Worst Illusion??

Discuss your favorite platform magic and illusions.
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Pete Biro
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Worst Illusion??

Postby Pete Biro » June 17th, 2003, 2:57 pm

Ok, not close up...but stage...

1: Probably Grant's Flying Carpet :eek:
2: The trick where you have a spectator's head in a large can and set fire to his head (seemingly). :(
3: Any tip over trunk... argh... fools who? :mad:
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Jeff Haas
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jeff Haas » June 17th, 2003, 3:22 pm

So Pete...you're a fan of Mak Magic, eh?

Jeff

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Pete Biro
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Pete Biro » June 17th, 2003, 6:20 pm

Yeah, I love quality qrap.

Note: Joe emailed me from his fishing site and will get "that card rise" for you, give him a little time to get home and dig it out. :D
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Pete Biro
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Pete Biro » June 17th, 2003, 6:21 pm

Not quite in the ILLUSION CLASS, but aren't most feather flowers more like feather dusters? :p :eek: :p
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Robert Allen
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Robert Allen » June 17th, 2003, 6:37 pm

Well, I vote for the Mak disappearing head illusion. The one with the Budda on the lid. The lid you have to tilt up at a 45 degree angle before you open the front door to show the head is gone.

(Heh, I like flaming head/can illusions. Jim Sommers had a neat one in his 1974 softcover illusion book)

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » June 17th, 2003, 10:01 pm

In my opinion, worst illusion ever hands down has to be Melinda's "Drill O' Death"!

A new coat of paint or a clever presentation can go a long way in making even the worst MAK magic illusion if not entertaining, at least watchable.

I don't think you could put that much paint on the Drill O' Death.

Guest

Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » June 18th, 2003, 9:20 am

I have Kamar lighting Dave Letterman's head on fire on video. This is a classic!!!

Jeff Haas
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jeff Haas » June 18th, 2003, 10:19 am

Rafael, that's something that should be posted on the web for all of us to see!

Who needs video clips of Don Alan when we've got Kamarr on Letterman???

Jeff

Daniel
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Daniel » June 18th, 2003, 10:47 am

One of the worst illusions, and indeed moments of TV, has to be David Copperfield floating across the Grand Canyon in the lotus position, whilst Bonnie Tyler belted out a tune, as she waited for his safe landing.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 18th, 2003, 12:56 pm

I agree with Daniel: the obviously fake figure of Copperfield dangling over the Grand Canyon was what I would consider to be a low point in his work.
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Matt R » June 18th, 2003, 2:02 pm

Regarding Pete's suggestion of Tip-Over trunk, I know all magicians know it, but what about a lay audience?

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Kendrix » June 22nd, 2003, 11:54 am

Payne: You have to be kidding. A beautiful blonde skewered on a drill. My temples are pounding just thinking about it. I think David Mendoza did a great job building it and Melinda managed to pull it off fairly well. It is not one of my top five illusions but, if you think it's the worst, then, you aren't going to the conventions I go to.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Frank Tougas » June 22nd, 2003, 1:36 pm

I have just three things to say here:
1. The Scarificial Head Illusion where you burn the head and end up with nothing but a Oooohhh scary skeleton skull is the ultimate worst illusion ever.

2. The tip over trunk still fools many laymen

3. I remember seeing Melinda...you say she had some sort of drill thingy stuck through her? Funny I don't remember that part.
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Steve Bryant » June 22nd, 2003, 1:42 pm

The drill IS one of my top five. God, watch it, and then watch Hans Farary's version. The latter is so wimpy by contrast.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » June 22nd, 2003, 3:14 pm

Here's why I think that the Drill O' Death is the worst illusion ever.

It's Impaled on steroids without the mystery.
Impaled starts off as a bizarre balancing act then goes terribly awry, The penetration takes the audience by surprise.
The Drill O'Death has no such suprise. The minute the thing is wheeled out everyone knows exactly what is going to happen. It lacks the sublety and elegance of Impailed.

They strap Melinda into this huge drill and then place between her and the audience a piece of paper. A piece of paper? What exactly is this suppose to accomplish (other than rather obviously hide the gimmick)? Is this some sort of sneeze guard to stop the audience from getting splattered with blood should Melinda fail in her understated escape?

After she is penetrated (don't get me started down that Freudian path) and the drill has also suprisingly gone right through the protective piece of paper (sanatized for your protection?) Melinda is hoisted up in a most unlady like manner and spun like a top.
It's not enough to bore (figuratively and literally) a hole through her but they have to flaunt it by spinning her around on the tip of a huge phallic symbol.

After she is lowered two assistants come out and hold a big cloth in front of Melinda's middle for, like the paper, no reason whatsoever except to mask the removal of the gimmick. You might as well have a big neon yellow arrow flashing "gimick removal" pointing at Melinda's middle.

There is no story, no logic, no emotional hook just a really big pointless prop that is being performed for no other reason other than she can.

