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An Honest Liar

  • 20142014
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
10K
YOUR RATING
James Randi in An Honest Liar (2014)
Trailer for An Honest Liar
Play trailer2:06
1 Video
1 Photo
DocumentaryBiographyComedy
The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
10K
YOUR RATING
    • Tyler Measom
    • Justin Weinstein
    • Justin Weinstein
    • Greg O'Toole
    • Tyler Measom
  • Stars
    • James Randi
    • José Alvarez
    • Penn Jillette
    • Tyler Measom
    • Justin Weinstein
    • Justin Weinstein
    • Greg O'Toole
    • Tyler Measom
  • Stars
    • James Randi
    • José Alvarez
    • Penn Jillette
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 40User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    An Honest Liar
    Trailer 2:06
    Watch An Honest Liar

    Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    James Randi
    James Randi
    • Self - Magician
    José Alvarez
    • Self - Artist
    • (as Jose Alvarez)
    Penn Jillette
    Penn Jillette
    • Self - Magician
    • (as Penn)
    Teller
    Teller
    • Self - Magician
    Jamy Ian Swiss
    • Self - Magician & Author
    Richard Wiseman
    • Self - Magician & Psychologist
    • (as Prof. Richard Wiseman)
    Ray Hyman
    • Self - Experimental Psychologist
    Adam Savage
    Adam Savage
    • Self - Mythbusters
    Alice Cooper
    Alice Cooper
    • Self - Rock Star
    Banachek
    • Self - Mentalist
    • (as Steve Shaw)
    Alexander Jason
    • Self - Surveillance Expert
    • (as Alec Jason)
    Bill Nye
    Bill Nye
    • Self - The Science Guy
    Michael Shermer
    Michael Shermer
    • Self - Publisher, Skeptic Magazine
    Michael Edwards
    • Self - Project Alpha Psychic
    Uri Geller
    Uri Geller
    • Self - Purported Psychic
    Peter R. Phillips
    • Self - Researcher
    • (archive footage)
    Peter Popoff
    • Self - Faith Healer
    • (archive footage)
    Mark Shafer
    • Self - Deputy Director, McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research
    • (archive footage)
    • (as Dr. Mark Shafer)
      • Tyler Measom
      • Justin Weinstein
      • Justin Weinstein
      • Greg O'Toole
      • Tyler Measom
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At the end of the credits, a disclaimer comes up: "No spoons were harmed in the making of this film".
    • Quotes

      James Randi: Magicians are the most honest people in the world. They tell you they're going to fool you, and then they do it.

    • Crazy credits
      Before the final copyright in the end credits it states, "No spoons were harmed in the making of this film."
    • Connections
      Featured in Storyville: Exposed: Magicians, Psychics and Frauds (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Happy Birthday
      (uncredited)

      Written by Patty S. Hill & Mildred J. Hill

    User reviews40

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    The Skeptic Inside
    There truly is something mystical about "An Honest Liar", that allows it to transcend its flawed structure and be relevant in spite of it. At its core, the ambition of the film is to establish and walk the line between what constitutes an illusion and what rises to the rank of deception. To achieve this, it takes a good, long look at the life of James Randi, renowned magician and skeptic of things in the paranormal.

    Going beyond its overarching ambition, An Honest Liar builds on three parts - Randi's life as an artist, his challenges as a skeptic and his (intertwined) personal travail. The first is as interesting as magic can be, without ever revealing the secret behind tricks - I'm sorry, illusions. But the pace really picks up as the case for skepsis takes shape, trying to untie the blatant lies and manipulation from the willing suspension of critical thought and disbelief. The question of what really constitutes the truth, as expressed through the power of belief, both religious and - ironically - scientific, gets a fair, balanced and creative tackle. Ultimately, Randi's personal life and some surprising insights into the act of deception lying close to its core, becomes a bit of a meta-analysis of the previous two parts.

    The problem is that this last segment mostly fails, because it appears very tangential to Randi's quest and shifts the focus on fairly mundane personal matters that are contorted somewhat to fit the wider arch.

    Yet, it came easy to me to go beyond it.

    Just because the directors' reach exceeded their grasp does not mean that the film doesn't work artistically, as an expression and an experience of boundary blurring between truth and lies. It achieves this by dragging you into taking a stand by the end, in a narratively artificial yet intellectually testing personal battle for Randi, after seventy minutes of case building and creating an emotional connection with the subject. In that, it is fun and relevant, stressing the strength of belief over fact, over truth and the challenges that lie in dealing with it.
    helpful•9
    6
    • tributarystu
    • Jul 17, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 2, 2014 (United Kingdom)
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • BBC Storyville page
      • Official Facebook
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Phoenix, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Left Turn Films
      • Pure Mutt Productions
      • BBC Storyville
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 30 minutes
      • Color
      • Stereo

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