David Blaine: Frozen in Time

As a professional close-up magician, I find Blaine an interesting character: he came virtually out of nowhere (to magicians and the lay public) to become pretty much a household name.

I admired his cajones -- and some of his technical skills using very old and well-known magical effects in attempting to turn them into what his promos called "street magic."

Make no mistake... this cat's no "street magician."

Street magicians get PAID for their tricks, and not much -- they pass a hat -- generally they're fairly broke. Dave just walks up on (supposedly) unsuspecting folks, blows them away then slips into the sunset... or back to his room at the Four Seasons.

But Blaine does a few legitimately cool magic effects, primarily with cards, although most of the "actual" effects he performs -- those which one of us can actually perform for a "regular" audience -- have been developed, or made famous, by actual working professional magicians.

Yup -- sorta like Copperfield. Blaine's not an innovator, or even a particularly effective performer. Check out the list of "magic advisors" at the end of his specials. And those are only the ones who are STILL ALIVE!

This "Frozen in Time" special is particularly foul -- at least four of the effects are accomplished via "stooges" (paid spectators) or total camera trickery. And we won't go into the finale.

Copperfield would be proud.

Nonetheless, I have his signed and numbered poster for this stunt framed and matted in my living room.

Yeah, I'm the whore ;)