talkmagic.co.uk

If anyone has bought the X-Levitation, could you please review it? It looks like a total scam to me but....

Unlikely you'll get much response - check out the thread at http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic13557-0-asc-0.php

It was reading that thread that made me want a reveiw. I'm almost possitive someone on this site will take a gamble and buy it. Quite a few have expressed some interest and curriosity. If it turns out to be a scam and someone else buys and reveiws it, I still have my money!

Watch this space - and one or two others.......

Ok, firstly i do not believe this for one minute. I have worked with levitations before and i know several designers. A 5 foot safe levitation that does all the things mentioned will cost a lot more than $100. I am not convinced by this. And i DO know what i am talking about.

You have heard from Craig Browning who has not only worked / performed with some top people but also designed some pieces. He agrees with me that this is not possible for this money. I strongly advise you all to head our warning.

I think this is the third thread on this X-Levitation topic and three members, stephenmagic, mandrake and myself have had some input in each of them. Perhaps we should start our own club- the People-who-beleive-the-X-Levitation-is-a-scam-and-are-not-willing-to-buy-it-but-are-still-currious-about-how-it-works-club. Not only does it have a catchy title, but the name would look great on our club jackets!

This is getting a lot og heat on two other big forums, where the creater himself has come on to post. He is not very liked, and can be a pain to talk too. If you wish i guess i could copy and paste some of the conversations.

but i wouldnt trust him.

yes please!

Misanthropy wrote:yes please!

i think i will wait for permission from a mod. if i get a go-ahead, i will.

Are we talking about the 12 year old kid who appeared in the vids and who was trying to scam people into paying now for delivery in November of something which still hadn't been proved to actually exist? It might be seen as further sales promotion but if you can select relevant and interesting bits then post them and if there are any problems we can deal with them afterwards.

Yeah! I'd love to hear what this guy has to say.

Don't hold your breath, I guess the kid has homework to do and was probably grounded for a month with no pocket money !

here is the video. (the first one in-side was up since august of last year, origianlly (he also claimed that it was a friend at one time, then changed it to saying that its him [to me it doenst look like him].)

http://www.maronge.com/AXPRODUCTIONS/

the second one is choppy "on purpose" said by alex. he said he would change it. Ha.

Here is a post by a magic dealer:
Dmann (of Precision Magic fame, and someone we know to be a REAL working professional in the magic community) wrote:

Ok! Here is the skinny!

I have been trying to talk to the creator of this trick...An have been somewhat successful...and yet a failure.

I don't know how to begin, but here goes... First and foremost I want to say for the record that I would never do business with a child. In fact, I never would have even tried had I known that this is a 12 year old child, I guess the joke is on me! I was informed by others about this persons attitude towards magicians, which seems to be something like this, he does not like or respect any professional magicians and is quite accostitory. I tried emailing several times and recieved for my trouble one, two, and three word replies. I asked him if I could call for a chat on my dime and he didn't like the idea. Bottom line here! I think he was just jerking me around and I personally believe he is having fun at all our expense.

I beleive that this product is a hoax perpetuated on our brother magicians to get your money and insult us all with our own gullability.

Precision Magic will never ever ever represent this product if there is such a animal. I don't do business with people like him. If you are insulted, I suggest that you get a grip and face the facts.

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and actually I have to say I don't care anymore if it is a hoax, I think it's basically wrong to do any business with you

what sane person would go to a website like yours (with this great "get your free homepage now too!"-ad) and spend 100$ on some... "product" that is advertised with a video that is not longer available and another video that's nothing but choppy and enerving...

by the way, why are you not selling your "products" on your other homepage? the www.alexmagiclive.com ?

and why did you create a new username for the penguinforums?

and why are you still here when you say you have "enuff" of penguin?

and why on earth should ANYONE want to spend 100$ on a "freewebs"ite that has nothing but a paypallink and is run by a twelve year-old who claimed more c*** (not the best) than you need for a book of fairytales
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alex: if I may ask you some serious questions, if you have 58 buyers or whatever, at 100 bucks a pop thats some decent money right there.

could you maybe not use freewebs to sell it? don't get me wrong but it does leave a bad impression.

and perhaps you would sell more and put our doubt to final rest if you made an uncut demo video in front of a live audience.

and finally why havnt you gone to a magor magic company to sell it? you already have one company pretty deadset against you, think of the money you could make if your levitation is really that good, you could make thousands! and get more publicity, when you run it through bigger companies thats how chris angel and guys like that get ahold of it.

with your age it is very difficult for people to believe you when you try to sell things, no offense, it just comes with the territory of being the age you are, so maybe if you had some college educated people who's only job is marketing behind you (like they would be through one of the magor companies) it would help.

so maybe if you do all this, and maybe answer some of our questions people will really respect you and perhaps buy your product!

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Hello Ladies and Gents.
I have more proof that the X levitation is a scam.
If you go to his free webs site, theres is a video of the X levitation, I believe the stage version/Living Room. Anyway Alex clams that it is his friend in the video doing the stage version/Living Room of the X levitation. if you dont know what im talking about heres the video that Alex has posted on his free webs website calling it the X levitation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb1JL50RSwI

anyway, I wanted to know what the relation was between Alex and the kid in the video (Which IS NOT Alex) So I sent the kid in the video a message. My Message said this

"does this levitation have anything to do with the X levitation by a kid name Alex? Was this the X levitation that he is selling? Please let me know ASAP. Thanks. man"

This was his reply

"No way man.. there is no x levitation.. I heard bout that c*** (not the best).. I dont know why he lies like that."

Interesting isn't it? What do you have to say about this Alex. If that is your real name.
We got you red handed. I wish for an Xplaination (no pun intended.)

