Can Criss Angel Go Old School?
January 24, 2008
Has Criss Angel set magic on television back 48 years?
In a recent newspaper interview in the Fresno Bee, pioneering illusionist Mark Wilson stated some strong comments about the current state of magic on television. In 1960, Mark Wilson had a challenge - to get a sponsored magic show on television. All the naysayers told him early on that magic would not work on television because the viewers would think it was TV trickery behind the illusions.
Wilson commented about Criss Angel, “He violates all the rules. Speaking as a professional magician, I will tell you that you cannot levitate from the top of one building to another without using television tricks. My fear is that using these kind of tricks will make it like before I began and people will start thinking that true magic can’t work on television,”
Angel has always denied the accusations of camera tricks and has said that every illusion can be duplicated in a live show.
Back in 1960, when Mark Wilson first started doing magic on TV, the show went out live. In the 70’s Doug Henning’s 1 hour magic specials went out live. How ’bout it Criss? Why not 1 half hour MindFreak done under these conditions:
1) The show goes on the air live
2) Shoot live in front of a studio audience
3) No trick photography or editing and preferably done in a single shot
4) No magic tricks that cannot be performed in a live situation
5) No stooges
It hasn’t been done in 30 years. It would be ground-breaking. It probably can’t be done by Criss Angel.
Comments
70 Responses to “Can Criss Angel Go Old School?”
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Now if criss angel could do this, under those conditions i think my respect for him would go up a little bit, but sad to say, I really cant see this happening anytime soon.
But doesnt Criss have a live stage show already? Hes been doing one for years now I thought.
Criss has a stage show in the works.. what they’re trying to say is a LIVE show of what Criss already does.. it won’t be done, not with his ego. He claims everything can be replicated in a live show.. yet he doesn’t wanna do it.. gee I wonder why
I absolutely love Criss but to be honest I really don’t think he can do this and I agree wit the replies above me. But, it would be awesome if he did!
Proove everyone Criss, I know you can do it!
Well duh it can be done in his live show! He uses wires and crap! It’s muli-million dollar props he uses. It’s just MindFreak done without a screen. So what? Criss Angel is only good on TV, I give him the respect he deserves. None.
duh,you guys…criss is a multi-talented entertainer that uses every aspect in this world to pull off what he does including modern technology…and he doesn’t claim to have supernatural powers.what the hell do you think magic and illusions are,you idiots.did you also forget that he has won numerous awards,voted on by other famous magicians from all over the world!this comment is also mean’t for the illusionist team since your always posting only negativity about criss.how about giving him some credit sometime like illusionists all over the world have many times?some of his best friends are illusionists and love him dearly as a friend.so he looks like a greek god and alot of us women are obsessed with him…what’s wrong with that?also that’s another thing he deserves credit for.how many of you have the dicipline to keep your body in shape like his?get a grip people!
hahahahahah….the comment above me (posted by bettylouh) is funny….hahah….it reminds me of the gay guy that defended Britney Spears….the one that said “leave Britney aloneeeeeee!!!!” (crying)…..hahaha….is this the same guy, just a Criss Angel version??…..
….Criss Angel is very talented at editing….hahah….he is the next Steven Spielberg……
umm……. if Criss did that it would be SO COOL!!!!!!
to bad he can’t!
He’s a total faker.
Is he even a he?
Who’s Criss Angel?
Are you guys freaking crazy? Do you know anything about magic at all?? Everything Criss does and all other magicians do use props or slight of hand or both just use common sense sure Criss can do this stuff with the kind of money he has. You can do pretty much anything in a live show with money. The problem here is you guys seem to think Criss says he can do all this anytime anywhere and i dont think thats what he is saying. i think its very clear that he can do this in his stage show witch is not hard to believe at all. He is a 2 time winner of the magician of the year award voted on by true magicians not little kids or amatures so that is saying something give him Props (no pun intended) for what he has been able to do for the magic world.
[…] read on a couple blogs now about how Mark Wilson commented on how he thinks that Criss Angel has set television […]
The people defending Criss are missing the point. There’s no doubt he’s a talented and multi-awarded magician. Yes, he employs ways and means to entertain. The issue is that professional magicians have built enough confidence in people to believe that what they see on TV is not TV special effects. But supposedly (as accused), Criss resorts to that, and by doing so, destroys that confidence that has been painstakingly built up. Yes sleight of hand and TV trickery are both tricks.. but let’s be honest, people carry disdain for TV trickery compared to sleight of hand. Tell someone a trick was done with sleight of hand, they’ll say “oh well, but that was still cool”. Tell someone it was a TV trick they’ll say “Bah”.
guys and gurls! seriousely! chris angel…rubish!! i recently went on a cruise ship armed with nothing but my hands and a deck of cards and i can tel you now i had half the bar on board screaming. thats real magic guys, anytime anywhere! i even managed to levitate (to a reasonable hight). come on! chris angel is pants!!!
