Anyone know how he does his illusions, for instance, flying?

Same way as every one else. Bribed audiences.

CGI

Chris Angel is the worst magician ever.
Copperfield and Blain do some of those special effects fake audience tricks sometimes.
Chris Angel does it all the time.
http://sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=55500

So they cheat? That ruins the entire point of magic. The whole idea is to be amazed by what they accomplished not because it looked cool, but because of the way they figure out ways to trick us. Using CGI destroys the idea because there's no brains behind it, just some creativity and a little work. I only just watched his show for the first time this week, and was planning on watching it again...but now I don't find him so cool anymore.:( Way to ruin magic Criss...*shakes head sadly*

So they cheat?
Duh!
You act like that is something new.
All magic is nothing but cheating.
Tricks are so obvious that people dismiss many cheats as if they would not do that. Yes they would. That is all what magic "tricks" are.

The only difference is that Chris Angel is plain and simply wack as wack can be.

Check this one out:
It amazes me that anybody could take this man seriously:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8vo88TZdTY&search=chris%20angel

Ya but I mean there is no trick-no hidden door, no extra card..cheating yes, but still a trick...they had to come up with a way to trick you-what I ment by cheating was that they don't do anything...It's like "oh well that would look cool...go bribe he audience and draw some stuff up on a cmputer and voila!" That just ruins it.

Well there is one thing for sure.
He is an insult to real magicians because at least other magicians their tricks in front of actual people. He's so fake even the audience in his shows watching his tricks are fake.
Their whole purpose is to say "OMG! OMG!"

And have large breasts

Many of his videos have the same "random people" that were in other videos.

I myself find Criss Angel to not only be remarkably entertaining, but an excellent magician on all levels. Therefore, out of my fandom of him, I would ask if any of you are capable of presenting credible proof of him using underhanded tactics on his television shows or live performances, to trick the audience into thinking that what is a fake trick - and by that, I mean staged, or with fake spectators - is in fact a real one. Or are you simply affirming? For I have watched all his s hows -numerous times- and I, for one, have never seen a repeat of spectators on anything but the clip shows.

What is being said is that Chris Angel is different from other magicians.
1. All magicians do live magic tricks in front of real people watching the tricks.
2. All magicians sometimes also do tricks for TV audiences in which they use special effects, and fake actors.
3. Chris Angel only does tricks in front of fake actors using special effects. Chris Angel has never done an actual magic trick in front of real people.

Therefore, he is a joke to real magicians.

He is no Mr Norrell, that's for sure. His affinity for theatrics puts him more along the line of Jonathan Strange, actually.

Being a magician myself, I can assure you that "Criss Angel" has very little talent as a magician. Sure, he's charming and diplomatic, but definitely not a skilled magician. In the episodes where he teaches the viewers simple tricks, he performs them terribly. These are tricks I learned to do when I was 6. And Criss, who claims to be a "master magician" can barely do them. It should be clear that he's a bit of a joke to magicians.

One should also keep in mind that a lot of the camera cuts are taken out of context to what was in the last cut. Unless... You want to be amazed. But that's what Blaine and Burton and Harris are for (to name a few). Mainly Harris 'cuz he thinks up all the stuff...

With that aside, I still watch the show. I am glad that he exists, because his tricks inspire me to think of creative ways to accomplish some of the feats he does without the use of camera tricks and payed audience and general fake-ness.

Yeah, this one's totaly easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsq8qMi9_J0&mode=related&search=magic%20angel

CGI

Chris Angel is the worst magician ever.
]
Yeah, Chris Angel is the worst magician EVER in the history of magic. :rolleyes:

Your such a drama queen.

And yet still, the proof is not forthcoming.

Cool Skill, you claim that Criss Angel is a fraud. -Prove it-. Give me the mountains of evidence which must support your claims in order for them to be legitimate.

I await, as it stands, even the first iota of such.

Rantaak:

You make two claims. One that he is unskillful and another that the cuts aren't in line with what previously happened. In regards to the latter, please demonstrate some examples of such. And as regards the former, I must disagree. He attempts those tricks for the camera to give people a way to learn the trick, not "poorly".

Iv looked but there is a clip of him taking a bird out of a egg and the egg out of a orange but anyway he uses his son as the person picking the egg and oranges and otheir stand-ins, but he even riped that trick of a guy in China.....Hes FULL of it and him self.

DirtyMurder:

He uses his "son"? That isn't his son. That is a kid that has cancer that wrote in for him. If you can show that he is in fact Criss' son, please show me.

