An Honest Liar
2014 documentary on the life of James, The Amazing Randi
(world-famous magician, escape artist, and enemy of
deception)
Hotdocs premiere, Hart House Theatre Toronto
Hotdocs premiere, Hart House Theatre Toronto
April 30, 2014
by Live Music Head
Last night, there was a magician with Hart in the House.
You know, the legendary Canadian magician
and scientific skeptic
and scientific skeptic
best known for escaping from a straitjacket in the mid-70s
while suspended upside-down over Niagara Falls?
The Toronto-born man of deception who spent his later years
de-bunking paranormal claims and pseudoscience?
The one who followed evangelist Peter
Popoff around
on the Faith Healing Circuit
to figure out how he performed “miracles”
that sucked the old and the sick's pocketbooks dry
all in the
name of Jesus,
and then went on television programs
that were viewed by millions of
people every night,
like Johnny Carson
(which I believe he appeared on some
24 times)
to demonstrate just how they did it?
 |
| The Amazing
Randi with film makers: Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein |
James Randi spent a great deal of time exposing liars,
for he’s The Amazing Randi,
a man of deception himself,
who’s in love with the truth.
He’s the deceiver who put the fear
of God
into psychics like Uri Geller, the metal bender,
because yes,
in the entertainment world there is a
certain level of acceptability of deceit,
but unlike “psychics” and “faith
healers” who claimed
to possess powers to heal
or move things with their minds;
power that could potentially destroy a life,
and power that took millions
of your dollars
to buy expensive cars, jewellery,
and clothes,
Randi used deception to reveal the
truth,
not conceal it.
He told you before he tricked you
that he was going to trick you.
He also promotes critical thinking.
And an Honest Liar is the perfect
title
for this great new documentary about
his life.
 |
| Randi with film maker Tyler Measom |
And guess what?
The great Alice Cooper makes an appearance!
That’s because back in ’73,
Randi performed on Coop’s stage as the dentist
during Unfinished Sweet
(you know that song about getting
your gums pulled
from the Billion Dollar Babies album?)
Randi also played the role of Coop’s
executioner,
and even designed the guillotine.
An Honest Liar is a film about the
many layers of deception
that everyone should see.
For Randi exposes something about himself
too,
something that he kept secret all
his life,
until just last year.
Now 85 years old,
Amazing joined film makers Tyler
Measom and Justin Weinstein
on stage for a Q&A following the
film’s Hotdocs premiere,
and the audience gave him a standing
ovation.
 |
| Randi with film maker Tyler Measom |
Leaving the cinema, you may ask:
“But does the end justify the means?”
and if you’re like me...
you’ll also be singing along with
The Dramatics
as that great and most-fitting song
“What You See is What You Get”
plays to see the credits roll...
The trailer for An
Honest Liar...
An Honest Liar at
Hotdocs...
All photos taken by
Live Music Head
A video of Unfinished Sweet from the 1973 Alice
Cooper tour
with The Amazing Randi playing the dentist who
drills the tooth of The Coop to a James Bond 007-beat...
with The Amazing Randi playing the dentist who
drills the tooth of The Coop to a James Bond 007-beat...