A live performance in front of a live audience.
Isn’t that what he did when he was in that cement box in New York? It was televised and real people were there.
Can he levitate in front of a live audience?
We’ll I’ve seen David Copperfield do it on a stage. In front of a live audience, although it was pitch black.
If he decides to do a show, it’s not going to be any different from what we’ve already seen in the past by other magicians. Obviously he won’t levitate from building to building. He’ll just throw something together that you could find at any magic show.
So why are we wasting our time arguing when we will never get our way. There is no way he will agree to do a live show and levitate that high/he didn’t get rich by being stupid.
I honestly don’t see anything wrong with Criss with what he does.
So what if his tricks are edited. Any person who is not a magician doesn’t know that he “cheats”. The only possible way they would know is if they just flat out don’t believe in magic or a magician, like you guys, told them.
I think people that say “Oh he’s a fake, he just edits his videos,” are really jealous of him because he has made a lot of money from it. Guess what people,”Get your own T.V. show.” I guarantee you’ll last 2 months tops, because believe it or not, people do get bored of ACR’s.
As magicians, we all have techniques and secrets to tricks that we take to our grave. Who’s to say that video editing isn’t a technique.
He said that whatever he does in his T.V. show can be substituted for the same effect. Just look at David Blaine. He used the balducci levitation and went back to video edit it so you can see under his feet. That’s how it would kind of appear to the spectator, so he wanted you guys at home to get the same reaction as the spectator got.
Okay, so I’m done arguing for tonight.
If you like what I said, accept it, if not ignore it.
-Dan
we all know criss cant do a show withou camara tricks..
Guys, are you kidding me. First of all, he probably can do all of his tricks live. second, there tricks, he never says he actually has powers. third, he is a performer and enternainer, he job is to amaze and entertain YOU! but all he gets is crap from everyone. plus, why are other magicians dissing him. you of all people should now that it is a trick, and just because he is the best, does not mean you have to be jelous. he worked harder than every one else, and he earned what he has accomplished. why don’t you people just enjoy his tricks instead of trying to expose him as a fake.
criss does have a live show…or at least he did i don’t know if it’s still around. He was performing his stage show MINDFREAK in Times Square at least 3 years before his first television appearance. it is hard to see criss meeting these constraints for a live episode of MINDFREAK, not because he can’t, but because it’s an insult to his abilities as a performer. i dont see us asking david blaine to follow these guidelines for any of his specials…why single out criss?
What about Blaine? I mean he had a show, could he have any camera tricks?…Like the 12 inch levitation he did?….I wonder
And that, folks, is one big reason why magic just ain’t what it used to be.
Especially since CC just shot down most of the Pro-Angel posts. Especially the few above me…
Thomas (the one who posted a few posts up from mine) is doing what most big-time magicians will consider completely disrespectful- he is dissing other magicians, both big-name and otherwise, He is also disrespecting the man who almost every modern magician here owes a great deal of respect to- Harry Houdini.
Criss Angel has also committed these offenses. I remember a certain interview with Penn Jillette where Criss belittled all of us little-name magicians. And as far as Houdini is concerned, well, did you all watch Criss’ “homage” to Houdini on the NBC show, Phenomenon? It was nothing but him being egotistic, bragging about beating Harry Houdini’s records, Who gives a crap if Criss beat Houdini’s records? I don’t. I owe NOTHING to Criss Angel. I owe A TON to Houdini.
Having said all of that, all of you Fanatic Criss Angel fans who are claiming to be magicians need to WAKE UP!!! Criss is NOT an ethical magician! This guy’s doing more harm to magic than good!
Mark Wilson is right! He really cannot do a true live show. Therefore, I believe that he is not of a quality of excellence that should be expected of a magician of his position.
Sorry for the anti-Angel rant, but it all needed to be said.
