Criss Angel Mindfreak

I caught this show on cable a couple of years ago. My first impression was that this was a cutting edge attempt at marketing to the Generatin X and Y audience. The host, and creator of the program is a Goth-Emo looking guy adorned with beads, piercings and grunge clothing. With his thick New York accent, Criss Angel markets himself as a magician to be reckoned with while incorporating his view and cursory knowledge of phenomonen and ESP.

The show is entertaining from a viewers initial perspective, but after closer review and attention one can see that he uses every cheap marketing ploy to buffer his image as a suave, sullen and mysterious being exuding wisdom, power and charisma. A once aspiring Rock musician, Angel sings his own cover theme song, "Mindfreak", which sends excruciatingly gnawing vibes to my ears. Angel doesn't even stop there. He intersperses his show with paid actors and extras expressing testimony to his awe-inspiring performances. Editing tricks, jumpcuts and cutaways are heavily utilized to bring credibility to these fantastic stunts, feats and backyard tricks.

It's like watching a campaign for a person running for office. About 60% of the show is dedicated to people, including Angel's family members, reacting to his stunts and expressing how ingeneous and gifted a soul he is. I know the paid actors cannot be rumors, because normally unbiased onlookers would show more indifference. Criss Angel may be a creditable magician, but he lacks an underlying charm. He comes across as sullen, arrogant and egocentric. Who else would dedicate 20% of their program employing a bevy of pretty girls as female admirers. This is narcissism at its most salient form. Criss Angel is undoubtedly a culprit of this. Magic should speak for itself. A true craftsman shouldn't rely on phony testimonials from people.

What really ignites my skepticism is that Angel delves into other areas outside of Magic. He claims to be an authority on every subject rather than a humble student of the arts and disciplines.

Criss Angel had his butt handed to him after receiving abysmal reviews of his new show, "Believe", which described the Vegas strip show as nothing short of atrocious.

The most magical thing about this show is that anyone takes it serious. The tricks aren't interesting, the acting is terrible, and the so called "reality" part of it is so silly. It's all so overly dramatic. Watch Angel and his nerdy minions create; overly dramatic spectacles and half baked, childish, schemes. Truly cringe worthy.

Criss is an extraordinary man. His show pushes the limits of magic. He is constantly putting himself in life threatening situations. He may turn you off because of the Gothic style clothing (which I know for a fact he doesn't always wear) or the type of music he play's on his show Mindfreak. But I had the chance to talk to Criss himself on Thursday July 19, 2007 at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.There is a stereotype that all Goths are dark and mysterious, but with Criss it just doesn't fit. He is one of the most respectful men I have ever met. Weather he is on his show or not, Criss will do everything in his power to make sure no one is hurt or injured, and if someone is Criss will do anything for that person. A reason I think he is so amazing, is because he does things people would not dream of doing. People think it's amazing the things he does, especially since he is turning 40 this year. But it doesn't surprise me with his amazing physical conditions, trust me this man is fit. I have seen Criss on many occasions without a shirt on. When I talked to Criss, he was so respectful he wouldn't swear or ignore people. There was a crowd of about 15 people outside the Luxor to see him, and he signed autographs and took pictures with every single person. He is very dedicated to his job and he loves it, which is great. He has been working 15 years to entertain people with his talents. And for someone to criticize him, without ever seeing him in person or seeing one of his performances live is not right. If you were at one of his stunts, it's no joke. What he is doing is real. I have personally seen Criss perform these stunts. There is no stunt doubles. I saw Criss drive 100 mph in a Lamborghini through a light cloud of smoke, and he and the car disappeared, it was just gone. There was nowhere it could have gone. This man is known worldwide, so obviously he's doing something right. And it's working for him. He has his own store at the Luxor Hotel. He has a Dodge Viper, a Lamborghini, and a Rolls Royce. He lives at the Luxor, which isn't cheap. So I say continue what you're doing and have a ton of fun doing it. I love you! Megan

I believe Criss Angel is worth watching. He is very charismatic and entertaining and his illusions are wonderful. Keep in mind as you watch, he is an illusionist and self-proclaimed provocateur. He is performing solely to entertain you and push himself to and beyond his own limitations. Finally, there is a show out there that can transport me to a time in my life where anything was possible. Naturally, the things he does(minus the stunts) are all pure illusion. Tell me, though, in this world of harsh, stark reality, isn't it nice to be "magically" entertained ? I live enough reality, I don't need to watch it on TV. I look forward to escaping for 30 minutes at a time with this HOT man who, incidentally, is my age.

There was a time when the only reality show on television was the news, and the rest of the schedule was full of fiction. Now it seems there's little but 'reality ' on the box, while conversely some of the most entertaining and comical fiction is on Fox News. The edges have become very blurred and Criss Angel – Mindfreak does little to clarify things.

It's billed as a reality show about a magician, who's also a member of a heavy metal band. It also showcases his music, live street magic, some behind-the-curtain preparation and his family life. Part Marilyn Manson, part David Blaine with a touch of Alan Partridge, we follow Angel around as he spouts mystical nonsense, including this gem: 'A lot of what I do is completely real. There are no tricks. It really is the mind, body, and spirit connection. And a lot of what I do is an illusion. It's up to you to determine what is real and what is... illusion.' As well as talking like a tipsy teenage goth at a Ouija board party, he does some impressive tricks and stunts. These include levitation, setting himself on fire – to 'honour' his mother on her 70th birthday – and lying on a bed of nails as a Hummer drives over him. If you like magic tricks and the colour black, this show should entertain.

He may well look and talk like the sort of person you'd never get tired of punching, but as tricksters go he's one of the best. The Academy of Magical Arts at Hollywood's Magic Castle – a place so pretentious it's powered entirely by the magicians' sense of self-importance – named him 2005 Magician of the Year. Angel is so confident in his abilities, he once publicly challenged magic's other infant terrible David Blaine, saying if Blaine could perform a trick that he couldn't replicate on the spot then he would retire. Somewhat tellingly, Blaine never took up the challenge, although to be fair, Criss is yet to live in a box for 40 days and be abused by Londoners.

Most of the tricks have been done before by the likes of Penn & Teller (who are friends of Criss) but all the same, some of these stunts are really great fun. That is, unless you watched one of those 'magician's tricks revealed' series and you'll know how a lot of them were done. For those who didn't peek behind the curtain, this won't freak your mind as the title promises, but it will set it off thinking about how he did it. And these days, a TV programme that makes you think is a rare trick indeed.