Ok.
A couple of examples. I don't have links to the youtube videos, but that's where I saw them to begin with.

The first is when he walks on water.
It's in a pool.
Lot's of people swimming around in the pool oohing and ahhing.
It's fairly obvious that what is going on is that there is clear plexiglass just under the surface of the water. With occasional breaks for the 'demonstration' that bubbles come up the surface and whatnot.
The swimmers have to know this. They're swimming all around it in a carefully cued manner.
This is magic that could never be performed in person. It's immediately subject to debunking because it's so lame.

Next.
He's in a park.
Asks for a 'volunteer'. Picks a woman. Lays her down on the picnic table. Then decides she's too short so he has to pick another one.
She lays down on the picnic table and he gets a couple of people to start pulling on her.
He pulls her in two and her top half runs off across the park.
Again. Immediatelly subject to debunking by anyone present.

I've not watched much more of his shows than that.
There was the levitation trick. That was fairly obviously a setup too. It was way too extravagant. Anyone in his immediate presence would be able to see that it is fake. Thus, he relies on the magic of television to make him a magic man.

Lame.

That other guy... I forget his name.. Blaine. That's it. He had a levitation trick too. And he also used wires and basically camera tricks. He did a simple trick at first, by angling himself in a specific manner away from the onlookers, he pushed himself up slightly on one foot, while maintaining the appearance that both feet were off the ground. This is a legitimate trick. But, then, supposedly, he recreated the trick after this. Saying that he wanted to get a better reaction shot or something. I forget exactly. This second take involved him in a harness and the levitation was more extravagant. But still not so extravagant as this Angel guy.

He's playing it up for the new generation of lamoids that need to be smacked over the head with a hammer for effect because they were weaned on CG.

Sad, really.

invert_nexus:

"The first is when he walks on water.
It's in a pool.
Lot's of people swimming around in the pool oohing and ahhing.
It's fairly obvious that what is going on is that there is clear plexiglass just under the surface of the water. With occasional breaks for the 'demonstration' that bubbles come up the surface and whatnot.
The swimmers have to know this. They're swimming all around it in a carefully cued manner.
This is magic that could never be performed in person. It's immediately subject to debunking because it's so lame."

Plexiglass suspended without support for over 20 feet, without bending or warping, and without the surface of the water appearing to react as shallow? Similarly, in an audience that was claimed to be live, and which had a spectator use his camera to record it as he liked, and for a woman to even swim under him whilst he was doing so, and for people to move across the path he was then taking? And, ontop of that, for him to take off his shoes, and for them to fall through the area immediatly before him, which he would then touch upon?

NOt to say that there isn't some sort of trick involved - he isn't Jesus II - but your assertion does not stand.

"Next.
He's in a park.
Asks for a 'volunteer'. Picks a woman. Lays her down on the picnic table. Then decides she's too short so he has to pick another one.
She lays down on the picnic table and he gets a couple of people to start pulling on her.
He pulls her in two and her top half runs off across the park.
Again. Immediatelly subject to debunking by anyone present."

This is the only trick I can think of, off hand, that may have been set up beforehand. In the absence of testimony from the participants, and from the show declaring it was fake, I cannot claim this was so - there is no evidence to demonstrate that is the case. That being said, the majority of his tricks are also not of this type that allow for such suspicions. Similarly, a question as to how the bottom legs were moving is worth asking, just as in most of "split people in half" tricks that magicians do.

I am also not sure if he claims this one was not set up. With other people he usually does.

Moreover, one reason to suspect that it was not faked was that none of the responses from the people implied fakeness, nor were their reactions obviously fake. The woman also looked genuinely scared when she was split in half.

"I've not watched much more of his shows than that.
There was the levitation trick. That was fairly obviously a setup too. It was way too extravagant. Anyone in his immediate presence would be able to see that it is fake. Thus, he relies on the magic of television to make him a magic man."

You will have to provide more evidence then "I cannot believe it was a legitimate trick". Considering that he was going over an entire street of sorts in that area, and no one responded negatively...

In essence, what do you besides incredulity bring to this suspicion?

"That other guy... I forget his name.. Blaine. That's it. He had a levitation trick too. And he also used wires and basically camera tricks. He did a simple trick at first, by angling himself in a specific manner away from the onlookers, he pushed himself up slightly on one foot, while maintaining the appearance that both feet were off the ground. This is a legitimate trick. But, then, supposedly, he recreated the trick after this. Saying that he wanted to get a better reaction shot or something. I forget exactly. This second take involved him in a harness and the levitation was more extravagant. But still not so extravagant as this Angel guy."

