What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

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Guest

What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 8th, 2006, 8:01 pm

I am a bit stunned at the display I just watched for the last 2 hours ...

I would like to read what you think about it.

Is it Magic?
Was it worth watching for 2 hours?
Did he prove anything?
Did he break any records?
How many minutes of ads were they?

;)

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 8th, 2006, 8:13 pm

BORING but he did get alot of people to watch him didn't he, I still don't care for his performance art How did they get abc to prime time 2 hours for this a half hour would have been plenty. :D :cool:

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 8th, 2006, 8:14 pm

Okay, now go to www.ellusionist.com and get a look at the goodies.

Robert Toomer
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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Robert Toomer » May 8th, 2006, 8:26 pm

Sorry. Did not watch it. Stanley Cup Playoffs here in Canada. Did he hold his breath for the nine minutes? Thanks :cool:
Robert TOOMER

John LeBlanc
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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby John LeBlanc » May 8th, 2006, 8:33 pm

Originally posted by JC Stardust:
I am a bit stunned at the display I just watched for the last 2 hours ...

I would like to read what you think about it.
I'm wondering if anyone else had a local ABC affiliate that substituted a two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy for the scheduled David Blaine special.


Originally posted by JC Stardust:
How many minutes of ads were they?
More than a fourth of the two-hour show went to network and local affiliate breaks: a little over 33 minutes total.

John
new blog post: Blaine it on the reign

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 8th, 2006, 8:54 pm

The ending kinda confused me. How much of it was real?
I know tht at least some of it was real, I could see Blaine's face as he was pulled from the tank and it was blue, but parts of it seemed a little produced. I'm not really sure if the ending wasn\'t planned, but if it was it was planned well. I did really think he was in trouble.
And his hands and feet, you can't fake that.

Gord

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 2:21 am

I am holding my breath as I write this. Just want to see how long it takes me to pass out while trying to find something interesting to say about David Bla...

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 2:48 am

I was impressed with the stunt.
I believed his emotional display at the conclusion. I can't imagine what it would be like to live underwater.
Astounding.
Congratulations David.


E

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 2:52 am

Two hours was too much. Really dragged out and dull.

Terry
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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Terry » May 9th, 2006, 2:56 am

From a hunting forum I belong to - they said his next special will be to survive 8 days with his head up a hippo's a$$.

Most people couldn't give a tinkers damn about him. It's taking America longer than England to understand what a joke his "specials" are. I guess ABC is so desperate to achieve any sort of ratings they can.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 3:09 am

Reuters has the best take I've seen - he's now referred to as "Stuntman David Blaine". No magic, no magician.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:16 am

I like how all the magicians on this forum will come together to bust on one of their own once they're actually successful.

I'm actually glad he failed because I think it legitimizes his previous stunts. It proves that they're real tests of human endurance and not a trick (which many people seem to think). It's no different that someone who insists on climbing to the summit of Everest without oxygen. He pushes himself to his limits and allows us to watch. He may have fallen short of his goal, but my respect for him grows with every passing stunt.


And for all of you who feel he's a media whore and only doing it for attention, I would like to point out that 90% of you watched all 2 hours of his show. If you were really against him you would have voted with your actions and watched something else.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:29 am

Got my first reports from a couple of muggles this morning.

I asked them "Did you see that guy underwater last night?"

First told me about the tooth trick and the young woman whose shoelace tied itself.

Second told me the guy (Blaine) may have liver problems now after a week of gatorade and pedialite.

More news as it happens in this area of muggledom.

Seen the ellusionist site? I saw the shoelace trick there.

PS to F-Freddy... I was busy and let my TiVo grab the show. I watched the last half of 24 when I got home.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:40 am

Originally posted by Chris Aguilar:
Two hours was too much. Really dragged out and dull.
I agree. It did drag a little.
E

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:45 am

Originally posted by Terry Terrell:
From a hunting forum I belong to - they said his next special will be to survive 8 days with his head up a hippo's a$$.

