Criss Angel - O Ilusionista

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

Criss Angel is an amazing magician. He does unbelievable things- stunts that risk his life and can cause death. He can make things appear out of no where(for example when he goes around asking people to remove their hats and hold it above their head and then asks them "what is your biggest fear" the next thing you know they see their biggest fer right in their hat (for ex. a real big spider) He also does other amazing and mind blowing tricks. Other tricks that he preforms are having people sit on a chair and having the room a little dark with a lamp (i guess) because there was a shadow there......and he has two ladies sitting on the chairs then what he does is he never touches the women NEVER he only touched the shadow( taped it three times) and the women actually felt the three taps. He also does many many other tricks.....

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.

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?"