What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

[Guest]

Oh Yeah, if you are waiting for a repeat, don't hold your breath.

[Guest]

Tim,

For me, magic is something that's entertaining if the magician has something original and fun. It's really that simple. I know that magicians feel a bit odd seeing David Blaine do stunts that have no magic in them. I wan't all that impressed, either. I'll say that some of the most creative magic I've seen comes from Sylvester the Jester, since he was able to take some Warner Brothers influence and blend it in his act, which I think is pure genious.

Does the magical factor disappear when a stunt is done? It sure is! I think the challenge for any magician today is to come up with original ideas. I think, though, that some of that origniality has to come from the personality of a magician. That's why magicians like Penn and Teller (who were once hated by magicians!) are so respected these days.

Quirte frankly, I don't think the spectator who loves magic, like I do, could really care for the stunts anyways.. as there's nothing magical about that anyways.

So, a successful act or magician knows his material as well as defined his personality and originality together. That's what I'll be looking for at the FISM event.

Sorry if this is off topic. David Blaine does one possitive thing: He makes magic popular. Not saying he's number one, though.

[John LeBlanc]

Originally posted by payne:
We need another Mark Wilson. someone who can successfully pitch to a room full of TV execs the concept of a magic show that featured magic and magicians in lieu of a program transfixed on a cult of personality (or lack thereof).

You aren't serious, are you?

Television is all about the cult of personality. I love and respect what Mark and Nani contributed to magic on television, but we don't have the equivalent of a Mark Wilson Magic Hour for the same reason we no longer have variety shows like The Statler Brothers (who were very good to magicians over the years.) Network television audiences have raised their expectations of what they want from a television show.

The cross-over between prime time shows and the Internet and magazines is getting almost fluid. And it is all about personality, not artistic expression. Technology has enabled networks to communicate with viewers quicker and more effectively to the point where the bond between "television show" and "home viewer" seems almost pathological in nature.

David Blaine, love him or hate him, pioneered a brand of magic and performer made for television. That doesn't make him any less legitimate an entertainer than anyone else. He's just different. And successful by any yardstick I can think of.

Comparing him to Copperfield is to so totally miss the mark as to be absurd. Criss Angel, as much as I like him, is not in David Blaine's world, so any challenge is meaningless. That doesn't mean Blaine is a better magic performer than either Copperfield or Angel, because I don't think he is. But it's like comparing a car to a book, or a finger to a lightbulb.

We, on this side of the fence, are trying (collectively) to describe and compare and critique something against the wrong thing. Blaine is the first of his breed, and for that, I give him credit and admiration. He's a successful television entertainer who has become a cultural icon. That's impressive for someone not even ten years into the game.

This isn't about whether or not he's a great magician (by our standards) and this isn't "Blaine cult worship" -- this is about whether he's a great (successful) television icon. He is.

John
new blog post: David Blaine, then and now.

[Guest]

Originally posted by John LeBlanc:
Network television audiences have raised their expectations of what they want from a television show.

????

Deal or No Deal
The Simple Life
Fear Factor
Cribs
Pimp My Ride

I'd certainly agree that audience expectations are different, but raised? I think they just slid over (and maybe downwards).

[Pete Biro]

Down and steep, slippery profane slope... argh... :(

[John LeBlanc]

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
I'd certainly agree that audience expectations are different, but raised? I think they just slid over (and maybe downwards).

Well, I certainly didn't used the word in the sense that expectations are for a higher grade of entertainment. If that were the case, A&E would be far more popular than it is now. Today's network television audiences demand a higher level of titillation and involvement. To wit: American Idol.

John
new blog post: David Blaine, then and now.

[Guest]

So people want 'Character Driven' entertainment on TV like 24, Prison Break etc.

I agree with that - but all the shows mentioned were dramas.

Magic, as much as it is fiction, doesn't quite hack it as a drama. You can present a dramatic sketch (as Copperfield did in his early specials) and a lot of people really enjoyed those.

Can any magicians act well enough to pull off a character like they do in 24 and Prison Break though? And if they did - would the magic still play, or would the viewing audience simply assume 'special effects'.

Magic shows on TV really only seem to fit into two categories:

VARIETY - Which is pretty much dead now.
REALITY - Which has pretty much replaced variety with Iron Chef, Big Brother, American Idol etc.

Blaine and Angel try to make their magic as "real" as possible by doing it on the street - which many people simply assume is faked for TV anyway - or by doing large scale endurance feats people can come to see live or watch on the news.

Not many other TV shows get news coverage.

But still, as has been pointed out in this thread, the resultant TV show is dull.

