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Criss Angel

Another reason people may be disappointed if they were to shell out the money for the CA levitation is the way it's presented on TV vs the way it's presented in reality. It's recommended to only do it for one person at a time. On the tv show, he has people right to his right front, who go on clapping as if they've just been amazed. I suspect (and it's only a suspicion since I don't know the exact method he uses) that those people are either "in on it" with CA, or are just willing to clap as a wink at those who are being fooled behind him.
 
MarkDown said:
Another reason people may be disappointed if they were to shell out the money for the CA levitation is the way it's presented on TV vs the way it's presented in reality. It's recommended to only do it for one person at a time. On the tv show, he has people right to his right front, who go on clapping as if they've just been amazed. I suspect (and it's only a suspicion since I don't know the exact method he uses) that those people are either "in on it" with CA, or are just willing to clap as a wink at those who are being fooled behind him.
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When ever I perform this in public I almost always have a couple of my buddies act as confederates and do the same thing you saw on the show. By doing that I've been able to perform it successfully for over half a dozen people at a time. Using confederates or stooges is a part of magic that many seem to take for granted.
 
I watched my first Criss Angel show last night. I DVR'd it too. I went back and watched several times the levitation onto the cafe chair and the concrete wall. When he is levitating onto the concrete wall about 2 feet up the wind is blowing and he appears to wobble as if connected to something in front of him. Very bad for breaking the whole illusion for me. The levitation we see where he lifts about 4 or 5 feet looks very staged and I bet this is done by some type of lift or crane system. These levitations of up to 4 or 5 feet do not appear to be part of his street magic but are very staged. There are edits of people seeing this but they are not in the same camera shot. They could easily be edits from another trick he has done where the participates look amazed. I was very disappointed with CA. The whole occult look to him and the symbol of his name looks much like a pentagram when you first see it. He is going to cash in big with the Goth and Satanic crowd. I will stick with David Blaine for all my street magic. He is the better of the two IMHO.
 
Magic, cool tricks and all, is typically cheesy, and when I see CA with his goth shtick, and his hype-men saying that CA is in such danger with each and every trick, etc., all I can think of is a big block of cheese.
 
You can hear Penn interviewing him at:

http://penn.freefm.com

In the interview he states clearly that he doesn't believe in anything paranormal, he doesn't have any special powers, and he doesn't want people thinking he has special powers.
 
I found another thread where regular members of the board point out clearly that there is NO magick-with-a-k involved in Criss's show. So they're not all deluded.

I can't post the URL unfortunately: not enough posts yet.
 
I cannot speak for anyone, much less for Chris Angel, but if it was up to me, I would put a "sticky" post in the forum with a disclaimer. If after that folks want to continue with the nonsence (and some probably will), at least my personal ethics would be satisfied.
 
I'm no magician, and it all amazes me, but watching him levitate a woman on the street in Las Vegas, I got the serious feeling that the lady, and her partner were stooges. The Gentleman held her from the side across the middle, was the last (of three people) to let go of her, and while watching this woman seemingly hang in the air, was looking around to watch the crowd applauding. I may be drawing incorrect conclusions, but if it were me, I'd be watching the trick and only the trick.
 
T'ai Chi said:
Magic, cool tricks and all, is typically cheesy, and when I see CA with his goth shtick, and his hype-men saying that CA is in such danger with each and every trick, etc., all I can think of is a big block of cheese.
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If you don't like magic, don't watch it.
 
I like magic. I also like commenting on what I find silly about it.

I guess people seem to think if you like something that means not criticizing it at all, and they throw thinking out the window.
 
T'ai Chi said:
I like magic. I also like commenting on what I find silly about it.

I guess people seem to think if you like something that means not criticizing it at all, and they throw thinking out the window.
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Thanks for acknowledging that you read my posts.
 
Another CA feat on non-amazingness was the buried alive, how people were talking about something like 'gee, I hope it doesn't rain, that would make the dirt heavier and crush Chris', then it rains. Not only a little trickle, but a huge downpour.

And they all managed to have umbrellas and slickers on, despite them earlier saying that the weatherman didn't predict this.

*groan!*
 
T'ai Chi said:
Another CA feat on non-amazingness was the buried alive, how people were talking about something like 'gee, I hope it doesn't rain, that would make the dirt heavier and crush Chris', then it rains. Not only a little trickle, but a huge downpour.

And they all managed to have umbrellas and slickers on, despite them earlier saying that the weatherman didn't predict this.

*groan!*
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This has nothing to do with the magic act itself. You are instead mocking the spectators.

A lot of your posts have to do with mocking other people, it seems.
 
CFLarsen said:
This has nothing to do with the magic act itself. You are instead mocking the spectators.
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Family members and paid members of the crew are not 'spectators'. They are participants which makes them part of the magic act.

Opinions on TV shows and magic acts are almost always worthless prattle when given by someone who hasn't seen the show or act.
 
rikzilla said:
I did get to see some of the "Mindfreak" show but wasn't home so couldn't record it. Criss has some very cool street magic illusions. I went to his message board to learn more and found it full of nutty "believers".

Here's a common example:



Here's a link.

I've been trying to talk a little sense to some of these people and have been warned by moderators to "stop trying to debunk this".

I'm likely to get banned....funny thing is that Mr. Angel is not making supernatural claims as far as I know....but he sure seems to be encouraging others to court the woo-woos for him. Disgusting!

-z
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That's why I don't understand why some people try to debunk him, and call him a fraud. He's a magician performing illusions.
 
Sadly I had to hunt down online the video of him showing how he did his levitation trick just to prove to my friends that he didn't make a pact with Satan for supernatural powers.

Then they made me hunt down how he did the window trick and prove that glass isn't in fact a slow moving liquid.

I need less gullibe friends damnit.
 
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