Criss Angel steals effect and markets it...

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Aug 20, 2008
34
1
Sauquoit New York
Is Criss Angel stealing effects?

i was perusing some magic sites and noticed that his new masterminds dvd is called MF ACES. now not to be a jerk, but this is deffinitely NOT HIS TRICK, nor is it even a trick created by any of his consultants, so why is Criss Angel stealing effects, renaming them, and then marketing them? this just screams SELL OUT to me
 
Aug 20, 2008
34
1
Sauquoit New York
i just find it rediculous that he claims magic is HIS art, and he knows NOTHING about it. i bet half the 15 year old magicians at any given magic convention could one up him both on performing, AND history. the fact that he MIGHT credit the creator is irrelavent. why cant he create his own crap and sell that.
 
May 3, 2008
858
0
I find it ridiculous that he's selling those effects for 30 dollars each. The torn and restored card is just a joke and this ace effect, I was able to figure out after watching it once. Anywhere else, that ace effect would sell for about 5 dollars. This is ridiculous.
 
Apr 6, 2010
256
0
I don't want to be the catalyst for a heated debate, but the original argument aside, he is a douche.

He is not a magician or an illusionist, he just claims to be and sucks at it, i seriously can't see why he has become successful.

That is all.
 
Aug 20, 2008
34
1
Sauquoit New York
the Mcdonalds Aces have been done by several different people, i find it hard that Criss couldnt come up with his own trick to release. and i agree with the previous post. i actually know people who have seen his show, and apparently, its all about boosting his ego, and ****ting on the little guy.
 
Apr 27, 2010
229
0
baller08.blogspot.com
I don't want to be the catalyst for a heated debate, but the original argument aside, he is a douche.

He is not a magician or an illusionist, he just claims to be and sucks at it, i seriously can't see why he has become successful.

That is all.

The reason why you can't understand it is why so very few magicians have been able to further the art of magic to the general public.

It doesn't matter if you or any 15 yr old knows more about magic history or knows how to do a sleight better than him....he is a better magician because he understands what magic is suppose to be about.

That is why that aside from David Copperfield, he is probably the most well known and successful magician in recent history.

Instead of the jealousy and bitterness over his money, his ability to attract women, etc....why don't you learn from his showmanship and his ability to connect with people that leads to legions of fans all over the world. This is less of a direct "you" and more of a general "you" from a lot of the things I've read on this forum.

He can stand in the middle of a mall, do a simple card effect and have literally hundreds of people go nuts. Do you or anyone else on this forum have that ability?

Unless you can say you do....you have absolutely no credibility to critize him and instead should be learning from him.
 

LukeDancy

theory11 artist + consultant, Criss Angel MindFrea
Sep 18, 2007
53
0
Las Vegas
I don't get involved in these kind of threads but I can't help myself this time. First, wow what a subject for a thread. I think the tone it was written states your personal opinion of Criss as a person.

I'm wrapping up my third season (season 6) of Mindfreak and I wouldn't be here if the kind of crap people say was true.

If you look carefully at the back of the box in question it does say "Criss featured this mind-blowing twist on the classic 4 ace assembly"

I was not there for the taping of the Mastermind DVD's so I'm not sure what kind of exact crediting is on there but I know for a fact that Criss never had the intention of claiming this as his own creation. We all pitched in on the routine (the one that aired on Season 4) and Criss was excited to perform it after practicing it.

Nobody in this world is perfect, Criss makes mistakes just like the rest of us. The only difference is that because he is a celebrity his mistakes are under a microscope and picked apart. Some of your favorite creators (and most popular) have lifted other peoples material openly and still people adore them.

We're busting ass to get this season done, a lot of material was dropped just because it wasn't strong enough. Criss also did a few classic effects this season in honor of Doug Henning...paying homage to someone that came before him.

The guy is super busy and his life is constantly at warp speed so trust me...he doesn't have the time to even think about stealing effects.

Hope this helps clear things up. Sometimes the media affects not only the perception of people in real life but also in our small magic world as well.

l u k e
 
Dec 23, 2007
1,579
4
36
Fredonia, NY
the criss angel topic has been done to death, there will always be dissenting opinions.. The way i see it is, in the end, you reap what you sow. Just look what happened with the Cirque "Believe" show. And to be honest? aside from pre-pubescent girls, i haven't really met many layman that like the guys show? You reap what you sow, thats all im saying.

He can stand in the middle of a mall, do a simple card effect and have literally hundreds of people go nuts. Do you or anyone else on this forum have that ability?

on that note, yeah they might go nuts.... but how many of them are paid actors... just saying.
 
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CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,393
3,801
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
I don't get involved in these kind of threads but I can't help myself this time. First, wow what a subject for a thread. I think the tone it was written states your personal opinion of Criss as a person.

I'm wrapping up my third season (season 6) of Mindfreak and I wouldn't be here if the kind of crap people say was true.