Most people couldn't give a tinkers damn about him. It's taking America longer than England to understand what a joke his "specials" are. I guess ABC is so desperate to achieve any sort of ratings they can.
Business is Business - The ratings that ABC recived translates into more business for me! I for one am greatful.
BTW I would pay to see him escape from a Hippo!
Very Funny!

E

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:46 am

I have to watch the first half...so far I have only seen the stunt. Great stunt.
---I'm not sure if the spot ran nationally, or just locally, but why the hell did A&E buy time, and promote the new season of Mindfreak??? In the last cliffhanger block of Blaine...That is just wrong.Wrong. WRONG. Magicians suck! Shame on Criss.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 4:46 am

Magic...unimpressive (except for "shoelace visual gag").

Way to long...

But he held his breath for 7 minutes and 8 seconds...that is amazing...though obviously not magic.

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Steve Bryant » May 9th, 2006, 5:20 am

I watched for an hour and 25 minutes before giving out. Did anyone break my world record?

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 6:03 am

If having it on while you're cleaning up your hard drives consitutes "watching", then I watched the whole thing.

You must admit he is in great physical shape. Having said that, I don't think it was ever planned that he go the whole 9 minutes. It appears that the energy required to get out of the chains and locks was too much of a drain on his system.

Why not just him sit there and hold his breath???
I mean, it wasn't thrilling TV by any stretch of the imagination.

Does anyone else think he sounds a lot like Steven Wright???
Adrian

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 6:09 am

I thought it was good performance art. The image of him in the glass bowl of water with breathing tube in Lincoln center was beautiful, especially as he was being dragged out and given oxygen. It felt like a scene out of a David Lynch movie...not to mention a birth sequence.

It didn't matter that he didn't make the 9 minutes of holding his breath. It was still a captivating performance/stunt. Evil Knievel didn't succeed in the Snake River motorcycle jump either, but millions watched him try. Interesting that they had a segment with EK...maybe foreshadowing the same (failed) ending.

I thought the magic was generally excellent too, though the casino trick/effect was weak. A 1 out of 32 chance is ho-hum.

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Bob Farmer » May 9th, 2006, 8:00 am

I watched "Prison Break" on Fox, a show with drama, surprises, intelligence, great characters and lots of violence.

I flipped over to Blaine afterwards and found the "show" a tedious, tasteless and incredibly stupid spectacle.

The segment where he exploited the death of an extreme deep diver, a female marine biologist, to empahsize the "danger" of his dumb stunt indicates this guy has no moral compass at all.

I understand recordings of his mind-numbing mumbling about testing his limits is now being used to anesthetize surgical patients and induce comas in cockroaches.

To anyone who truly loves magic, watching this guy is as painful as the president of the John Coltrane fan club being forced to listen to Kenny G.

David: Retire now. Go away. Take up some other hobby (but not the saxophone!).

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby John LeBlanc » May 9th, 2006, 8:00 am

Originally posted by Forgetful Freddy:
I'm actually glad he failed because I think it legitimizes his previous stunts.
I wouldn't define what he did as failure by any stretch. Even the guy who holds the world record -- 8:58 -- couldn't do it again. But I had the same thought as you about legitimizing the previous stunts. Get it right every single time and it's not a stunt, it's a trick.

They should have invited everyone watching to begin holding their breath when he started to. 7:08 is an awfully long time.

I am really interested in hearing the story how all those (reportedly) taped trick segments ended up somewhere other than in the two-hour special. Makes me wonder if there's a new DVD on the horizon.

John
new blog post: Stupid retard David

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Mark Collier » May 9th, 2006, 8:03 am

I think watching someone try to break a world's record holding their breath is far more interesting and dramatic than watching someone not eat for a month and a half....or stand on a pole...or most of the other endurance stunts Blaine has done. This was still a week long ordeal but it did end with real drama.