Just my $.02
-Evan
I dont Care what you think even if criss uses camra trick who cares he has brought magic back and brought where it needs to be if you can do better than you go out and try to change the way people think about magic but you will never change it like criss angel magic used to be old beat down and no one ever wanted to watch it but ever since mindfreak aired every one loves magic now so if you say anything about criss it should be thank you
Tllusion
He can do card stuff, but not the stunts. The only card trick that I can really remember was that one where it was pinned to that persons shirt. I know the method, it was in Mark Wilson’s book. That lady was a stooge.
I’m sure that he can do all the tricks that we do. But that’s it.
~Chris
Oh yeah, DB did use a camera trick, when he levitated 3 ft. in the air, in his first or second special. But that’s it, and nothing more.
~Chris
This is crazy man I know criss angel can’t do a live show every magic he perform in the TV Show is all camera trick no one like his magic, I mean yea some people do but I am saying there are some people that dont like the magic because they only like the way he look and because he win a lot of money . I know criss angel never gonna go old school like David Blaine.
everyone can do camera tricks.everyone CAN be criss angel.heres how:
1. don\\\’t practice, instead go to the gym 24/7
2.find a good editing program for pc
3. find a tv station that noone has heard of (a not \\\”popular\\\” tv channel, as AE was before criss angel)
4. tell your 2 brothers and your mom to act scared every time they see a camera
follow these 4 steps and you\\\’ll be the next Criss Angel, everyone can do it, every single one that posted a comment and are reading this. I believe in you.
When you become Criss Angel, than try being the next Harry Houdini or David Copperfield. There is no way, when you become a pro in film editing, than you can make dinosaurs appear, floating from building to building, there is no limit to what you can do. I heard he also uses the editing program to increase the \\\”MINDFREAAAAAAAAAKKKKK, ARE YOU READY?\\\” thing at the beginning of the show.
criss angel is a joke and all his friends are goth freaks and fat chicks that didn\’t see a six pack in years (only in their husbands garage fridge).
Oh and one more thing. I have a idea, lets transfer magic into film making.
Criss Angel s*cks……
Criss Angel has ruined my Dream, I was working on being the next big thing on T.V but after he did everything that Jesus did. I thought forget it now people won’t even think of magic as magic more as just a movie on T.V. where people can walk up walls and across water.
Now I might just get into film editing instead
someone needs to go ahead and post that on his forums because that would be great. I never really liked Criss’ style either, but thats a different story. I got Mark Wilson’s Complete Course In Magic form Christmas, and its amazing. Real magic is a lot better than Mindfreak’s photoshop team…
Whether it is Criss Angel or any other magician…i think that tv-editing is a powerfull tool that must be used correctly. Over using it makes the magician seem incompetent in the eyes of other magicians; this is because his real skill in slight of hand “gradually disappears” and a new skill is born : lying to the audience!!!
I feel that it is also important to remeber that other magicians watch our work too….and that it is their opinions that mostly count!!!
Give me a lot of money and i will do the same things that he does on his tv show.
Stop dissing Criss guys. I mean I know he says he doesn’t use camera tricks but he’s an ILLUSIONIST.
come on guys, he is a magician and he do it for magic world, and why don’t we support for brotherhood among magicians…?? come on criss you can do it bro!!! remember all magician are brother…
I agree with Mark Wilson…however i am a Street Magician for the last 15 years, i gather huge crowds and perform a 1 hour show with no cameras stages stooges lighting edits breaks make-up, or any other stuff that distracts. There is a magician out there who performs A SHOW, not tricks that are pre -recorded. His name is RAFAEL SEBASTIAN, from Montreal, Canada. I am not dissing Criss Angel, i think that has brought many great things to television magic.
David Blaine, i believe, is achieving greater results as a “minimalist”, and i have full respect for him.
I gather crowds who do not see cameras and go “oh yeah, i wanna be on tv!” They come and stay 1 hour for the Magic and the personality…to me this is the real secret to being a street magician and i have been living very well professionally off the streets for the last 15 years!! Mark Wilson, if you are reading this, when i met you and your wife in 1999, your words gave me a boost to be what i am today. Respect to the old-school!!!! Thanks to David Blaine and Criss Angel for bringing magic into soo many people’s lives!
