Presto's Blog

Is there another solution for coin bending, because I think it would be a little difficult to back over it with a car and no one noticing?

The coin bending method I discuss — which does indeed involve the use of an automobile — is considered the classic method. You might think that it is difficult to run over a coin with a car without anyone noticing, but this is where the art of misdirection comes in! You would be amazed at what a good magician can get away with by using a little misdirection. For example, David Copperfield once so thoroughly distracted an entire audience with snappy patter and hand gestures that not one of them noticed the Great Wall of China being hastily dismantled in the background.

But what if you are not particularly confident in your ability to distract your audience? Don’t worry — coin bending is still within your grasp! Magicians usually have more than one way of performing a particular effect, and the coin bend is no exception. If a car is not to your liking, then you can bend a coin with a truck, a large motorcycle, or even a freight train! If you’d like to avoid motor vehicles entirely (for environmental reasons of what have you), you can take the easy way out and just bend the coin with your fingers — it’s actually much easier than you’d imagine, and people just assume it’s hard to bend a coin because they’ve never tried!

I thought that so long as I have this blog, I might as well use it to announce new additions to the main Mallusionist.com site as well. I added a bunch of stuff today, namely:

• An incredibly unbiased review of Ellusionist’s incredible, fabulous, must-buy, Shadow Masters Deck, which I think you should go out and buy a case of right now
• Complete details of how Criss Angel makes a lit light bulb levitate (with bonus information on how he floated above the light at the Luxor hotel)
• Explanations of two classic stage effects: the Chinese Rice Bowls and Milk to Newspaper

Be sure to write to me if you have any requests for magic effects, methods, secrets, rumors, or spelling words you need explained!

What percentage of flesh coverage for an assistant provides the optimum distraction for the audience?

The answer varies, depending on who your audience is. If you’re playing to a room full of drunks, it’s not going to matter because they’ll see what they want to see. If it’s a late-night Vegas show, then your assistant is going to have to be pretty darned close to naked to make any impression at all, since the audience is all set for serious nudity. But at a kid’s birthday party, even a flash of leg is out of the question, unless you’re trying to distract the kids’ parents while you secretly load your suit jacket with their valuables.

Your selection of assistant will also have an impact on the answer to this question. It is considered far more acceptable to have a gorgeous young woman show some cleavage than it is to have a big, hairy old man run around in his undershorts. Particularly if it’s a dinner show.