One magician's fakeness does not imply another's.

I love these guys that "just know" whats going on.

Plexiglass suspended without support for over 20 feet, without bending or warping, and without the surface of the water appearing to react as shallow?

Umm. Yeah?
Ever seen the video to Magic by the Cars? They do the same thing.

As to the bending and warping...
Ever heard of a box? Or maybe even columns?
Come on, use your brain.

Similarly, in an audience that was claimed to be live, and which had a spectator use his camera to record it as he liked

Yeah. Live actors.
W00t.

and for a woman to even swim under him whilst he was doing so, and for people to move across the path he was then taking?

Umm. Yeah?
It was staged, guy.
The setup was so that there were breaks in the surface here and there. In some parts there were openings underneat that people could swim under. In others, there was wide open spots where people could walk through and let bubbles go up to the surface.

Notice. He steps over those spots.

And, did you like how his shoe just happened to fall off?
And, did you notice that he stepped over that spot?



What are you trying to say here, exactly? I don't get it.
Do you believe he was really walking on water?
(No. You don't believe he's really magic, you say so explicitly. Hmm.)

It was a trick.
Magic is tricks.
That's fine. It's when they're so obvious like that that they are lame.
He puts all the people there as if they lend credence to his magic, but they're all actors.

You will have to provide more evidence then "I cannot believe it was a legitimate trick". Considering that he was going over an entire street of sorts in that area, and no one responded negatively...

Umm. No.
The one I'm talking about he sorta swoops up off the ground and into chairs. I think he swooped onto a fountain too.

It was a trick done with wires, obviously.
The problem is that anyone present would see the trick. They were too close for it to be legitimate. Sounds like what you're talking about might be a legitimate trick where the audience is kept far enough away that they couldn't be expected to see the wires and setup.

In essence, what do you besides incredulity bring to this suspicion?

My huge genitalia?

One magician's fakeness does not imply another's.

Earth to James.
All magicians are fakes.
The problem I have with Angel is that the tricks I've mentioned are too extravagant to work in person like he shows. The people present have to be in on it. This amounts to 'tv magic'.

Of course, people are stupid. But the shit he does kinda stretches the bounds of believability. And, the people in the pool were definitely in on it. There is no way they couldn't be. The people observing the levitation trick... I suppose he might have been able to rig it so the wires would be difficult to see, and with a little misdirection, it's possible they didn't know. But, the walking on water bit is a dead giveaway to 'tv magic'.

Did you know there used to be radio magicians?

I love these guys that "just know" whats going on

So. Do you think that he was really walking on water and that the people milling around in the pool were completely mystified?

If so, then you're a sucker.



Do you think he was really *gasp* flying?

If so, then you're a real sucker.



Do you think that he really pulled that lady apart in the park? And do you think that nobody in the crowd had the presence of mind to reach out to touch those legs that were left behind to figure out the trick? (Remember. The sawing the lady in half trick is done on a stage, and the mechanism is hidden in a box. This trick is done in plain site and in touching distance.)

If so, then would you like to buy a bridge?

invert_nexus:

"Umm. Yeah?
Ever seen the video to Magic by the Cars? They do the same thing. "

I have not seen this video, actually. Do you have a link?

"As to the bending and warping...
Ever heard of a box? Or maybe even columns?
Come on, use your brain."

A box of plexiglass that people routinely interrupt with their movements and one woman swims over. Oh and which is stable and doesn't topple over in the middle of the trick, by being placed in a pool with all sorts of liquid pressures exerted on it.

And yes, collumns of plexiglass that do not show at all and are avoided by the aforementioned people in the pool.

"Yeah. Live actors.
W00t."

You have to prove "live actors" beyond "oh my God, could be a fake thing".

"Umm. Yeah?
It was staged, guy.
The setup was so that there were breaks in the surface here and there. In some parts there were openings underneat that people could swim under. In others, there was wide open spots where people could walk through and let bubbles go up to the surface."

So basically "even if the evidence shows the unlikely nature of my things - which now require how many different things in order to work? - I shall still claim this story, without any corroborating evidence".

Simply because you can speculate that it occurred this way, does not mean that it did. Moreover you need one hellavua lot more evidence than conjecture here.

"Notice. He steps over those spots."

I do not recall him stepping over those spots specifically, but I shall look at that.