-Rafael Sebastian
the whole trick is he doing street magic on his TV show MINDFREAK innit? but for live audience he using stage, thats why he can do something familiar to what he do in streets where editing doing job for him. hypnotising words “what i do in tv u can see doing me live on my live shows”(few thousand more to pay to his crew)
look at that luxor levitation from top to bottom where only few people clapping to him then the STUNT ends, he got millions and he only can hire like ~13 people for such unbelievable stunt
i can write and write but i think its obviously what he do anyways
and quote from another commentator
“He is a 2 time winner of the magician of the year award voted on by true magicians not little kids or amatures so that is saying something give him Props (no pun intended) for what he has been able to do for the magic world.”
let them vote on what he does on tv and how he ruins(maybe its not good word) magic on televison.
cheers
first off criss angel is no magician,he’s a fake nobody in this world can levitate from one building to another.what happen to the art form of magic.it seems that he loves using trick effects.everything he does on mindfreak is a gimmick.i don’t like the guy he has the biggest ego.he thinks he’s the best.
did anyone notice that he uses the “spectators point of view” camera and the guys watching TV hardly even see through the SPOV camera and apparently there isn’t really an audience to his levetation trick.
To the person who posted this:
”
hahahahahah….the comment above me (posted by bettylouh) is funny….hahah….it reminds me of the gay guy that defended Britney Spears….the one that said “leave Britney aloneeeeeee!!!!” (crying)…..hahaha….is this the same guy, just a Criss Angel version??…..
….Criss Angel is very talented at editing….hahah….he is the next Steven Spielberg……”
Criss Angel doesn’t edit his show… the editors do. And Steven Spielberg isn’t an editor. He’s a Director/Producer.
Mitchell
1) The show goes on the air live
2) Shoot live in front of a studio audience
3) No trick photography or editing and preferably done in a single shot
4) No magic tricks that cannot be performed in a live situation
5) No stooges
If he do this, all of you have no choice but to shut the heck and give him nothing but respect, all your negitivity needs to stop! He is also the reason magic is so popular so you really should be thanking him for doing a great job!
Mitch I didnt mean that literally.I know who edits Criss shows and I also know that Spielberg is a producer.ah never mind, I dont feel like explaining it, if u get it u get it, if u dont i really dont care.
and to rey:
if he did that, i would give all my respect to him, right now I have 0 respect.
1. he wants to be better than houdini
2. he just cares about himself (”Phenomenon” - everyone worked hard to and prepared for the show and he didnt even show respect, because criss knows, criss is better than houdini)
3. he doesnt practice, he tv effect for most of the tricks and with that destroyes other magicians, because noone cares about the tricks that you practiced and practiced , because you cant levitate from building to building like criss angels does, w*f ?!?! (we work so hard, but the people you perform for think your tricks arent strong enough, because you cant fly from building to building) Note: Im just giving examples, this is not my case, im a illusionist, im the stage magician, hot much into street magic, but i know magicians that cant get the reactions they could get, because every time they perform someone saids ” you know criss angel?? yeah, hes crazy, thats real……….”
******why should someone that doesnt practice get more credit than the magician that spends hours and hours practicing******
(this is my whole point)
4. he always has something to say agains David Blaine (Im not a big fan of David Blaine either), but I hate , not just magicains and famouse people, I hate, hate, hate, hate and I hate people that dont respect other people and that want to be better than someone else. Do your thing, respect others.
I hate his character, I hate his way of representing magic to the world (people will think we are freaks and screaming animals/ hint: “mind freakkkkkkk, mind freakkkkkk, are you ready?” )
Magic is a art, magicians are artists, they are people like Cardini, Dali, Houdini, David Copperfield. We should entertain people ( I dont see any entertainment in the Mind freak episodes, when I see Criss Angel on tv, I immediately change the channel). Magicains aren’t batmans, supermans, spidermans or any other heros.
For me Angel is a egoistic gypsy.
And NO I’m not jealous, if I was jealous, I would be jealous of Copperfield’s success , because I do his kind of magic. To me Copperfield is the legend in magic. No one can get to that level.
Thank for reading,
m
Come on guys wake up and smell the roses.
As magians we all use anything we can to increase the power of our effects. I’m not a fan of criss’s style of magic but i still have a great deal of respect for him and what he does. What your asking is the same as asking us street magicians to do an ambitious card routine with no sleight of hand. Try making a coin appear from nowhere without previously have the coin.Or asking a mentalist to really read my mind. Its not possible, so why ask criss angel to do his effects without his main weapon, editing. So next time you decide to bag a fellow magician for using trickery or lying to his/her audience, stop, think about what your saying and then jump on the video forum here at E and post a video of yourself restoring a card, finding a selection, vanishing a coin or chopping a women in half without using any trickery, slieght of hand or camera tricks. Then and only then can you complain about what criss does.Using any means possible to create a moment FOR HIS AUDIENCE. The folks at home. He is an entertainer and most lay people i know find him fascinating. Stop wasting your time hating on fellow magicians and use your time to become the best magician you can be. And hey lets face it, at least he’s not on tv wearing a mask revealling all our secrets.
