Talkmagic.co.uk

mistress of magic · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:47 pm Post subject: David Blaines Mysterious Stranger

I was really surprised by this book as it was actually pretty interesting stuff and I didn't have to force myself to read it.I especially liked the trick with the blister on your finger.Anyway if your thinking about getting it, see if you can find a shop called The Works.I got my copy there for 5.99 Very Happy

instead of the 18.99 some magic shops were charging.

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19332 Location: UK (62:AH)

At lunchtime today, our local 'The Works' were charging a mere £3.99. I think they must need the space or something!

mistress of magic · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2003 7:28 am Post subject:

Oh, well. It's only £2.
Has Anyone decoded The hyrogliphics(probably not how you spell it but anyway..) as I think they could be the thing that tells you where to go for the money.

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19332 Location: UK (62:AH)

I decided not to go hunting for the money as I'm very rich and don't need it. Yeah, right! The book itself is surprisingly good and I suspect that a lot of it was written by others to give it the professional touch. Most of the historical content has been gleaned from elsewhere so there's not a lot of original material but it's still a good read. I particularly liked the bit where DB quotes Houdini where he condemns camera trickery - and exactly how did DB get so high in his 'levitations'?

PS I paid £9.95 for my copy of the book last February and I thought it was a real bargain!

Giro El Ilusionista Malo · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 1:21 am Post subject:

I Always Did Magic But This Book Helped Me Get Captivated On The Street Side To It.

Jordan C · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 10:05 am Post subject:

DB - a crane probabaly. Perhaps definitely, perhaps he's just the anti-christ!! Ha ha, no seriously, because of his spooky persona (or perhaps its just a stoned persona now I'm more familiar with him!! lol) when I first saw David perform I was spooked to hell! Until I acquired some of the tricks he performs I thought he was the son of the devil!! ha ha

As regards the book, I too got mine at the works for £4. I doubt I'll go on the treasure hunt though as its somewhere in the US, somewhere I dont really wanna go!

If you do a google search you can get a phonetic hieroglyphic list which may help in the translation.

Alternatively go to the museum and speak to the egyptian expert. If it does say where the money is you can always give them a cut - and me for telling you to go there!!! Very Happy

vats · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 4:22 pm Post subject:

Mistress, I agree... thoroughly enjoyed the book, I agree with Mandrake although there was probably not a lot of new insights on the historical content, for someone like myself it was a great introduction and I'm now more aware of the history that I would ever have been otherwise. If you can find it for around £4, you'd be mad not to get it.... if only for the 're light candle effect' .....
Cheers
Vats

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19332 Location: UK (62:AH)

Despite who he is and what he says and what he does, I still enjoyed the book and it's a good read. At £3.99. Worth adding to a Magician's Library at any rate.

Jordan C · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 4:32 pm Post subject:

here here

BaBaBoom · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 4:51 pm Post subject:

Am I the only DB fan here?
lol

/me ducks

I think he displays the essence of what every great magician has had.

An understanding of people, the times he lives in and the media.
What he gives to us might not be great but the fact that we all know who he is shows that he understands the art to the same level as Houdini in my eyes.
The tricks are props, the real work is the science of the human and he has that down.

Just my opinion.

Smile

BaB

magicdiscoman · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 5:10 pm Post subject:

many discussions on this board will show that we dont have a problem with blane the magician,
we dont have a problem per say with blane the man.

the issues in my opinion are his use of blatent and sutle camera tricks and re-editing of stock footage to his advantage.

he has done a lot for street magic and magic in general, even to a certain extent his stunts.

the main gripe has always been his presentation of a fairly common eddect as supernatural, i take his bill writing trick as exsample:-

what you see is someone writeing a name of a person close to them on a bit of paper several feet away wre noone could possibly see it, fold it up small then burn it and blane knows how it is and makes it apear on his chest.
thats how it happens on tv, anyone familiar with this trick know full well that you cant do that live somethings missing, a little packet of time on the cutting room floor, its this piece of footage that we have a problem with.

now when paul danials does it he leaves that bit in and you still dont see it, but the effects the same.

BaBaBoom · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 5:24 pm Post subject:

I agree 100%, I'm not a fan of his work due to that, "after the break, DB will levitate" etc, another badly done edit.

His understanding of the people and the times he lives in enables him to do that and get away with it. Paul Daniels wouldn't have got away with that, the mtv generation is a different braincell though, lol.

To someone who sees magic as an art, his work is not up to standard but his manipulation of the people, media etc and his persona is in my opinion.
If you were as good at magic as Sir Paul of Daniels but had the mtv gloss that DB has you would have enough money to give me some, now go study and get that cheque in the post.
Smile

I haven't read the book but I'm sure we would all learn something, after the review I might go get it, thanks.

BaB

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19332 Location: UK (62:AH)

DB is a good and very accomplished street magician. It's a shame that he seems to have gone off at a tangent in the last few years. Did you see the ITV Magic prog on Saturday? Paul Daniels referred to DB as being good but, like a lot of street magicians, had ony 5 or 6 good tricks in his range - which was a bit harsh but I can see what he was trying to say. TV demands more than that range so a lot of padding and editing made up the difference.

I still reckon DB could put on a good half hour show but struggles to fill an hour. As for 44 days.... we've discussed that one to death elsewhere!

Blame the US media for it all - they call the shots!

BaBaBoom · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 5:46 pm Post subject:

lol yeah
I find his stunts quite painfull but I guess if somebody likes them, fair play.
I hear exactly what you are saying, I did see the prog, he is limited and now since the net exposures hes practicaly naked as far as tricks go.

It is this and the fact that hes still massive that I admire though. Style over content shows, to me, a very deep understanding of the science of magic, rather than the science of tricks.

I can do all the tricks he does on his specials (not the stunts-im fat but I dont want a public diet) but I'm not on the telly.
I understand the human mind and the way it works, nobody cares, lol.
I haven't got that character or indeed any endeering tv character.
DB has that in bucket fulls.

Damn fate
Smile

BaB

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19332 Location: UK (62:AH)

There's a minute or so at the end of one of his TV shows where he's larking around with some people and his 'Man of Mystery' persona disappears completely to reveal a 'normal' sort of guy with a big smile and friendly attitude . If he kept like that he'd have a lot more fans. That almost silent 'interview' with Eamonn Holmes on Breakfast TV was a very bad PR mistake - I've gone right off him since the stunts started but I reckon there's still hope if he wants to get back to mainstream!