If you look carefully at the back of the box in question it does say "Criss featured this mind-blowing twist on the classic 4 ace assembly"

I was not there for the taping of the Mastermind DVD's so I'm not sure what kind of exact crediting is on there but I know for a fact that Criss never had the intention of claiming this as his own creation. We all pitched in on the routine (the one that aired on Season 4) and Criss was excited to perform it after practicing it.

Nobody in this world is perfect, Criss makes mistakes just like the rest of us. The only difference is that because he is a celebrity his mistakes are under a microscope and picked apart. Some of your favorite creators (and most popular) have lifted other peoples material openly and still people adore them.

We're busting ass to get this season done, a lot of material was dropped just because it wasn't strong enough. Criss also did a few classic effects this season in honor of Doug Henning...paying homage to someone that came before him.

The guy is super busy and his life is constantly at warp speed so trust me...he doesn't have the time to even think about stealing effects.

Hope this helps clear things up. Sometimes the media affects not only the perception of people in real life but also in our small magic world as well.

l u k e

Well said Luke, well said. I don't get the whole hate thing towards Criss. I dont care who you are, his stuff is pretty damn cool. I always love watching Mindfreak. I like to experience something different for a change. In my opinion, he was and always will be a big inspiration to many magicians. I bet some of you said when you started out "I want to be like him some day!" Maybe not with the clothes, but with the attention and fame. So stop the hate on Criss guys, it goes no where other than your computer screen. Stop the complaining and start the performing!

Cheers,

Casey
 
Jan 5, 2008
108
0
Oklahoma
Thanks for the insight Luke. I'm sure our perspective is a bit distorted of Criss. I've never doubted his ability to perform magic; I never really get on these types of threads either. The one thing I don't like is the camera editing that is employed in some of the more upscale stunts and effects? How do you feel about using camera editing to enhance illusions? Everyone is entitled to their opinion of the show. I find the show entertaining, but the novelty of the camera editing does bother me at times(when an effect is based soley on camera editing), especially when it's obvious. I don't mind editing to enhance intros, music sectionals, or to modernize the look of the show, but I don't believe it should be Transformers 3 with effects based soley on camera editing. This is strictly my opinion. I understand to the viewer at home it still looks like magic even if it is just camera editing sometimes, and maybe that's all that matters. What are your thoughts on this?
 
Sep 1, 2007
340
1
Ontario, Canada
You know I used to have the same opinion as a lot of you. That Criss was a douchbag that uses camera tricks. BUT after a lot of thinking my opinion has changed. Yes he may have used camera tricks, but all magic has a trick, magic isnt real. Whether he is presenting his tricks to people on the street or you at home they are all spectators. And his goal is to fool his spectators. And he does. His personality is likable and he has amazing showmanship and a HUGE following. Hes a millionaire with tons of cars and a beautiful home. (If anyone hasnt seen pictures of it check it out)

He is a success story and I believe most of the Criss haters are fueled by jealousy. I will be the first one to admit that I was.
 
Oct 11, 2007
277
2
The reason why you can't understand it is why so very few magicians have been able to further the art of magic to the general public.

It doesn't matter if you or any 15 yr old knows more about magic history or knows how to do a sleight better than him....he is a better magician because he understands what magic is suppose to be about.

That is why that aside from David Copperfield, he is probably the most well known and successful magician in recent history.

Instead of the jealousy and bitterness over his money, his ability to attract women, etc....why don't you learn from his showmanship and his ability to connect with people that leads to legions of fans all over the world. This is less of a direct "you" and more of a general "you" from a lot of the things I've read on this forum.

He can stand in the middle of a mall, do a simple card effect and have literally hundreds of people go nuts. Do you or anyone else on this forum have that ability?

Unless you can say you do....you have absolutely no credibility to critize him and instead should be learning from him.

This guy is speaking the truth. Listen and get over the red haze that you're all in. I'd like to see anyone here further the art of magic and introduce to the general public as much as he has. You do not need to know every sleight in the book or every prop in the history of magic to be a great magician. For that I respect him.

Let's stop it guys this is foolish and ridiculous.

-emagician
 
Jul 13, 2009
424
0
Edmonton, Canada
I find it ridiculous that he's selling those effects for 30 dollars each. The torn and restored card is just a joke and this ace effect, I was able to figure out after watching it once. Anywhere else, that ace effect would sell for about 5 dollars. This is ridiculous.

Well that's you, but I'm sure that there are many magicians out there that are busting their head trying to figure out the trick, and it's to these people that it's worth $30, because they are not buying the gimmick/method but the secret ....
 
May 8, 2008
1,081
0
Cumbria, UK
You know I used to have the same opinion as a lot of you. That Criss was a douchbag that uses camera tricks. BUT after a lot of thinking my opinion has changed. Yes he may have used camera tricks, but all magic has a trick, magic isnt real. Whether he is presenting his tricks to people on the street or you at home they are all spectators. And his goal is to fool his spectators. And he does. His personality is likable and he has amazing showmanship and a HUGE following. Hes a millionaire with tons of cars and a beautiful home. (If anyone hasnt seen pictures of it check it out)

He is a success story and I believe most of the Criss haters are fueled by jealousy. I will be the first one to admit that I was.

