Magic news sources protest TV show
October 2, 2008
A popular, respected news source about the magic industry is ready to call out those who would expose illusions. Another is calling for a boycott of a TV show and its advertisers.
The show causing the concern features the Masked Magician, a professional magician who risks breaking the magician’s code in order to reveal secrets of many major illusions, from the classic sawing lady in half to simple street-magic card tricks. iTricks broke some disturbing news about the show: An anonymous source reports that members of The Magic Castle have been contributing to the exposure. Young said he will name those alleged to have helped the show profit at the expense of other magicians.
Keep in mind, that charge about Magic Castle members is still an allegation. If proven to be true, it would be heartbreaking to many. Membership in the group is significant, and earning the chance to perform there is an honor.
But here’s the question: How does exposure affect you? Tremendously, some would argue. If you spent money and hours of practice on perfecting Tattoo Joe, then perform it for a crowd on the street, only to have someone yell, “I know how you did that! You’re blanking a blank that has been blanked,” it would seem your performance, credibility and future gigs have disappeared like that bass on Russell’s arm.
But consider this: The Masked Magician has been doing his shows since 1997, yet magic is incredibly popular right now. Look at all the new shows that have cropped up on TV and in Vegas. We have seen David Blaine, the Mindfreak, Phenomenon, CelebraCadabra and many incredible performers. And the Masked Magician isn’t the only one exposing magic these days. Yet magic has thrived. Ellusionist has grown since its creation THREE YEARS AFTER the first special. (Don’t get us wrong: Ellusionist condones NO FORM of exposure of any magician’s effect.)
ITricks and Magic Newswire are doing what they can to fight the problem. You can fight the problem by simply performing this art you have discovered. Many people know that magic is accomplished through sleight of hand, and they love watching it anyway. A strong performance persona and compelling style will bring back spectators and fans, even if they know how all your tricks are done. Don’t believe me? Consider that one of the MM’s shows was about street magic, yet the field has grown by leaps and bounds, and Blaine and Angel still have popular shows.
If exposure still gets you down, do a search through target=”_blank”>the Ellusionist forums. You’ll find great advice on dealing with exposers, hecklers and other malcontents.
Rough week for well-known magicians
October 1, 2008
Man, what a week for magicians.
First, David Blaine’s spectacular, super-secret finale to “Dive of Death” bombs because of technical glitches. Now, Criss Angel is getting pasted with awful reviews for “Believe,” his new collaboration with the Cirque du Soleil folks on stage in Las Vegas. Though magicians regularly like to debate the differences between Blaine and Angel, the two have a lot in common this week.
Blaine has been getting ripped by countless bloggers, talking heads, comedians and even a snitty Anderson Cooper. Pretty rough for a guy who actually apologized the morning after the big jump. Still, none of it compares with the indignity of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog pulling a Mary Jane Watson on Blaine.
But Blaine has had it relatively easy compared to Angel. You’ve probably already seen Doug Elfman’s review of audience members’ take on the show in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Elfman eschews the show and opts to interview audience members who were, at best, ruthless. An alleged PR rep for Angel told the magician’s side of the story to Perez Hilton. Other bloggers and columnists have made the people quoted in the Elfman story look like soccer moms (too many links for linking, sorry). Unfortunately, a review written by a columnist who actually saw the show doesn’t give much hope for it, either.
Lost in all this is the magic. Angel’s fourth season of Mindfreak is improved from previous seasons, in regards to actual magic being shown. Tickets for “Believe” are selling fairly well. And Blaine’s “Dive of Death” featured some of the best magic since, arguably, his first, groundbreaking special. If your friends and co-workers are dogging Blaine or Angel, don’t get disheartened. Blaine and Angel are larger than life, because of their ambitious projects that don’t always pan out. That doesn’t mean you can’t still floor your friends with your ambitious card routine.
Magic’s most dangerous tricks
September 29, 2008
The sword cabinet. The straitjacket escape. The trick with the spike under the cups. The roller coaster escape.
While you’re waiting for BentTouchSlink, think about this: What’s the most dangerous magic trick of all?
The good people at Listverse.com have their top 10, and published them over the weekend, along with a lot of videos that feature David Copperfield, Harry Houdini, Criss Angel, Penn & Teller, Lance Burton and David Blaine, among others. Agree, disagree? Discuss.
What’s that ticking sound on Ellusionist.com?
September 25, 2008
Must be… the countdown for the release of Daniel Garcia’s BentTouchSlink, Daniel available at 4 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Pacific) Tuesday, Sept. 30.
