David Blaine: What Is Magic?

Long Tack Sam was an internationally renowned Chinese acrobat and magician. He overcame isolation, poverty, cultural and linguistic barriers, extreme racism and world wars to become one of the most successful vaudeville acts of his time. His showmanship was unrivalled, yet he refused to appear in movies because of the way Chinese were portrayed at the time. A celebration of the spirit of Long Tack Sam's magic and art, this richly textured first person road movie is an exhilarating testament to his legacy and a prismatic tour through the 20th Century. It all begins in a small village in China... https://www.nfb.ca/film/the_magical_life_of_long_tack_sam/

David Blaine's signature brand of street magic mystifies the most recognisable celebrities in the world, such as Jamie Foxx, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Woody Allen, and Robert DeNiro, to name a few. He goes to the homes of Kanye West and Harrison Ford, Will Smith and Olivia Wilde. He pays a visit to Stephen Hawking at his office in Cambridge University. Blaine also travels the world, astonishing people from all walks of life with never-before seen, inconceivable magic.

If you haven't come across Derren Brown before then Inside your Mind is a great introduction to the considerable skills of the only living Jedi Master. His show, Mind Control debuted on Channel 4 in the wake of a resurgence of interest in magic spearheaded by David Blaine. But what Derren Brown does hardly falls into the category of sleight-of-hand-his "magic" is firmly grounded in the workings of the mind and psychology. The result is a fascinatingly mysterious, but definitely not psychic, phenomenon.

In his most revealing performance yet, the one-hour special features an exploration into Blaine’s trademark style of street magic as he once again stuns his audience.

In this brand new episode, master illusionist and showman Derren Brown plans to pull off the perfect crime. He’s bet renowned art collector Ivan Massow that he can steal a painting from right under his nose. In true Derren style, he will tell Ivan exactly which painting he plans to target – a work by Turner-nominated British brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman no less – as well as what time the theft will happen. He’ll even give him a photograph of the person that’s going to take it.

High-tech magician Rudy Coby aka (Labman) and his sidekick Atom serve up a strange brand of Magical science, as they cut off their limbs with a chain saw, shrink themselves, and fix their robot girl.

Released in 1999, The Devil's Picturebook is a stunning collection of card material that was years ahead of its time. The card magic that Derren performs and teaches offers a rare glimpse into how he thinks about his magic, and how he constructs routines. Then, as now, the audience's emotions are always Derren's primary focus. Over the course of three hours, The Devil's Picturebook gives the audience a detailed insight into this rare Derren Brown material. The first half explains in detail some classic card routines from his early career as a conjurer, all of which rely on sleight of hand, misdirection, and audience management. The second half features his incredible, pioneering psychological card routines and shows a distinct move towards the mentalism for which he is now known.

A special for these unique times. Filmed entirely at the homes of Penn & Teller and their friends around the world, Penn & Teller: Try This at Home showcases new magic Penn & Teller and their magician friends have developed at home and teaches viewers how to do an array of tricks themselves while being joined by celebrity guests including Elle and Dakota Fanning, Michael Carbonaro and Shin Lim.

On May 19, 1997, Blaine's first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic aired on the ABC network. According to the New York Daily News, “Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry. The magic he offers in tonight’s show operates on an uncommonly personal level.” When asked about his performance style, David explained, “I'd like to bring magic back to the place it used to be 100 years ago.”'

Filmed at the Piff the Magic Dragon Theatre at the Flamingo Casino and on location in and around Las Vegas, this is Piff's debut hour starring Mr Piffles, Jade Simone, Francis the Squire and Penn Jillette as Pop the Magic Dragon.

Emanuelle hosts this peculiar sexploitation Mondo film that looks at several examples of bizarre sexual behavior.