YouTube magic videos

[Alan]

Magic videos you like or dislike or want to talk about could go here, hopefully!

I dislike:
David Copperfield's Portal


If you have an illusion which you pre-emptively defend yourself from accusations you are insulting the audience's intelligence with (3:38), that's not a good sign for your illusion.

"There's going to be a lot of critical people, cynics, who are going to say "This can't be real", "Don't insult my intelligence". Well, this is not about intelligence; it's illusion."

But why do I have this reaction to that effect? I don't think all magic insults a person's intelligence, because I know the audience doesn't think I'm actually claiming that it's real. But Copperfield goes to such lengths to prove that it is real. Even though he says it's just an illusion, it's still...there's something about this effect in particular and I'm not sure what it is. I've heard of the "too perfect" effect (something done too well doesn't seem to have as much of an impact) but this isn't that. Does anyone else have this reaction?

 

[Alan]

Cups and Balls and Chop Cups

David Regal has an excellent cups and balls routine. No baseball or orange conclusion. There's something more personally meaningful. Though it could do without the part where a spectator chooses a cup.


David Regal also has an excellent chop cup routine. Who cares about a ball, when you can use a character like this:


Penn & Teller have their clear cups and balls routine. They show the power of misdirection, as people still aren't always able to follow when clear cups are being used. At least, I'm surprised to see things where they 'shouldn't' be. Also, the benefit of a two-person act become clear. It contains probably my favourite magic move (1:15, because of what happens with Teller at 1:20).


Jason Latimer also has a clear cups and balls routine, approached from a more traditional angle in terms of presentation (as in not revealing the method). Although I'm not so sure whether the climax actually adds to the routine. Still, I think it's interesting.

 

[Alan]

Paul Gertner also has an interesting cups and balls routine, which uses sound wonderfully.

 

[AdMan]

Doesn't matter how many times I see it, I always enjoy watching Bill Malone's Sam the Bellhop performance:

 

[Senex]

Magic videos you like or dislike or want to talk about could go here, hopefully!

I dislike:
David Copperfield's Portal


If you have an illusion which you pre-emptively defend yourself from accusations you are insulting the audience's intelligence with (3:38), that's not a good sign for your illusion.

"There's going to be a lot of critical people, cynics, who are going to say "This can't be real", "Don't insult my intelligence". Well, this is not about intelligence; it's illusion."

But why do I have this reaction to that effect? I don't think all magic insults a person's intelligence, because I know the audience doesn't think I'm actually claiming that it's real. But Copperfield goes to such lengths to prove that it is real. Even though he says it's just an illusion, it's still...there's something about this effect in particular and I'm not sure what it is. I've heard of the "too perfect" effect (something done too well doesn't seem to have as much of an impact) but this isn't that. Does anyone else have this reaction?

I think this effect is brilliant. It isn't easy for David Copperfield. His audience has outrageous expectations when they walk in. If he doesn't float out the exit on a couch they are going to be disappointed. I've never found him to be disappointing.

 

[Alan]

I think this effect is brilliant. It isn't easy for David Copperfield. His audience has outrageous expectations when they walk in. If he doesn't float out the exit on a couch they are going to be disappointed. I've never found him to be disappointing.

It's a pretty good effect, but I think the effect was too big so that it doesn't seem grounded enough to seem real. I would have preferred it if the victim was transported to some location a little closer. Perhaps at some landmark in the next city, an hour away. I don't know.