ChrissAngel_Mindfreak

[Rick Meyer]

Anyone else watch this show? Now I am a big fan of magicians, illusionists, escape artists etc. But only when he and maybe one other person or two are in on it.

Anyone whose seen the show get the same feeling I do that some of his tricks rely on editing, jump cuts and/or worse...and entire crowd of extras hired as amazed 'on lookers'?

Yesterday, I saw an episode where he was on the street (in Vegas). A crowd watched on as he asked a few guys to put a plastic trash can over him...to talk to them he had a walkie talkie....they placed the can over him and within a few seconds, he appeared high up on the building near the marquee...WTF? There is no trap door on the cement portion of the sidewalk. I don't even think this trick is possible. Especially not when you are surrounded by a supposed crowd of random onlookers.

Either he is a phony or he is just THAT good....

[Chris Messineo]

The subtitle of his show should be "VideoFreak".

Many of his tricks rely on specific video angles and post work.

[Capt Quirk]

He's currently working on a comic adaptation of Mandrake the Magician, and working on the SFX in it too.

[Isaac_Brody]

Well he's got Cameron Diaz fooled. He's got some pretty strong jedi mindtricks.

[Cynic821]

fooled, or they are both just 'having a laugh' while they count huge stacks of money thanks to people watching it, which ive fell victim to once or twice.

[Beat Takeshi]

I saw that episode and the camera never changed during that trick. I don't know how the hell he did that. One thing though, he got voted best magician last year by other magicians so thats got to mean something.

[Super Trooper]

I watched a few episodes before in the past.

ALOT of it has to do with editing.

Also, most (if not all) of the street magic with "real people" are just hired actors.

I got kind of pissed off because some of my family were "ooohing" and "awweeeing" and I'm like, "what the hell"!

I'm not saying the guy isn't talented, but I think HE buys into his own hype. I'd much rather watch Pen and Teller, or even David Blaine.

At least with P&T, they'll not only amaze you, but tell you how they did it and have you in stitches all the while. Blaine (when he is actually performing magic and not doing stupid stunts) uses some of the same techniques as Angel, only I like his personality alot more.

Angel is just annoying.

[mjjason]

Him and David Blaine just seem odd to me. And not in the cool odd that David Copperfield pulls off but the more creepy odd that a pycho has.

[Super Trooper]

Oh, and I'll save someone the trouble of having to reply to this statement by nipping it in the butt myself (even though I don't agree):


Blaine (when he is actually performing magic and not doing stupid stunts) uses some of the same techniques as Angel, only I like his personality alot more.

"What personality?"


-Troop

[Rick Meyer]

Well, to me the art of magic (and illusionism) is that they are fooling you with clever bait and switch tactics and slight of hand etc.

Now that you guys are confirming what I already suspected...that he's basicially a talented street magician who ups the ante of his tricks by using the camera, post and hired actors...that just pisses me off. Thats so rediculous.

That would mean ALL of us could do that crap. Climb into a box. Stop the camera. Get out of the box. Start the camera. Lovely assistant opens box with no magician. Whoopdedoo. Where's the magic? How can he claim to be a magician?

Someone needs to blow up his spot.

[Cynic821]

i wouldnt say anyone is confirming anything with any proof

[ugafan]

forget chris angel. this is REAL magic...
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1539536&vid=135116

[Kholi]

I'm pretty sure he's incahoots with mammon.

[JasonFox]

Well he's got Cameron Diaz fooled. He's got some pretty strong jedi mindtricks.

I'm pretty sure a Grape Nehi Knight could pull mind tricks on Cameron Diaz. :)

[Rick Meyer]

I'm pretty sure he's incahoots with mammon.


haha! Thanks for the obscure demon reference. I'm sure I am one of about everybody else who had to wikipedia that.

urgafan....that video was real funny man.

[FilmMakerr]

its entertainment.


plus, you dont see many people walking on "water" now adays for entertainement.

[Super Trooper]

This was one of the first vids I ever saw where I suspected him of either using actors or editing to make the trick:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=25dNZhgVrkc

Walking on water is even more suspect:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sBQLq2VmZcA

But when you think about it, isn't all magic like this?

I mean, when the magician saws his assistant in half, or makes her dissappear, or whatever, we know shes in on the gag. Same thing (most of the time) when someone from the audience is chosen at "random".

Magic is all about misdirection. In the beginning, they had the stage. But guess what, the stage was part of the trick. Whether it was trap doors, curtains, whatever. Now we have tv, and nle's, and computers, and crap. Isn't it only fitting that as we mature as a society technologically, that this new technology be adapted for magic as well?

