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Well, I'm not trying to compare their skills (even if it seems like it) as I dont personally know what they are capable of... I only know what i've seen on TV... but from what I've seen, regardless of whether it uses props, gimmicks, wires or stooges, Cyril's magic actually looks MAGIC. I know Criss Angel concentrates on illusions, but the actual tricks he does dont look as good as Cyril's, regardless of whether it is gimmicked/setup or not.

The audience see the trick, not the props/gimmicks/stooges and in my opinion, and what i've shown to various friends and family, Cyril's magic looks more realistic than Criss Angels.

Anyway, if you dont like Cyril or prefer Criss Angel.. then each to their own.. We are all one big happy magical family here!

If Cyril is just popcorn magic, Blaine and Angel are cheap and bad tasty popcorn magic.

Salute!

(We are a magic happy family - Ramones cover)

Haha.. thats a nice way of putting it

I don't know about anyone else, but I watched Criss Angel perform an effect quite similar to Cyril's "hamburger" effect - and the performance was just as good. In fact, I've seen quite a few similar effects performed just as well.

I tend to agree with Seige (partly because disagreeing with him is just foolish), though I do enjoy Cyril's performances and persona.

I found out about Cyril Takayama less than an hour ago and i think he is one of the greatest magicians around. His effects hammer so hard Takayama's popularity can easily rival those of Blaine and Angel. Im surprised his virtually an unknown in America or internationally for that matter.

I havent seen all his tricks yet although im still looking for the rest. I think i have an idea how the cup noodles and the popcorn is done, its only a guess so dont start hurling stones.

I remember studying the electromagnetic spectrum in science although i am still uncertain on how microwaves work, so i looked up some relevant information on microwaves. It is just an idea, but what if there is a device which focuses electromagnetic energy into a beam is in the big microphone held up by the film crew? I got a glimpse of the big microphone in his popcorn popping performance and it sparked some ideas.. If its in the microphone, it would prevent the audience from being exposed to the radiowaves. (many of Takayama's videos can be found on youtube.com under Cyril Takayama in search).

Here's some information about microwaves:

"High frequency radio waves (ie, microwaves) are absorbed and changed into heat more readily by water than most other substances. That's why you can boil water in a microwave, but plastic with no water in it will barely heat up at all (check it out). This fact (water heats more readily than other stuff in microwaves) is what allows food to be cooked in a microwave with almost all the energy going into cooking the food.

Metallic molecules vibrate in sync so readily with microwaves that metal substances can actually reflect these microwaves back. Without going into gory detail (which involves math beyond my capabilities to figure out, let alone explain!) the reflected waves can bounce around so badly that the oven can be damaged. This reflection is not perfect, however; SOME of the metal molecules' vibrations are transformed into heat. Thus the metal will heat up."

Source: http://experts.about.com/q/Physics-1358/Microwave-1.htm

I am not sure about the reliability of this source, although i believe it is a viable explanation. If anyone knows how these tricks are done dont start bagging me out i just think it sounds logical to use microwaves, theres no other suitable explanation i can think of.

Ah, belief. Takayama could be the greatest contemporary magician if he comes up with all the amazing stuff you see on screen himself. Ditto Blaine or anyone else. Now, do you believe he sits alone and comes up with all his own stuff?

Tomo wrote:Ah, belief. Takayama could be the greatest contemporary magician if he comes up with all the amazing stuff you see on screen himself. Ditto Blaine or anyone else. Now, do you believe he sits alone and comes up with all his own stuff?

Do you think Criss does? Or Blaine?
Come on you need to know better then that..
My name is Santa if Blaine got more then one thing on his last or any other shows that is originally thought by him, he got an army of magicians behind him to think for him and even choose what to perform.
About Criss, well, the guy does have a very artistic mind (look at his stage show), but it's hard for me to believe he came up with all the big episode end stunts/illusions he done on Mindfreak let alone plan how to make them. About the small "filler" magic he does in each episode... give me a break.

I like Cyril only for the fact he really make stuff look magical, now, I don't say Criss doesn't, I mean a lot of his stuff are very nice, but in Mindfreak especially he went waaaay to far to doing illusions that are so radical that they don't look like magic or illusions anymore but more like Blaine stunts.
Criss could rock if he did his magic in the style of his stage show, which is very magical and maybe a bit "dark", or like his TV specials before Mindfreak.
Mindfreak in my opinion really diluted his real style of magic, and made it weaker in the hunt for rating.

Isnt that what Tomo was saying?

iummydd wrote:Do you think Criss does? Or Blaine?

I know they don't. That's the implied point. None of them do.

Tomo wrote:Ah, belief. Takayama could be the greatest contemporary magician if he comes up with all the amazing stuff you see on screen himself. Ditto Blaine or anyone else. Now, do you believe he sits alone and comes up with all his own stuff?

Not all of it, but some of it. He works with one of his fellow Magic X friends Rico. Rico is the brains behind a lot of tricks but not all of them. Cyril has invented quite a few himself but obviously he didnt invent everything he's performed

I may be wrong, but I'd be willing to bet that the stuff he does could be performed by anyone. And perhaps he isn't the man responsible for it either.

