Vlad Kraven Magic Blog

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:51 AM PDT

There was a cool write-up in The Photo District News of the silent short film “Magic” that I was in earlier this year. Even I got a mention: “Vlad Kraven — even the name conjures up darkness and mytsery…” Read the whole article titled “Silent Movie Magic”.

The Magician Music Video

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:34 AM PDT

Here’s a sweet music video just released across the pond by singer-songwriter Mike Marlin called “The Magician”. What happens when four magicians sit down for a game of cards? Well, not much card playing, but a lot of chicanery and some great visuals to boot. And the song is pretty awesome! The magicians: Steve Dela, [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Forrest Gump Backstage Magic

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 02:09 PM PDT

It seems that there’s a magical connection in everything nowadays. Many that have seen Forrest Gump witnessed the mystical transformation of Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) from two-legged actor to double-amputee. The illusion was amazingly convincing, and those guessing that it was digital editing are only partly right. Enter Ricky Jay, magician extraordinaire. The famous scenes [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:22:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Y: The Last Magician

Posted: 27 Aug 2011 01:50 PM PDT

Meet Yorick Brown, a socially-challenged NYC Magician and escape artist. On July 17, 2002 he went from petty New York Magician to the last magician on earth. In fact, he became the last man on earth.* With the exception of Yorick and his pet monkey Ampersand, every mammal with a ‘Y’ chromosome was killed by [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Dan White Interview (Exclusive)

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:54 AM PDT

Great surprise for you readers out there! Dan White, star of The Supernaturalist, sat down for an exclusive interview about the show, magic in general and more. So if you want to learn more about The Supernaturalist and Mr. White, read on: First and foremost, thank you very much for taking time out of your [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:04:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (Week 21)

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 05:51 PM PDT

Still trying to work blog updates into my new schedule. All-video edition of Magic Notes: -David Copperfield on Funny or Die. -A classic from a classic: Paul Daniels Chop Cup routine. -You may remember my mentioning Ricky Jay in the old Celebrity Magicians post I made some time ago. On youtube I just found Ricky [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 04:43:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Copperfield Funny or Die

Posted: 23 Jul 2011 12:01 PM PDT

David Copperfield is a little bitter that Harry Potter is the most famous magician on earth. This fantastic clip from the folks at Funny or Die actually stars David Copperfield himself! Watch…or die… David Copperfield vs Harry Potter from David Copperfield

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:45:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

MIA Vlad

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:32 AM PDT

Sorry about the sparse updates everyone. Life has done everything possible to keep me away from the interwebs. Very, very busy. Hang tight! We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in no time. For now, enjoy this great clip of a terrible, terrible magician. I’ve worked restaurant magic here in NY, and I’ve worked [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:32:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Lior Suchard with Kim Kardashian

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 10:51 PM PDT

As mentioned earlier, mentalist Lior Suchard had his second appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On this episode (original air date June 14, 2011) Lior appeared with Kim Kardashian. Personally, I think his first appearance alongside Zac Efron had much stronger material, but without a doubt Kim K is much easier on the [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:32:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (week eighteen)

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 05:14 PM PDT

My apologies on the late weekly update, but with the long weekend things got a little off-track. -Penn & Teller have a wicked T.V. show out in England. Seems like every week there’s a brilliant clip coming out of it. This week, we meet Piff the Magic Dragon. LOL. -On June 30, the late Harry [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:56:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

The Supernaturalist with Dan White

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:09 PM PDT

This is a complete review and episode guide of The Supernaturalist with Dan White, first aired on the Discovery Channel on June 29, 2011. The premise of the program is that Magician Dan White travels off of the beaten path to Discover if there is real magic in the world. Does he discover real magic? [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:34:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Remembering Chappy Brazil

Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:45 PM PDT

A somber date: on this day (June 28) in 1998, close-up master Chappy Brazil was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. He was young and considered by many one of the most talented and promising performers in Las Vegas. He was a brilliant showman and extraordinary street magician. His death was as shocking as it [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (week seventeen)

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 05:29 PM PDT

Loose ends in magic this week: -Video of the week is an amazing trick from Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, their hit British TV show currently airing. The magician fooling them (and us) is Mathieu Bich. Fantastic! -Magic on TV: David Blaine announced a new special for Spring 2012. Also, the Discovery will be airing [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Supernaturalist with Dan White New TV Show

Posted: 22 Jun 2011 08:26 PM PDT

Continuing a fantastic streak of turning to magic for programming, the Discovery Channel will be premiering a new magic-themed show called Supernaturalist. The show will follow magician Dan White in his travels to discover real magic. Dan White is a self-proclaimed trickster on a journey to see if there is real magical power in the [...]

