Rate this trick from the Mindfreak!

[the shelter]

I think the reason why C:A comes off as a bad magician to you is because his name has been thrown at you... but if you think about it...how many laymen will ask you to perform a Paul Harris effect? or any other respectful performer? none will and its simple... they only get exposed to a slim few on TV. TV has had the impact on the masses when it comes to magic. And Criss along with Blaine are of the few to be there for the world to see and so that's all the world will know as the general idea of magic.

Well, it's more the difference between the ones known as performers and the ones known as inventors you're talking about. It's not just those who get on TV but also the ones known to laymen for performing (probably within the area, perhaps within the country). Laymen don't know nor care about those who are more known as inventors.

Criss Angel is the only TV performer who really has the issues we're talking about at the moment. Things David Blaine did were experienced by the audience the way you saw it on TV and in that case I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

That Criss is one of the best known magicians at the moment doesn't really help. But I have to agree, to be upset at him doesn't help either. It's just typically America, the bigger the better, and that's what (uncomfortably) gets shared with the rest of the world which is bothering me and some magician friends at the moment. I think it's time for everyone to realize that we all have to stand with both feet on the ground and don't instantly have to believe whatever we see on TV, and too bad that's doesn't happen a lot on this globe.

 

[DLeerium]

I liked the trick. Ill give it an 8/10.

Personally I am not a big fan or Criss Angel, but this effect IMO is good from a spectator/third person/ laymen point of view.

His goal is to entertain the TV audiences and I think he has done just that.
I guess his over inflated ego is the part about him that I hate.

If you think this was bad, you must watch his performance of Mcdonald aces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDkEXBsLyhM

Now that! is a sh** performance.

 

[James Wise Magic]

I disagree. There are so many great illusions and effects Criss could've done instead of faking (almost) everything. If he would've been only on TV, fine, but this guy has stage shows as well which makes everyone believe everything he does is real.

I once got asked to give a stage magic lecture the other day, outside on a really nice day, and I was asked to finish the thing with "something really spectacular like Criss Angel" getting examples of actual stage and non-existing illusions which are impossible to do outside on the street but because Criss did it, I should've been able to do it too.

You guys obviously haven't had to deal with certain people, and I hope you actually will someday because you will see what some others and I are talking about. And yes, magic is about the performance, and Criss his performances are full of flaws, but do you think the people who like watching him care about that? All they see is that illusion, that thing they will actually remember, that thing no magician can do in real life. It's the big difference between TV magic and magic in real life. In real life it's the performance that counts, on TV it are the effects.

Actually I HAVE dealt with those certain people that say "Do something crazy like Criss Angel". Usually I'll do something like Angle Zero to a spectator's belt or Stigmata and I STILL GET REACTIONS LIKE CRAZY!!! It's not Criss, it's the US! Every now and then I'll even throw in a little card levitation.

The point is that it's the performers job to do entertain them and if they want a "Criss Angel magic effect" than do something that will blow their minds and they won't even care if it's not really, a "Criss Angel effect".

 

[visualartist]

I disagree. There are so many great illusions and effects Criss could've done instead of faking (almost) everything. If he would've been only on TV, fine, but this guy has stage shows as well which makes everyone believe everything he does is real.

I once got asked to give a stage magic lecture the other day, outside on a really nice day, and I was asked to finish the thing with "something really spectacular like Criss Angel" getting examples of actual stage and non-existing illusions which are impossible to do outside on the street but because Criss did it, I should've been able to do it too.

You guys obviously haven't had to deal with certain people, and I hope you actually will someday because you will see what some others and I are talking about. And yes, magic is about the performance, and Criss his performances are full of flaws, but do you think the people who like watching him care about that? All they see is that illusion, that thing they will actually remember, that thing no magician can do in real life. It's the big difference between TV magic and magic in real life. In real life it's the performance that counts, on TV it are the effects.

