Talkmagic.co.uk

jingo · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:06 pm Post subject: The Masked Magician

What do you the of the masked magician. He's obviously a skilled performer himself, so why does he feel the need to expose his own and other people's secrets.

seige · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 7:38 pm Post subject:

Don't worry.

Magic's greatest secrets are still safe. The Masked Magician has actually done the magic industry a favour - by introducing more people to the world of magic.

It's been the only high-profile magic programme on TV for a while - and therefore has given everyone a dose of magic.

Plus, if he's given the secrets of magic away, why isn't the world of magic dead? I'm sure if someone found out McDonald's secret recipe or CocaCola's magic ingredients that they'd go out of business.

The effects exposed here are mostly prop tricks. The real magic is safe and sound with the REAL magicians.

You'd be surprised that since people found out that David (who?) Blaine isn't REALLY the Messiah - there's been more and more 'Blaine-ites' appearing.

The Masked Magician has his reasons for doing what he's done - most of which are commercial. It's far less controversial than you think... at least he performed most of them *well*.

In essence - the MM has not changed the world that much at all - except to raise Magic's profile on TV.

I say, well done that man.

john loughnane · New User Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Posts: 1

I saw the masked magician thought it was good to show some secrets,to get back peoples imaginations,rather than playstations.Also because I didnt own any of the Illusions.I was recently in the States and this guy on a science show .Done the needle thru arm trick and showed how it was done on tv boy was I Evil or Very Mad

I suppose because I own it.

Ice Knight · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:42 pm Post subject:

the masked magician is obviuosly a failed magician - ie disgruntled that some one somewhere kicked him outta a circle probaly for seeling photocopies of copywritten stuff (lol). So as revenge he sought to uncover all deepest secrets he knew

Thankfully he dont know them all, and the ones he generally reveals means the blaine wannabes get to find out what they want to know without bothering us Wink

bananafish · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 8:16 am Post subject:

I heard somewhere that a tv show he appeared on in Brazil was heavily sued - so maybe shows like this won't be so popular in the future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3021095.stm

seige · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 8:55 am Post subject:

Indeed, I'd also read this! Pah!

Magic has progressed from rabbits out of hats and sawing ladies in half - and if the MM had debunked enough to ruin an entire show for 21 Brazillian magicians, then my own personal ruling would be that they should 'wake up and smell the coffee' (good link, eh?)

The very thought that shows of this kind would ruin an act is proposterous! Think of it like this - my sleight of hand skills and most of the base-root card routines are basically demistifyed in books that are available to the general public from places like Amazon.co.uk...

The MM is indeed a relatively skilled magician - but he's exposing nothing at all. The tricks in the show are OLD OLD OLD... The 'Sawing a Lady in Half' routine IS quite easy to guess - but in that case, check out Copperfield's BUZZSAW illusion...

TV shows like this should hopefully inspire magicians to create newer variations of the old illusions. And that's a good thing.

It's all in the showmanship. If anyone with a Marvin's Magic set can become a stage performer, why don't they? Answer: because you need to have an edge - a performance.

It's not the actual illusion that's important - it's how it's dressed up. The same with sleights, big-scale illusion and mindreading.

The masked magician shows very mundane performances - but the secrets and props he reveals include nothing about TTs, IT, sleights or the like - which are our REAL tools.

the_mog · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 9:32 am Post subject:

however......

there was a show on the other week about "street magic revealed" now i know a lot of people dont like david blaine but this show basically too his special "street magic" and revealed the lot... sleights, DL's etc now i must admit that aces to queens has been one of my favourite "nongaffed" deck tricks and now i get busted cos of this show! ok i could look at it from the point of view that it will force me to learn new stuff but i REALLY liked that trick!!... heh heh heh Mr. Green

seige · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 9:54 am Post subject:

YES...

But use blank faces/pips or something else. And add a 'twist'.

In my humble opinion, magic is all about creativity. I stopped doing the dynamic coins because some young lad at a show told me he knew how it was done. And I loved that trick!

BUT... I had to fill it's place. Which was easy, and introduced me to better magic. I think that's the key here: we need to move on.

If we just used age old effects and routines, then nothing would ever change - and we'd get stuck in a rut of all magicians doing the same tricks.

