TV's 50 Greatest Magic Tricks (2011)

David Blaine: Beyond Magic

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.

An Honest Liar

An Honest Liar tells the incredible story of the world-famous magician, escape artist, and world-renowned enemy of deception, James 'The Amazing' Randi. The film brings to life Randi's intricate investigations that publicly exposed psychics, faith healers, and con-artists with quasi-religious fervor. A master deceiver who came out of the closet at the age of 81, Randi created fictional characters, fake psychics, and even turned his partner of 25 years, Jose Alvarez, into a sham guru names Carlos.

Piff the Magic Dragon: Reptile Dysfunction

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.

Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini

Tom Savini is one of the greatest special effects legends in the history of cinema, but little is known about his personal life until now. For the first time ever a feature length film has covered not only Tom's amazing career spanning over four decades, but his personal life as well.

Maximón: Devil or Saint

MAXIMÓN - Devil or Saint is a documentary about the controversial Maya deity, also known as San Simon or the drinking and smoking saint of Guatemala. He is a mixture of ancient Maya beliefs and Christianity. The movie concentrates on the people who surround Maximón with their strong personalities, opinions and faith. The documentary gives us a rare view into the rituals and fiestas honoring Maximón. The cult of Maximón is flourishing because he performs miracles. He is also feared and despised because he is used to cast curses that can result in death. Ultimately, Maximón transcends the duality of good and evil, reflecting the Maya cosmovision in which everything in the universe co-exists.

Harry Potter: A History Of Magic

A thrilling journey through legends, belief and folklore, this film goes behind the scenes with the British Library as they search to tell that story through objects in their collection, in an ambitious new exhibition: Harry Potter: A History Of Magic. J.K. Rowling, who is lending unseen manuscripts, drawings and drafts from her private archives (which will sit alongside treasures from the British Library, as well as original drafts and drawings from Jim Kay) talks about some of the personal items she has lent to the exhibition and gives new insight into her writing, looking at some of the objects from the exhibition that have fired her imagination.

The Expert at the Card Table: Looking for Erdnase

The best magicians of the 21st century set out on a journey to search for the lost author of the most legendary book about the art of sleight of hand.

Doorways To Danger

Dabbling in the occult is widespread and often thought of as harmless entertainment. But this video shows why it is dangerous to get involved with spiritism, fortune telling, witchcraft, magic, and Satanism. The program introduces the real life stories of those who have been involved in these activities and shows the way out based upon a Biblical perspective.

Lost in the Shuffle

Featuring two-time world champion magician Shawn Farquhar, this documentary explores the unique relationship between the art of magic and playing cards.

Dynamo is Dead

The world-renowned magician Dynamo is back as you've never seen him before - embarking on a transformative and soul-searching journey to explore the depths of mental health and well-being. As he grapples with his own struggles, Dynamo seeks answers from inspirational figures around the world so that he can bury his past and find a new beginning. Through candid conversations with iconic actors, musicians, sports stars, journalists, and activists, each with their own powerful stories to tell, Dynamo learns of the struggles behind their success as they open up about their own journeys and share the wisdom and tools to navigate the complexities of life.

David Blaine: The Magic Way

Magician David Blaine performs reality-defying magical acts; featured celebrities include Odell Beckham Jr., Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Dave Chappelle, James Corden, Bryan Cranston, David Dobrik, Dr. Dre and Jamie Foxx.

La ultima noche de Sonia Martinez

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Entretien politique : Histoire et mode d'emploi

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Gambler's Ballad: The Legend of Johnny Thompson

Penn and Teller hired Johnny Thompson to consult on their magic show as soon as the duo began their career and Johnny has been with them ever since. "Gambler's Ballad" follows Penn and Johnny's progress as Thompson teaches Penn his signature card act. Numerous well known figures from the magic world reminisce and wax philosophic about the unparalleled knowledge and profound influence Johnny Thompson has had on their own careers as well as the history and current state of the art of magic.

Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself

Storyteller and Conceptual Magician Derek DelGaudio attempts to understand the illusory nature of identity and answer the deceptively simple question 'Who am I?'

imagine… Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me

imagine... follows celebrated British TV writer Russell T Davies as he prepares to return as the showrunner of Doctor Who – with two Doctors and bigger ambitions.