The thing I don't get is why even bother with the shackles if you don't at least try and make it look like a struggle to undo? Are people really expected to believe those were real handcuffs? Anything that is obviously fake takes away from the overall impact.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 8:06 am

You guys are great.

A two-hour special in prime-time on a major network and youre all falling all over yourselves to say how cool you are for not enjoying it.

Do I wish there had been more magic in it? Sure, but thats wasnt Blaines decision, that was ABCs decision to show more of the build up to the stunt. Apparently they thought the general public would find that more interesting. But what do they know, thats just their jobs, they should take their cues from bitter magicians on the genii forum.

It seems so obvious, but apparently a lot of people on this board havent figured it out: hes trying to broaden the definition of what can be on a magic special. We all enjoy watching people push boxes around on stage for the Worlds Greatest Magic, but if you think those specials inspire as much awe as his stunt last night, a failed stunt at that, then youve completely lost touch with the publics perception of magic.

Maybe in 30 or 40 years your 8-year-old grand-daughter will develop an interest in magic and shell go to her public library and check out the only three magic books they have over and over again, and in one of those books it will talk about David Blaine as someone who modernized and revitalized magic at the turn of the century. Then one day shell approach you and ask you what it was like to see his shows or his stunts and you can pull her up on to your knee, kiss her forehead, give her a hug then scream Blaine! We didnt even LIKE Blaine. He was so BORING. I was better than him. And that VOICE! Where was the patter. Lets face it, if youre not tired of spouting that [censored] after 10 years of Blaine, you probably wont ever be.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 8:16 am

The parallels to Houdini are astounding.
His contemporaries couldn't stand him either.

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby John LeBlanc » May 9th, 2006, 8:17 am

Originally posted by LightsOut:
You guys are great.
Hey, we love you, too.

You sure seem to be taking all of this as some personal affront. It's just a bunch of opinions the day after the Superbowl. No need to get snarky.

John
new blog post: Stupid retard David

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 8:22 am

okay, two hours was a little bit too long. i think an hour would of been perfect. regaurdless of how much of the "drama" was planned, he still held his breath for a very long time. it was definately worth watching, i enjoyed it, and people will remember him. people are still talking about his street magic special, they still talk about his other stunts, he will be remembered. and as far as us magicians liking or disliking him, who cares. the only audience that matters is the lay audience, and most laypeople love this guy.

...ive been typing for too long.

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby John LeBlanc » May 9th, 2006, 8:24 am

Originally posted by rage1:
...ive been typing for too long.
Does he pay well?

John
new blog post: Stupid retard David

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 8:37 am

No need to get snarky.
Unless off course your getting snarky at Blaine then it's okay.

Randy

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 8:50 am

Originally posted by Bob Coyne:
I thought it was good performance art. The image of him in the glass bowl of water with breathing tube in Lincoln center was beautiful...
And a big grin here, recalling a conversation with Paul Harris in 1987 where he didn't seem to like the idea of magic as performance art.

Okay it was not a guy standing in a bucket of water singing as he suggested back then. Today we have a guy in a fishbowl doing an impression of the diver/aerator thingie.

It seems to have worked very well as an attraction for and stucture to support the other material in the show. Bravo!

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:04 am

Originally posted by John LeBlanc:

You sure seem to be taking all of this as some personal affront.
No I don't. I didn't even mention myself in my previous post except to say that I wished ABC had put in more of the magic footage.

While I see the animosity directed at Blaine to be symptomatic of some of the big problems in magic, I'm selfishly happy most magicians don't like Blaine. Not recognizing what Blaine has added to magic, or why he appeals to people, means that most magicians wont be trying to incorporate his contributions to the art into the magic they perform. Thats fine by me. I dont mind if the average magician is perceived by the general public as a clown or as irrelevant. It always makes me seem better by comparison. God knows I dont want to seem better by hard work.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:06 am

There also seems to be an Elemental theme developing with the progression of these stunts. He's done Earth, Air, and Water (in TWO forms), next I predict something with Fire.