Now Craig, I could be wrong and often I am, but Criss Angel seems to be misrepresenting magic. Now hear me out.
He is a great actor, like a magician should be. He is a good magician in the fact that he is creating for his audience on tv screens. I’m not saying he is none of those things.
He doesn’t practice the effects day in and day out like we do. We practice until we get it perfect because when it comes down to it, we have one chance and one chance only to get the effect right in front of an audience. Criss can have multiple shoots until he gets it right and even if he gets it wrong, they can cover it up with editing. On top of that, it isn’t even him doing the editing.
Like m has already stated. Magic is an art, not what Criss Angel shows it to be. And magicians aren’t freaks, like Criss seems to be representing magicians to be to the world.
And Rey, I could also be wrong about this…but I don’t believe that Criss Angel is the reason why magic is popular. I’m not saying I like David Blaine and I’m not saying David Blaine is the reason, but I hear more “Have you seen David Blaine’s show?” more than “Have you seen Criss Angel’s show?” when I perform. I believe the reason it is popular is because it never actually went down in popularity since it began. Lets look at the facts, when has magic NOT been popular, cool or not able to get somebody’s attention? The reason why magic is popular is because it creates an immediate emotional reaction in the audience and for that split second they feel as if maybe…just maybe it is possible to break the rules of reality. People don’t get excited when I say I’m a magician or I perform magic because of Criss Angel, the get excited because it is something amazing. People don’t think I’m cool because I’m a magician because of Criss Angel, they think that because of who I AM.
In fact, I am more “normal” than Criss is and I have people sometimes tell me I’m a better magician than him…not because I am, but because I am a REAL magician. Further proof that he is misrepresenting magic.
I will not deny that what Criss Angel supposedly accomplishes without the use of camera gimmicks etc. is often times stunning. I have always felt there had to be some manipulation on the part of the camera and such in order to accomplish his feats. I also have a huge problem with his EGO! If you don’t believe he has an ego problem, check out the incident on the recent American Idol style show dealing with the world of psychic and paranormal abilities. He belittled a contestant to the point where a physical altercation almost took place. I love the 5 condition challenge! If indeed there are no camera gimmicks etc. involved, why not do a completely live show? I understand that he is in the process of preparing a live show for Las Vegas. My guess is that you will not see some of the more spectacular displays that are included in his Mind Freak series. I am sure though that all the talk etc. continues to stroke his already incredibly exaggerated EGO!
The thing is Angel will preform his “mind-blowing” camera stunts on the street and then claim to be able to do them live at any stage situation. To the common laymen, the street and the stage appear to be the same feild of magic… WRONG, the stage is a completely different playing field than the street, Its true that most of these effects can be accomplished via stage props and stooges. BUT ON THE STREET WITH REAL PEOPLE??! Cmmon! Angel is pushing the deal here. His levitation is almost as phony as the actors in his show. The point is you see him do it on the street on TV then you see him do it live on stage. Then your fooled into beleiving that what he did on the street was real. And Congrats to make wilson! Its about time somone acted up against this guy.
Theres my 2 cents
-Nick
Ive always wondered what the “magic community” thought of criss angel. I personally never liked his shows because It wasn’t as entertaining. I would walk away not wondering how he did it, but how he made it look like he did it. To me, thats not magic. Thats cinematography. Not what I’m in to.
Criss works our cultural expectations. For example, there’s a short clip on YouTube of him walking on water. It’s fun to analyze. He’s got his stooges (all young, trendy people) in the water keeping it choppy so the camera can’t see beneath the surface. From poolside Criss is clearly putting his weight on something just below the surface. Then later there’s a shot looking straight down from over his head. His feet aren’t carrying his weight at this point at all. What’s even more interesting is ***where did the overhead camera come from?*** We certainly didn’t see it from the side shot. Could Criss be hanging from whatever boom is holding the camera? (I’d say absolutely!) Most viewers don’t give this angle shot much of a thought because we’re used to seeing movies/TV with many different angle shots. In a way, it’s kind of clever, but it’s not magic in the sense of what everyone here is talking about. I can’t say that I like the role Criss has chosen to play, but given the medium he’s chosen to perform within, it does make a loopy kind of sense. The danger as Mark Wilson points out is that viewers will see all magic as camera effects and not the result of skill and invention.
