Saturday, January 26, 2008

Neil Young Movie closes Sundance

Sundance Film Festival

Veteran rocker Neil Young (using his filmmaking alter-ego, Bernard Shakey) hit Sundance to promote his new movie, CSNY Deja Vu – the film chosen to close the festival. The movie documents the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 2004 Freedom of Speech tour, and the reaction to the tour’s anti-war message across North America just around the time that public opinion began to turn against events in Iraq.

Young teamed with veteran television journalist Mike Cerre to intermingle concert footage from the tour with a series of journalistic vignette stories produced by Cerre at Young’s behest, all shot in HD, covering people and events surrounding the tour–from his band-mate Steven Stills’ work campaigning for Democratic candidates to Iraq veterans using music to protest the war to some vocal fans reacting with great anger to the band’s political message.

After arriving at Sundance, Young spoke with millimeter senior editor Michael Goldman about his reasons for making the movie, his growing interest in filmmaking, and his views on the use of film as a medium for creating political dialogue.

To listen to the podcast interview CLICK HERE

Friday, January 25, 2008


Downtown_22, originally uploaded by photo_tnmartin3.

Rain Rain Go Away

This will be the second week this month, lost work due to rain. Off season, as a busker, is hard enough without this shit. Blue skies and sunshine wanted to poke through the clouds but had trouble doing that.

An important part of my street performing rig is my Crate Amp. It’s a little 30 watt banger that does the job. I’ve used it a lot over the last year and a half. Went from an 8 hour charge on the internal battery when it was new, to less than 3 hours now. I ordered a new battery from the manufacturer and had it installed today. I’ll pick it up in Pasadena tomorrow and hopefully it will stop raining long enough for me to make some money.

I've been out of work, Polly is still out of work because of the writers strike, but we've been having the best time. All the rain has made us hole up in our house, watch lots of movies, eat, drink and be merry. We did a Godfather marathon. 1 & 2 and at least an hour of special features on Wednesday, 3 and another couple hours of special features on Thusday. Over the same two days we threw in Citizen Kane and Modern Times for good measure. We love movies and how they're made. We love how they're written, and directed. I love my girl. We have a good time together. She sits there and knitts, hour after hour, I shuffle cards and practice. We watch the movies and look over at each other and smile with a knowing wink. There's a lot of love in our home.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Greg Irwin Video • Click Here


This is some footage I shot of Greg at Venice Beach on Sunday. He's a pal from back in Cincinnati. We went to China together. He brokered the Phoenix Cups deal for me. Uniquely creative and inspired individual. Always a hoot.

Greg Irwin Finger Fitness Expert • Click Here

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Pic du Jour • Santa Monica Pier


, originally uploaded by Dai Vernon.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Session w/ Lee Asher, Aaron Fisher & Josh

A busy weekend of working, partying, joy and reverie. Things got started Friday night with an informal jam at Aaron Fishers' pad celebrating the arrival of Lee Asher. Other than Aaron and Lee, it was me and Josh. We had a good time but wrapped things up early around midnight. We would reconvene the following evening for a more involved look at out art and ourselves. We talked until close to 4:20AM. What night. The only other timed I've sessioned with both Lee & Aaron was in Seattle a couple years ago.

Being around such talent makes me feel out of my league. Sometimes I feel like a hack with little to offer, other times I feel like I hold my own.

We're all just trying to find our place in this new world order. . . as magicians. . . as people. . . as friends and as creative artists. We talked about tricks, techniques, and making money. Good stuff all around.

What can I say. . . I love my life, flaws and all.

Recently sold on Ebay

Up for auction is one of the finest Harry Houdini signed photographs in existance. This crystal clear 5 X 7 original matt-finish photograph is in almost perfect condition and is stamped on the back of the photo, which reads, from "Harry Houdini Collection, Original." The original bold blue fountain pen signature reads "Houdini."

Houdini

Houdini looks as if he is alive and well, almost apearing as if he is coming out of this photograph to say that I have escaped even death. This Houdini signed photograph is more desireable then some that you see in other auctions because this signature is not personalized to anyone, it is a perfect signatur grase 10 out of 10 and will look spectacular in any serious Houdini collection.

100% Authentic

Condition of the photograph is near perfect with just a touch of surface & Corner wear. I am Just mentioning this to be accurate. It is very minimum. You can see from the images that I have shown that it is a clean photo and Mint signature.



Sold for $1,899.00

Busker du Jour

In my "Out Box" • Sylvester the Jester

Dear Dan,

Wasn't sure if you had seen this or not. Did you sell them the rights to manufacture and sell this. I hope these guys didn't rip off one of your classic bits you've been doing around the world and on TV for almost 20 years. That would be a real shame. You hear about that sort of thing happening all the time. There is a web-site devoted to unauthorized knock offs of other peoples intellectual property. It's called Magic Fakers.


Hope you are doing well.

your old pal

Tom Frank

Overload: Smoking ears on command!

Produce blasts of smoke up to 5ft both sides of your head. You can repeat it as many times as you like, with no reset needed. Looks like a very expensive effect that you only see in the movies, but you can perform it whenever you want at an amazing price.

Plus extra bonus included FREE!!

Produce smoke from bare hands. With this addition, you can produce smoke quite literally from anywhere, bare hands / bottom / leg and even build it into props. Endless possibilities!

Very safe, no ignition, no heat produced and most important no hard to find hazardous chemicals.

Simply amazing!!

Comes complete with:
Full instructions
Overload gimmick, suitable for any head, whatever size
Delivery system
Smoke from anywhere gimmick, will fit anyone
One cartridge, these refill cartridges are available all over the world

To view a Windows Media clip of Overload, Click Here

Retail: $160.00