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.

Right on the first episode of this show...I was hooked! There is just something about his presence that gets you from the beginning.

Hodini was very clever in making stunts only look dangerous..in this he was a genius. But Criss goes beyond this in that the stuff he does IS danger. He could be paralyzed for the rest of his life, break many bones and in the worst case...death. I'll let Criss explain it for you, "the stuff that you are going to see me do is not what you've seen other magicians do. Its a different style...a different era...its not about just doing a card trick--its about pushing an envelope my OWN envelope."(Genii magazine Interview Augest 2005) Criss is willing to look at himself, his opportunities, and he analyzes what he can do, and how he can do it. This you can see in all the behind the scenes parts of the show. You can also get some knowledge of it from the people who work closely with him, because interviews are shown of them throughout the show. Criss also does commentary throughout the show. Criss is the only magician who is not doing trick after trick for half an hour. His show has a reality show feel, and like the bachelor or the real world..you FEEL a connection with the characters..especially Criss. He lets you into his mind. Criss has also gone behind Houdini in this, that he lets you feel and experience what he is going through.

the new season of Criss Angel Mindfreak comes on A&E Wensday, May 31st. I suggest you check this guy out in action, what have you got to loose? ..."are you ready?"

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.

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.

i see all these posts about it being fake and all and how Criss sucks for deceiving us..

well of course it's fake, and criss never said he was "magic" he said he was an illusionist.. which means he creates and illusion of magic, and you're left trying to figure out how he "faked" it..

and he does it in the most entertaining way...

The setups, the stunts, everything... all stuff that has never been "faked" before, at least not in the fashion Criss does it, and even though i know what he's about to do and that there's an episode after the one i'm watching, i still get a funny feeling whenever Criss is lying on a bed of nails or setting himself on fire etc.

He creates both real suspense and great illusion, which amazes me quite a bit.