That is why Drill O' Death gets my vote for worst illusion ever.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jeff Haas » June 22nd, 2003, 8:01 pm

On my list of bad illusions is the Franz Harary knock-off of Copperfield's buzz saw...assistants lock Franz in a wooden box, set up a drill on a small (five-foot) track, and Franz has to escape the box before the drill rolls down the track and does a Melinda on him.

Of course, "something goes horribly wrong," Franz is struggling inside the box, and the drill goes through the box anyway...like we couldn't see THAT coming!

Add to it the fact that everything in the illusion is within easy reach of a person standing on the stage...why didn't one of his dim assistants stop the drill before it rolled the five feet and got to him??? Heck, all they needed to do was pull the plug.

Jeff

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Bill Mullins » June 22nd, 2003, 9:10 pm

Look, any device that makes Melinda arch her back like that can't be all bad.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » June 27th, 2003, 2:09 pm

Come on, guys - the WORST illusion I've seen is the one Fox pulled in passing off the Masked "Magician" as a REAL performer!

Didn't fool a soul. Honest! :rolleyes:

As Harry Anderson said on another special, "Beats me! I don't know him, either!" :p

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2003, 8:47 pm

I agree with Frank...the Klamm Head Cremation Illusion has to be the worst of all time. However, Pete's Firehead/dove pan is a close 2nd.

Pete - I'm kinda shocked that Joe sells it.

Ron Reid

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 12th, 2003, 7:26 am

All of them.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jeffrey Cowan » July 12th, 2003, 10:49 am

The thin-model sawing in half. I've seen it done repeatedly for lay audiences. Judging by their comments, they always figure it out.
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 12th, 2003, 11:58 am

Anyone seen Bob Brown and Brenda's free-standing levitation? I have a photo.

Jim Riser
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jim Riser » July 12th, 2003, 2:17 pm

Originally posted by Whit Haydn:
Anyone seen Bob Brown and Brenda's free-standing levitation? I have a photo.
Whit;
I've never seen it; but have emails from a half dozen guys this year alone who want me to make them the metal work for it. Somebody must like it. :D
Jim

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Pete Biro
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Pete Biro » July 12th, 2003, 3:00 pm

Riser, forget the gaffe... you can do the same thing with double dose of Viagra. :eek: :eek: :eek:
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 12th, 2003, 4:25 pm

Pete:

That is the method I thought was used! Sure looked like it, anyway.

Bob is a great guy, and I don't mean any disrespect, but I have to say that one trick is one of my favorite memories in magic.

I crack up every time I think of it, and can't help but rehearse each sequence of the setup and performance in my head. Truly a great idea that just didn't work out.

Jim:

Maybe these guys have something they need to prove...

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Jim Riser » July 12th, 2003, 4:41 pm

I told them all that I wasn't interested in making the gimmick. It's not the sort of thing I want to be associated with. Did Siros have a similar gimmick?
Jim

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 13th, 2003, 9:06 am

OK Whit, now that I've imagined the scene you're describing... how about posting the picture (or a link thereto)? -Asrah

Ian Kendall
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Ian Kendall » July 13th, 2003, 1:18 pm

Originally posted by Geoff Latta:
All of them.
Now that's a wee bit harsh Geoff. There must be at least _one_ good illusion out there.

Can't think of one myself, but there must be.

Take care, Ian

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Pete Biro
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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Pete Biro » July 13th, 2003, 5:28 pm

I have to tell you... if you ever get to see Yogano Jr. do that kind of levi... you will not believe it.

He comes out playing a saxaphone and moving in tune... jazz movements to his body... to HIDE the fact that he has to walk funny wearing the apparatus...

He ends up on a raised podium type setup, like three steps up... made of CLEAR plexiglas.

Then, the lady assistant dances out (to his music) and poses at his feet...

She then levitates up about three feet, rotates around to the backside of him, comes back, then down and gets up and dances off...

SHEER BEAUTY... :cool:
Stay tooned.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » July 13th, 2003, 7:46 pm

Originally posted by Ian Kendall:
Originally posted by Geoff Latta:
[b] All of them.
Now that's a wee bit harsh Geoff. There must be at least _one_ good illusion out there.

Can't think of one myself, but there must be.

Take care, Ian [/b]
Yeah, the one where Blaine convinces people he's a good magician. Of course, that's tied with Ben Affleck convincing people he's an actor. But then, there's always our President convincing people he has at least one synapse that fires occasionally. Or the one where...

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Rafael Benatar » July 13th, 2003, 8:46 pm

How about the sword box and the person vanishing? Two good effects that don't make any sense when put together.

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Dale Shrimpton » July 15th, 2003, 4:57 am

I hate to say this, because i admire the guys work so very much, but .....steinmeyer's osmosis. that one stinks big time .

a pipe dream that should of gone down the pipe.


suddenly i feel like Jarret re-born..:^)


Dale

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Re: Worst Illusion??

Postby Guest » August 13th, 2003, 3:05 pm

In response to Pete about the tip over trunk. It is still very convincing to the layman, but of course it is all in how you perform it. The ultimate worst illusion is Braco's Floating Ball. Who agrees ? :confused:


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