John R

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:16 am

Originally posted by Brown Hornet:
There also seems to be an Elemental theme developing with the progression of these stunts. He's done Earth, Air, and Water (in TWO forms), next I predict something with Fire.

John R
The problem with fire is that it's hard to come up with a long stunt that can be done with fire. A stunt of a few days or a week allows a lot of time for buzz to be built up for an upcoming special.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:23 am

Let's not forget Copperfield's Jet Engine debacle.

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:29 am

Originally posted by MaxNY:

---I'm not sure if the spot ran nationally, or just locally, but why the hell did A&E buy time, and promote the new season of Mindfreak??? In the last cliffhanger block of Blaine...That is just wrong.Wrong. WRONG. Magicians suck! Shame on Criss.
It was most probably a local buy. No commercials for A&E (or ellusionist, for that matter) on the showing in my area. I did think that ABC was rather heavy-handed with the commercial breaks...over a quarter of the air time being commercials sounds about right.

And I doubt Criss Angel had any real say over the ad buy that A&E did in the New York metro market. Hell, if I was in the A&E marketing department, that would be a no-brainer ad buy.

Jeremy

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby John LeBlanc » May 9th, 2006, 9:42 am

Originally posted by LightsOut:

While I see the animosity directed at Blaine to be symptomatic of some of the big problems in magic, I'm selfishly happy most magicians don't like Blaine. Not recognizing what Blaine has added to magic, or why he appeals to people, means that most magicians wont be trying to incorporate his contributions to the art into the magic they perform. Thats fine by me. I dont mind if the average magician is perceived by the general public as a clown or as irrelevant. It always makes me seem better by comparison. God knows I dont want to seem better by hard work.
I understand and agree with you.

John
new blog post: Stupid retard David

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:47 am

I just marvel at how bored the society must be at large that a stunt like that causes half of America to stop and watch.
I for one hope that this boring event does not cause kids to try to emulate it and we do not see many drowning accidents.
To all of you who sat thru this "special" maybe pull back the window covers, smell the roses and get a life...
Am I mad at David Blaine? No, more power to him and his advisors for actually figuring out how to make gold from coal (out of respect to Richard's forum I did not replace coal with the s... word I had in mind). :whack:

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » May 9th, 2006, 9:48 am

Originally posted by Jeremy Greystoke:
I did think that ABC was rather heavy-handed with the commercial breaks...over a quarter of the air time being commercials sounds about right.
I haven't seen the special yet (it's waiting on my DVR at home), but 1/4 of the airtime is about average for any show on TV. Hour long shows tend to run about 46 minutes without commercials and half hour shows are generally around 22 minutes.

-Jim

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Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » May 9th, 2006, 9:52 am

Originally posted by MaxNY:
I have to watch the first half...so far I have only seen the stunt. Great stunt.
---I'm not sure if the spot ran nationally, or just locally, but why the hell did A&E buy time, and promote the new season of Mindfreak??? In the last cliffhanger block of Blaine...That is just wrong.Wrong. WRONG. Magicians suck! Shame on Criss.
Why wouldn't they run an ad? The people watching Blaine are the exact target audience for Criss Angel. It'd be silly to NOT buy some ad time.

-Jim

Guest

Re: What did you think of Blaine's TV Special?

Postby Guest » May 9th, 2006, 9:55 am

Originally posted by WolfgangWollet:
I just marvel at how bored the society must be at large that a stunt like that causes half of America to stop and watch.
I for one hope that this boring event does not cause kids to try to emulate it and we do not see many drowning accidents.
To all of you who sat thru this "special" maybe pull back the window covers, smell the roses and get a life...
Either you watched the show and you're a hypocrite, or you didn't watch the show and you don't know what you're talking about.

Either way you took the time out of your day to come here and write a post about something so inconsequential to you. Makes sense.


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