{"id":12692,"date":"2016-03-23T10:18:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T18:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=12692"},"modified":"2023-09-19T14:23:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T21:23:08","slug":"tyler-measom-and-justin-weinstein-unlock-the-mystery-of-james-the-amazing-randi","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/tyler-measom-and-justin-weinstein-unlock-the-mystery-of-james-the-amazing-randi\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein Unlock the Mystery of James “The Amazing” Randi"},"content":{"rendered":"

As famous a skeptic as he is a magician, James “The Amazing” Randi has led a life full of magic and mystery, as much off the stage as on it, and a naturally compelling subject for a documentary. Blessed with a natural wit and showmanship, Randi has made it his life’s mission to debunk both religious charlatans and those who dabble in paranormal, occult, and supernatural trickery \u2014 what Randi has dubbed “woo-woo,” all of which drew filmmakers Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein to tell this complicated, one-of-a-kind magician’s story in their film An Honest Liar.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

But “<\/span>An Honest Liar<\/em> isn’t simply a career recap or a fond portrait,” wrote Sheri Linden\u00a0in the LA Times<\/em>, “the movie takes exhilarating turns as directors Weinstein and Measom follow present-day developments in Randi’s personal life.” It’s “a jaunty, jovial portrait with a surprising sting in its tail,” adds\u00a0<\/em>The New York Times<\/em>‘ Jeannette Catsoulis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among many other projects, Weinstein wrote and edited the Independent Len<\/em>s film Being Elmo<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0while\u00a0Measom co-directed the acclaimed documentary Sons of Perdition<\/em>, about Mormon teens who became exiled from their community. The filmmakers took a time out from their busy production schedule to talk to us jointly about the making of An Honest Liar<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did you set out to make <\/b>An Honest Liar<\/i><\/b>? <\/b><\/p>\n

As storytellers, we knew Randi would be the perfect subject for a film. He\u2019s such a unique figure \u2013 a charismatic, witty entertainer who ultimately devoted his life to a greater good. He\u2019s broken world records and performed astounding feats, but he also led intricate capers to debunk faith healers, pseudoscience, and the paranormal. <\/span><\/p>\n

On a more personal level, we were also drawn to Randi\u2019s story because we also believe his educational mission is overwhelmingly important.<\/span><\/p>\n

Randi is devoted to teaching critical thinking and promoting science. He does this by showing people how easily they can be deceived into believing things that are inaccurate and that can be harmful. He knows that people are often fooled into believing things that seem true, but aren\u2019t. This can be disastrous on an individual level \u2013 taking ineffective pseudoscientific remedies or going broke from investing in charlatans, but also on a societal level \u2013 by disbelief in climate change or misguided views on vaccines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, he engages people in these ideas through entertainment, not by telling people what to think or through dry academic means. For us, this aligns with one of great powers of documentary films. Our goal was to make a film that is an entertaining and dynamic experience, but that also raises issues of crucial importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

And what was your own experience with and knowledge of magic and magicians before this film? Were you fans of magic and illusion growing up? How did you first learn about Randi?<\/b><\/p>\n

Who isn\u2019t captivated by a well-executed magic trick? Though we appreciate the form as much as anyone, it wasn\u2019t our main attraction to James Randi as a subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

We both knew Randi from his appearances on TV, especially as himself in an episode of Happy Days<\/em>. As an adult, Tyler really knew nothing of him when a friend mentioned that the aged magician would make a fine subject for a documentary. Tyler mentioned the idea to Justin, who was familiar with Randi\u2019s work as a skeptic and his battle with Uri Geller. Together we then dove in and learned everything we could about man and his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Would you consider yourselves skeptics, too?<\/b><\/p>\n

Yes \u2013 but in the kinder definition of the word. For us it\u2019s not about doubting anything and everything, but rather about striving for truth through evidence and reasoning. <\/span><\/p>\n

How did you gain the trust of Randi himself?<\/b><\/p>\n

There was certainly a bit of wariness at first. JREF (the James Randi Educational Foundation) was approached by filmmakers in the past and are very protective of Randi. Luckily when Randi watched our previous films and got to know us a bit he felt we were the ones to do it. Then, over three years of filming, we all went through a lot together.<\/span><\/p>\n

What were some other challenges you faced in making <\/b>An Honest Liar<\/i><\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n

Raising funding for a documentary film is always challenging. We were fortunate that Randi has a large and devoted fan base that helped us fund the film in part through a very successful Kickstarter campaign. Other than that, the biggest challenge was creatively dealing with the structural complexity of the film, and weaving multiple, discrete narrative threads into a clear and compelling narrative arc. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the film, you show Randi’s work to expose televangelist Peter Popoff. Yet as you show even after that revelation Popoff continued to do his thing for audiences who didn’t seem to care he was a con artist. What do you think that tells us about the need to believe? And did that mean Randi’s efforts there were in vain?<\/b><\/p>\n

There will always be people who hold tenaciously to their beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence. It\u2019s actually common for people to dig in their heels and harden their beliefs when challenged. As Randi says, \u201cThose who believe without reason cannot be convinced with reason.\u201d But just because there are some who refuse to change their views doesn\u2019t mean Randi\u2019s work was in vain.<\/span><\/p>\n