I live in Las Vegas, and i actually have friends that help Criss out, Yea he’s got showmanship and talent. But as for doing a live show, 100percent, i donot think that is in Criss’s range of talent. Honestly i dont think he cares. criss has made magic popular and cool. when i go to a party and perform people always ask me if i know how he does his illusions, i always stand up for him, not because i personaly like his work, but because he is a magician. A magician is an artist who takes something and puts their interepretation on a piece of magic. Criss has done that. Although i think he probably had help along the way it doesn’t matter. Respect him, and especially in front of YOUR audience, or they wont respect you for trashing something that they know. I honestly do believe and have some evidence that criss uses stooges and t.v. effects, but then again, we wouldnt be talking bout him unless he was able to overcome the fact that he appears to be a “SFX” magician. Use criss to promote yourself as a magician, if you can do an illusion he does, then do it. not only does it involve your spectator more, but it shows that magicians need to help each other, because everyday our secrets are exposed to youtube and metacafe and tv. lets not tear ourselves down when we have half ass performers (and i use that term loosly, who think they are magicains) do unpracticed sloppy magic and ruin it for a spectator forever.
Best Reguards,
Snoopy
” It may be a card trick, but mess it up once and noone will ever believe you as magic “
I do not like Mindfreak in the slightest, however, to play devil’s advocate, I don’t agree with the “no stooges” condition. While I hate trick photography, multi-shots, ect, Stooges are just another method of doing magic, which CAN be performed live, just like the pass, the double lift, classic palm, and so on and so fourth.
Mark Wilson basically set the standard, and unwritten rules for magic on TV. These rules were followed closely up until the end of David Copperfield’s TV days.
For the most part David Blaine’s 1st special followed these rules until it came time to show the self levitation. The inherent problem with magic on TV vs live (especially for the past few dacades) is that it is recorded, and can be played back, paused, and played in slow motion. Obviously, the Balducci levitation, an effect that can look amazing when seen for the 1st time at the right angle (catching the audience off gaurd) can get a great reaction from the few spectators who see it at once. When viewing it on tape, more than once, it really loses a lot in the visual surprise and effect.
It seems that Blaine felt that as long as it was presented on TV how the actual spectators would have remembered it, he could step outside of the box a bit and bend the rules.
David Copperfield was even fair with plants (stooges). When someone was not a plant in his live, or TV shows, he would ask “Have we ever met… did we pre-arrange or set anything up?” When they were a plant, he just wouldn’t ask. That was always very fair.
Copperfield’s last special, “Tornado of Fire” seemed to be full of rule breaking. Magician’s were stunned! His live show appeared to be surrounded by audience. To a lay audience, it would look the same as if they had seen it the night before in a theatre, live. The fact of the matter is that the entire show appeared to be one big camera trick.
It seems that Criss Angle, as a good friend of mine says, “hasn’t stepped outside of the box… to him, there simply is no box! He just doesn’t care!”
I do think that he has sparked in interest in people that wouldn’t have existed before, and has helped bring magic to a new exciting level. I won’t deny that. I give him that. I see it every day when I am performing. People are more excited about seeing me perform when I approach them in a restaurant, etc.
The negative to this, as “M” mentioned (differently), the rest of us look inferior to his “skill” because many (not all) people in the lay public believe that what Criss does is traditional illusion or skill that only he has the ability to do due to his knowledge and practice.
For as long as I have performed (22 years), I have gotten the wonderful reactions that we all crave, but since Mind Freak has been on the air, people often react differently after seeing us. It’s more like:
“That’s awesome, but have you seen that Criss Angel guy? Do you know how he does any of that stuff? (even after doing stuff he has done on the show) Can you levitate like he does, and float from building to building…?”
I can’t very well say, “No, but neither can he…” because they think they have seen him do it!
I think Criss has skill. I actually like a lot of his presentations. The main problem I have with what he does is that it makes the rest of us look like we are not even in the same playing field as him, when I learned first hand from many of the same people he did, and still does.
Some of you feel like it doesn’t matter, if camera tricks are his gimmick, then so-be-it. Well, I’m just not sure I agree that that is being a magician… At the same time, he entertains people… maybe that is really what is important.
its funny to hear the pro-angel, and anti-angel people. First of all i would like to see any of you do a live show….exactly. He is a hard worker at some of his tricks, only problem is that while not taking full credit for all of his tricks he is not giving out the whole information on who invented the tricks. So many people just think that Criss Angel is a god of sorts who invented these tricks from scratch. The reason I dislike him is because he seems like a pretty big douchebag because he is a big celebrity of magic. Also the Houdini records being broken, it doesnt matter since Houdini invented the tricks and had to perfect them from scratch, Angel just put his own twist on it thats pretty much it. So while nowhere close to Pro-Angel I certainly don\’t dislike him for being a smart guy with how he does his tricks.