New David Blaine Show Announced

Posted: 22 Jun 2011 06:12 PM PDT

Earlier this week, David Blaine announced that he will be airing a new show in the spring of 2012 in an online chat with his fans. Over the last several years, David has gone from street magician (some referring to him as an urban shaman) to endurance artist, performing stunts such as hanging upside down [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (week sixteen)

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 02:46 PM PDT

As my readers know, I have been reviewing Keith Barry’s Deception show on the Discovery Channel. You may also know that they weren’t glowing endorsements of the program. Well, Mr. Barry decided it appropriate to call me out on Twitter last Friday, and thought that insulting me would be a good way to get back [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:05:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Deception with Keith Barry Episode Four

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Below is a review of the fourth episode of season one of Deception with Keith Barry, aired on June 16, 2011 ( 6/16/2011). The episode is the last of the season (likely the series). Continuing with his ongoing theme, Keith claims to be able to unleash his amazing psychological powers on the simpletons of the [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Carter the Great Hanged

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 03:57 PM PDT

You’re sitting in a dimly lit auditorium with nothing but a noose on the stage in front of you. The house is full of nervous onlookers, both scared and anxious to watch the macabre scene about to unfold before them. Dramatically, a man named Charles Carter is dragged out on stage; the noose placed around [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:37:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Lior Suchard on Jay Leno

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 04:57 PM PDT

Quick programming note: tonight (June 13) appearing on the Tonight Show will be Lior Suchard, popular Israeli mentalist. This will be his second appearance on Jay Leno’s program, alongside Kim Kardashian. Lior Suchard’s high-energy mentalism has won him international acclaim and the favor of supposed psychic Uri Geller. Below is a video of Lior Suchard’s [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:09:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Rocco Silano

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 04:30 PM PDT

Today (June 12) we celebrate the birthday of one of my VERY favorite magicians ever: Rocco Silano. Considered by many (myself included) to be one of the most creative magicians alive, when Rocco comes on stage, the atmosphere in the whole room instantly goes through a seismic change. He understands magic and he sees it [...]

Mentalist Al Koran remembered

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 02:08 PM PDT

On this day, June 12, 1972, legendary mentalist Al Koran passed away. Born Edward Doe in England on March 14, 1914, Koran would go on to claim major international success as a mentalist. For the general public, his material was frighteningly real, as close to mind reading as one can get. To magicians, his methods [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:03:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (week fifteen)

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:03 PM PDT

No update last week, but but some sweet new stuff for you this time around. -Crazy magic fail video. Warning, this one is graphic. -I’ve been reviewing the Deception with Keith Barry series, and one of my biggest criticisms was that he has an absolute lack of humility. In response to that, the video of [...]

Monstrous illusion – Dr. Yamada

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT

Dr. Takeshi Yamada is a mad scientist that has had almost every mythical, magical creature you can imagine in his possession. Dr. Yamada is a taxidermist, and his collection of creatures includes dragons, serpents, death worms, mermaids and even the chupacabra. While the good doctor may not be a magician or performer, he is a [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:35:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Deception with Keith Barry Episode 3

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:57 PM PDT

Below we continue our guide into Keith Barry’s Deception. Read on for an episode guide and review of the program titled Cops & Robbers, originally aired on June 8, 2011 (6/8/11) on the Discovery Channel. Deception starts with Mr. Barry claiming to be able to read minds “through the transfer of electric shock.” What did [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Keith Barry – Psychologist or Fraud?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:20 PM PDT

Deception with Keith Barry aired earlier this week on the Discovery Channel, and one of the most frequent questions I get is, are those really psychological impossibilities, or simple tricks? How does Keith Barry do that? Is Mr. Barry able to, as he claims (and the programs ‘experts’ confirm), reprogram people’s minds and read peoples [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:45:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Deception with Keith Barry Episode 1 REVIEWED

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 11:06 AM PDT

The Discovery Channel has aired the first episode of Deception with Keith Barry. Below is a full review of the premiere episode with spoilers. Keith Barry is an Irish magician and mentalist. He has been trying to find American fame since 2004, when he first appeared on MTV in a show called Brainwashed, greeted with [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Eugene Burger – Happy Birthday

Posted: 31 May 2011 09:05 PM PDT

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to magic legend Eugene Burger. The magic beard turns 72 years old today. He is an inspirational speaker, thinker, author and close-up magician, and countless performers list him as one of the most inspirational magicians they have known (from Jeff McBride to Derren Brown). Magic Magazine has named him “one [...]

Deception with Keith Barry

Posted: 31 May 2011 11:35 AM PDT

Quick programming note: Keith Barry, an Irish mentalist who has been trying to succeed in the American television market for close to a decade is premiering his new Discovery Channel program, Deception with Keith Barry tonight, May 31, 2011 at 10 pm. Barry, a magician and mentalist, has had several other programs air in the [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Sun, 29 May 2011 04:26:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Magic Notes (Week Thirteen)

Posted: 28 May 2011 11:12 AM PDT

Apparently it’s Discovery Channel Magic week on my blog. -Penn and Teller seem to be busier than usual. In addition to the Penn & Teller Discovery show, they’re also starting on a secretive new movie project, according to word on the street expander_hide('#te1055077747');Penn Jillette’s Twitter on May 21: “P&TFU is done. I have new hats [...]

Vlad Kraven | Magician

noreply@blogger.com (vkraven) — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Vlad Kraven | Magician

Mythbusters Magic

Posted: 25 May 2011 05:35 PM PDT

Mythbusters is the coolest show on television. Nine seasons of absolute scientific epicness. Some of you may know that Adam Savage is a bit of a magician himself (he is indeed a super-nerd!), so it should come as no surprise that more than a few episodes had magic-themed myths. So what magic have Jamie, Adam, [...]