Criss Angel - Mindfreak - The Complete Season One (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Criss Angel is one of the most mind-boggingly interesting magicians that has ever been. His show is definitely worth watching. The vast majority of his illusions are simply amazing and inexplicable.
With that said, however, I do have some pros and cons to list.
Pros:
1. Amazing illusions that defy explanation.
2. No stuffy, old-school, big-production-number-on-a-stage magic acts of the David Copperfield variety. Criss does nearly everything as street magic.
3. He has more personality and warmth than David Blaine. (Of course, that's not saying a whole lot.)
Cons:
1. The show has an annoying tendency to show you clips of the finales of the best stunts of the show, before the show even gets going. I don't want to see that. I want to be surprised. Don't give me a detailed run-down of what you're going to do and even show me short clips of what you're going to do. It ruins part of the mystery. Just get the show started and do it.
2. Criss talks in a monotone drone, like he's perpetually on quaaludes.
3. I could do without his family members. They each have their own (obviously fake) "jobs" to do on the show.
His brother JD's job is to pace around and act all nervous about everything Criss attempts, and to say things afterward like, "I'm telling YOU, that he will NOT be doing something like THAT again. No way."
His other brother Costa's job is to give vague praise every step of the way. "Lookin' good; don't look down; you got it!"
His Mom's job is to freak out and scream in horror at everything Criss attempts. I always think it is interesting, in an annoying sort of way, to watch her thrashing around in horror, and then see that all of the people standing around her have decidedly different expressions on their faces. Of course they do...because they know it's just a show. And Criss's mom obviously does too. But her job is to freak out and act like Criss is in mortal danger.
4. During the large illusions, there are too many cut-scenes away from the illusion and onto some member of his entourage spewing some vague banalities about the stunt, or about how "deep" Criss is, or some other blather. Example: Banachek saying things like, "I think people would be very surprised to find that what they think is illusion, is not illusion -- and what they think is not illusion, is illusion." Or the big-eared dude (forgot his name) saying equally vapid things that have no real substance. Or even to Criss himself saying, "With me, what you see is what you get." OK, OK, yes, we know that already, you've told us a bunch of times. So on with the illusion, OK? One continuous shot, OK? Also, most of the illusions are shown with different camera angles. Every cut away from the action or even to a different camera angle means an edit of the show, in which ANYTHING could have happened between one cut and the next. It's the equivalent of saying, "OK, turn your back for a second...OK now you can look again." It serves to cast doubt on EVERY trick that Criss does.
5. A lot of the people that Criss picks to perform in front of are idiots. David Blaine suffers from this more than Criss does -- "Hey, here's a tattooed low-life with an IQ of 70. He'd be a good subject to perform for!" -- but Criss also tends to have people that are no brain surgeons, or even reasonably intelligent professional types. Instead, he gets people that either (a) say Oh My God a million times, (b) say four-letter words a million times, which results in a ton of bleep-outs, or (c) run away. I can never understand the last reaction, running away. I mean, Huh?!? I'd be examining that as closely as possible, asking questions along the way and looking at it with an analytical eye. But instead, you get people that, when presented with an amazing illusion, RUN AWAY. Some of the mental midgets that David Blaine performed for also showed much the same reaction. (See Deion Sanders' reaction after Blaine levitated in front of him.) What the heck is up with that?
6. There are obviously "plants" in the audience. One of the most obvious examples was in one of the later Mindfreak shows, where he finds a couple in the Aladdin hotel hallway and asks them if they've ever experienced Deja Vu. Then another couple (a too-plastic-looking couple) steps in from behind and acts like they're just another couple at the Aladdin also. Criss says he wants to show these people something, and starts walking down the hallway a bit. The first couple follows him, but the second couple stays put, perfectly posed in the center of the hallway, even before Criss tells them to stay there. Then he tells them that they will experience Deja Vu, and he blocks the camera for a split second. Freeze-frame that split second. You will see the girl in the second couple move a little bit too soon. Obviously these people both have twins, and while the couple quickly darts into hotel rooms on either side of the hallway, their "twin" couple comes out of rooms at the far end of the hall, to make it look like Criss has just "reversed time" and thrown the couple down to the end of the hallway.
It's the kind of thing that makes me skeptical of EVERY so-called "audience" member in any of Criss's stunts. I suspect that Criss has TONS of plants in the audience -- at least one with just about every illusion he does -- and that really lessens the impact of his tricks for me. For another example: Take the girl that he "just happens to meet" in a parking lot in one episode. He asks her to draw "any animal" on a piece of paper, and then fold it up. She draws a butterfly. Criss unfolds the paper, and a real butterfly flies out and the drawing is now blank. Well, great...but what if the girl had drawn an elephant, or a rhino, or an armadillo, or cassowary or something? But nope, she conveniently draws a butterfly, and Criss just happens to have a live butterfly under his sleeve to produce. The girl was obviously a plant.
7. A bunch of the random people that "just happen to be there" when Criss shows up to perform something for them, curiously also just happen to have Mindfreak shirts or logos on their clothing. Like random people just go around wearing Mindfreak gear all the time. Right.
8. The Mindfreak theme song. Annoying noise.
Seems like a lot more cons than pros, right? But still, I watch the show because the pros carry a lot more weight than the cons. It is simply a very entertaining show to watch. Worth the purchase if you can put up with some of the cons.

