death by magic, thoughts.

Seth Hughes

Elite Member
Jun 21, 2018
259
264
21
VA
i just started to watch Netflixes new show "death by magic" and i thought it was pretty good.

the show is about magician Drummond Money Coutts who goes around the world in search of famous stunts and magic effects that killed the people who originally preformed them. on his way he enjoys preforming street magic to the locals. he then uses the stunts to inspire a stage illusion that he preforms at the end of the show.

i personally enjoy the show and i think that Drummond is a great performer, but i feel that just like most other street magic shows it took him awhile to get the right scenario for his magic, and at least a very small part of the effects are set up in the beginning. a guess i just think that at least one of the people who he are watching are in on it.

i would like to know other peoples opinions on the show.
 

JoshL8

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2017
409
393
WA state USA
First off I recognize Drummond's skills, he has good presence and so forth. His pacing seems a bit slow at times I think, maybe not for live magic but maybe for t.v.

I get the idea of hyping up an escape attempt by playing on the perceived danger of it but a few episodes I felt as if Drummond was exploiting others past performers failures. I haven't finished the series yet but one sticks in my head so far, specifically the episode where a performer in Oregon was buried alive when his casket caved in under the weight of the concrete being poured on top. It is one thing to mention others have died in escape attempts but Drummond interviewed the dead magicians kids and such, showed the failure of the casket caving in several times, had scale models get squished etc. all leading up to a different trick than what was originally performed. It seemed a bit tasteless to me how Drummond played this one up.

Drummond's recreations of these stunts are actually different tricks altogether but for reasons of safety I am sure! Don't get me wrong I wouldn't suggest recreating some of these stunts that went wrong for obvious reasons but Drummond's approach capitalizes on their failures of others in a way I don't personally like.


Oh, in the same episode I loved his spirit coffin! That was a good twist on an oldie.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
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Louisville, OH
I've completed this series as well with my wife and she thought it was so so. She knows how a lot of magic works and some of it she enjoyed and some of it she has seen me and other magicians do just as well. I like his character and storyline; however I didn't like all of his street magic. A LOT of it seemed preset up and not true to what a performance would be like; however, I do realize this was for TV and so all of the rules of typical strolling/street magic may not apply. In the end it was entertaining and I enjoyed it albeit some of the effects were not believable and audience members were not genuine. Awwww well. To each his own.
 
Jul 28, 2015
159
95
I enjoyed it, especially the burning at the stake escape, really liked the vanish at the end, it gives a feeling of unease and incompleteness to the escape... also liked the meaning and symbolism of him finishing it this way
 

Zeede

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2018
243
203
I just watched the first episode. It was okay. I found the "solving what went wrong" segments to be kind of boring. I mean, he obviously researched why the magician died, so just tell us why and shave ten minutes of filler time.

I think fundamentally the problem is that there is no suspense. There are more episodes, so at no point do I wonder if he would also die performing what was previously a fatal trick.
 
Dec 1, 2012
697
198
TX
www.youtube.com
I'm watching, but not loving it.

The "stunts" are more magic tricks than endurance acts. And the street magic is obviously highly edited. What obviously is happening is DMC is doing "something" = probably a version of the same effect and THAT crowd reaction is filmed, but later the camera crew goes back with a "pick up shot" and films something a little cleaner that becomes more of a beauty shot.

Magic for Humans was way better
 

zak.jezequel

Elite Member
May 6, 2016
11
8
31
Kennesaw, Georgia
First of all --- I am by no means an expert or professional.
Second --- Yes, there are some effects that left me saying, "Wait, what the _ _ _ _?!"
Some of the effects performed were great, but as others have said, did not feel like legitimate working material with genuine audience reactions. There is clearly some unseen set-up with certain effects which, if you know even a little bit, you will see right through. The cheese and dramatic elements, however, are the main deterrents for me. While I did actually get fooled by a few different effects, the cringe-worthiness of the belabored verbal set up can be slow and it is difficult to remain engaged. Check out Magic for Humans if you're looking for Netflix magic, and also anything with Derren Brown is amazing.
 

Zeede

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2018
243
203
Well, my understanding is that some street magic actually needs a bit of setup as a well, such as Healed & Sealed. The only thing I can't figure out is if DMC is really full of himself or if it's just the performance persona and confidence.

My family and I really enjoy Magic for Humans more than Death by Magic.
 

JoshL8

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2017
409
393
WA state USA
Magic for Humans is pretty decent. I actually finished the series and I usually don't watch a lot of tv or finish most series I start.

I haven't finished Consentino's series. His persona and style just wasn't my cup of tea.

I liked most of The Road Trick but didn't finish it. It was kind of cool that he showed the rejections for performing he would get every now and again.
 
Dec 5, 2014
58
15
It's a really cool series and I admit some things don't seem extremely natural, but is still interesting and entertaining either way! Makes sense for it to be a Netflix show
 
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