Comments on: Ricky Jay Online

Ricky Jay Online

mokujin — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 16:16:28 -0800

Magic, Flim-Flam, and Deceptive Practices.

By: steef

steef — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 17:00:16 -0800

my motherfucker is so cool, when he goes to bed, sheep count him. i wondered where i knew that guy from. the radio essays are [good].

By: John Smallberries

John Smallberries — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 17:12:00 -0800

I remember seeing a show of his on HBO some years back, Ricky Jay & His 52 Assistants, and he is absolutely amazing. Jaw droppingly good. Assistants was originally a Broadway show, where distance can hide a lot of clever sleight-of-hand, but that is of no matter to Ricky Jay. Even on television, under a camera's close and unwinking eye, he is able to manipulate a deck of cards like Mozart writing music. One gaudy little stunt: he is able to throw playing cards at a watermelon hard enough to make them stick. Unfortunately, I've never been able to find the show on video, but if you ever happen to stumble across it, by all means treat yourself to one hell of an impressive performance.

By: gleuschk

gleuschk — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 19:13:39 -0800

The New Yorker profile is flat-out unreal. Awesome. Thanks.

By: MrBadExample

MrBadExample — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 19:17:37 -0800

I second the recommendation for Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants. Well worth checking out. Several years ago, he did a special based on his book Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women that was notable for featuring Steve Martin doing his "Great Flydini" act. I'm a Ricky Jay fan from way back, since I bought a copy of Cards As Weapons when I was in high school. I never was able to throw one hard enough to "pierce the pachydermatous outer melon layer" like Jay could with the watermelon, but I sure tried.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 19:39:13 -0800

You're just not using the right cards. Credit cards (or, better, any of those annoying customer cards) will piece gyproc, let alone a melon.

By: anathema

anathema — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 20:01:25 -0800

Been a huge fan since the water pistol scene in House Of Games. Just a brilliant guy. Monju comes through again!

By: skryche

skryche — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 20:39:34 -0800

Hey, MrBadExample, I hope you still have that book — it looks like it might be worth something.

By: MrBadExample

MrBadExample — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 20:58:00 -0800

Skryche, I've been trying to find my copy for years. I don't have it here, and it's not at my parents' house. I fear it may have ended up going to Goodwill. I heard a while back that Cards as Weapons was going to be reprinted. Here's hoping.

By: snarkout

snarkout — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 21:06:51 -0800

The man deserves a MacArthur genius grant for Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women alone. He is a personal hero. Thanks.

By: BackwardsHatClub

BackwardsHatClub — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 21:34:40 -0800

well that new yorker profile was quite a read

By: Lafe

Lafe — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 23:20:06 -0800

After reading the New Yorker profile, I'd have to say, "I wish I knew this man." Is there any greater praise?

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 23:23:58 -0800

Ugh. Books shouldn't be $300, it defeats the purpose of books being meant to be read by as many as possible. That said, who am I kidding. I'd pay $300 to learn how to puncture fruit with playing cards.

By: wsg

wsg — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 00:16:17 -0800

I like him. Good looking site, too.

By: backOfYourMind

backOfYourMind — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 00:41:58 -0800

Bummer about that book, after reading the article I was planning on getting a copy.

By: Fofer

Fofer — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 07:18:47 -0800

Jay's Journal of Anomalies : Conjurers, Cheats, Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters, Imposters, Pretenders, Side-Show Showmen, Armless Calligraphers, Mechanical Marvels, Popular Entertainments has been in my Amazon wishlist for almost two years now. Anyone read it?

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 07:21:03 -0800

A 'Cards as Weapons' scan is on emule. It's hilarious.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Sat, 13 Mar 2004 09:29:14 -0800

Jay's Journal is a wonderful book, Fofer, and if you ever get the chance to see him in person, do it. I saw him in his Off-Broadway show ("Ricky Jay: On The Stem", directed (as "52 Assistants" was) by his longtime friend David Mamet) last year, and he not only did jaw-dropping sleight-of-hand, he calculated cube roots while singing old spirituals, gave a grifter's history of Broadway, threw cards into watermelons, gave pickpocketing demonstrations, and did some astounding memory tricks. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I've spent at the theater.