R.I.P. Ricky Jay

[blogslut]

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/ricky-jay-dead-dies-magician-boogie-nights-1203035879/

Ricky Jay, a master magician who also acted in films and TV shows such as “Boogie Nights,” “House of Games” and “Deadwood,” died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 72.

Jay’s manager, Winston Simone, said he died of natural causes, adding, “He was one of a kind. We will never see the likes of him again.”

His attorney Stan Coleman confirmed his death. His partner in the Deceptive Practices company, Michael Weber, tweeted, “I am sorry to share that my remarkable friend, teacher, collaborator and co-conspirator is gone.”

A New Yorker profile called him “the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive,” and Jay was also known for his card tricks and memory feats...

[7wo7rees]

1. For card sharps and magic historians

This is like losing Stan Lee.

Ricky was a student and a master of the magical arts for many years.

This is a huge loss.

[cyclonefence]

2. There was a movie about Ricky Jay several years ago

in which he performed the ice block trick, in which a big block of ice appears out of nowhere on a restaurant table, which is well worth watching: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2654360/

This guy was not only a superb magician, he was a scholar who wrote many fascinating books about the history of his craft. I am a long-time admirer of him and his work, and his death saddens me immensely. I first became aware of him through a profile in The New Yorker, available online: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/04/05/secrets-of-the-magus. If you're not familiar with this treasure of a man, please check out the profile.

[PoliticAverse]

3. ...

[eppur_se_muova]

4. GMTA. nt

[KCDebbie]

5. I saw him in an episode of the X Files...

Mulder and Scully spent the episode trying to figure out how his twin brother managed to decapitate himself...

[Floyd R. Turbo]

6. Saw him at the Magic Castle a couple of times. Best up close magician ever.