Thankyou, you just saved me typing out a response. But I will anyway :p

This is strictly my opinion. I understand to the viewer at home it still looks like magic even if it is just camera editing sometimes, and maybe that's all that matters. What are your thoughts on this?

Just throwing my opinion out there, but in my mind, this is just like the gimmicks/impromptu debates. The way I see it, you can achieve exactly the same effects and more with camera editing, stooging and the suchlike, and therefore, why not? Of course, due to the nature of the effects, you will usually have to work harder to convince the spectator that what you are doing is real, as they often seem too impossible, but you should be doing that anyway.
 
Apr 6, 2010
256
0
The reason why you can't understand it is why so very few magicians have been able to further the art of magic to the general public.

It doesn't matter if you or any 15 yr old knows more about magic history or knows how to do a sleight better than him....he is a better magician because he understands what magic is suppose to be about.

That is why that aside from David Copperfield, he is probably the most well known and successful magician in recent history.

Instead of the jealousy and bitterness over his money, his ability to attract women, etc....why don't you learn from his showmanship and his ability to connect with people that leads to legions of fans all over the world. This is less of a direct "you" and more of a general "you" from a lot of the things I've read on this forum.

He can stand in the middle of a mall, do a simple card effect and have literally hundreds of people go nuts. Do you or anyone else on this forum have that ability?

Unless you can say you do....you have absolutely no credibility to critize him and instead should be learning from him.

I am not jealous of him nor bitter that i am not as succesful. I started magic nearly 3 months ago, and so therefore i am of no qualifying standard to be compared to even amateurs, let alone professionals.

I do magic as a hobby, and because i love playing with cards. I have hated Criss Angel before i even started magic, and not because he is successful and i am not. I hated, and still hate, him because i think he is over the top, cocky and not entertaining, but that is just my opinion.

If you can persuade me to think anything of his poor stunts and extremely obvious media tricks, then all power to you.

Now, if we drop Mr Blaine into this discussion, I can easily justify my opinion of Criss Angel.

Criss Angel is not succesful at magic, or showmanship, he is just successful at being Criss Angel (his own form of the aforementioned personas), and some people like that, others don't.

Take David Blaine and its a whole different story. He is both extremely talented in both performing and showmanship, and has a very good mindset adhered to what he does.

I do not mean to sound belittleing of you, but i just wanted to add some explanation for my sharp remarks about Criss.

EDIT: I think that what i am trying to get at, is that i just can not see how people find his perfomances entertaining. Obviously this is because i do not and therefore is rather a biased assumption. However, i am a huge fan of David Blaine and David Copperfield, and Copperfield's large illusions are spectacular, whereas Criss Angel's illusions are over the top as i said, and barely creative.
 
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Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
Yes he may have used camera tricks, but all magic has a trick, magic isnt real. Whether he is presenting his tricks to people on the street or you at home they are all spectators. And his goal is to fool his spectators. And he does.
The problem people have with him using camera tricks and stooges is that he overuses the same two methods.

You say "his goal is to fool spectators and that he does." I strongly disagree.

If I'm out performing and someone happens to bring up Criss Angel, someone always says something about how "all he does is use camera tricks and stooges." Laymen are saying this--every time his name is brought up! Now that's a problem.

I could understand your argument somewhat if magicians were the only ones that had caught onto his methods, and laymen were still being amazed and mystified, but about half the laymen I talk to that bring up his name now dismiss him as a guy that just does camera tricks and uses stooges. They're seeing through what he's doing, and I think, it's because he's overusing the same methods.

So the truth is, whether he uses camera tricks for 1% or 100% of his effects, a lot of laymen now have the perspective that whatever he does must be a camera trick or using a stooge. Criss doesn't give laymen enough credit--they can see for themselves the reactions he's getting aren't genuine, and they've have seen enough movies to know when they're seeing a special effect.

Remember, laymen are often looking for a reason to explain what they see, and Criss has given them every excuse to dismiss whatever he does as a camera trick or a poorly acted scene.

His personality is likable
That is definitely up for debate.

Again, a lot of laymen I know who nothing about how the magic community views Criss Angel are turned off by his personality. Not a single one of my muggle friends like him, but they'll gladly sit down and watch Copperfield or Blaine. They enjoy magic but they don't like Criss.

Now not everyone is going to be liked by everyone else--that's just how life is. People like different things. But again, comparatively speaking, a lot of laymen I talk to who like magic and other magicians don't like Criss Angel. They think he's phony and they're turned off by his cocky attitude.

Hes a millionaire with tons of cars and a beautiful home. (If anyone hasnt seen pictures of it check it out)
We know. Everyone who watches his show knows. I think they did a whole episode on Criss Angel showing off what he's been buying with his money lately. It was not so astonishing.
 
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