The Worlds Greatest Magic

The President of Hollywood's world famous Magic Castle called it the largest crowd ever gathered for a lecture before the Castle's membership. The air crackled with anticipation and excitement. Now, you can experience this extraordinary instructional performance first hand.

Magic lectures are one of the most exciting ways for magicians around the world to learn more about magic. This event was filmed during Michael's lecture before the prestigious Magic Castle members, which climaxed a World Tour that included over 125 appearencces spanning 18 nations. See why Michael has received the maximum number of awards possible for Best Lecture of the Year from the Academy of magical Arts!

You'll see 90 minutes of professional stand-up magic designed to create an outstanding repertoire. This material won the highest accolades of Hollywood's to performing professionals. Clear, complete, and entertaining explanations of these classic effects:

• PENCIL THROUGH QUARTER: As presented by Michael, he borrows a quarter, pushes a pencil through it and takes it back out. He repeats, then snaps his finger and the quarter adheres to the pencil and he gives it to the spectator as a souvenir.
• BOTTLE PRODUCTION: You pull out a silk pocket square and hold it in front of you for a moment. With some presentation, you wisk the silk away and a full size bottle appears in your hand!
• LINKING HEADBANDS: This routine was originally done with rubber bands. Here, Michael uses two different colored, terry cloth headbands for greater visibility. You hold the bands out and ask spectator to pinch the middle two strands, and magically the bands clearly link together. When pinched again, they unlink. This is an easy yet effective routine.
• COIN IN BOTTLE: You hand out a regular empty bottle and a half dollar for examination. When returned, you smack the coin against the bottom of the bottle and "clink, clink, clink" - the coin is inside! Then, you turn the bottle upside down and with a thrust, the coin passes back out inside your hand.
• COINS THRU SILK: This is a classic Michael Ammar routine. Developed for his FISM act of 1983. You hand out a very sheer scarf and three silver dollars for examination. When returned, you wrap the scarf around the coins and ask the spectator which coin he would like to see pass through. You hold out your palm, and slowly, visibily, you see the coin pass straight through! You repeat with another coin. For the last coin, you ask the spectator to hold on to the middle of the scarf, and you wisk the scarf away, and the spectator opens his hand to show the coin has passed through.
• BOTTLE VANISH: Opposite the Bottle Production. You drape a regular, empty bottle with a silk pocket square. You hold it in front of you and with a flourish, the bottle vanishes and only the silk remains.
• CARD ON CEILING: The spectator chooses and signs a card. After some card routining, you show her the card is clearly in the middle of the deck. You wrap the deck with a rubber band and toss to the ceiling. The card sticks to the ceiling! The rest of the deck comes down. Michael often ends this routine with a deck vanish. He taught this to Siegfried, who now has a 'ceiling of fame' in his dressing room at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. It is a great way to punctuate the magic moment long after it's happend. (A Card on the Ceiling kit is available at Penguin.).
• TOPIT: Here Michael gives an overview explaination of this highly utilized device.
• HOFZINSER SPREAD CONTROL: Michael prefers this method of control over The Pass. He explains why and how to execute it. He probably uses this technique in his card routines more than any other. It can also be a good force.
• VANISHING DECK: Cards spring between your hands, then in a flurry, the deck suddenly vanishes into thin air. It truly startles the audience.
• CUPS & BALLS (performance only): At the time of the taping in 1990, another publisher owned a video with Michael's Cups and Balls routine taught on it. In order to be fair, and not compete with that publisher, this video features the performance only. 
• VERNON WAND SPIN Used by Michael in the Cups and Balls, this is a beautiful maneuver by Mora/Vernon, involving a spinning wand and a vanishing ball.
• BROKEN & RESTORED RUBBER BAND: Rubber band magic is great - you can do it anywhere, anytime. In this routine, you break a rubberband, show it in full view, then put back together again.
• FLOATING BILL: A real favorite of Michael's for the kind of reaction it gets. You borrow a dollar bill, and with some presentation (Michael likes to use a story about 'static') -you fold up the bill, and it begins to move a bit between your hands. You unfold, show for examination, then repeat, only this time it sticks to your finger, then you pull you hand away completely - and the bill floats in full view! Wow!

Originally found on "Live at the Magic Castle" DVD