What would you choose to watch:

The World's Greatest Magic
Mark Wilson's Magic Circus
Early Copperfield Specials
A magician in a 24 scenario solving problems with magic
American Idol with magicians
Magicians competing Iron Chef style


Do any of these option seem like they'd rate?Which ones and why?
Or do you have other suggestions?

[Guest]

Originally posted by Tim Ellis:
What would you choose to watch:

The World's Greatest Magic
Mark Wilson's Magic Circus
Early Copperfield Specials
A magician in a 24 scenario solving problems with magic
American Idol with magicians
Magicians competing Iron Chef style

Do any of these option seem like they'd rate?Which ones and why?
Or do you have other suggestions?

Hmmm....

I don't like any of the choices (is that an option? :confused: ). Over the many years that I haven't been performing, I've grown to love "close-up" magic more and more, now, almost to the exclusion of any magic which can be seen by a large audience without a big screen. I could be wrong, Tim, but your choices seem biased in favor of stage magic. Maybe it'd be a flop, but has anyone ever tried airing a magic special featuring only killer close-up magic? With today's camera technology, and the fact that 99.9%+ of the audience would be a TV audience anyway, would that work?

Clay

[Guest]

Today's New York Post reports that the last half hour of DB snared 13.7 million viewers.

[Guest]

I did ask... do you have any other suggestions....

[NCMarsh]

has anyone ever tried airing a magic special featuring only killer close-up magic?

David Blaine Street Magic. Didn't do none too poorly neither...

[Guest]

It looks to me like the overall concensus is the David Blaine special was 2 hours wasted. I personally was so disappointed in it that I do not even think I would watch a Blaine special that was totally magic. I watched the Fred Kaps DVD recently "Seeing is Believing" now there is a magician who would never think of setting in a fishbowl all that time, why ? Because he was an ENTERTAINER and his presence on stage was commanding, unlike David Blaine who needs to do some idiotic "DEATH DEFYING" stunt to get people to watch..And on top of that climb out of the sphere after failing and actually attempting to shed a tear..This special will go down in the annals of TV as a DUD !!!!

[Guest]

BTW, I think that balloon guy from Philly is going for a world's record this Saturday on "4 Kids TV" . The promos and some raw footage went through me last week... Sorry his name escapes me right now....
---I just finished a week of watching Billy MaC's collection of" You Asked For It's"..The big stunts were always popular. You need them as an ending. I thought going for a Worlds Record was too risky. And, I may add, not just any World's Record,the BRASS RING of World Records. You can't sell it as a repeat, now ,can you. He is taking a beating from the press, and of course if he suceeded, he would have been the media darling. I think an hour long special, with a removal from the Fishbowl would have been sufficient.I always liked when he had some worried chick along side too. Guess the death wish stunt factor has scared away the "love interest".

[Joe Pecore]

Originally posted by MaxNY:
[QB] BTW, I think that balloon guy from Philly is going for a world's record this Saturday on "4 Kids TV" . The promos and some raw footage went through me last week... Sorry his name escapes me right now....

Would that balloon guy be John Cassidy ?

[Guest]

Letterman said that Blaine missed setting the record for holding his breath, but did set the record for being the world's biggest dumb-ass.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Bill Palmer:
Letterman said that Blaine missed setting the record for holding his breath, but did set the record for being the world's biggest dumb-ass.

Bill,
Could not agree more...

[Guest]

Was this the networks idea of limiting the magic and going so far into the stunt aspect or Blaines? I would have hope the Blaine team would have wanted something that could have led to more shows.
Steve V

[Guest]

Originally posted by Nathan Coe Marsh:

has anyone ever tried airing a magic special featuring only killer close-up magic?

David Blaine Street Magic. Didn't do none too poorly neither...

I think he said "killer" not "passable"

I agree with the idea - how about Paul Daniels?

[Guest]

Ricky Jay's 52 Assistants would count, I think.

JR

[Guest]

I have no problem with everyone's opinion here at the Genii Forum. Love Blaine or hate him, you have the right to you opinion. But PLEASE, keep these negative comments to this forum, or you magic club only. When you're out in public, it would be nice to say something nice about these TV magicians. If you trash them in public as you're doing here, it makes you look bitter and gives magician's a bad name.

After Blaine's first special, I overheard a magician talking with a boy of about 10 or 11 years old. This magician was saying, "He's got no talent, he couldn't sleight himself out of a paper bag." I had to find out who he was talking about so I asked him. He said, "David Blaine" and I was furious. I said, "Dude, trashing a fellow magician in public is not only rude, but makes you and all magicians look bad. Try to say some good about a guy who's getting you more work." He didn't get it and continued to fight me on it.

Richard Robinson told me once, "When a person asks me if I know how David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear, I say, 'No, but wasn't it fabulous?'" Of course Robinson knows how, but he doesn't let on, he doesn't trash, he continues the wonder that they feel, the sense of theater that Copperfield (and others) are creating.

