Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The
first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something
ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object.
Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real,
unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is
called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary.
Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of
course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You
want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something
disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".
Sounds familiar?? Well ofcourse it does, thats the opening narration of the movie The Prestige. To be very honest I believe the movie was pretty much accurate and believable except for that machine that essentially behaves like a cloning device, reproducing multiple instances of objects placed within it, that too instantly. But then again, it is a movie and every director has the right to unfurl his imagination and narrate a story in a manner only he chooses fit, the cast, the crew just assist him in projecting his imagination onto a screen.
Speaking of magic, dont we all love to believe in the existence of a magic wand or the power of some spell and clapping of hands and things unthinkable are transformed into reality. I mean who have believed that a train leaves platform 9 3/4 before harry potter spread like virus...now more than ever, the non-believers of Hogwart's are labelled as muggles in the harry potter fan club circles, and those who read about hogwart's and the chamber of secrets, also secretly wait for a letter being delivered by an owl or better still by Hagrid himself.
As the opening narration states, a magic not only needs tricks, gadgetry and skill, but it also needs an audience who believe more in magic than logic. I mean you cannot possibly device any fathomable technique to cut a person in half and then make the person walk just 30 secs later, yet I distinctly remember having clapped at a P.C.Sirkar show when he did cut a person in half, although looking back now I guess I was more busy try to prevent my ice cream from melting away than question the practicality of the act being performed on stage.
I used to believe that any technology other than magic is not advanced enough. How else could you explain carpets flying around without any plausible power source whatsoever. The funniest part, how on earth did that jeanie fit into that lamp, and if he were so magical, how come he could be fooled to enter that lamp, i mean surely that is not a tourist destination. They say that the magician's best bet is a drunk audience.
So, are you watching closely???
Sounds familiar?? Well ofcourse it does, thats the opening narration of the movie The Prestige. To be very honest I believe the movie was pretty much accurate and believable except for that machine that essentially behaves like a cloning device, reproducing multiple instances of objects placed within it, that too instantly. But then again, it is a movie and every director has the right to unfurl his imagination and narrate a story in a manner only he chooses fit, the cast, the crew just assist him in projecting his imagination onto a screen.
Speaking of magic, dont we all love to believe in the existence of a magic wand or the power of some spell and clapping of hands and things unthinkable are transformed into reality. I mean who have believed that a train leaves platform 9 3/4 before harry potter spread like virus...now more than ever, the non-believers of Hogwart's are labelled as muggles in the harry potter fan club circles, and those who read about hogwart's and the chamber of secrets, also secretly wait for a letter being delivered by an owl or better still by Hagrid himself.
As the opening narration states, a magic not only needs tricks, gadgetry and skill, but it also needs an audience who believe more in magic than logic. I mean you cannot possibly device any fathomable technique to cut a person in half and then make the person walk just 30 secs later, yet I distinctly remember having clapped at a P.C.Sirkar show when he did cut a person in half, although looking back now I guess I was more busy try to prevent my ice cream from melting away than question the practicality of the act being performed on stage.
I used to believe that any technology other than magic is not advanced enough. How else could you explain carpets flying around without any plausible power source whatsoever. The funniest part, how on earth did that jeanie fit into that lamp, and if he were so magical, how come he could be fooled to enter that lamp, i mean surely that is not a tourist destination. They say that the magician's best bet is a drunk audience.
So, are you watching closely???
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