Back on topic, I can't wait for tomorrow night, how much of the episode will actually be live?

haha.
I don't know. Just the escape or the entire episode?
I don't know.

I'm not sure, but I hope that they will show the whole episode on the internet! But they probably will, because on the official website is a pop-up now that says "Don't miss the first LIVE episode in MINDFREAK history (...) watch it live (...) on A&E, or watch it live here".
Since the new season started, it freaks me out that I can't watch the american channel, guess my reaction when I first heard of the live feed on the internet!

First of all nobody can really cry about having their trick stolen. It has been happening since magic started and won't end anytime soon. We just have to accept that.

Second, Criss Angel's version is crap. The entire thing was loaded with edits. Several different takes were filmed and then stitched together to appear as one event. What Criss Angel does is no different than any director and editor in a big hollywood film.

Criss Angel is a film maker that tries to pass it off as magic. It's that simple.

Finishing with this. Didn't David Copperfield already perform an escape from a building that was imploded? I believe he did it about 15 years ago. So Criss Angel is now copying that? How unoriginal is this a-hole.

Theres only so many things someone can do without copying someone. Odds are, if you're going to do an illusion or escape, its been done before - simple as that. Suck it up, move on with it and lets all stop fighting over if he uses camera cuts etc.

Another thing, you cannot prove that Angel used cuts or editing during the pool walk. Do you got the original tape that you're not releasing or something? No, you don't, so there for you can't prove (or anyone for that matter) that he uses cuts, stooges, or editing.

And finally, if Angel is going to copy an illusion or escape, hes going to do it better then the previous magician. I can't wait for this building episode to air, so you can say that the explosives were made out of styrofoam, or that everyone around the building were stooges, or that the building was just a piece of cardboard and all the people were cardboard cut outs. It doesn't matter what you say, Criss Angel is still going to be on TV, with or without Banachek, Jermay, or Johny Thompson.

I guarantee there will be at least 143 threads about how bad Angel is after this episode airs. I also don't understand people saying he has no sleight of hand skills, or that he uses a stunt double. One guy here on the forums (I can't remember who) even went as far as saying they had a double come in, cut the cards, and put Angel back into the shot. I mean, how stupid is this claim?

Watching a few of Angels "minor" tricks during an episode which lead up to the big illusion or escape, do tend heavily on sleight of hand. I was watching an episode the other day where he was doing a routine with three poker chips, and manged to palm and get the audience to believe they were in the opposite hand while being surrounded. It is extremely hard doing false transfers, retention vanishes, or even holding out something in you're other hand while being surrounded.

Criss takes old ideas, and makes them new. Look at what he did to "Behold the Scarabaeus". He amped it up from a plastic bottle to a glass bottle. And sure, the bottle was his, but when the cell phone went into the bottle, you could clearly see there were no visible holes for the cell phone to get in through. I guess this demonstration involved trick photography and a room full of "stooges", right?

You're going to have to get used to seeing Angel. Hes famous, and he will be for a long time. Every season he only gets bigger, and maybe it will slow down, maybe not, but people will always remember the name "Criss Angel"

*begins slowly claping and then end up in a thunderous applause*

Like people will always remember the name "Adolf Hitler".

Even though I like Criss Angel I have to admit that was pretty funny.....but still Criss is awesome in my opinion.

Thats not a fair comparison, Criss is an amazing magician, and Hitler was... well... you know.

'Course it's fair comparison. Adolf Hitler did something terribly for the world, and Criss Angel did something terrible for the magic community.

Let's let that comparison drop or I'll be forced to invoke Godwin's Law and declare this thread closed.

Thank you.

I am amazed people still deny that Criss Angel uses camera edits and stooges.

How do you hang out at a magicians message board and not realize the trickery that is being used by Criss Angel?

All you have to do is watch his videos. You can spot the continuity mistakes that reveal that it is in fact multiple takes. That's how poorly edited his stuff is.

Example 1: Pool Walk

In one shot he will be seen walking freely across the water with his feet being planted firmly into the water. In the pov shot were the woman swims under him you can clearly see by his feet that he is hovering over the water walking in place. That's because in that shot he is being suspended by wires and not stand on anything. He used the same method during his Lake Mead walk.

Example 2: Building to Building Levitation

At the end of the illusion he lands on the other roof. They show two different camera angles and you can clearly see that his feet land differently in the two shots. So... thats two takes that they are trying to pass off as one.


Criss Angel's crap is loaded with edits like these. We can spot them because he and his crew don't take the time to check their work.

I also crack up that he advertises these illusions as being something amazing that the world has never seen before. The biggest thing he has ever done. And then he only allows 10 people to be there live. That's not in the least bit suspicious to you? It's laughable.

Wake up.

Very good points, but not solid enough proof. During his lake Mead walk, did he have glass underneath him and have the lake worked on by his crew while all of the tourists came to watch? If he did use stooges, those girls that looked under his feet were darn good actors, so I highly doubt they were plants.

You need to wake up and realize that no matter what anyone here says, Angel will always (for the time being) be on television.

Deal with it my friends.

Those were the worst actors I have ever seen. Anyone can look surprised. As for them setting up with the tourists, did you notice the weather. They taped that in the off season when there were little to no tourists.


Juliegel