talkmagic.co.uk

I think I know who I'd have been watching anyway!

Saying that though, the sudden influx of magic on TV is quite a breath of fresh air - and last night (Derren Brown's Russian Roulette night) I actually found myself stopping in and making sure I had the night free - something I've not done for a TV show in a LONG time.

Maybe it was mind control???

hmmmmmm..... I don't know if anyone managed to catch Sunday's (12/10) programme.... if you have it taped I suggest the fast forward button... have to say in my opinion this was the weakest 'episode' so far... I suppose on hindsight the title of best 'MADDEST' magic tricks..... ever should have given me a clue .... things were so bad they didn't even show all of the 'top 20' performances but kept cutting to 'expert' interviews during the performance..... I think the series is a great idea, but maybe the programme makers had all just come back from the pub when they thought of a 'maddest' show...... lets hope the next one gets better.

I have to say in my opinion this was the weakest 'episode' so far

I must admit I still thoroughly enjoyed it - but I do agree with you that it would have been better to see the entire trick - and not edited highlights. That was frustrating sometimes.

I also recorded this one - since there's usually not a lot on the box worth watching it'll be something to fall back on! I agree that the 'celeb' bits in between the tricks are rather annoying but perhaps a small price to pay for seeing some classic effects. Apart from Anthea Turner - seeing her is far too big a price to pay for anything! The editing around the 'celeb' bits is very annoying - let's just see the routine in full and then, if we really have to, let Nicholas Parsons spout on for 15 seconds or so. Having said that, it was great to see Simon Drake again - I reckon we ought to start a campaign to get him back on Channel Four where he first appeared yonks ago - it would be good to see more of his 'strange' but brilliant routines again.

Next Sunday's show is concentrating on the more bizarre tricks but I'm hoping there will be some worthwhile routines to watch and I hear there's an Escapology Show on Channel Four, same night but different time. Might be worth having a look-see?

with the majority of this stuff haveing been on before i say bring back paul danials shows, he's a sesoned professional and he introduced us to many forms of magic which certainly shaped my carrier.

the powers that be like to rycycle the big illusions and repackage classic effects and spoon feed us drivel.

that said if you tape it edit out the crud you get a fine tape of quality but dated magic, as for the scotish magicians, not the nice ladies and gentlemen on this board, thier stuff is nothing new either basic stuff repackaged.

i know I'm cynical and have mabey seen it all before, its not realy the magic I'm complaining about its the constant repackageing and the way they insist on presenting it as sh*t.

they should take a leaf out of paul's shows and present the magic in amatter of fact almost clinical way, hans murettie's stuff was just plain daft most of the time but the fact that its still talked about is a testimant to who it was presented, I'm sure we will still be talking about the acts on pauls shows long after we have forgotton that nice card man what's his name you know on that program with the cr*p fill in's.

Well having been disappointed with the 'mad' show, I must say I found last weeks (19/10) 'bizarre' programme very entertaining.... with a couple of the highlights being Derren Brown's
- 'hands in the air' at the shopping centre, great interviews with the 'public performers'.... 'suddenly I put my hand up in the air...... no, I have no idea why'
- 'bending spoons' where as the tv audience you saw nothing happening, except two girls, telling you that they could see the spoons they were holding bending in front of their eyes
I especially liked this one as I know if I sat there at lunch and told my colleagues that my spoon was 'bending' when it obviously wasn't then they would just think I was nuts (they probably do anyway!)... but the thought and planning that went into this effect for the TV programme made the whole thing seem 'magical'... just underlies the value of the performance!!
oh yeah, thinking about it, there was one more 'trick' ... Coby Bryant? presented an optical illusion trick, the one where if you look at a black and white spiral spinning for about 30 seconds and then say look at the back of your hand it looks as if your skin is crawling.... again great for its imaginative use of the TV..... I'm surprised something like this hasn't found its way into a 'commercial' or something in the advertising industry (suppose it might have something with effecting people in the same way strobe lighting can) ... better than Blaine's 'see a card routine' as he rifles the deck...
if anyone else saw it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the 'spoon bending' performance.
cheers
Vats

I thought the soon bending that wasn't trick, was a pretty novel approach and enjoyed it, though for me the hands in the air thing was the best. I'm still trying to work out how to get my hand down

The optical illusion/sky boiling/skin crawling thing is on the Internet somewhere and is quite good.The main problem is for some of those folks with Epilepsy where the whirly image can induce fits.

The power of suggestion (the spoon IS bending) is very great and Uri Geller uses this a lot - he virtually tells people that the spoon is bending when it clearly isn't and they're either too transfixed, or polite, to disagree.

Considering the lack of Magic on TV, even these programs are to be treasured - warts and all!

HT... I've been making a tape to play in the background down the pub, I'll let you know how it goes Friday... but with any luck when I 'click' my fingers.. people will be rushing over to buy me a pint!

I found the 'crawling skin' .... link below

http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-42.htm

Cheers

Vats

I never saw it . I'm American!