BentTouchSlink is a DVD featuring three effects by Daniel Garcia, who was one of David Blaine’s creative consultants for “David Blaine: Dive of Death.” Remember when Blaine took a dollar bill and moved the inks in a seal to the other side of the bill? Blaine committed Fraud, and Garcia is the genius who devised it. Garcia’s effects are among some of the most simple to perform and shocking to spectators. Check out the promo video and see for yourself.
It wouldn’t be an Ellusionist release without some killer promos, however: For the first three hours, every seventh order will include a FREE copy of Fraud and a FREE copy of Tricycle, the effect where a card prediction is made right on the box. This effect, by Garcia and Luke Dancy, is so killer that several Ellusionist gaff decks have incorporated the principle behind it.
Don’t miss your chance to stock up on some classic Garcia magic. Be there this Tuesday. Get ready to drop jaws and blow minds.
Blaine: Finale didn’t go as planned
September 25, 2008
Photo courtesy the Associated Press
The controversial, anticlimactic finale to “David Blaine: Dive of Death” was not supposed to be that way, said Blaine.
Magic Newswire posted an audio link of Blaine talking about the stunt this morning. According to the interview, Blaine was to jump and descend about five feet, then balloons were supposed to whisk him away after everything went dark. But President Bush’s address to the nation pushed the time schedule back, then winds picked up, complicating the stunt.
Blaine also addressed the controversy over his potty breaks on “Live with Regis and Kelly.” Said Blaine: “I think there was some confusion about why I was taking breaks. There’s no way to relieve yourself without putting everyone below you at risk.”
Here’s his appearance this morning on “Live with Regis and Kelly.” It’s not the best video quality or the complete interview; his interview starts around 5:18:
Dive of Death: Spectacular magic, controversial ending
September 24, 2008
Now that it’s over, here’s my take: This was a magic climax straight from the mind, or spirit, of Andy Kaufman. We are meant to be talking about this, because it is completely NOT what we were expecting. Hindsight shows that the poster gave us a clue. For those who didn’t see it: Blaine jumped from the top of his rig, floated down, then ascended up into the air and disappeared.
There’s some general disappointment from the users in the iTricks chat; Justin Robert Young suggests the bullet catch would have been a better ending. All the way around, it was an awesome special packed with incredible magic. Look at all the tricks he did below.
Here’s our running account of the street magic performances David Blaine does in “Dive of Death.” Keep checking back for more (latest tricks on top)…
- Interesting climax with the dive. He plummeted to the platform, then ascended into the air… and disappeared. This is going to be controversial for a while.
- Justin Robert Young rocks the Iron Man mask. Only Downey does it better.
- One word for the bullet catch: WOW. Two more: Slow motion.
- Here’s a shout out to those following on the iTricks live chat.
- Blaine did the matchbook trick again (see below) for a New Orleans Saints fan (WHODAT?!) living in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. He then changed five $1 bills into $100s with just a twist of the bills. He then passed them out. An outstanding, charitable Extreme Burn. The bullet catch is coming up…
- Blaine took a signed, borrowed dollar bill, then moved a seal from one side of the bill to the other. John Mayer didn’t have anything to say this time… he was gobsmacked. Blaine just committed Fraud.
- Blaine had Serena Williams choose a favorite card and hold on to it. Her mother then chose a card at random. Written on Serena’s card was a prediction of what card her mother would take.
- Blaine took a borrowed quarter, then stretched it like it was Silly Putty.
- This one wasn’t magic, but impressive as all getout: He took not one, but two shots in the gut from mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice. OUCH.
- Blaine had a woman choose a card sign it, then put it back in the deck. Blaine had another woman choose a different suit. He held the deck in his hand, which visibly melted away, leaving only the chosen suit and the signed card. He did the same effect for John Mayer, who said it was done with pulleys.
- Blaine had a man choose one card, sign it then hold it in his hands. Blaine had another man name a card at random, then light a match and burn it under the first card. The card changed to the second. The first card? It was the matchbook.
- Blaine did some classic card magic for the New York Giants, including an ambitious card routine. Most of what he did can be learned from Crash Course in Card Magic volumes 1 and 2. CC2 teaches the ambitious card routine — a classic in card magic — and several enhancements to it.
- Blaine had a spectator sign a quarter, then hold it in a closed fist. After everyone in the crowd touched her hand, the quarter bent. Check out a similar effect: The Superman Coin Bend.
- Blaine called for a butterfly, which appeared out of nowhere and landed on his finger.
- Blaine made a little piece of paper jump from his hand to a little girl’s hand.