I find it funny that the ellusionist team only posts negitive things about criss. I doubt that Criss uses camera tricks and stooges. I mean Criss has done things like the cement block escape which, wasn’t only an escape, it was also an illusion at the end.
If he could do that, what’s stopping him from doing something else? I mean he says he trys to use modern tech. to perform his tricks. I mean come on, with the technology that we have today, are you REALLY saying that there is no-possible-way that we could do what he has done???
I mean lets get serious. Instead of using the basic wires, magnets, and other old gimmicks, he could just be using something newer. I have videos up on youtube, and sometimes people claim I use camera tricks, I don’t. The tricks I know, many other people know them, and many other people can learn them. It’s the fact that they can’t comprehend the possible reason of how it’s possible, now criss is in the same situation, just with bigger tricks. Come on, give criss a break.
Thank you Mark Wilson. I had a lot of respect for Criss during his earlier years, but his later shows really tick me off as they become more and more about his supervisors and consultants stating how impossible it is for him to do whatever stunt he may be performing. Give me a break, do the effect and cut out the tv crap man. What he really did was spend himself out on season 1 and 2 and he has no where to go; practically every episode was ‘never done before’ or ‘Harry Houdini did this and this, I’m going to beat it’. Don’t get me wrong, that’s fine and all every now and again, but now he has nowhere to go.
I think that Criss can really do it. I’ve discovered that if you put your mind to trick you can probably figure it out or come up with your own version. For example, just recently I saw Fallen performed. I took a deck of cards to my bathroom and figured out my own variant of how to do it.
I think that levitating from one building to another would only need a lot of consentration on making what ever is holding him up disappear from the camera’s view.
I agree with the upper post. So much new stuff to perfect the illusion. It only takes a lot of emaginacian.
Hey, I got to say I would love to see criss angel levitate from building to another live on Tv but I think I can say for sure that will never happen.
When I do magic for people they most the time ask me some questions about criss, david blane and others, most the time when they talk about criss angel it is not something he would want to hear, I think he would snap, An increasing number of people are starting to hate his shows and the fact that he is using camera tricks and actors..
He lost most all respect from me when I heard that and saw a video of one of his actors admit that he was ye .. using actors like most the time.
I think he did damage to magic shows for many years.
~ arnar
Magic is supposed to create a feeling of astonishment in our audiences.
If anyone were to bring video tricks to the public attention as a method in a magic show, the public will start to assume that everything they can’t explain is a camera trick.
Once this happens magic on TV might as well not exist because noone will be feeling that amazement anymore.
That’s why Mark is (rightfully) upset.
And that’s why Criss using these methods is bad.
Tom
When a “magician” has a bunch of wires and pulley systems rigged up in order to make him “float” and then goes and has that video footage edited to make the wires disappear and then claim NOT TO USE ANY CAMERA TRICKS OR EDITING he becomes a liar and he looses the respect of legitimate magicians who take the time and effort to do things the ethical way. If I wanted to see that kind of Hollywood special effects stuff I would go rent the Superman videos. If Criss is a great magician then so is Steven Spielberg and any one else with a big bank account and a good video editing studio.
Right on. Right On. I’m so glad to see people have the same opinions of Criss as me; everyone I talk to or do magic for always comment “OH MY GOD CRISS ANGEL IS AMAZING BLAH BLAH BLAH” and I bite my tongue out of respect. One of the guys above (way above) our posts said we gotta bond as magicians and help ourselves out and not bash ourselves publicly, which I agree on. I mean, if nothing else, it’s common respect. Anyway, as a group amongst ourselves, it’s good to have this anti/pro- angel discussion.
Oh, that comment was directed to Brian above the post above mine, for anyone that was confused. I don’t really see how you could be confused, if you read them chronologically, but, you know what they say: If you make something idiot-proof, they just come out with a better idiot.
yeah, ill have to go with the anti angel here, i just showed Fallen to my friend, he said “Hey, did you see chris angel walk on water”! Completely ignores the effect.after arguing for a bit, he says”Jeez, just accept he can do real magic, thats why his name’ s ANGEL”.there he goes again, belittleing us.
