talkmagic.co.uk

To give credit where it's due, I think that Blane deserves some respect from fellow magicians and as to whether he's as good as Houdini, the argument seems irrelevant to me. It's like comparing Ozzy Osbourne with Britney Spears - two totally different entities all together!

Having watched Street Magic a few times now, Blaine's technique is something that most club level magicians would sell their sole for. As for luck, In my experience you make your own luck to a large degree and good luck to him. I suspect a lot of hidden jealousy from those who slate him.

On a down side, some of Blane's card tricks (and others) are common purchases now and it's difficult to know if this is a good or a bad thing. One thing for sure though, I suspect that there are some aspiring magicians out there that wouldn't have started in magic if it wasn't for the interest that Blane created.

I'm not a particular fan of Blaine although I do enjoy watching his, and ANY other magicians magic. He maintains a level of mystique that is difficult to know if it's for real or a put on for the public. The level of interest in magic that Blane creates and maintains for the public can only be a good thing for us magicians in general.

So it's the old show-biz maxim then? Any publicity is good publicity!

I agree - watching ANY magic done well is a treat, whether or not you know how it's done.

Maybe I react to the whole "Street" thing, as if this were something special. It's certainly a different angle, although historically magicians peddled their trade at markets, circuses - and virtually no better than beggars in some cases.

Nearly all of those dark, gloomy "Street" audiences seem to be people specifically NOT to meet out on a dark night!

Whereas watching Copperfield sawing himself in half is an absolutely amazing illusion, you know that's just what it is - an illusion. You pay for a seat and get entertained. In my view (humble though it is) this is what the craft should be about. Going out in to the night and performing for the violent, spaced-out wraiths of the night is surely not exactly a good example for up and coming magicians! Their careers may not last that long....:/

Ho-humm....

I wouldn't say that ANY publicity is good but I know what you mean.

I think that It'sAllAnIllusion is spot on when saying that ' magic well done is a joy to watch' and needs to be entertaining. In my mind this is what sets a good or even great magician apart from the crowd - their ability to entertain.

i dont think hes THAT good

somtime when i do shows, someone says "can you do david blane tricks?" i reply to them say "who's he" - i just cant get the grip to like him

I think he is definitely trying to be the new Houdini. The stunts he pulls are very similar in spirit.

David blaine will be remembered the same way houdini will be. Most magicians didnt like houdini back then, and most magicians dont like david blaine now. Its all about how they present/presented themselves

This seems to be a regularly recurring post so perhaps it would be useful to have a look at an article by Michael Jay, a member of TM as well as Magic Bunny - http://www.online-visions.com/michaeljay/0408-mj.html - there are some solid points made which, for me anyway, sum it all up very neatly. And the same conclusions can be made about other performers who may, or may not, bend cutlery.

I personally believe it is not possibly to compare the 2 magically. Houdini was world famous as an escape artist. Blaine is becoming world famous for being a magician (At first) although he seems to have moved more toward stunts for some reason or another.

You can only really compare them as publicity generating showmen in my opinion. They both have very clever methods for getting the media in certain towns or countries to recognise them.

I doubt however anyone will manage it to such a degree that Houdini did.

For me, like a lot of others here it seems David Blaine was one of the main reasons why I got into magic but since then I have seen the arguments about him go round in circles. I was disapointed when I found out that he used camera tricks but really that doesn[t matterit is the effect he has on people and noone can argue that he is poor in that respect. And as for his ambitions, well what's wrong with ambition?

I was performing street magic when DB first hit the big time. I was constantly asked to do the Blaine levitation, which I stopped performing shortly after (possibly because no one believed me when I told then it was not his)

He sometimes comes up with really interesting ideas (not so much in the first special) and his performance style is almost ...If I could really do this...really do magic... how would I?

My main problem with him now is the stunts... To quote Paul Daniels when asked about him... "If you are a magician... do magic" People often ask me if he was really in the box. I say...I reckon so, there is no reason to fake it. But why do it in the first place????? DB had about 5 million of them apparently.

As for being greater than Houdini. Heh! I don't think so.

Blaine recieves much criticism from the magic community aswell as from the press and media. Some is deserved but I think anyone currently working pro will realise the impact that David made with his first couple of magic specials.

Almost every gig I do, his name comes up. We should be thankful that David made magic 'cool' again and inspired a new generation. Without his contribution, I don't think there would be as great a demand for magic as there is today.

I am the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of his endurance stunts but I think he wanted to do something that couldn't be marketed and sold in a kit or exposed on a 'Secrets of Street Magic Finally Revealed' type special. I am sure I am not the only working magician that dropped some items from my act following these specials (mainly the Balducci!).

Anyway, respect to David Blaine.