"What are you trying to say here, exactly? I don't get it.
Do you believe he was really walking on water?
(No. You don't believe he's really magic, you say so explicitly. Hmm.)"

Meaning he steps in spaces which previously were occupied by the descending shoes.

But no, I have no idea how he does this trick, like most of his tricks. But no, of course he is not some God.

"It was a trick.
Magic is tricks.
That's fine. It's when they're so obvious like that that they are lame.
He puts all the people there as if they lend credence to his magic, but they're all actors."

You have to give a lot more evidence then conjecture to justify this claim. Speculation does not imply proof.

Here's a good thing to start: I think some of his tricks were posted from a Youtube link. Let's go over them and see if you can point out specific time marks where you think something was afoot.

At least then we can speak about criticism of the performance on a level that may be able to be demonstrated as true or false.

"Umm. No.
The one I'm talking about he sorta swoops up off the ground and into chairs. I think he swooped onto a fountain too."

Oh, I was thinking of another trick. I am not sure which episode you are speaking about in this one.

"It was a trick done with wires, obviously.
The problem is that anyone present would see the trick. They were too close for it to be legitimate. Sounds like what you're talking about might be a legitimate trick where the audience is kept far enough away that they couldn't be expected to see the wires and setup."

I shall try to find you a video of it. It was rather impressive.

"Earth to James.
All magicians are fakes.
The problem I have with Angel is that the tricks I've mentioned are too extravagant to work in person like he shows. The people present have to be in on it. This amounts to 'tv magic'."

I had meant fakes as in the type of TV foolery you are supposing, not illusionist tricks in the classical sense. Obviously magic is a scam in that way.

"
Of course, people are stupid. But the shit he does kinda stretches the bounds of believability. And, the people in the pool were definitely in on it. There is no way they couldn't be. The people observing the levitation trick... I suppose he might have been able to rig it so the wires would be difficult to see, and with a little misdirection, it's possible they didn't know. But, the walking on water bit is a dead giveaway to 'tv magic'."

You admit that magicians can accomplish tons of things without such TV foolery, yes? Why then do you claim that this specific trick could not be done so close up? Of course, it is hard to imagine how he did it, but what specifically?

"Did you know there used to be radio magicians? "

That I did not know, no. What did they do?

If you watch Chris Angel's videos closely, you'll soon realize there is no magic involved - just a lot of video editing and participants on the payroll.

Although very entertaining, the trick where he cuts the girl in half is a total set-up. Think about it for one minute… That girl moved pretty fast on two arms, especially for someone that has probably never mobilized themselves in that way before. Don’t you think a more convincing reaction would have involved laying on the ground screaming and crying for her mother? Where was she scuttling off too anyway? Check out her facial expressions afterwards.

Still not convinced? Compare her clothing before and after the trick. She had a strap tied around her tummy region – it is tied in a loose bow at the back. After the trick – the strap is much higher and the bow ends are much longer (almost double the length). When did she re-tie it? It’s not even the same girl.

When he passes through the window without breaking it – he makes a point of promising “one continuous shot – don’t cut” – but then he takes at least 5 seconds to remove his shoes – during this time the camera is focusing on his shoes and not the window. Who cares about the continuous shot after that? And the actors are pathetic. It’s like watching paid advertising for a new kitchen gadget – everyone is just amazed but they have a difficult time convincing the home audience.

Walking on water? Again…way too many cuts in the tape. In addition to the woman that swims under him, there is one other that crosses his path (approx 70 seconds into the clip I watched). She passes very close to him, moves across sideways, creating the thinest profile possible. She really looks like she is "squeezing" between two obstructions. It is obvious when you are looking for it.
At the very end, on his last step, he hesitates. He places his foot gently down but doesn’t actually place his weight on it – changes his mind – lifts his foot back up and steps directly on the pool edge. What’s wrong Chris, no support beneath the surface there?

Although very entertaining, no-one actually believes these stunts are real…. do they? For the people he does fool – now that takes real magic!

Senator:

"If you watch Chris Angel's videos closely, you'll soon realize there is no magic involved - just a lot of video editing and participants on the payroll."

All? Or some? For whereas I will admit that it is possible - although I have seen no evidence of such - that all his tricks are "faked", many do not admit of such things.

"Although very entertaining, the trick where he cuts the girl in half is a total set-up. Think about it for one minute… That girl moved pretty fast on two arms, especially for someone that has probably never mobilized themselves in that way before. Don’t you think a more convincing reaction would have involved laying on the ground screaming and crying for her mother? Where was she scuttling off too anyway? Check out her facial expressions afterwards.

