The Amazing Randi is 'An Honest Liar'

An Honest Liar is a historical biography film project, as well as "a call for reason and critical thinking" by following the life of famed magician-turned-professional skeptic, James "The Amazing" Randi. In case you haven't heard, Randi began his career as a magician in the late 1940s and went to become, as Alice Cooper puts it when he was looking to include an illusionary beheading act in his concert tours in the '70s, "the best in the business."

Randi would eventually become not only know for his acts of entertainment, but for famously exposing the truth behind countless deceivers, charlatans, and "faith healers"--he won a MacArthur "Genius" Grant in 1986 for his work as a skeptic.

The film project also highlights Randi's life today, and addresses gay rights and immigration. Three years ago, at the age of 81, Randi publicly came out in a post on his foundation's website after being inspired to do so by the film Milk. The film tells us about his life with his partner of 26 years, Jose, and how the two are handling with the threat of Jose's possible deportation--he escaped to America from persecution as a gay man living in Venezuela.

"[Randi's] movement that he leads tries to keep any non-science based thinking from imposing itself on our lives... Marriage laws have a religious basis/moral basis, and, like anti-miscegenation laws, have no basis in fact," co-Director/Producer Justin Weinstein told Out. "It's somewhat ironically tragic that Randi might lose his partner as a result of this. Had there been marriage equality, they would have been able to marry to keep Jose in the country."

Weinstein previously wrote and edited Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey--prior to Kevin Clash's coming out. Tyler Measom (Sons of Perdition) joins him as a co-director/producer, and the two are hoping to finish what they started. There are still a few scenes left to film, and of our course the film's distribution. They've started a Kickstarter campaign in order to fund the remaining project. Visit here to donate, until Feb 15., and watch the trailer for the film project below: