Project 365 Smorgasbord (279-281)

.:279/365: Jay Scott Berry’s Symphony Of The Ring And Ribbon:.

Sheer poetry in motion. Most contemporary magicians are not fond of silent performers, but there are big exceptions. Jay Scott Berry is one of them.

I actually have the video and the tutorial, but I never bothered learning the actual routine. I was forever stuck at watching him do his stuff, because once I looked into how to do the moves and everything, I couldn’t imagine how long it must have taken him to make all of it look so graceful and suave. I’m about as graceful as a cow on ice, so looking at him do those moves without even breaking a sweat? Respect, Mr. Berry. Respect.

.:280/365: Penn And Teller’s Off The Deep End:.

Out of all of the TV specials Penn and Teller have had, this, by far, was their most ambitious one, and I really enjoyed watching every minute of it.

The entirety of the special is on YouTube, and you’d find how crazy Penn and Teller were, to practically reveal every single routine they performed during the special. It was offbeat, it was unique, and there was something just endearing about doing magic underwater and then blowing all the secrets just because they can afford to.

I feel that it’s very hard to top something of this magnitude, and I’ve watched a lot of TV specials already, but nothing done by anyone not named David Copperfield seems to come even close to what Penn and Teller have pulled off with this one.

.:281/365: Max Maven’s A Fabulous Monster:.

A documentary of sorts on one of the pillars of mentalism, A Fabulous Monster follows Max Maven in a very inquisitive manner, all the while leaving the most important question, “is what Max does for real?” unanswered. As you watch Max at work, you feel a strong affinity for his very endearing qualities, and how affable he can actually be despite looking like Satan most of the time.

Watching this seems like a constant battle of wits between Max and the crew following him around, and all the time, it feels like Max holds all the cards in the equation. Check it out, and learn precisely why Max Maven is just an absolute charmer, no doubt. I guess it becomes understandable why people think that Satan is more charming than most people assume him to be, because that’s exactly how Maven comes off here.