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Price$16.00
Media TypeDVD
CategoryHistory
Date AddedSep 30, 2023

The Expert at the Card Table - Looking for Erdnase

Notsold GmbH

(Based on 1 review)
The best magicians of the 21st century set out on a journey to search for the lost author of the most legendary book about the art of sleight of hand.

S.W. Erdnase... the pseudonym of the man thought to be the most notorious card shark of the 19th century. His book "The Expert at the Card Table" is now considered the card conjurer's bible, making it compulsory reading for any magician. It took more than 30 years after its publication for the true value of the book to be appreciated - too late for the author to witness the success of his work and too late for all the magicians who would have enjoyed meeting him. His true identity is still uncertain and remains a great mystery, leaving even the best illusionists in the dark.

In our film the greatest magicians of our time go in search of the long-lost genius. They talk about the rumors of his supposed suicide and other stories that will chill you to the bone. No proof of the many legends appears to exist, but in searching for him we learn about the true significance of hisbook. Along the way, we are given valuable insights into the history of deception through the ages and the origin of some of the best-kept secrets of the contemporary world of magic.

Lead: Florian Beyer a.k.a. Yann Yuro as S.W. Erdnase

Interview Partners: Richard Turner, Laura London, Guy Hollingworth, Jason England, Richard Hatch, Chris Wasshuber, Bill Mullins, R. Paul Wilson, Joseph Cranford

Extras: Making Of

Language: English

Subtitles: German, French, Spanish, Italian

Region Code: 0/ALL (Worldwide)

Run Time: 1h 24 mins 22 sec

FSK: 12 (i.e. PG-13)

Reviews

Official Reviewer

Dec 17, 2023

Overview

The Expert at the Card Table is considered the Bible to many card magicians. It was first published in 1902 and was written under a pseudonym, S.W. Erdnase. The book covers the art of card manipulation, sleight of hand and techniques for cheating at cards. For decades, many in the magic community conjectured, researched and sought out to find who really was S.W. Erdnase. The Expert at the Card Table – Looking for Erdnase, is a documentary about unending quest to find out the author’s true identity.

Effect

Looking for Erdnase is a docudrama exploring the several theories as to who Erdnase possibly was and why that individual is considered a suspect. The film transition between interviews with individuals who are knowledgeable with the theories proposed, their own take on them and mini “scenes” of how that may have looked at the time.

Method

The movie transitions from magicians such as Guy Hollingworth, Laura London, Jason England, Richard Turner and others, discussing the possible candidate and a scene of an actor performing the scenario described.

Product Quality

The 84 minute movie is very well filmed. The editing is excellent and the timing between segments is long enough without one starting to lose interest. All the theories proposed were interesting and the acting, sets, lighting and sound was superb. This was a very interesting and enlightening film to watch.

Ad Copy Integrity

The ad copy is accurate but there is one issue with the DVD. It seems it will only play in a computer DVD. It will not play on a TV DVD player. Keep that in mind if you plan to purchase.
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