Dude I perform constantly and I have gotten that stuff.
And guess what? I have gotten them to say "MINDFREAK!!" after a certain effect.
I just dont do a card trick. Laymen themselves joke about his over the top street effects and say "ugh thats so fake" and I just tell them if they ask me if I can do it "well those are STAGE illusions" and then they go "I knew it blah blah" most of the time.
Its all YOU man.

 

[visualartist]

The point is that it's the performers job to do entertain them and if they want a "Criss Angel magic effect" than do something that will blow their minds and they won't even care if it's not really, a "Criss Angel effect".

And ive noticed that to laymen doing a criss angel trick is mostly making stuff float or something dangerous.

 

[JetEyeNight]

*Sigh*

You are forgetting something. How about the audiences that are watching the video. I'm an audience member, so is everyone else that just watched that video. I enjoyed watching the effect very much and by some of the other comments on here, so did other people.
Not to mention the MILLIONS of other people that ENJOY this trick and all the other tricks that Criss does! And like I said before, if the audience enjoys it, THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!

As I have said before, hating on Criss Angel or ANY magician for using stooges is STUPID! That's like hating on us for using a double lift! It's a method for a trick. That's it!

It's not the fact that he uses stooges that bothers me, it's the fact that his entire audiences in his show are stooges most of the time. He pays his entire audience on TV to give false testimonies and pretend to be amazed by what he does, when in fact, it's all crap. I enjoy watching magic on TV that is performed for REAL specators, not paid actors who respond with an unconvincing "OH MY GOD!"

On the flip side, I love it when David Blaine performs an effect for someone and seeing the reaction of someone who is TRULY amazed.... not paid to be amazed. That's what I love so much about magic on TV.

Yes we use stooges in magic, but Criss' entire audience on television is one big stooge. AND THAT IS THE ILLUSION. Not the effects themselves, but his paid audience. No matter how many camera tricks he uses, no matter how many stooges he uses, no matter how many camera edits he uses to put in pretaped reactions or claim that something is LIVE, the television audience won't know because of the audience members IN the show. They're reaction is what makes the masses believe, not the effects themselves. That's what I hate so much about Criss.... not to mention the camera tricks.

 

[JetEyeNight]

oh no,I was backing you up. I was speaking towards jeteye about being upset

If you're talking to me about being upset, I'm not at all. I'm more trying to inform people, because people on here are always sticking up for Criss' method of using a stooge audience. Respecting this method is just dumb. Supporters of Criss on here are always saying something to the effect "look at the reactions he gets from his audience!! That's all that matters. He's entertaining them". Please realize... They aren't real reactions. That's what get's to me about Criss supporters on here.... soooo clueless. This is what I hate about Criss. The real illusion is his audience on the show, not the actual effects.

He may be entertaining the television audience, but it's not with magic. It's a soap opera about magic. You might as well be watching The Prestige or the Illusionist.

It's with camera tricks and paid actors, and staged effects. To me, this isn't magic. So James1Wise, basically what you're saying is "it's OK to use camera tricks! It's just a method for a trick! That's it!" or "It's ok to use computer generated special effects! It's just a method for a trick! That's it! Hating Criss or any magician for using camera tricks, an entirely stooged audience, and CG Effects is just STUPID! It's like hating us for using a thumb tip!" Is this what you're trying to say?

James1Wise, if you're saying you enjoy camera tricks, entire stooged audiences, and CGI, and you're condoning the use these methods in your effects, then I'd challenge your legitimacy and credibility as a magician. The last thing we need is clones of Criss Angel.

 

[juancard]

I understand CAs style of using actors (and 'tricks') because his target is the people who watch television; I hate him for using actors though, I know he can do better. He can buy his own seal for his pack and create an illusion of a cigarette sealed deck (I've seen people do this), then force the 10 of spades.


NB, I did a mind reading trick once, and they just shouted, "mindfreak!, you're like Criss Angel", that pissed me off a little. I don't want to be like him, but nvm, people enjoy his tricks.

I hate his ego much more than I hate his performances though.

 

[The Tumbleweed]

An argument about Criss Angel?? That doesn't sound like something you'd read on theory11!!