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Hoaxes Poke Us: Documentary Tackles Life of Master Skeptic James 'The Amazing' Randi

Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom

Longtime Broward County resident Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, better known to the world as “The Amazing Randi,” is a self-professed conjurer, prestidigitator, liar, cheat and fake.

Just don’t call him a “debunker.”

“That means I look at something and say ‘Oh, this is fake and I’m going to show you that it’s fake,’" says Randi.

Instead, the 86-year-old former magician and escape artist calls himself an “examiner” and an “investigator.”  But to filmmakers Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom, Randi is “An Honest Liar,” the title of their documentary making its South Florida premiere this week.

The film examines how, in midlife, Randi discovered that a slew of supposed psychics and faith healers were defrauding people by resorting to the same kind of professional tricks he used as entertainment.  He then set out to expose the frauds, sometimes by perpetrating elaborate hoaxes of his own.

The movie also shows us what happens when Randi himself is suddenly on the receiving end of a startling deception that shakes him to the core and threatens his happiness.

Will the lifelong truth-seeker run from the facts?  Or does the seasoned conjurer still have some tricks up his sleeve?

"An Honest Liar"

Runs March 20th to March 26th at:

O Cinema Wynwood
90 NW 29th Street, Miami
(305) 571-9970

A post-film Q&A with James Randi will follow the Friday, March 20th 7pm screening.

Christine DiMattei is WLRN's Morning Edition anchor and also reports on Arts & Culture.
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