While performing this week at a local Long Island restaurant, many people have asked me about Blaine's TV show and the water stunt and immediately I say, "I loved it" and their eyes light up and everyone has replied, "Me, too." Not one lay person told me they hated it or found it boring.

Blaine, Angel, Randall and other TV magicians...please be kind to them in public and show people that magicians aren't cold, bitter, nasty and jealous (which, if people read these posts, would concur that they are).

Bob Infantino

[Guest]

Originally posted by INFANTINO:

Blaine, Angel, Randall and other TV magicians...please be kind to them in public and show people that magicians aren't cold, bitter, nasty and jealous (which, if people read these posts, would concur that they are).

I'd like to think that folks (magician or otherwise) should be able to express an honest opinion of a particular show (even if said opinion isn't all roses and sunshine) without being automatically stereotyped as "cold, bitter, nasty, or jealous".

It's tough for me to get all worked up about what laymen might think about what we say here (or in public for that matter). I doubt many of them visit these forums and probably most of them wouldn't care to. As for public commentary,if someone asks for my opinion about something I was disappointed in, I feel no strong compunction to lie and say otherwise. That applies to movies, books, tv shows, etc. I see no real reason to make a special distinction in this regard for tv magic specials.

If one likes a special and says so, fine, great. By all means share a positive opinion if it's earnestly held. But if one honestly didn't care for a show (be it a magic special or whatever) I see no compelling argument why such opinions must be suppressed.

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

According to Z100 this morning, David wants to make another attempt at the record...

-Jim

[Amos McCormick]

Earlier I posted that the special in my city was continually interrupted by severe weather reports, so I watched the West Wing marathon. Evidently, the weather reports preempted the the "magic" segments sandwiched between the ongoing "Dave-in-a-bowl" story line. Had I seen the magic, I might have a different opinion of the special.

Love him or hate him, though, you have to agree that he generates a lot of interest.

Amos McCormick

[Guest]

Regarding whether David Blaine's water special was "magic" or simply a "stunt". It seems to me that if his holding his breath for 7 + minutes was real (looked real to me) than it was a stunt. If not real, it was one hell of an illusion, ie, magic. Make sense?

[NCMarsh]

Originally posted by Bob Walder:

Originally posted by Nathan Coe Marsh:
[b]

has anyone ever tried airing a magic special featuring only killer close-up magic?

David Blaine Street Magic. Didn't do none too poorly neither...

I think he said "killer" not "passable"
[/b]

I was more than aware of the modifier, much of the material on the initial Blaine special was (and is) "killer," ultra-mental is, indeed, one of the very strongest effects possible with a deck of cards.

Best,

N.
IllusionArtistry.com

[Richard Kaufman]

Someone just sent me this link:
(http://www.fox23news.com/entertainment/ ... 9592F145B6)
An Excerpt:
"Ailing magician David Blaine was released from a New York City hospital Tuesday after seven days underwater left him unconscious and suffering from convulsions. The 33-year-old daredevil needed medical treatment after his climatic quest to set a new world record by holding his breath for nine minutes failed, and divers pulled him from the spherical aquarium in Lincoln Square. Blaine suffered liver damage, pins and needles, loss of sensation, loss of dexterity and multiple rashes during the stunt. Friends picked him up from Roosevelt Hospital in a wheelchair."

The person who sent it to me was unhappy about the fact that ellusionist had an ad on the Fox News website selling the tricks from the show.

[NCMarsh]

It is worth noting that the ellusionist ad is through google -- because of the way the adwords program works, they did not directly choose for their ad to be on the news article.

Best,

N.

[Guest]

Let's get David Plain off the TV and get some real talent on it... ie. Brad Henderson.

[Guest]

Blaine says he is already working on his next "stunt" said it was somthing he came up with while in the tank. That boy has an interesting death wish. Seems like he certainly wants to go out with a bang. :eek:

[Jeff Eline]

I was talking with friends (laymen) today about the special and they had an interesting take. They think that he had no intention to break the 9 min record, but to do an incredible stunt (7 days underwater & holding his breath for 6 or 7 min).

But by failing, it proved that the stunts are real and not magic tricks. And, it sets him up for the next 'real' stunt. ("He failed last time... Can he do it this time???") At least that's what they thought.

(If this point has already been discussed, I apologize)

[Brian Marks]

I saw an article describing the special in which Blaine trained with Nave SEALs and consulted doctors from NASA. His publicist is good but not that good.