Sure, maybe in the process it's lost some of it's charm, and opened the doors to hacks (much like digital camcorders have done for the film industry), but it is still oldschool magic nonetheless, just wrapped in a different, more modern package.

For that, I can forgive Angel and any and everyoneelse for that matter. But I still hate his ego-centric personality.

Personally, I was always in love with the romanticism of late 19th / early 20th century magicians.

Like The Prestige, which is one of my fave movies this decade btw.

[PaPa]

forget chris angel. this is REAL magic...
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1539536&vid=135116


it wont let me see it causei live incanda... wtf?

anyone got another link?

[Kholi]

haha! Thanks for the obscure demon reference. I'm sure I am one of about everybody else who had to wikipedia that.

urgafan....that video was real funny man.

Those are the only two explainations, as I told my girlfriend last night:

Camera + Lots of paid actors = Fooled you sucker.

Or--

The reason he always breathes REALLY hard and mumbles before he levitates is because he's pretty much calling on the powers of those within the Shadow Realm.

[Tlalconetl]

What's up with Criss Angel's accent? He tries so hard to hide it but it slips out sometimes. Just be yourself dude.

[Rick Meyer]

This was one of the first vids I ever saw where I suspected him of either using actors or editing to make the trick:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=25dNZhgVrkc

Hey SuperTroop...I came across this thread which debunks this exact trick/episode. http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic7200.php

I get what you are saying...technology is evolving and so is magic. But, I don't think it can be considered magic any more once you rely on post production. If you HAVE to stop and start the camera in order to fool us...and if you HAVE to ensure that ALL of the supposed "audience members" or "innocent bystanders" are being paid to be 'in on it' it aint magic.

Whats in it for the true magician to spend years honing is craft of sleight of hand and visual deception if the new breed need only a good producer?

Yeah, he's entertaining. But its like cotton candy. At first, its delicious but after a while it starts to make you sick.

[ZFarms Productions]

did anyone see him levitate over the Luxor hotel in vegas? he levitated IN the light of the luxor, and it showed home video footage and such too. it was really cool.

[Chris Messineo]

I'm much more impressed by magicians like Ricky Jay, who are masters of sleight of hand.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I think you guys are going to find this pretty funny! :grin:

http://www.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f7e2336b27310f0b9e

Have a look.

Cheers,

Mike

[ugafan]

I think you guys are going to find this pretty funny! :grin:

http://www.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f7e2336b27310f0b9e

Have a look.

Cheers,

Mike

that was awesome

[Chris Messineo]

That was phenomenal. Funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

[Rick Meyer]

THAT WAS FREAKING HYSTERICAL. "ahhh...im feeling warm and im levitating"...hahahaha

[saturnin]

yah u guys need to watch part one..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AYxu_MQSTTY

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I found part 2 funnier myself, the quality also seems better as well.

Glad you guys are enjoying it!

Cheers,

Mike

[Rick Meyer]

MY GOD those videos are so funny. I just got done watching the first one. I haven't laughed so hard in AGES.

[ZFarms Productions]

I'm much more impressed by magicians like Ricky Jay, who are masters of sleight of hand.


ricky jay is a wiz at sleight of hand. i wish my sleights were as good as his (something to practice for!)

[Rick Meyer]

i just watched part 1 again...i nearly pissed myself. those are the funniest videos ive seen since i can last remember.

[Kirk Gillock]

Those videos were hilarious. "You're a demon!" lol :)

[Nathyn]

For that, I can forgive Angel and any and everyoneelse for that matter. But I still hate his ego-centric personality.

But I think that's all part of the joke. He's this "ultra cool" long hair freak who can do magic tricks. I think he's David Cooperfield for the 2000s. I mean Cooperfield was just as cool for his time and had just as much ego. With the dark eyed stare and all that jazz. That's part of the fun in watching them, they're big hams who do magic.

As for the David Blaine parodies, I saw these on YouTube and I think I hurt myself from laughing so hard. The hook at the end of part two was so worth it.

-Nate

[RokMartian]

My brother is a magician (mainly just hand/card magic) and we are also twins. We participated in a magic show where my brother was a plant in the audience and the magician teleported him across the stage (me hiding in the trap door of a crystal box).

If you think about, there is a good reason why you don't see a lot of magic on T.V. Copperfield did not allow his specials to be re-run - the number one rule is never show your trick twice.

Copperfield is the worst magician when it comes to using plants in the audience. We had a video tape of 2 of copperfields specials where he levitated a woman from the audience. You could clearly see it was the same woman. And one of the speicals is when he was in Chnia.

[Tom Marshall]

I think you guys are going to find this pretty funny! :grin:

http://www.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f7e2336b27310f0b9e

Have a look.

Cheers,

Mike

That was AWESOME!