Magic on TV

[JohnM]

I am a fan of both Criss Angel and David Blaine.

Criss Angel has a new TV show here in US on Spike TV called Believe. I am totally dumbfounded by this show. Just about every trick is over the top and the only way I can imagine how they are done is with stooges and camera tricks. In fact the stooges are not very good actors at all. Look at this clip of Shaq being levitated over Criss' house. I am imagining a crane that is lifting him and the entire audience is in on it. I might be wrong but if I am correct, what is the purpose of this. For sure he is ruining magic for all those that are in on it. This video is not good quality but you will get the idea.
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/6hwl11 ... -gets-high

On the other had David Blaine has a show coming up where he does close up magic for various celebrities. This is a one episode special and looks to be really magical.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0, ... 0.html#vid

Has anyone else seen Criss' new show? What is your take on it?

[SimonC]

I've not seen angels new show but I know a lot of his tricks are 'made for tv'. they look impressive on the screen but they rely on a lot of stooges, camera angles and set pieces. I mean magic is magic, as magicians amateur or professional we lie all the time, so it shouldn't really matter how we achieve our effects. his pulling a woman in half is great, You work out pretty much instantly that she's a stogie but the initial impact is a great punch

[David DeTenyo]

Interesting subject - who is your favourite tv-magician. For me they are Paul Daniels and Doug Henning when they perform close-up. It's often funny, it' s cute, it is performed so well and smooth and you're sucked into the whole routine/story.

Here are two examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUnjIAnjERQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06O46DjlvzQ .

I don't like the bombastic approach some magicians use, I prefer nice litle close-up illusions with a wonderfull story around them. I love David Copperfield doing his grandpa's aces routine or pen through dollar but I couldn't care less for his flying stunt or making the statue of liberty dissapear for example.

[SimonC]

I love tommy cooper. He was a uk comedian I'm sure youve heard ofbut he was a member of the magic circle too. He presented himself as a crap magician who kept doing tricks wrong but would often end with a sucker punch.
This ones a classic http://youtu.be/qHO3TQfXz5A
And if you like that...
http://youtu.be/KHYnahPkJI8
http://youtu.be/5yNzkMqBToc
http://youtu.be/MxmA9BgUO7s

"I'm on a whiskey diet, I've lost three days already"

[David DeTenyo]

Tommy Cooper ... how could I forget about him! I own three DVD's with his shows - absolutely great. He's very underestimated as a magician. Such a shame he completely lost himself in alcohol and he's no longer with us anymore.

[Roberto B.]

Interesting subject - who is your favourite tv-magician. For me they are Paul Daniels and Doug Henning when they perform close-up. It's often funny, it' s cute, it is performed so well and smooth and you're sucked into the whole routine/story.

Here are two examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUnjIAnjERQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06O46DjlvzQ .

I don't like the bombastic approach some magicians use, I prefer nice litle close-up illusions with a wonderfull story around them. I love David Copperfield doing his grandpa's aces routine or pen through dollar but I couldn't care less for his flying stunt or making the statue of liberty dissapear for example.

I have seen several versions of this Rubik cube trick on the market.....I have never got one.......which is the best one in your opinion?

[John B.]

I am a fan of both Criss Angel and David Blaine.

Criss Angel has a new TV show here in US on Spike TV called Believe. I am totally dumbfounded by this show. Just about every trick is over the top and the only way I can imagine how they are done is with stooges and camera tricks. In fact the stooges are not very good actors at all. Look at this clip of Shaq being levitated over Criss' house. I am imagining a crane that is lifting him and the entire audience is in on it. I might be wrong but if I am correct, what is the purpose of this. For sure he is ruining magic for all those that are in on it. This video is not good quality but you will get the idea.
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/6hwl11 ... -gets-high

On the other had David Blaine has a show coming up where he does close up magic for various celebrities. This is a one episode special and looks to be really magical.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0, ... 0.html#vid

Has anyone else seen Criss' new show? What is your take on it?

I like his show, but he uses way too many stooges, and the show is shot to look like these are just regular people off the street.

I really like a TV series that uses four young magicians and goes into the science behind why they work. It is called Breaking Magic:

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/breaking-magic

[David DeTenyo]

I have seen several versions of this Rubik cube trick on the market.....I have never got one.......which is the best one in your opinion?

No idea. I once saw it demonstrated in a magic shop and the shop owner was a bit clumsy and I could see the gimmick - he even showed me the gimmick afterwards and explained how it worked. From that point I knew it wasn't something for me. But that was one verion of course, I don't know if there are other versions that use a different approach.

[Peter G]

I really like Aldo Colombini. His way of presenting magic is very simple but with a lot of humor.
Last year I had the opportunity to go to his farewell-tour but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it and still regret that upon today...
Anyway, here is a video http://vimeo.com/15703625

I can really recommend the penguin lecture from him...very entertaining!

[Peter G]

Sorry, I noticed too late it's only tvmagicians in this post!
In that case-> David Blaine & David Copperfield
In my young days I like Bardi, but I bet only David knows that one

[Peter G]

Woohoo...David Blaine has a new show starting nov. 19 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jihsu2l87H8

[JohnM]

David Blaine's special looks great. I can't wait.

[JohnM]

Very Interesting.

Most of you guys know I am very good at picking up and remember details.

Well I just noticed that David Blaine's show will be airing on Tuesday at 9:30 pm.

Criss Angel's show airs on Tuesday nights at 10:00 pm.

Coincidence. I think not. Touché!

[gazpratley]

john have you ever seen Britains answer to blaine,his name is Dynamo, he is also very good he walked across the river thames,walked down the side of a building and some of his close up is just fantastic eg mobile phone in the beer bottle.... good stuff.