Blatantly Random » Magic

Happy Monday – Derren Brown Levitates A Spider

Malcolm Owen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:30:34 +0000

1. Derren Brown has shown himself to be one of the greatest showmen of our generation. His shows both on stage and screen mystify all whom watch and take part. In almost everything he does, even impressions of Stewie from Family Guy, he performs like a master. But can he levitate a spider?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnvMC99wdw

Yes, yes he can.

2. Happy Monday!

Brian Brushwood Throws Cards, Damages Innocent Polystyrene

Malcolm Owen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:37:25 +0000

The polystyrene didn’t stand a chance…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxXy7pzeuWw

The great @shwood (Brian Brushwood) played around with some cards in his downtime, and managed to throw not one, but two cards, into polystyrene sheets hanging from the ceiling some distance away.
I have to admit, I’m still trying to learn how to throw cards myself, and I thought I was pretty good consistently hitting the TV at my mother’s house, but to impale innocent polystyrene sheets is awesome. Not quite Rick Smith Jr awesome, but awesome none the less.

I expect some sort of Scam School episode on this in the future, Shwood…

The Human Blockhead – Another Stupid Thing I Can Do In Public

Malcolm Owen — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:48:53 +0000

I have a slight interest in magic. Don’t hurt me.

Anyway, the great man Brian Brushwood has a show called Scam School on Revision3. I get the podcast and a while ago saw that he was teaching how to do the Human Blockhead. To the uninitiated, it’s basically hammering a 4.5″ nail into your head via your nose. Really.

After watching the stunt (It isn’t a magic trick, as you really do apply nail to nostril), I had some cotton buds nearby and actually tried it. And it worked. It also kept me awake for a few hours thanks to the sheer awesomeness of being able to do it.
And I would bust out the cotton buds to people over the next few weeks. And then disaster struck. I accidentally let go of the end of the cotton bud, and it went all the way into the nose. Managed to get it out, but I was terrified about going to the local hospital to get it taken out.
So I switched to nails. And I bought a hammer too.
And now I hammer the nail into my face.

No free drinks yet though…