Criss Angel - Trick Secret Revealed

[DVD Josh]

For those who don't know him, Criss Angel has a show called Mindfreak on A&E. He's an illusionist, and a pretty decent one. I enjoy magic and illusion so I enjoy the show, but to me, the impressiveness is in the delivery, not that he can actually make something disappear.

He recently did a trick where he makes a go-cart disappear in smoke. However, when I saw the broadcast, it was incredibly easy to see how he did it. We all know one of the illusionists best tools is misdirection, so I'm always scanning the background for clues.

I came across this deconstruction of the trick which shows how simple this trick was, and how the use of misdirection and viewing angles aid the illusionist.

http://www.duggmirror.com/television/Camera_angle_mistake_reveals_Criss_Angel_s_secret_picture_story/

As you can see, this one was pretty easy to figure out and pull off.

[devilshalo]

Yeah, but show me how he floated from the top of the Luxor down to the floor. Some of the hand redirection - like on last night with the dove, is pretty simple.

[kvrdave]

<img src=http://w3.gorge.net/kvrdave/henning.jpg>

[C-Mart]

It was very easy to see how he did that one. Pathetic excuse for a magician.

[Minor Threat]

Yaylol.....

[GoVegan]

It was very easy to see how he did that one. Pathetic excuse for a magician.Yeah, his outfit distracts you away from the fact that he's not actually sitting on a real rainbow.

[Oraphus]

that one was pretty obvious.. didn't need a "deconstruction" for that one.

How about the floating one... is that all just a camera trick or is there more involved?

[Jeremy517]

That qualifies as magic?

[Thor Simpson]

I don't care what you guys say, that was real.

[Mopower]

No you guys don't get it. It was the go kart that was fake.

[Seantn]

No, the smoke was fake, it was all an illusion in your mind. The go-kart ran on carrot juice, and Chris Angel is a robot.

[jdodd]

I think it was one of them hollygrams.

[Thor Simpson]

I'll also add that I didn't even see the effect take place. It looked to me like he drove behind a wall that had a few guys standing around it spraying smoke. I didn't for a second think that anything had disappeared. Maybe I should have watched more of the build-up but fast forwarding to the performace, it looked exactly like what it was. To me at least.

[4KRG]

I don't care what you guys say, that was real.


I once saw this guy on the internet get eaten by a hippo, that was real too. No one missed him though...

[PopcornTreeCt]

That one was pretty bad but some of his other tricks are pretty amazing.

[Thor Simpson]

I once saw this guy on the internet get eaten by a hippo, that was real too. No one missed him though...
I can't even find the gif of that. Hopefully it's archived somewhere on this planet.

[The Cow]

Yeah, his outfit distracts you away from the fact that he's not actually sitting on a real rainbow.
It's not so much the outfits. It's the hair and porno mustache that sell the story. Bow-chicka-bow-wow.

(and Josh, Criss gives away a lot of his illusions, that's part of his schtick. they are all over YouTube and on his DVDs, he's been around a coupla years)

[dvdsteve2000]

There's a ton of 'how he did it's' on youtube. I saw the 'climb through a pane of glass', disappear off of a table, and a few others. What really burst my Criss Angel bubbles was when they showed how the audience was in on his tricks.

[Deftones]

Ok, I saw this episode. It was pretty easy to figure that out when you watched it.

However, he did the same "trick" in his brand new Lambo out at some race track in Pahrump, NV. Obviously, it was done in the same manner. But, it's harder to figure that one out as he was on a race track. So, there's no hole. I figure it's a mirror trick, but I couldn't tell for sure on that episode.

[Howiefan]

Tricks are for whores. It's called an illusion.

[darkside]

There's a ton of 'how he did it's' on youtube. I saw the 'climb through a pane of glass', disappear off of a table, and a few others. What really burst my Criss Angel bubbles was when they showed how the audience was in on his tricks.
This always sucks, but Blaine uses the same methods.

[Fok]

I find Criss Angel too gay, instead of trying to be all fancy, just do the trick

[AGuyNamedMike]

Tricks are for whores. It's called an illusion.

Illusionist, prostitute, is there much of a difference philosophically when you delve into the psychology of the provider and buyer?

[AGuyNamedMike]

I find Criss Angel too gay, instead of trying to be all fancy, just do the trick

Gayer than Doug Henning (who wasn't gay either)? Do you mean "friend of Dorothy" gay or "I'm 14 and I don't think this guy is very cool" gay?

[Mrs. Danger]

I was more impressed when Penn and Teller made a submarine disappear.

[Minor Threat]

Thanks for ruining it for me.....


:sad:

[starseed1981]

I actually noticed that on the episode. What I still want to know is that floating thing in the atrium of the luxor.

[DVD Josh]

I actually noticed that on the episode. What I still want to know is that floating thing in the atrium of the luxor.

You couldn't figure that one out? He's lifting himself up, it's his pants that are hanging down.

[Draven]

So this was basically the equivalent of the old "walking down the stairs" trick, made popular behind sofas in countless living rooms across the country?

Sometimes these TV magicians are hard to figure out, but this was particularly laughable. And it's impossible the audience couldn't see that wall there, since it was so obvious.

[DVD Josh]

So this was basically the equivalent of the old "walking down the stairs" trick, made popular behind sofas in countless living rooms across the country?

Sometimes these TV magicians are hard to figure out, but this was particularly laughable. And it's impossible the audience couldn't see that wall there, since it was so obvious.

From the angle they were at, they probably couldn't see it. It's all about angles.

[Tarantino]

Funny...I've never seen this person. I've always assumed Criss Angel was a female.

= J

[TheMadMonk]

Funny...I've never seen this person. I've always assumed Criss Angel was a female.


That could be his next big trick.

[das Monkey]

So this was basically the equivalent of the old "walking down the stairs" trick, made popular behind sofas in countless living rooms across the country?

Sometimes these TV magicians are hard to figure out, but this was particularly laughable.
Yeah, that one was pretty stupid and obvious on first viewing, and I can't believe someone devoted the time and energy to make a web page "exposing" it. Based on Gob's definition, that wasn't an illusion; it was a trick.

das

[RaMMaR]

i find his lisp and slight emo-chick drawl more distracting than the smoke and mirrors.

[Dobby]

I think he used a secret cloning machine devised by David Bowie

[Fok]

Are there other sites out there defunking his acts?

[tdirgins]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/George_clinton_funk.jpg
"Give up the funk Angel."

[jdodd]

rotfl

[mndtrp]

This one was pretty obvious, prior to the explanation. Maybe more smoke would have helped.

[spinning plates]

he sure pulled out all the stops on that trick.