James Bond.”

— They start all over, including a new supporting cast. (Ralph Fiennes is expensive, after all). Barbara and Michael have said in the past that Bond movies must always be present-day. But my vote for making this option work would be to take it back to the ‘60s, with the cool cars, outfits, and non-PC attitudes. (My only hope for this being anything but a daydream is that Anthony Horowitz’s continuation novels fall into the gaps between Fleming’s.)  

 

Nick:  I have a feeling that we are fairly likely to see a spin-off movie with Ana De Armas, and I guess that might be alright; I would certainly buy a ticket. I personally feel a real disconnect from the original franchise, and although I have a very negative reaction to the death of 007, I will definitely need to see what they do. I‘m pretty darn happy watching the James Bond channel on Pluto TV. 24/7 classic Bond movies still talk to me big time.

We haven’t discussed the rather blatant references to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and George Lazenby. Why the hell is the” Craig Bond” weeping nostalgic over Diana Rigg,  being serenaded by Louis Armstrong’s great song, and even quoting “All the all the time in the world.” There were plenty of other musical and visual reference points to that early “one-off” movie.

IMHO, the current re-evaluation of the movie/Lazenby is a little too over the top. The movie was pretty good and Lazenby was alright. Incidentally, if you haven’t seen the Lazenby documentary “Becoming Bond” (currently on Netflix, I believe) it is required viewing. I got to spend a really great drunken evening with Lazenby organizing a bachelor party for our mutual friend Michael Sloan (creator of The Equalizer) and George had many even better stories of his Bond years. 

 

Mike: I think the classic quote from OHMSS was supposed to make us think it would take the predictable track and kill off Madeleine fairly early, clearing the way for ‘the next girl’?  (And the trailers furthering this by letting us think De Armas would be that next girl). And when that didn’t happen? Well, that’s one reason to see it again: I spent the rest of the movie thinking beyond what was happening in the moment and wanting to jump to the end: Now there’s only one more answer for these callbacks, and are they really gonna go there?

But yes, to the chagrin of the people next to us, Steve and I reacted out loud when both the Louis Armstrong and the title theme of OHMSS were played in the underscore. Armstrong’s song in the end credits was a wonderful touch. (The movie itself is up there in my ‘top third’ of the films, maybe it’s because it’s my favorite book. It does go on a bit, and  dubbed “Hillary” is an awful misstep, and it definitely lets its ‘60s fashions hang out in a way that’s maybe less cool than the Connery ones.) 

 

Nick: I am very fond of the OHMSS book also, one of the best in my opinion. There was a really awful “extended cut” of the movie that was created for its TV premiere. More skiing than a winter Olympics.  

 

Steve: With a little time and distance after absorbing everything No Time to Die did,  I am starting to resent it. It killed Felix. It killed Blofeld. It killed all of Spectre. It killed 007. Why not M,Q and Moneypenny too? Essentially, it killed off the totems of my youth, both minor and major. Did they need to remind me,  as an original member of the Bond-adoring generation,  that I am nearing my own death as well? Perhaps Bond is not built for this era. Actually,  neither am I, and that’s part of why I embrace him.

And yes, probably why he is destined for extinction. We are different types of dinosaurs, but dinosaurs nonetheless.  But he is not done yet and neither am I.  As long as baby boomer seniors dominate the landscape,  there is still a place at the movies for our heroes (and for our money at the box office)

But NTTD might have done more damage to the brand by giving it a death asterisk, an air of tragedy and mortality dragging it down. Invincibility was the fantasy. For a few hours we could all be invincible in his skin. After this flick, we are all doomed in his skin. We are not allowed our vicarious happiness. And when have we needed it more?

I don’t pretend to know how to bring him back,  except that we need a palate-cleanser — a rousing, drama-lite, kick-ass adventure with a great villain (maybe a female — Meryl? Charlize?) And an electric new actor as 007 in his career prime. And a selective memory regarding NTTD.  In a pandemic- ravaged,  hate-fueled world, I need more than the death of James Bond. I need the dude who lets me believe,  however fleetingly,  that I am invincible.

 

Nick: As a tiny afterthought, yes Steve, The dinosaur thing fits (and hurts,) maybe we are getting old, and maybe the world is too woke for Bond. Two weeks after the American premiere of NTTD the Rolling Stones announced that they would no longer play Brown Sugar in their live show because of its politically incorrect subject matter. The Rolling Stones made this decision!!!!! On a related note, their tour bus has had its left blinker on for the last three cities. Perhaps Jumping Jack can now only get up slowly. Personally, I am going to watch Dr. No again on pluto because I am convinced this is “No Time To Age.”

 

 

  

James Bond Will Return….

 

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