What's up with this Criss Angel guy? (non TS related)

[hondarobot]

This guy I work with has been bugging me for months to check out "MindFreak", a show with some crazy magician guy. I finally took the DVD home tonight and am watching it right now.

It's kinda freaky.

Most of the stuff I've seen so far has definate logical explanations. I suppose it obviously all does, it's "magic", a trick.

But he just did this deal where he gets set on fire, in front of a huge crowd, walks towards the camera (you see his face the whole time), then he falls down and is put out by an extinguisher crew. Within a second or so, we see that his former clothes are empty, and he is one of the extinguisher crew.

That's a hard switch to pull off. I thought this guy was just some jack ass, but it's turning out to be interesting.

Anybody got any info on this guy?

[Tiffany Anne]

Anybody got any info on this guy?

He's kind of like David Blaine, but less douchey, and more punk rock.
He seems to have more cred in the Magic community. He's friends with Penn (of Penn & Teller) and apparantly challenged Blaine to a illusion-off on Penn's radio show.

Basicly, he's one of the new breed of rock and roll Street Magicians.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Angel

[hondarobot]

I've watched a good deal of the DVD now, and most of the stuff is pretty easy. Levitating in front of the chair, he's got a "trick leg" thing going on, raises his actual leg unseen, and lifts himself up. Good muscle control, but possible.

I still dont get the set on fire trick "switch", and he did some levitation tricks that I haven't figured out (levitating other people). I suspect in one of those the boom mike was actually rigged with lift wires. There was another in a park, I don't know how the fuck he did that.

He's not bad, but he's not Houdini. He's more hollywood then old school magic.

Still, interesting. Very good magician, from what I've seen so far.

[Tiffany Anne]

I've watched a good deal of the DVD now, and most of the stuff is pretty easy. Levitating in front of the chair, he's got a "trick leg" thing going on, raises his actual leg unseen, and lifts himself up. Good muscle control, but possible.


I've seen some of his tv episodes, but not the dvd...

Can you explain the trick leg levitating you mention?

[dvda74]

SPOILER! Click only if you want to know how he levitates...
http://media.putfile.com/Criss-Angel-Levitation-Revealed-20

[hondarobot]

A Ha! I knew it. A trick leg. I gotta find the Criss Angel forum and call this guy out. Altough I suppose he already did that himself via that video link.

He's good, but he's not great.