- Blaine had a girl think of a card, cut the deck, then flip over half of it. The chosen named card was on the top of the flipped half.
- Blaine had actor Orlando Bloom choose a card from a pile of 10 cards while holding a pile of 10 more cards behind him. Bloom thought of a card from the original pile, which then appeared in the pile hiding behind his back. This effect is one of Blaine’s favorites. It’s called Strange Travelers.
- Blaine set up four cellphones circling a plate. He had the owners of the phones call the other phones, then put a quarter on the plate. The quarter started dancing, shaking and vibrating.
- Blaine took a signed dollar bill, ripped an end off and ate it. Then, he blew on the ripped dollar bill and restored the eaten part — on the wrong end.
- Blaine had a man drain a glass bottle. Blaine took the cap, slapped it on the bottom of the bottle… and the cap jumped inside the bottle. He then had another spectator hold his hands near the bottom of the bottle, which drops off by itself. If you liked this effect, check out Bullet and Factory Sealed.
- Blaine had a man take a cell phone picture of another man, then struck an outstretched dollar bill with the phone. The second man’s face appeared on the bill, in place of Washington’s face.
- Blaine had random spectators call out random numbers. He then pulled out a lottery ticket with each of the chosen numbers.
- Blaine had a spectator choose and sign a card. Another man shuffled the deck. Blaine sprang the cards out, then threw a dart. The selected card was on the dart.
- Blaine drew three Xs in a triangle on a man’s hand, then placed a quarter between all three. One by one, he wiped the Xs off, then picked up the quarter… all three Xs were underneath.
Blaine attracts turnout, heckling puppet
September 24, 2008
Kevin Reylek, of the New York Magic Project, has posted an updated timeline of day three of Blaine’s “Dive of Death.” The hours covered in the timeline are from 1 to 6:30 a.m. EST. According to his report, the stunt has attracted a crowd, including many magicians and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. We’re pretty sure there is no way the dog can get enough altitude for Blaine to be something to poop on.
Other events include rigging Blaine into an L shape so he can catch a little bit of sleep and the construction of a pool-type setup underneath him.
Presidential speech to delay beginning of special
September 24, 2008
“David Blaine: Dive of Death” will be delayed by about 15 minutes to make room for a presidential address.
President Bush will address the nation tonight at 9 p.m. EST on the United States’ major news channels. He will speak about the nation’s recent economic woes and a recently-proposed $700 billion bailout for several of the nation’s finanacial institutions. It is his first nationwide address in more than a year, and is expected to be his last, according to the Associated Press.
“Dive of Death,” which was scheduled to air at the same time, will be delayed by 15 minutes, reports The Magic Newswire. While you’re there, check out the site’s final interview with Blaine, where he addresses recent allegations of cheating and how he’s holding up.
On the lighter side…
September 24, 2008
Photo illustration courtesy News Biscuit
Not everyone is taking David Blaine seriously. In one of the better fake news stories about Blaine, News Biscuit has the scoop on David Blaine’s latest stunt: Spending 45 years of his life in an office job. From the “story:”
‘I will go to new parts of my mind,’ he said, ‘I will wake up at six thirty every morning and travel to an office. The building will be sealed and air will be re-circulated using machines. I will be allowed to eat, but often it will be over-priced sandwiches at my desk. After work, I will go home and repeat the exercise the next day.’
Brad Blanks conducted an interview with Blaine on Monday. As you can see below, Blanks asks the important, relevant questions.
Less than four hours until “Dive of Death” starts… check back here throughout the show for more information.
Less than 10 hours before finale
September 24, 2008
Photo courtesy New York Magic Project
While others are underwhelmed, several on the scene know exactly how difficult Blaine’s 60-hour sojourn is. Stunt organizers have set up an area where others can be hung just like Blaine. Kevin Reylek, of the New York Magic Project, hung upside down for about 60 seconds:
I can tell you, after having spent only 1 minute upside-down myself, I have immense respect for what David is accomplishing. It hardly seems possible that a human body could endure such a thing…I can personally attest that after having myself been hung upside down and having watched David for hours, that his display of stamina and perseverance flies in the face of even the toughest critics. It seems to me that some people are pulling at straws to find something “wrong” with this stunt. Trust me, David is the real deal.
Reylek has posted a timeline of the second day; videos are on the way.
According to news reports, Blaine is “suffering but surviving” the stunt. He is on track to complete the stunt at about 10:45 EST tonight during “David Blaine: Dive of Death” on ABC.
As the event draws nearer, what do you think the finale will be? Discuss it here in the Ellusionist forums. And Ellusionist also has a repository of Blaine information here.
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