Andrus

The Man, the Mind and the Magic

Skeptical Media

Web: Http://www.skepticalmedia.com

Jerry Andrus was a unique talent and a great mind, renowned for his erudition, understanding of the human psyche and for his ability to fashion illusions and magic that could fool even the most seasoned illusionist. Andrus was considered “the magician’s magician” as he devised his own illusions and “sleights of hand”, rather than using the “tools of trade” that were common among magicians. Throughout his life he developed his own unique style that confounded and entertained so many. For example, which most magicians use misdirection during card tricks, Andrus developed his own totally personal approach which invited the audience to watch as close as possible and yet still be deceived.

Jerry Andrus, however, was not just as magician. He was celebrated as a thinker, a philosopher, agnostic and humanist. One of his specialities was the exploration of optical illusions and he created a range of exceptional demonstrations to show how easily the mind could be deceived. These impressed the editor of Omni magazine so much that he was featured on its cover and celebrated in the media.

The intelligent and insightful documentary explores the man, mind and the magic of Jerry Andrus. We come to appreciate him as an outstanding and compassionate individual who thought “outside” the box and refused to allow convention to stifle his inventiveness. We also come to appreciate his total dedication to honesty (to the point of near obsession), because, in his words, “truth is so hard to come by”. While he followed the path of reason and loved to debate and argue, he was also deeply compassionate and a great communicator.

In the Mind we come to see his eccentricity and creativity firsthand including a visit to his home, which he called “The Castle of Chaos” where all manner of inventions were in a sort of disorganized organization, we also see just some of the incredible optical illusions he shared wherever he travelled. In the Magic we see some of the skills he developed including some of the most startling sleight of hand tricks.

Along the way we come to understand his philosophical view of the world and the importance he placed on his magic as a means to show us just how easily we could be deceived and hence the prime significance of having a rational and thinking approach to life.

There are also interviews throughout the documentary with such sceptical luminaries as Michael Sherman of Skeptic Magazine and James Randi, among others.

This is an excellent documentary which offers an insight into the life, mind and work of a truly unique individual as well as encouraging us to think deeper about our own understanding of the world around us.