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Go behind the scenes with today’s most exciting master of surreality in CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK. A cross between Harry Houdini, Cirque Du Soleil and Fear Factor, each mind-boggling episode of CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK captures the creative genius at work, preparing and training for his often death-defying feats. From levitating ordinary American citizens, to literally dangling by his skin from a helicopter one thousand feet above the Valley of Fire in Las Vegas, Criss Angel brings his extraordinary talents to the streets of Ameria--live, unstaged and without the use of any camera tricks. On DVD for the first time, experience all 15 episodes from the critically acclaimed debut season of CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK, starring the world’s only 3-time Magician of the Year, and featuring celebrity guests like Jonathan Davis of Korn, Mandy Moore, and Penn & Teller. Get Your Mindfreak On! DVD Features: Commentary with Criss Angel on Episodes "Burned Alive" and "Body Suspension"; Interactive Illusions Through Your Television Screen; "Inside the Mind of Criss Angel" Interview; Criss Angel’s Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Illusions; Photo Gallery; Biography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

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Criss Angel - Mindfreak - The Complete Season Three Review

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(More customer reviews)Another season of the A&E show, Mindfreak, has come to a conclusion, and here I am revisiting to review it once again. The first thing I will state about this show is that I cannot pick a favorite season; it would be like picking a favorite child. I think each of them stands on their own.
Season 1 was about drawing in an audience and wowing them with a modernized version of what one would call "magic", sprinkled with plenty of death-defying stunts. For the women in the audience (and I did not really take inventory of how much this occurred with my first viewing), in just about every episode, we were treated with plenty of bare Angel chest (insert drool factor here). Season 2 added a little humor and personality to the show, with a little less chest baring and a little more bling.
Now, here we are at Season 3. The bling has increased, and the personality factor has as well. The beauty of this whole show is that it has that personality. Criss Angel has stated countless times that his idol, Houdini, had had such an impact because of the emotional level he had with his audience. Having the illusions, feats and tricks coupled with the personality is what makes people care about what he is doing. If we don't know who he is, then he's just going to be a guy who can do some really cool things, but so what?
Which brings me to my next question: Is Criss Angel and Christopher Sarantakos the same person? If not, then he MUST show who he really is - and I think we might be starting to see that little by little. I may be an odd-ball, but what drives me to care about anyone of celebrity stature is who they are behind the image. If Criss Angel wasn't Criss Angel with a TV show on A&E and I got to know who he was because I went to high school with him, or he was part of my neighborhood for years, or I worked with him long before he started gaining fame, money and popularity, would I care? Yes, I believe I would. Maybe that makes me a fool. No, it's not about money, bling, fame, name-dropping, or even the tricks. What is it about? Heart, Humor, Talent, and Inspiration - that's what its about.
In this season, we see some episodes that a few people have complained about: The Loyal episode, the Kid in Criss episode, or the appearance of Nicky Glass and Justin Case. Every person is going to get moved or entertained by different things, but I think these types of episodes give the show a well-rounded balance.
