TV's 50 Greatest Magic Tricks(2011)

Grierson(en)

A portrait of John Grierson, the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner and founder of the National Film Board in 1939. Interweaving archival footage, interviews with people who knew him and footage of Grierson himself, this film is a sensitive and informative portrait of a dynamic man of vision. Grierson believed that the filmmaker had a social responsibility, and that film could help a society realize democratic ideals. His absolute faith in the value of capturing the drama of everyday life was to influence generations of filmmakers all over the world. In fact, he coined the term 'documentary film'.

Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic(en)

In addition to the insight provided by performers who knew Vernon, including Max Maven, Herb Zarrow, John Carney, Jackie Flosso, Ricky Jay, Steve Freeman and Persi Diaconis, it was an important opportunity for Vernon's children, Edward and Derek Verner, to share their own thoughts and feelings about their father, the magician. It also featured black-and-white silent footage of a younger Vernon demonstrating sleight-of-hand which we had converted and professionally retouched for the film. While the film was very well received, it was only available briefly for purchase as a VHS cassette, which was subsequently pirated. The film pops up regularly online, always low-quality copies of copies shared without any credit to those who made the project possible.

Goodbye Granadaland(en)

As ITV's move from its iconic base on Quay Street to the Orange Tower at MediaCityUK nears completion, this tribute looks back at 56 years of Granada television. Beginning from its inception in 1954, including rare archive footage of its co-founders, brothers Sidney and Cecil Bernstein, replays archive clips of some of the programmes and performances filmed and produced there - from Coronation Street, Prime Suspect, Jewel In the Crown, and Stars In Their Eyes, to the television debuts of The Sex Pistols, Take That, and the Beatles.

David Blaine: Ascension(en)

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

Mad Mimes(ru)

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.

Quando a MTV tocava música(pt)

To the Moon(en)

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.

Wild Magic(en)

A kaleidoscopic road trip through modern mystical Americana, revealing the hidden magic that’s happening all around us. A living tribute to the glimmering pockets of light beneath the crumbling facade of the American Dream, inviting viewers to slow down and engage with the unseen.

Granada: From the North(en)

The story of Granada, the company responsible for Britain's most enduring soap opera Coronation Street, the current affairs series World in Action, and highly praised drama from Brideshead Revisited to Prime Suspect. With contributions from Jeremy Isaacs, Gus Macdonald, David Plowright, Michael Parkinson, Gerry Robinson and Sir Denis Forman. Director David Thompson

CRONOPIO(en)

An intimate portrait of Mariano "Cronopio" Gedwillo, an Argentinian clown in Riga, as he transforms ordinary life into wonder through the magic of the circus — and teaches others to do the same, all while battling his own loneliness.

I Ramones(en)

I Ramones is a half-hour of concert footage captured in Rome in 1980, just after the release of the Phil Spector-produced album End of the Century. Shot on film, it laid forgotten in the vaults of an Italian television station for two decades after its one-time broadcast.

Trace by Will Tsai and SansMinds(en)

Trace is a powerful tool that creates up to two different card impressions on ANYTHING. A modern and eerie revelation that guarantees to great reactions. A must have utility tool straight from Will Tsai's everyday repertoire. Trace ... 1. will fit in your wallet 2. will create up to two different impressions 3. is made of the best material that will last you a life time If you are looking for simple and powerful magic from professionals' everyday repertoire, Trace is for you. Simple. Powerful. Magic At your finger tips. From the mind of Will Tsai

Kenneth Anger: Film as Magical Ritual(de)

Anger discusses his Aleister Crowley-inspired theories of art: How he views his camera like a wand and how he casts his films, preferring to consider his actors, not human beings but as elemental spirits. In fact, he reveals that he goes so far as to use astrology when making these choices. This is as direct an explanation of Anger’s cinemagical modus operandi as I have ever heard him articulate anywhere. It’s a must see for anyone interested in his work and showcases the Magus of cinema at the very height of his artistic powers. Fascinating. (Dangerous Minds)

To Be a Bruja(es)

Amanda Montejo is a trans woman, make up artist, Guadalupana and a witch. This documentary portrait explores different facets of her spirituality and fragments of her past, revealing the duality of her being.

The Trick With the Gun(en)

The Bullet Catch: It's the most dangerous illusion in magic. Fourteen men and women have died performing it. In The Trick With the Gun, magician Scott Hammell and author Chris Gudgeon set out to perform their own version of the deadly trick, and get more than they bargained for. What begins as an exploration of the hidden world of magic ends as a study of a friendship falling apart. It's a story about risk, relationships and the delicate dance between reality and illusion . . . and how everything changes when you're staring down the barrel of a gun. Featuring interviews and performances from Penn & Teller, Bill Kalush, Carl Skenes, Hans Morretti, George Schindler, and many others.

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

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: Street Magic(en)

On May 19, 1997, Blaine's first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic aired on the ABC network. According to the New York Daily News, “Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry. The magic he offers in tonight’s show operates on an uncommonly personal level.” When asked about his performance style, David explained, “I'd like to bring magic back to the place it used to be 100 years ago.”'

Video Shock: The Revolution in Your Living Room(en)

The video revolution and its impact on both the public and the family.

My Life is Magic(de)

With the brand-new songs "My Life Is Magic", "Skin I'm In" and "Man In The Moon" - each with video clips from the cinema film "Daniel, the Magician" - Daniel Küblböck presents current new releases on DVD for the first time.

Vali, The Witch of Positano(en)

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