Today’s Inside Magic NewsInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Roy Horn

Siegfried & Roy Shooting Investigation Continues. As Inside Magic reported, on September 21st, a gunman opened fire on Siegfried & Roy?s Las Vegas home while screaming that the magicians should get out of the country.

From the witnesses? identification of the shooter?s white van, Las Vegas Police have been able to issue a warrant for the gunman?s arrest. He has not yet been captured. Yesterday, October 4th, authorities were considering this a Hate Crime. Under the criminal sentencing statutes in many jurisdictions, the Hate Crime designation increases the length or severity of the criminal defendant?s sentence.

Early this morning, October 5th, police changed the classification of the crime and removed the Hate Crime designation. The Las Vegas Police Spokesperson said the act did not meet the qualifications of a Hate Crime. He told reporters that the enhanced designation applies only where race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation is a factor.

A gardener told police he saw the gunman driving the van as it cruised twice past the compound owned by Fischbacher and Horn about 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 21, according to a police report. Shotgun pellets broke two windows and left a 12-inch hole in the house, Montoya said.

It is not clear if Siegfried & Roy were home at the time. The duo?s spokesperson declined to comment, saying this was a matter for the police.

Click here to read more about the investigation.

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Roy Horn

It is not clear if Siegfried & Roy were home at the time. The duo?s spokesperson declined to comment, saying this was a matter for the police.

Click here to read more about the investigation.

The Butter Coin, Alex Lourido

Alex Lourido Readies New DVD Set for Release. The incredible inventor of Osmosis and The Butter Coin, Alex Lourido told Inside Magic his two DVD set, Retro Magic, will soon be let loose on the unsuspecting Magic marketplace.

Two DVDs are required just to hold the more than two hours of material. The word is the production quality is top-notch and only surpassed by the magic taught. Mr. Lourido includes tools to help viewers combine individual tricks to develop a full routine. There is also a segment entitled, “Quickies,” where currently available commercial effects are considered and demonstrated with innovations in handling and patter.

Mr. Lourido said the DVD includes a performance section shot for bikini models ? that?s what he said. We?re looking forward to reviewing Retro Magic ? and not only because of the bikini models. Without seeing the set, however, we?re sure that if it?s at all similar to the high quality of The Butter Coin or Osmosis, it will be fantastic.

Instant Art

FAB Magic to Purchase Supreme? I was in a magic shop not long ago and saw Supreme Magic Company?s Instant Art for sale. This incredible effect had been one of my first ?pack small, play big and flashy? tricks. It was a mainstay of the act through the late 1970s and 1980s. Before Instant Art, I specialized in Packs Big, Plays Small effects like the non-linking rings (I bought my first set of linking rings at a garage sale and it didn?t include the Key Ring); The Manual Version of Ring Flight (I tied the ring to a string hooked up to my Professor Cheer?s Rope Trick so their ring would appear in my underwear).

Instant Art finally wore out and was unavailable until last week. Sure, the price had gone up a bit from $15.00 in 1974 to $95.00 two weeks ago. But there it was. It gave hope that Supreme Magic Company of the UK had returned to the marketplace.

Supreme?s effects were always creative, well-made and professionally routined. Their products were reasonably priced and could be incorporated into most acts right off the shelf. Unfortunately, the company?s presence in the market waned in the 1990s. We thought it was gone.

Now, two weeks after seeing Instant Art, we hear on the street that FAB Magic in Colon, Michigan is buying Supreme. This would be a coup and a wonderful development for those who loved the Supreme product line.

Rick Fisher, of FAB Magic, confirmed there are talks on-going with Supreme but said it is premature or incorrect to say there is an agreement with the UK magic supplier. The match of Supreme and FAB Magic would make sense for both companies. FAB Magic has demonstrated their respect for the classic magic effects through their workmanship and marketing approach. The Supreme products and business name deserve the type of home FAB Magic can provide.

Mr. Fisher has been expanding the FAB Magic product line in the last year and apparently would like to turbo-charge the expansion via the buy-out of Supreme. We?ll continue to pester Mr. Fisher for information and if we hear anything, you?ll read about it here first.

David Merry

David Merry Lecture and Show Tickets for Calgary Now Available. Brent Smith of The Vanishing Rabbit tells us that the David Merry Lecture, set for October 16th, is selling well. If you are planning to attend, pick up your tickets at The Vanishing Rabbit. The lecture comes with a bonus: your tickets will also get you into the Yuk Yuk?s Comedy Theater to see Mr. Merry?s show there on October 14. Either the lecture or show is easily worth the ticket price of $30.00 (CDN) for non-members of the IBM or The Vanishing Rabbit, or $25.00 (CDN) for members.

Mr. Merry is one of the very few people that can cause us to laugh to point of severe discomfort. If you are anywhere near Calgary, you will enjoy both the lecture and the nightclub show. Don?t miss it.

Check out The Vanishing Rabbit?s page for more information as well as their latest price drops and specials by clicking here.

Derren Brown

Derren Brown Films in Edinburgh. Derren Brown?s popularity continues to climb. In fact, in a true sign of his cult-like celebrity, it is considered to be news when he is seen in public.

The Edinburgh student paper reported that ?the nation?s favourite magic-man Derren Brown was in Edinburgh this week filming material for his new series.? The magician was under the watchful eye of both fans and police. He met with the fans to sign autographs and perform a couple of impromptu effects while the police looked on ?worryingly interested in his technique of mind control.?

Swoon or just read the article here.

Joe M. Turner

Joe M. Turner to Emcee Awards Banquet. Joe M. Turner, the outstanding magician and writer, has been selected to emcee the Georgia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (?GAMPI?) Fall Classic Awards at the beautiful Chateau Elan next Friday, October 15th.

The event is the culmination of the annual GAMPI Fall Classic golf tournament. Mr. Turner said, ?It’s always a pleasure to perform at Chateau Elan, especially for an organization like GAMPI. I will be presenting awards to the tournament winners using golf-themed magic. I am honored to have been asked by my fellow members of MPI to host the show.?

Mr. Turner is not only an outstanding magician, he is also a member of the Georgia chapter of Meeting Professionals International and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He is a popular speaker and entertainer at meetings, conferences and trade shows across the United States. His corporate background includes seven years of consulting in change management and human performance improvement. He is also an expert sleight-of-hand performer, and combines his skills when appearing as ?America?s Corporate Magic Communicator? to promote companies at trade show booths, product launches, or sales meetings.

Mr. Turner was featured in a highly-rated segment on CNN Headline News focusing on his application of magic to corporate marketing. He serves on the USA TODAY Small Business Panel.

Read more about Mr. Turner?s work by checking out his very cool website here.

Houdini: The Man From Beyond

Houdini to Thaw on October 17th. The Kansas City Independent Film Festival will show Houdini?s classic silent film, ?The Man From Beyond.? The Famous escape artist and magician Harry Houdini portrays a man frozen in a block of ice for many years and his attempts, once defrosted, to come to terms with the modern world.

This 1922 release features several thrilling stunts, including the famous Niagara Falls rescue. Houdini was his own stunt man for this ice flow to ice flow rescue of his female co-star. It is incredible.