When is david blaine going to pop back up? When he came out it blew everyone away. We all knew it was slight of hand but you could not catch it. It was real! criss angel does not have that. Not that he couldn’t but he chooses to put on a show more like the big stage magicians when the statue of liberty disapears. I was a kid when I saw david copperfield do it and I knew it was camera tricks with an on the payroll audience. That is why street magic works. You can’t fake a FRUIT LOOP.
you have got to be kidding me, old school? this guy has no talent to go OLD SCHOOL, you need skills to go old school, not cameras and stooges! HE CANT SING either, i think his brothers have a great deal they ride crisses back and criss rides the backs of other magicians and then screws them!!! what a world! but his wig looks better then mine!!!! YOU gotta be out of your mind to watch mindfuck!
without the help of luke jerramey, banachek, wayne houchin and several other talented magicians, mentalists he is a loser, i guess they signed up with him for the almighty dollar. i know he has screwed some of his consultants, i have seen many of waynes effects imitated by criss, and done like crap! criss you really are terrible please go back to pumping gas.
Let me pose a question. Would America still have loved Harry Houdini or Evel Knievel
if they used camera tricks instead of doing his own stunts?
With that said Criss Angel did spark my interest in Magic again. I was completely blown away the first time I watched mindfreak. But if he is using camera tricks then he is not even on the same level as Evel Knievel. Criss probably can do a lot with out camera tricks. But now that he has used camera tricks people will start to doubt if everything he does is a camera trick. Basically all it has done is cast a shadow of doubt on his his own ability. This goes for David Blaine as well… Once a magician uses camera tricks he or she cast doubt on the rest of their performance and their ability as a magician/performer.
So to Chris, David Blaine, and everyone else… don’t use camera tricks. Houdini didn’t!
Oh, one more thing….
Does anyone remember Milli Vanilli?
I would hate for the magic community to end up with a scandal like that!
i think that zack has a good picture.
…. none of us should dis-criss…..remember “respect!”
even though he did that to blaine in his first episode of mindfreak(when one of the actors said that blaine should k**S criss’s…you know the rest..!!!
But i think that it is blaine who is a good sport…for not actually responding and stooping to that level….. seems to earn his respect very gracefully ..!
in the end ….criss entertains me…though he also irritates me cause he doesnt really follow any rule !!!heh….when i think about that more and more…i seem to realise that this doesnt effect me peronally more than it does for criss himself….its upto the people to decide wheather criss is worthy of respect given to him!
o…one more thing, i dont think criss is the best in magic! Do you?
for that out of those random four names which do you think is the best:
-david blaine
-cyril takayama
-criss angel
-darren brown
they simply are all amazing……and there are many more who are amazing..!!!and this is the secret..dont focus at only one magician…diversify your attention…!!!
I would definitely like to see this special on TV. I think it’d be thouroughly entertaining. I’d also like to see the one where Criss was challanged by another magician to sit at a table under chinese water torture and see which one of them could perform the best/most magic effects without getting up or quiting from the mental stress. I forgot who the other proffessional was, but last I heard was that Criss refused the challange.
respect? what respect should this loser get, when in fact he has none for the art of magic, he is very lucky, thats all, its amazing how he has turned magic into nothing more than special effects. houdini is rolling over in his grave right now. anyone who is serious about this art knows he has no skills. ellusinist is not the only magic shop that has dropped his items, anyone you speak to that again is serious about magic knows the truth, CRISS ANGEL sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anthony’s right. the pros who film reactions(real ones, not actors), and get them because of what the audience just saw. they’re gone. not gone, but people just dont care it you cant walk on water. The thing is, its not even HIS SKILL! he doest even train! he cant do any of this stuff, yet overshadows everyone. he killed an art.
Amen, Jake its just the truth, so many talented magicians out there that dont get there dues, i love this sight ! i buy alot of E videos simply for the training of the pros like Brad.
Criss could never produce a video to train amateur magicians because he is 2 steps below one.
I would just like to say that I HAVE duplicated Criss flying effects WITHOUT the use of any harness, steel cables, and NO EDITING. So I’m not buying that. If I had the backing he does, I COULD do it live, and walk away clean and examinable. Check it out if you don’t believe me. Type in “impossible levitation” on youtube
Great article and I agree with the guy. Criss Angel is single handedly ruining magic for TV. People love to be legitimately fooled by creativity or sleight of hand. People really respect all the time and practice that went into it. But when people find out it was a camera trick they cry foul and rightfully so. Camera tricks allow anyone to do magic. Criss Angel sucks.