ShallowVision and MitchellStafiej I hope you read this before buying it.

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Let's do a quick recap for those who won't read the entire thread.

What we know:
1. Alex has not yet created the dvd in question, is not even sure whether he will have it professionally done yet, but is already accepting orders for a dvd that basically does not exist.

2. He has released an unconvincing demo that features a levitation where a person appears to be pulled against a wall.

3. It is in question whether the person in the video is Alex, although he claims it is.

4. He has released another video which he originally claimed was of a friend performing his levitation. After the person was contacted and denied knowing Alex at all or having anything to do with the X levitation, Alex changed his story. He now says it is a guy who'se permission he asked to use the video. Of course, he cannot explain how a guy whom he does not know performed his levitation, which he has yet to release and claims is unique.

5. A professional magic company offered to market the levitation and, after interacting with Alex, came to the conclusion that the whole thing is a hoax.

6. A review for the levitation was posted. It purported to be an honest review by someone who had been told the secret. As it turns out, the reviewer is co-creator of the effect.

7. Some quotes were grabbed from forums and posted as if they were snippets of reviews. At least one of the people thus quoted has come out and said that he was unfairly quoted because he was basing his entire opinion on the demos and did not know the secret. None of the people giving these quotes are known in the magic community. It is believed they are his friends.

8. A second professional magic company (Mike Danata's Magic Studio) offered to market his levitation, this time in the UK, provided that Alex could prove his product was good. After interacting with Alex, they too reached the same conclusion as the previous company. They have concluded, like others before them, that this is a hoax.
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odomenech wrote:

11. Alex is alleging that Andrew Mayne will review the levitation, although Mayne has yet to publically agree to do so.

LOL

Over at the Cafe, Andrew Mayne writes:

*Andrew Mayne wrote:
Why am I being dragged into this??? With my wonderfully priced booklet Touching Sky;) and my forthcoming levitation DVD project (top secret: I told you nothing!) I'm far from objective on the matter.

I'm happy to look at it, but I don't think I'd be the most impartial judge.*


So apparently Alex did not clear this with Andrew Mayne, before bringing Mr. Mayne's name and reputation into this.

NOW Alex has announced (again, over at the Cafe) that, instead, Oz Pearlman (!) will be reviewing the levitation.

The above is all true. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

I suppose if Oz gives it his stamp of approval, this product might even be sold on Penguin one day. Long way from here to there, though.


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edit this as you see fit, and more to come if you want

What we know:
1. Alex has not yet created the dvd in question, but is already accepting orders for it.

2. He has released an unconvincing, low quality demo that features a levitation where a person appears to be pulled against a wall.

3. It is in question whether the person in the video is Alex, although he claims it is.

4. He has released another video which he originally claimed was of a friend performing the X-levitation. After the person was contacted and denied knowing Alex at all or having anything to do with the X levitation, Alex changed his story. He now says it is a guy he doesn't know and the video was used with that guy's permission. He cannot explain how a guy whom he does not know performed the X levitation, which he has yet to release and claims is unique.

5. Two professional magic companies have offered to market the levitation on separate occasions. After interacting with Alex, both companies independently came to the same conclusion. They have concluded that the X levitation is a scam and does not really exist.

6. Several reviews of the levitation have been posted. All of the reviews posted thus far have been made by people unknown in the magic community who are believed to be Alex's friends. Alex was caught decieving people with one of the reviews, which he originally claimed was made by someone whom he had simply shared the secret with. Alex was later forced to admit that this person was actually a co-creator of the effect and not just someone who was told the secret.

7. The X levitation has recieved the backing of Jon Maronge, a little known psychic entertainer who claims he can really channel the dead and only studied magic so he could expose all the fake psychics. According to his website, he will also help you out with any ghost problems or hauntings for the reasonable price of $4.99 per minute. Like one of the previous reviewers, Maronge also purported to be just a guy who was let in on the secret and loved it, but he later admitted that this was untrue, he was in fact involved with the production of the dvd.

8. After prematurely claiming that Andrew Mayne will review the levitation, Alex has withdrawn that offer and instead claims that Oz Pearlman will review the effect.

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last thin.

in my opinion, i would wait to buy it, do not pre-order it.

Alex used to have a trick to buy on his site which was a coin thru glass effect. This was the EXACT same effect that kevin parker came up with, he soon removed it.

X LEVITATION FAQ


FAQ:

Do I need an assistant to perform This levitation ?
Stage version - no it can be performed as a one man effect
Close up Version - no it is a one man illusion
x Levitation 2 - yes, you do need an assistant


What are the angles on all of the levitations?
Stage version - yes you can do it sorrounded and no you do not have to change anything
Close up version - It cannot be done sorrounded but can be viewed from front and bit of sides
X levitation 2 - It can be viewed from the front


What are the costs for the gimmick.
Stage Version - It will cost about 40 bucks
Close up Version - This will cost you about 20-30 bucks
X Levitation 2 - This will cost about 10 dollars


How much preparation is involved in a street setting?
There is no preperation involved in the street setting. Once you have the apparatus on you you are ready to go. There is an instant reset.


How high can I truly go without exposing anything ?
Stage version - About 5 feet
Close up version - About 2 feet
x Levitation 2 - about 2 or 3 feet is fine

Does the DVD video come with all the materials needed?
Unfortunatly not. The DVD teaches how to make everything step by step. The reason the video does not come with all the apparatus is because you have to custom fit the gimmick to yourself.

Are there any weight restrictions?
Stage version - there is a 200 lb weight restriction
Close up Version - no weight restriction
x Levitation 2 - no weight restriction