Derren Brown Last Night on Channel 4

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Derren Brown Last Night on Channel 4

Postby king_of_keighley » Dec 30th, '06, 18:29



Did anybody watch this?

I thought it was one of the best magic shows i have seen on television for some years. I watched it with some laymen and they were blown away, then ending was fantastic and jus shows how much of a good show man he is.

PS. This was a live show, not too sure if he did a tour or something but i would have liked to have gone if there was!!

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Postby bronz » Dec 30th, '06, 18:49

I enjoyed it too, it was fun hearing the lays around me explain how they thought everything was done. They could've been right, that's the thing with Derren you never really know, but there were points where I could imagine Nyman sitting in the wings and rubbing his hands with glee at the barefaced cheek of what was occuring.

Lovely showmanship.

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Postby Tomo » Dec 30th, '06, 19:10

I thought in places he was nervous, rambling and rushed. If he slowed down just a little bit and took time to command the stage, I reckon it'd play even better. I do love his bogus explanations of how everything's done, though - including video evidence, so it must be true, right. Right? :lol:

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Postby Mooch » Dec 30th, '06, 19:41

Derren really is an excellent performer. Something Wicked This Way Comes was a great show and I really enjoyed watching it, especially with his wonderful explanations, but I agree with Tomo in that he should have slown down in places. Still, it was great fun to watch, especially hearing people's theories as to how he achieved some of the effects.

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Postby Tom Hutley » Dec 30th, '06, 19:47

Hmn I ditto the comment about him being a bit rushed, he spoke really fast as though he had a train to catch.

I didn't really like the idea of him doing the "Human Blockhead" and walking on glass, don't see how it fits the bill as mentalism. I mean its just a geek stunt with a little bit of a different presentation.

I really did like the reveal at the end.
Was a great show. :D

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Postby iummydd » Dec 30th, '06, 19:57

I only saw this bit on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KveY44NCNOM

I think its brilliant what an amazing, entertaining routine you can make out of such a simple principle.
Also, as much as Derren is entertaining on his TV series, he is even more brilliant when he is live and unscripted (at least partly).
I can't wait until more clips from the show will be uploaded.

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Postby Mikey.666 » Dec 30th, '06, 20:02

i watched the epic event last night. i thought it was fantastic. he's a really funny guy. and...that video evidence at the end. I'm not being funny but how obvious was it when he showed you again. i was like WAAAAAAAAAAA :shock:

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Postby JackWright » Dec 30th, '06, 20:10

Tomo wrote:I thought in places he was nervous, rambling and rushed. If he slowed down just a little bit and took time to command the stage, I reckon it'd play even better.


I understand where you are coming from because, after watching it on the TV and a repeat on video (yes, I know, I'm obsessed), I did find that he seemed to talk rather quickly and slightly rush things(not really very nervous though). Maybe that's just because we're used to the speed of his TV show, or, more likely it's just because it feels better at that speed in the theater. I went to see the same show live at the Alexandra Theater last year and although it was quick, I don't think it felt rushed at all. Maybe it's just me..
He is still doing the nodding thing though, which is always funny. :roll: :lol:

anyway, it still amazes me, and I know how half of it's done! As previously mentioned, brilliant showmanship (shame they had to take the Subliminal Tape bit out though :( ).

Anyone here been to his first tour(Derren Brown Live)?

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Postby Soren Riis » Dec 30th, '06, 20:27

iummydd wrote:I only saw this bit on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KveY44NCNOM

I think its brilliant what an amazing, entertaining routine you can make out of such a simple principle.
Also, as much as Derren is entertaining on his TV series, he is even more brilliant when he is live and unscripted (at least partly).
I can't wait until more clips from the show will be uploaded.


Yes, nice presentation of an effect that can be done impromptu with borrowed objects e.g 4 white beads, one bead and almost any bag.

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Postby MarcLavelle » Dec 30th, '06, 20:33

i liked the part in his explanation video where he winks at the camera! quality, and sooo blatant what he says! i love his sense of humor, all in all, a great act, i cant wait to go see him!

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Postby Stephen Ward » Dec 30th, '06, 20:34

Soren Riis wrote:
iummydd wrote:I only saw this bit on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KveY44NCNOM

I think its brilliant what an amazing, entertaining routine you can make out of such a simple principle.
Also, as much as Derren is entertaining on his TV series, he is even more brilliant when he is live and unscripted (at least partly).
I can't wait until more clips from the show will be uploaded.


Yes, nice presentation of an effect that can be done impromptu with borrowed objects e.g 4 white beads, one bead and almost any bag.


Yes it is a great effect, i use this all the time both on stage and close-up

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Postby lindz » Dec 30th, '06, 23:16

Yes i was saying to the missus last night about how rushed and eccentric he seemed. He was going so bloody fast he looked like road runner. Overall thoe another great performance from Mr Brown. I actually see this tour at the theatre in chatham in april 2005 it was good stuff. It was actually daily mail and page 14 when i see him. :wink:

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Postby imi_kamoze » Dec 31st, '06, 01:49

Actually, I believe that the hyperactivity was a deliberate piece of acting. Did anyone notice how he was noticebaly more relaxed in the first half of the show, compared to the second?

The pivotal moment was after the glass walking stunt. In his "explanation" before the actual trick (where he partially suffocated himself to make himself impervious to pain) he said that a side-effect of this method was a feeling of extreme euphoria afterwards. So, it would make sense to the audience if his behaviour changed noticeably afterwards, wouldn't it? Hence, he suddenly looked like he was on crack.

I've read that to be a great metalist you must pay attention to subtleties like these. Derren talks about this himself in several of his writings.

Another thing he is also fond of is creating anchors to enhance peoples memories of the effect, because according to him, a lot of the magic happens for spectators after the trick is done. For example, remember the bit with the nail? And how later on he stopped to click his jaw in reminder of this? It makes you think, "oh yeah, he put a freakin big nail into his nose, I almost forgot!"

You see, there is a method in his madness...

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Postby king_of_keighley » Dec 31st, '06, 11:13

Liking the comments! Although i know how most of it was done i thought what really made the show wasnt magic at all. It was definitely the ending. It wouldn't surprise me if they worked out the ending first then went back and filled it with some magic and mentalism and then slotted in the random words.

Also if he was talking really clearly and concise it would make it a lot easier for the audience to realise that he had slipped the words "choose daily mail" into a sentence. Because the audience were listening intently (as they do with good magicians) they couldn't and didnt want to dwell on what he had said, this is because they wanted to hear what else he was saying so that they understood the next trick. If he were to pause and talk slower they would have more time to turn to a friend and say "did he jus say, choose daily mail for no reason?" In my humble opinion the ending made the show and therefore the fact he talked quickley was pivotal.....either way he isn't doing magic any harm, on prime time channel 4 slots.

PS. i Might be totally wrong here, but didn't Carter the Great used to do the same newspaper trick hundreds of years ago?? any magical historians out there?

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Postby seige » Dec 31st, '06, 11:21

Re: the 'hyperactivity'.

I too think this was part of the act: Derren seemed to become more and more excited about the climax of the show, which really built up the ending. I don't really think it detracted—somehow it appeared he was actually enjoying himself.

And that's a great thing about performing magic—sometimes it's nice to share your buzz/euphoria with the audience, especially when you're spinning a yarn ;)

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