Iris Berben - Ein persönliches Porträt

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Spin

Pirated satellite feeds revealing U.S. media personalities’ contempt for their viewers come full circle in Spin. TV out-takes appropriated from network satellite feeds unravel the tightly-spun fabric of television—a system that silences public debate and enforces the exclusion of anyone outside the pack of journalists, politicians, spin doctors, and televangelists who manufacture the news. Spin moves through the L.A. riots and the floating TV talk-show called the 1992 U.S. presidential election.

Propaganda

An anti-western propaganda film about the influences of American visual and consumption culture on the rest of the world, as told from a North Korean perspective.

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

The life and career of renowned magician and sleight of hand artist Ricky Jay.

Derren Brown: The Great Art Robbery

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.

Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television

Even though her program was only seen in four Midwestern cities, Ruth Lyons presided over America's highest-rated daytime TV talk show for nearly two decades! This documentary draws upon rare and previously undiscovered footage, along with comments from associates and admirers to create a portrait of an outspoken, multi-talented woman who became one of the most beloved and influential figures in TV history. Featuring the Recollections Of: Carol Channing, John Davidson, Phyllis Diller, Phil Donahue, David Letterman, Johnny Mathis, Peter Nero, Bonnie Lou, Nick Clooney, Oscar Robertson and many others, along with archival audio and video of Ruth Lyons' 50-50 Club.

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président

In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a new era of modernity. One of his first decisions was to break up the ORTF with the creation of three new television channels: TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Three new public channels but autonomous and competing. It is a race for the audience which is engaged then, and from now on the channels will make the war! This competition will give birth to a real golden age for television programs, with variety shows in the forefront. The stars of the song are going to invade the living rooms of the French for their biggest pleasure. This unedited documentary tells the story of the metamorphosis of this television of the early 1970s, between freedom of tone, scandals, political intrigues and programs that have become mythical.

Derren Brown: Sacrifice

Illusionist Derren Brown concocts a psychological experiment in which he tries to manipulate an ordinary person into taking a bullet for a stranger.

Charles Manson, The Church of Satan, The Universal Order & The Process Church of Final Judgment

Out of the spiritual chaos of the 1960s, more strange cults and unorthodox messiahs have emerged than ever. Charles Manson is seen as the annoying result of libertarianism of the 1960s - the Cain who murdered the Abel from The Love Generation. Or in the words of one commentator; "the Elvis of alienation."

David Blaine: Ascension

David Blaine will redefine magic once again for an unprecedented live event at a time when the world could use a positive distraction.

Motion Pictures are Your Best Entertainment

Television was invented as a result of scientific and technical research. Its power as a medium of news and entertainment altered all preceding media of news and entertainment

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project

Marion Stokes secretly recorded television 24 hours a day for 30 years from 1975 until her death in 2012. For Marion taping was a form of activism to seek the truth, and she believed that a comprehensive archive of the media would be invaluable for future generations. Her visionary and maddening project nearly tore her family apart, but now her 70,000 VHS tapes are being digitized and they'll be searchable online.

The Incredible Lamont

Described as "Houdini with a sunnier disposition," illusionist Lamont Ream extends his magic beyond cards and coins to his work as a live-in caregiver.

Vienna

Orson Welles talks fantasy and magic in this short Vienna travelogue.

Uri Geller's Secret Treasures

An extraordinary look at the life of Uri Geller, the man famous for bending spoons and reading minds, told through exclusive interviews with the man himself.

Mad Mimes

An anthropological study of a cargo cult in a fictitious self-marginalized commune, which existed next to the Moscow Ring Road - a highway that marks the boundaries of the Russian capital - and survived mainly on roadside trash. Although the road provided for their basic needs, the existence of the commune was extremely precarious and highly dependent on the roadway's fluctuations. This dependency led them to develop a cargo cult of the road.

Going to Hell

A documentary film exposing the truth about psychics and fortune-tellers. All the ins and outs of magical TV shows and services of the most famous psychics with evidence, names and prices.

Dennis Cleveland

A 2002 live performance of Mikel Rouse's Dennis Cleveland, a multimedia opera set entirely on a television talk show in the late 20th century.

Italiques: Roland Topor

Roger Boussinot directed this episode of the French television show Italiques, which features an overview of the art and career of Fantastic Planet illustrator Roland Topor. It aired on August 8, 1974.

To the Moon

This is a beautiful and poetic cinematic ode to our moon. Made primarily from international cinematic archives in combination with literary fragments and original moonlit cinematography filmed across five continents, To the Moon steps lightly through the ages and ideas that people have drawn from the moon to create a meditative work.

Vali

A documentary portrait shot in Positano, Italy in 1965 about Australian artist and occultist Vali Myers.