I have to disagree on this. Cyril has all the characteristic of a great magcian. He is calm and confidence. He has great hand movement and "always" show his hands clean. Watch this this clip and tell me it does not take any kind of training.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0G9yENOSOQ&search=cyril

Sorry, but when I think of a GREAT magician, I think Marlo, Slydini, Lennart Green, Vernon, all of whom created magic for their own personality and it generally comes/came from the heart.

Blaine, Angel and Cyril, to me, are just comparable to actors. Yeah, they can perform, and yes, they do come up with original stuff... but face it... with a week of training and the right magic minds behind them, people such as Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis or even Gary Oldman could become as good—by just hamming up performances based around self-working and 'ready made' magic.

However, none of them could act or philosophise or even come close to the years of skill and dedication of REAL magicians, I think.

This is just my opinion, but I'm quite confident that although Cyril is a competent PERFORMER, he just doesn't do it for me in terms of being a Magician.

Yeah, I like to watch the stuff. It's undeniably clever and entertaining. But the first time I saw our science teacher at school move a polystyrene block with the power of a Van de Graff generator I didn't immediately think 'wow, there's a real magician at work'.

OK, now flame me...

I personally think gary oldman would make a good mentalist. I mean, he looks like he could be. Heh.

So what makes a good magician?

Someone who performs an illusion and amazes a large amount of people?

Actors do that all the time, as siege basically said.

I think a good magician is an actor and an illusionist. So yes, to that degree Cyril, Angel, Blaine are all "good magicians".

But if you ask me, what makes a great magician, is one who can perform at a moments notice, wearing whatever they currently have on, or with them.

I personally think Derren Brown is one of the more skilled of the mainstream popularized magicians. His sleight of hand is top notch, I wouldn't doubt it to be better than any of the three above. He is also fairly original and doesn't use many (if any) props to achieve what he does.

To be able to recreate most of what DB performs, it takes YEARS of practice AND performances under your belt. I know. Im working on it.

I think mentalists become underdogs in the world of magic because what they do isn't always visually stunning.

But you know. To me. What really impresses me is the skill. I could go out and drop thousands of dollars and within a week be doing most of Cyrils work. But I have spent years working at mentalism and even longer with sleight of hand.

I think Penn and Teller kick Cyrils ass too. X_X (probably Mr Angel and Blaine while their at it.)

Ok this post was kinda rambly. Sorry.

1011

"Angel is a prolific inventor and creator" Seige, i think you should take a look again!!! How can you say such a thing man!! Angel is nothing but commercial c*** (not the best). All he can manipulate are those awful camera cuts that makes him look like a god to the eyes of common and ignorant viewers.

It`s a fashion i must say, average magicians with no skill but with enough money and contacts to make a damn circus on tv that will make them look like powerful wizards playing on the sidewalk with a pack of cards.

No doubt, times have changed!!

Here comes the camera trickery train. Right on schedule.....

To say that magicians on television (by default you are pointing out Blaine and Angel) have no skill is an even more ridiculous comment than the first one you made, Enigmatik.

As far as pure sleight of hand ability goes, I would personally put Angel above Blaine - but both are highly capable close up/impromptu performers. I also think Cyril has a high degree of sleight of hand ability - but it's the flashier videos and effects that are getting him his recognition.

The big, fantastic stuff is cool to watch - and I enjoy the genius of the solution/method/props from both views. However, it's the more intimate stuff that I truly love.

I would also like to point out a comment that didn't sit well with me. Bizkit spoke about Criss Angel just flaunting his wealth and the fact that he gets free stuff. Right afterwards, he mentioned that Cyril performed for a group of under priveledged children. To me, that implies that Angel is all about the cash. I think this is completely wrong.

Yes - to a degree, he does get flashy - but that's all part of the persona. The veil has been dropped many times, though - and I think a tremendous amount of respect should be paid for some of the charitable things Angel has done.

There was a recent episode of Mindfreak where a young cancer survivor was given the chance to meet Criss Angel. The kid was a massive fan - told his story about how his dad taught him magic to help him through his chemotherapy - only to later die of the same disease. All he wanted to do was meet his "idol" and talk about magic. Not only does Criss Angel go meet with him, but he takes him to New York City to have him watch a trunk escape in the middle of Times Square. Not enough? Perhaps... but it didn't end there. Then he took the kid to Las Vegas, and gave the kid the biggest opportunity he'll probably ever get. Criss Angel, Lance Burton, Luke Jermay, Banacheck, and Johnny Thompson watched this kid perform - helped him refine and polish his act - bought his props, flew his family in - and then gave him a spot in the middle of Burton's Vegas stage show. And why? Because the kid wrote him a letter about how big a fan he was.

You can compare skills all you want - you can have a favorite - I don't care. But don't come on here and label someone just because he drives a Dodge Viper on his television show. Keep your comparisons to ability/presentation - don't try to turn it into a Hollywood star vs. true artist situation.