But, we're adventurous types. There's basically an open book - and we've got to fill the pages (how poetic?).

Personally, I absolutely LOVE creating weird and off-the wall magic - but the things I do boil down to just dressing up old techniques and handlings and making them look exciting and new.

Think of a motor car: there's basically four wheels, a chassis and an engine. You have a steering wheel, a brake and accellerator. That's the dynamics of the whole thing.
But every month we see a new variation on the theme - a new style or design, faster, sleeker, curvier, more gadgets, more economy.

But still the same four wheels, engine, chassis etc.

This is a relatively strong metaphor - and quite appropriate. Think about it...

the_mog · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 10:09 am Post subject:

hmmmm youve given me an idea now... gonna have a think on it and will post in MO section later... heh heh heh Mr. Green

seige · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 10:48 am Post subject:

Glad to have been of service Wink

dan-the-magic-man · New User Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 7 Location: Bolton

I think he was just trying to get more young people intrested in magic... but he could have done a better job by showing us something we could actually do for ourselves.

Captain Fantastic · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2003 12:38 am Post subject:

The masked magician was 'Valentino' and he did the shows not to rubbish the art of magic, but to get more people involved and to make all the great illusionists think up new and stronger effects.
Until he came on the scene, there was a lack of magic on our screens as people seemed to have forgotten all about it, but now if you mention 'The masked magician' to anyone, you can bet ya life they've heard of him and probably watched at least one of the shows. This just goes to prove the point that it got peoples interest back in our art...

Marc

fantini · Junior Member Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 21 Location: lo

before i read the above post i thought of the masked magician as a bit of a p***k, however you have made me think differently. It is true he did bring peoples interest in magic to surface, but there are better ways to do this than giving away some of the biggest treasured secrets in magic. so i still do think of him in a bad way, just not so bad ne more! Confused

magicguy · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 3:57 am Post subject:

Well that was nice. Now I am going to have to put forth my theory about all of this "masked magician" (MM) hoo ha. Cool

I believe that back in the 80's when the MM first showed up giving away the thin model sawing illusion, it was David Copperfield who was behind it because being the great publicist that he was... following the lesson taught by Houdini himself -- to give away the competitions secrets and keep your own intact. Wink

I am certain that none of David Copperfield's illusions were revealed in the 4-part "Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed" series. I have seen them all, and I can testify that they aren't. However, the thin model sawing blew everyone away and the zig zag was very popular as well. Stage Illusionists everywhere took a blow from a guy who was in position to stomp his competition. Just like back in Houdini's day when other "Escape Artists Secrets" were exposed as a competitive blow. Shocked

I don't believe that Valentino is really the masked magician. He was not in the position to crush the competition. He was a small timer who would have given away his whole show and ended up shooting himself in the foot. I think he was a hired guy who could pull off the illusions in the specials and walked away a very rich man. (Copperfield's income is estimated at 33 millions dollars a year. I'm sure he could afford to pay Valentino enough to gladly walk away from stage magic with a soiled reputation)

After David Blaine cropped up as a big time competitor... boom he's exposed in "Secrets of Street Magician's Revealed" Anyone can see who this show was aimed at exposing. (Cigarette thru quarter was exposed which Copperfield performed in '86 -- that's all) At this point, I had it pretty much figured out, but then...

I think others were catching on to who would be motivated to expose these particular "competiors" and were beginning to sniff around for the truth and I believe that David Copperfield paid Valentino to take the fall to get them off his trail. The I.B.M. was making such a fuss about it that SOMEONE had to take the fall. (Copperfield is a member so he couldn't really stand up and say, "It was me" it would have hurt his reputation -- because they were already badmouthing the MM before they knew who was behind it all) Embarassed

So I ask you all to think clearly... who else but David Copperfield had the means AND the motive to expose what has been exposed? Question

Certainly you can all see how David Copperfield's career has not been tarnished by any of it and has surely been boosted by the tremendous stomp to HIS competition.
Exclamation

That's my theory. And I'm sticking to it.

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 19000 Location: UK (62:AH)

That's certainly one way of looking at it! Do you know if there's anything to reinforce this theory? - I'm not knocking it, just wondering if any investigative journalism had been done which unearthed some clues or indications.