The Loyal episode shows how he interacts with his fans. My life creed to surviving the illusionary world of Celebrity-I'm-Above-Mere-Mortals is that you don't forget the following: Your family, your friends, the people who work with you and for you, and your support system/fans. Personally, I was shocked when I came across a clip online showing and stating this man sat for 18 hours signing autographs for a turn-out of 10,000 plus fans at the opening of his store at the Luxor in December of 2006. I just wish there was some of that in the episode.
I think episodes like, The Kid in Criss (or Chad's Story from Season2) or Animal 2 (or Animal Magic in Season 2) are moving and just give you a good feeling. Plus, the animal ones are pretty funny. Someone told me that kids and animals, who are innocent and free of stereotypical thinking, are the best judge of character. I find it comical that grown adults think Criss Angel is so creepy, yet kids love him and flock to him. How judgmental we "adults" are. Criss changes his "look" like people change their underwear, but that, coupled with his "air of mystery" makes him creepy and scary, right? Please.
What about the matter with Nicky Glass and Justin Case? For those who haven't been introduced to these two "characters" and may or may not have been introduced to Crissy from Season 2 and are STILL having nightmares about "her", let me explain. Our beloved Mr. Angel likes to dress up - I can only guess when he's bored or wants to trip people out - like the most obnoxious characters. He's virtually unrecognizable and goes out and unleashes them on unsuspecting folks on the streets of Vegas. So, if you see or hear a very fat, unbecoming, gross, obnoxious has-been magician or a tall, badly dressed red-headed salesman with buck teeth and a funky suitcase, you'll know who it is. My only advice to you if you happen to bump into such individuals while visiting the City of Sin is to keep your valuables close and start walking away real fast.
Like the other two seasons, I like the tricks, but I love the between-the- lines. I like something that makes me laugh. I don't stay with anyone who doesn't make me laugh, or who doesn't inspire me in some positive way. If I walk away feeling better, than I know I'm on the right track. I can say I've never felt bad walking away from a Mindfreak episode. When I look at an episode like Prisoner Transport Escape, besides being intrigued by this play on escapism I also enjoy the golf course scene. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch it. I have no idea whose idea it was to put Criss Angel on a golf course, but it's quite . . .ahem . . . entertaining. When I look at Criss being dragged around a dirt track by a rope in Quad Drag Escape, I look at the human side of how his mother's impending heart surgery is affecting him. You cannot create art in a vacuum.
So, I hope these kinds of episodes continue. If you happen to get the DVDs, the extra features are well worth the price. I wish he would release a whole DVD package of bloopers and behind-the-scenes. I hope he considers it. Putting the guest stars on the show (especially Amazing Jonathan. Forget THOSE TWO together. They could have their own show) keeps things fresh and moving, too.
If I had any "advice" or anything I would change, it would be this: Criss, lose the excess bling (a little bling is cool, too much is distracting). I want to see what the hands do, and all the blingy rings take away from it. I'd do a little magic on the blond highlights and make them disappear, and I wouldn't bother with "hanging" with the bottom of the celebrity pool. I would also use that smile and that laugh more. That smile - wow - it brightens every stormy sky and the laugh - its like music to the ears. The kid in Criss has to come out more, for sure. When you have a "real" personality and a true talent you can still amaze with class and integrity. I believe, if he keeps to who he really is and doesn't lose his heart and integrity, we will be seeing the best of him to come.
So, ARE YOU READY?

