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I always liked Penn and Teller, even before I got interested in magic. I guess part of the attraction was their schtick about other magicians hating them because they reveal how tricks are done, and how they'd been thown out of the magic circle etc.

Is this just part of their act, or are the genuinely disliked by other magicians?

They're both very respected magicians and most of this rivalry is just hokum publicity. Of course, magicians and other showbiz bods have egos which can be very fragile so there will probably be some genuine animosity on occasions. Bottom line, if a magician in performance sincerely and honestly assures you something is so, it probably isn't !

I always enjoyed their shows and found them to be likeable (for Americans!).
Great magicians and they made me laugh!

Penn and Teller are fantastic. None of their full shows have made it over to England but they have cropped up on tv a few times. I've watched a lot of their stuff over the net and they are experts in teaching you how to be proffesional and very funny. I particularly enjoy there lesson in the principles of sleight of hand. You can find it here on http://www.learnmagictricks.org/video.php?v=1769 . They are certainly impressive magicians but more importantly: flawlessly perfect performers...

you took the words out of my mouth, monkeyman I was thinking of that exact clip. It really doesn't reveal any huge trick, just a method for showing off the skill of sleight of hand!

When they had their TV show in the UK, they never used camera tricks (other than the satirical tag line at the end of the show, in which they made it blatantly obvious), which really made me respect them.

I hadn't seen the UK special (Penn & Teller's unfortunate universe I think?) until about 2 months ago, and it was refreshing to see skill behind the tricks rather than pure angling/editing effects that are plaguing TV magic shows today

Sometimes I think that they just can't live without being forgotten in the public that is why they are always exposing tricks to the public.

Kresnier wrote:Sometimes I think that they just can't live without being forgotten in the public that is why they are always exposing tricks to the public.

If you understand their position, you'll see how silly your comment is. They WANT a reputation as people who expose magic secrets. In reality, they don't expose very much. They know that normal exposure is boring. "Oh, I just have two cards". Boring. When they expose, they expose in their own, unique way to make it entertaining. Their "Blast Off" expose is entertaining and isn't ruining anyone's job. They made the trick so it's interesting to expose. They're cups and ball exposure only covers the very basic thing that can be done. Whedn I first watched them do it, (back when I didn't know sleight of hand) I forgot the method after a couple days. They don't "always" expose tricks to the public. They make magicians who don't know them think they do.

Moridin, it's "The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller"

and here is the vid for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYTmEVFL_NA

There is so much material out there of Penn and Teller that you can pretty much watch all of their shows anyway! I dont really class what they do as revealing secrets because its either an effect or stunt that is so huge that nobody would seriously consider renacting it, or they go through it so fast that you are still left with a slight itch at the back of your mind that screams 'What? How did you do that? Do it again!'. I dont think ive seen a clip of any other magician(s) in the world that have the presentation skills and charisma of Penn and Teller. Theyre absolutely superb in my books!

trickyricky wrote: superb in my books!

absolutly! how many other magicians can tell a whole audience how they did something and still entertain them as opposed to them going "oh is that it?"

trickyricky wrote: they go through it so fast that you are still left with a slight itch at the back of your mind that screams 'What? How did you do that? Do it again!'

like when they showed cups n balls on "unpleasant world " they do it so fast that no one would know how it was done anyway, they just kinda tell u thats its sleight of hand. which isisnt a big deal

Penn and Teller revealed simple tricks and gags (teller getting run over by a truck... whos gonna bother recreating that?)

Let me know when they reveal Shadows. That has left me mesmerized for years. Its one of the best magic performances i've ever seen.

Talking of "Shadows" I'd love to see this in full. I know it's mentioned in a documentary and a brief clip is shown but has anyone a link to the routine in full?

Hope so.

Best

Martin

Honestly, I don't want to know how shadows is done. It's Teller's baby. It's better off being used by Teller.

Theres a kid doing a copy of it on youtube using a string attached to a ball and the white paper, but i'd think with that high light you'd be able to see the string's shadow on the paper, and plus teller moves around behind it, completely voiding that idea.

As for Penn & Teller revealing tricks- the tricks they reveal are ones they thought up for the sole purpose of exposing them (Direct quote from Wikipedia)