Still not convinced? Compare her clothing before and after the trick. She had a strap tied around her tummy region – it is tied in a loose bow at the back. After the trick – the strap is much higher and the bow ends are much longer (almost double the length). When did she re-tie it? It’s not even the same girl."

My answer now comes immediatly after watching the video as presented here:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16299016

Your comment regarding the bow is wrong. She had it tied at that height from the first time she was brought over, and I see no extension whatsoever in anything.

Now it also behooves us to ask how she could walk - and it is clearly the same woman - towards the bench, move her body, and otherwise act normally, if she were actually an amputee without two legs? Unless you're claiming they actually switched out women that look REMARKABLY like one another...And how do you explain the detached limbs moving?

I also see no facial features that indicate anything off about her experience afterwards and some people -do- run when they get in a scary position. Look at how the people jumped back. Is not that another sign of the flight or fight response displayed in the woman? Also, it doesn't take much to propel oneself forward on one's arms.

Whereas I shall admit that this is the most suspicious of any trick he has pulled, this does not simulteneously show that he only does fake-tricks (if this is fake) nor that he uses camera tricks.

"When he passes through the window without breaking it – he makes a point of promising “one continuous shot – don’t cut” – but then he takes at least 5 seconds to remove his shoes – during this time the camera is focusing on his shoes and not the window. Who cares about the continuous shot after that? And the actors are pathetic. It’s like watching paid advertising for a new kitchen gadget – everyone is just amazed but they have a difficult time convincing the home audience."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ekj0LkSod6k

I see nothing disingenius about their reactions. And he takes "five seconds" where the show fastforwards it. Moreover, the windows do not admit of opening (they are not shown to be that type) nor is the pane removed in part (the paper does not cover the whole pane fully and clearly leaves room on the side) and when he passes through they take the paper away within only a second or two.

"Walking on water? Again…way too many cuts in the tape. In addition to the woman that swims under him, there is one other that crosses his path (approx 70 seconds into the clip I watched). She passes very close to him, moves across sideways, creating the thinest profile possible. She really looks like she is "squeezing" between two obstructions. It is obvious when you are looking for it.
At the very end, on his last step, he hesitates. He places his foot gently down but doesn’t actually place his weight on it – changes his mind – lifts his foot back up and steps directly on the pool edge. What’s wrong Chris, no support beneath the surface there?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBQLq2VmZcA

The woman does indeed pass right through him, but simply because she turns to face him to (see it most likely) implies nothing whatsoever. Similarly, you forget th swimmer that swims right under him, as well as the man that looked as if he was right there intruding on the steps.

And as for his last step, that he chose to simply walk onto the concrete does not indicate there was no support there. Moreover, the most logical place to have a support would be right there anchored to the side of the pool.

It is also interesting that his jeans do not seem to depress beneath his feet before he steps down.

"Although very entertaining, no-one actually believes these stunts are real…. do they? For the people he does fool – now that takes real magic! "

Some people do think he has real magic. I know full well he is as fake as any other magician, I only proclaim that he isn't using "underhanded trickery" to fool audiences.

In regards to the trick seperating the woman in the park.

It is two seperate woman and a variation of sawing a woman in half trick. Of all the tricks this is one that definately didn't require audience prior knowlege.

He simply has a woman who had a defect at birth of not being born with a torso. I'm not sure if it's the same woman I have seen on tv before but there is at least one woman like this that has nothing below the stomach(?) I believe.

The legs woman is a contortionist. put them together and you have a whole body. It would be hard to get them to move together well but with practice you have a magic trick.

Oh... The girl at the feet end would have to be in on it because she actually doesn't pull the feet.

As for the pool trick... he could be moving from plexiglass post to plexiglass post ... why even have a sheet of plexiglass. Though whatever the means the people in the pool would have to be in on it.

It gives me some satisfaction to see "skeptics" saying that "everyone has to be in on it."

yeah I agree with James. I think lots of people envy him for his success. He did a few things that Blaine did, but he was levitating much higher than David.

But explain this to me: How did he walked down on the side of the casino?? Sure it is cheating after all it is magic but I think the cheating is done in a different way than paid audience.

Also flying through the flames with the bike and disappearing in mid-air, nice live audience, must have costed lots of money...

I Love Criss Angel :) He's Sooooo Effing Hot :) He's Hhhhhhot.i Love It When He Levitated ;) I'm Going To Vegas,and I'm Going To Meet Him,hheheheheheheheheheh