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CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK:SEASON THREE - DVD Movie

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Criss Angel Mindfreak: The Complete Season Four Review

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(More customer reviews)I have reviewed every season of Mindfreak, and now, here I am, reviewing the most recent Season 4. Anyone who has read my reviews for the previous three seasons will know that I basically gave the show glowing reviews, with maybe a criticism or two here and there. However, this season is different.
For starters, I will say that if you are a NEW fan who just discovered Criss Angel, then do not start with this season. The only reason for anyone to start with Season 4 would be if you actually watched every episode when A&E aired it, and you fell in love with it. If that be the case, then there's no way to go but back in time. If you haven't started out this way, go back to Season 1 and start chronologically from there.
I was going to write this review after re-reviewing the DVD, but I've seen every episode, plus the extra features. I was prompted by my inner voice to write this now, so here I am.
Season 4 has enough excitement for you if you want a thrill or two. The formula for Mindfreak hasn't changed much, but something - or should I say, someone - HAS changed, and that's the star of the show. While watching the episodes of Season 4 every week they aired, I was somewhat disconcerted by a seemingly lacking of something missing. What was missing was the Criss Angel I became interested in with Season 1 and 2, and who seemed to still be present in Season 3, although the change was already in effect by that time.
So, here are my some of my criticisms:
1.I'm lucky I have my eyesight still. With all the bling flashing in unison, I'm surprised the retinas of my eyes haven't had a hole burned through them. I said it before, but it's worth repeating: I want to see what the hands are doing. Criss has a very good slight of hand, plus he's got beautiful hands for a guy. Let me see those hands and see what they're doing. I don't want to have to wear a freakin' pair of sunglass to watch your show.
2.I don't want a tour of your garage of bikes, cars and other motorized toys. I'm a chick who has the need for speed (I AM a NASCAR fan, after all), so I sympathize for the need for things that go vroom. However, I don't want ANOTHER tour of your motorized toys.
3.I know some fans didn't like it, but I did. So, I want to know, where are the goofy characters like Justin Case and Nicky Glass? It gave a dose of humor to the show. The Homeless Dude was lame. Crissy could have kicked Homeless Dude's butt, that's how lame he was.
4.The Beard was a distraction. Enough said.
5.I could have done without the Gross Episodes That Were Not Funny. Cutting a fan's arm off or cutting into someone's skull? How about said Illusionist trying to catch a bullet and a nail going through his hand. At least when he tried to be gross before, it was funny to see people's reactions. There was something harmless and lighthearted about it - almost like: Okay, I'm going to be gross by pulling a damn piece of thread out of my belly button and watch everyone scream and squirm (Funny as Hell). Now, there's almost something sinister and twisted about these demonstrations.
The biggest thing I miss is the guy in the first two seasons. When I go back to those, there was something organic and authentic about those. There was a guy who looked good but didn't TRY TO HARD. There was this likable, friendly, smart, engaging, hard-working guy who cared about engaging you and letting his talent speak for itself. Now, it's almost a Look at Me kind of thing. It's more about: Who I'm With, What the Media is Saying, How Gaudy I Am, and How Many Toys I Have.
There are some good moments in Season 4. There's some of the funny, engaging Criss, but if you blink, you'll miss him. Four episodes really stand out for me in this season:
1.Walk on Lake - The scenery was really beautiful, and the fact that he went further with his Walk on Water theme came out with some amazing results.
2.Building Implosion Escape - You had to watch this live to really appreciate it. I really thought he was dead when that building went down. My heart was in my throat and I was insane while the whole thing was happening. It scared the dingle berries out of me. I still get chills watching it, even now, because I know how I felt while it was happening. I reflected quite a bit after this episode and it was an eye-opener for me.
3.Car Wreck Vanish - This episode would have been just as scary, if not more so, then the Building Implosion episode if it had been live. It was the first time an episode of Mindfreak ended on a scary note. Even though these episodes were mainly pre-taped and they weren't taped in the order that they were aired, this episode caused Criss to have to post a response on his Myspace page as to his safety, it caused so much chaos.
4.Silverton Final Attempt - Anyone who follows Criss' career knows that he doesn't have luck with underwater demonstrations. He tried Silverton once before in Season 3 and he was forced to cancel right before the event. It was almost humbling to see him wrestle with his demons here and to come out conquering them. It wasn't just humbling - it was inspiring and touching. This episode was almost as organic as ones in his previous seasons that it was almost out of place here.
Season 4 is far from being bad. However, it pales to every other season he has done thus far. He is the one who makes this show, and he's missing pieces of himself. I hope Christopher Sarantakos returns as the man behind the Illusionist. I miss him.
©Diane Trautweiler. February 20, 2009.