[Guest]

Originally posted by magicman92625:
Seems like he certainly wants to go out with a bang. :eek:

I am sure there are a few here who would be more than happy to help him....
;)

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Got this in an e-mail from one of my co-workers today:

I just had to ask you ... what you thought about that trick he did with the girl's teeth. I think that is the craziest, sickest, most awesome magic trick I have ever seen before in my life. ... It was so crazy that here I am 4 days later still thinking about it.

-Jim

[Terry]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193873,00.html

Grrr! David Blaine and Other Things We Shouldn't Care About
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
By Mike Straka

We're not quite going to hell in a hand basket, but we're not doing ourselves any favors either.

Seriously, should any of us care that illusionist David Blaine plans to stay underwater for a week?

First off, he's doing it with the help of "lifelines" that will bring him air and nutrients, so besides the spectacle of some dude hanging out in a fishbowl outside New York City's Lincoln Center, I'm not sure why I'm supposed to be impressed.

After the week is through, Blaine will remove the lifelines and will be shackled. Then he'll escape Houdini style in about nine minutes while holding his breath. Here, he will attempt to break the record for holding one's breath underwater, which was set at 8:58.

Again, I'm soooo impressed.

Blaine's previous stunt was in 2003, where he starved himself for 44 days. I cared even less about that. How is this entertainment or noteworthy?

'nuff said.

I opted to watch the realty spectacle known as WWE RAW.

Re difference between blaine and Chris Angel?

Chris has behind the scenes segments where he isn't "MR. MYSTERIO" all the time. He's more human and just more entertaining to watch.

[Richard Kaufman]

I have only one thing to add to this thread, since David Blaine obviously wants to compare himself with Houdini:

HOUDINI DIDN'T CRY.

[Guest]

In Houdini's day, a LOT of people (including the author who was at least smart enough to create the most brilliant detective in the history of literature) truly believed that he could de-materialize, float like a whisp of smoke through a key hole, and re-materialize on the other side. Seriously. Consider that for a moment.

Even though he repeatedly said, "No, everything I do is accomplished through purely physical means; years of practice; rigorous conditioning; dilligent study!" THAT'S what people didn't believe: his denials! Many STILL believed Houdini had super-natural powers no matter how hard he tried to deny it.
He was, one of those actual rare, living-legends.

I do not believe in our cynical, information-saturated day-and-age, that Mr. Blaine will ever become such a legend.

For every person impressed by his feats of endurance (and there must be many as, in case you hadn't noticed: he has tons of cash, hot female companions, publicity, and well-illustrated souvenir posters) there seem to be an equal number who scorn his stunts. [The best lines I saw were early in the week: about how some locals wanted to sneak over late one night, and turn his sphere into a giant bong so they could take major Blaine-rips. Heh heh--good one; but I digress...]

This also has to be said: I dearly love all the doughy lard-asses out there chattering, "He only held his breath for SEVEN minutes? What a P___Y! That's WAY off the world's record!"

Publicity-succubus that he may be; whether or not this latest performance was your cup of tea; "magic or not", come on. With at least mild liver-damage, not to mention hideously-wrinkled hands and feet from a damned week underwater, and he's still able to hold his breath for SEVEN minutes? Holy crap! You HAVE to admit: that's pretty good.

I would still rather watch Teller perform Shadows or the Needles again.

[Guest]

Stephen Colbert has some great bits on the recent stunts go to comedy central to see the clips. Is Colbert a fan of magic?

[Guest]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
I have only one thing to add to this thread, since David Blaine obviously wants to compare himself with Houdini:

HOUDINI DIDN'T CRY.

On at least one occasion (and very publicly), Houdini did just that.

From the Daily Illustrated Mirror , March 18, 1904

VICTORY!

The band was just finishing a stirring march when, with a great shout of victory, Houdini bounded from the cabinet, holding the shining handcuffs in his hand-free!

A mighty roar of gladness went up. Men waved their hats, shook hands one with the other. Ladies waved their handkerchiefs, and the committee, rushing forward as one man, shouldered Houdini, and bore him in triumph round the arena.

But the strain had been too much for the "Handcuff King;' and he sobbed as though his heart would break.

With a mighty effort, however, he regained his composure, and received the congratulations of the Mirror in the true sportsman- like spirit he has shown throughout the contest.

__________________________________________________
www.conjurenation.com - 'Cards Only' Forums

[Richard Kaufman]

As Bill Kalush amply demonstrated in his talk at the Collector's Convention a few months ago, the entire Mirror Cuffs challenge was a fake, set up by Houdini from start to finish.
So, if Houdini cried when he came out of the cabinet (which seems REALLY unlikely even if the Mirror, which was in cahoots with him, reported it), it was fake.

Blaine boo-hooed and had a momemt of emotional diarrhea on national television.

[Guest]

Well, he had just held his breath for 7 minutes. So he was probably suffering from some kind of brain damage... More so.