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The hit A&E series CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK once again stretches the boundaries of reality and belief in this thrilling fourth season. Criss Angel's incredible illusions, death-defying escapes, fearless demonstrations and astonishing physical feats have made him the first ever five-time back-to-back recipient of the Magician of the Year award. His visionary approach to the art of magic rejects the traditional confines of the craft and gives birth to an edgy new brand of modern mysticism.In this fourth season, Criss Angel tackles feats that defy the laws of nature. Highlights include a live broadcast of his escape from a building seconds before it implodes, walking across Nevada s Lake Mead, being cremated alive, walking through steel and inviting skeptics to join in on a deadly challenge in which one wrong move could cost Criss his life! Each episode will leave you baffled as Criss Angel executes the most innovative magic ever seen on television.

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David Blaine - Fearless (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)You may have caught some of "street magician" David Blaine's act on his TV specials that had limited runs. Not too worry; "David Blaine: Fearless" gathers them all up, and throws them all onto one DVD, and then some. You can generally find this DVD priced the same as "discount" DVDs, so you won't be paying the normal $20 plus that DVDs command.
Blaine's amazing tricks are super-cool but wouldn't have held their own displayed merely in a Vegas showroom; it's the who and where that makes this DVD special. Blaine often performs his tricks up close and with plenty of audience participation, to an extremely diverse set of people. He bites a quarter in half and spits it back to make it whole in front of some LA street thugs. He performs his famous levitation at the Dallas Cowboys training camp, sending Deion Sanders running, his wits barely intact. He pulls various "pick a card" tricks on a pair of grandmothers sitting on a bench, despite their initial declaration that they're not into magic tricks. A bunch of soccer girls at a rest stop scream with glee when makes a name appear out of ash.
Blaine even ventures into a remote South American jungle, where an tribe that has been mostly isolated from civilization serves as the challenge; the only way he can communicate with them is magic, but will "pick a card" mean anything to them or impress a culture with no concept of quarters, Aces or Spades? Blaine adapts and amazes them by squeezing drinkable amounts of water from random places or making a ball multiply within a closed fist. He does this again with other journeys to foreign areas.
Many of Blaine's tricks are true head-scratchers that will leave even the most cynical viewer amused. I've already described a significant amount of his simpler tricks, so I'll leave the rest for the DVD to show, including an act that is more endurance than magic: fighting hypothermia and mental breakdowns as he remains encased in an ice prison on a busy sidewalk for a couple of days.
He has a different sort of charisma; he's so laid back but you still get the sense that he truly treats magic as an art, not as an attempt to hoodwink you; but at the same time he isn't so overly serious that you can associate with him.
This is a great DVD to have; magic is an all-genre, all-gender thing. You can pop "Fearless" in anytime at any setting, be it a small gathering, a big party, or in your portable DVD player while waiting for your flight at the airport. There's very little filler material, which is a good thing; they've packed in as much material as they can.
A must-buy for anyone.

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The magic, wonder, and intrigue of the mystifying David Blaine are now on video with the best of his three TV specials, "Street Magic," "Magic Man," and "Frozen In Time." The world is his stage, and watching Blaine's mastery is a magical mystery tour de force whether he is on the streets of New York City or in the primitive jungles of South America. Prepare to meet ordinary passersby as they encounter extraordinary one-on-one magic as never seen before. Inexplicable, curious, captivating, astounding -- don't miss your chance to see some of the most mystifying magic ever spontaneously captured on film. You'll keep watching, you'll keep wondering. Magic has a new master. He is fearless, and his name is David Blaine.

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