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Rennie Inner circle I think I have about 1826 Posts |
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not for long. His popularity is waning. He was on top when he did regular magic tricks. Ever since his stunts took over, the audience have lost interest. You are 100% correct. His popularity right now is waaaay down. I attempted to sell his book "Mysterious Stranger", I finally realized I would have to pay someone to take it. David Blaine is what you would call in the business "A Has Been". He should have stuck to magic, which he was good at, of course he could use a little personality. His stunts were all a bore!!
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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m.ruetz Veteran user Peoria Arizona, USA 378 Posts |
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On 2009-10-03 11:51, Rennie wrote: It is interesting you say this. He was on Orprah setting the world record for holding his breath. She had commented that she was surprised on how low the ratings were...
MagicGizmo: Magic Articles, Classifieds, Videos, and more
http://magicgizmo.com |
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Rennie Inner circle I think I have about 1826 Posts |
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It is interesting you say this. He was on Orprah setting the world record for holding his breath. She had commented that she was surprised on how low the ratings were... I rest my case!
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
I've often heard of Lester Lake performing these kinds of stunts. I always thought he was an amazing performer.
Gerry |
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lebowski Veteran user 377 Posts |
True he's a little lacking in the personality department, or you could say a lack of personality is his personality. Either way, he's into stunts, and I believe the right stunt could put him back on top.
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Rennie Inner circle I think I have about 1826 Posts |
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On 2009-10-04 10:55, lebowski wrote: Back on top of what, being a magician or a circus performer? Forget the stupid stunts and start entertaining people with street magic the way he became known. Watching him in a block of ice is about as entertaining as listening to the grass grow.
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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Steve_Mollett Inner circle Eh, so I've made 3006 Posts |
Here we go again.
Author of: GARROTE ESCAPES
The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth. - Albert Camus |
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
Houdini did non-magic attention-grabbing stunts. Where's the magic in an upside down strait-jacket? He wanted to do a buried alive. He was sealed in a coffin and held underwater. Often, the washover from an amazing physical stunt will make the magic seem more believable.
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Rennie Inner circle I think I have about 1826 Posts |
I really think the big difference may be, Houdini had a personality, David Blaine has none....
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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mtpascoe Inner circle 1932 Posts |
It's tough to watch a stunt where the person might die where it appears that he is already dead. Do we all remember that analogy attributed to Orson Wells where they say that he can read a telephone book and make it interesting.
Houdini is like Orson Wells. It makes even the dull stunt seem incredible. |
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Steve_Mollett Inner circle Eh, so I've made 3006 Posts |
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On 2009-10-04 21:21, Rennie wrote: BINGO!!!!
Author of: GARROTE ESCAPES
The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth. - Albert Camus |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
One of the problems of stunts as performed by magicians is that the stunts need to have a purpose and/or a context.
Usually, in magic literature, the word "stunt" is preceded by the word "publicity." Ad men used to use publicity stunts for all sorts of purposes, mainly to gain publicity for one of their clients. One of the best was the late Jim Moran. He did some really off-the-wall stuff. He sold an ice box to an Eskimo, and got his picture in the newspaper for doing it. There was a hotel called the St. George hotel that featured a knight on horseback that stood next to the front door. Jim arranged for the knight to charge a taxicab (dragon) and put his lance through the radiator (simulated by a hot water bottle.) A shill called the "accident" in, and Jim got television and newspaper publicity for the hotel. The shield the knight was carrying had the logo of the hotel emblazoned upon it. That was back in the 1950's, though. One of our local ad agents hired a magician to run through a neighborhood commercial district wearing a straitjacket, while being chased by "orderlies from a nearby mental hospital" in order to promote a movie about a psychotic killer. The stunts, in themselves, were never the "end," but were a means to an end. These days, it's very difficult to get a newspaper or a television station to take a publicity stunt like this seriously at all. There needs to be something more than just holding your breath for a long time. There needs to be a purpose for the stunt. I think Blaine may have lost sight of that.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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mtpascoe Inner circle 1932 Posts |
Very well said Bill.
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
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On 2009-10-06 15:13, Bill Palmer wrote: Reminds me of the old joke about the people who were having a picnic in a local park near the town's mental hospital when an attractive young woman -- totally nude -- came running out of the bushes. Hot on her heels were two white jacketed orderlies followed thirty seconds later by a third orderly who was carrying two buckets full of sand. The picnickers stopped him saying, "We can understand the naked young woman -- she's obviously trying to excape from the asylum, and the first two orderlies are trying to capture her, but what about you? Why are you carrying two buckets of sand?" The orderly replied "That's my handicap. I caught her the last time." Sorry. Just couldn't resist.
Dick Christian
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Dennis Loomis 1943 - 2013 2113 Posts |
The thread started with the article about Doug Henning and someone asked if it was true.
I was a close friend of Doug's for many years and all I can say is "Yes and No." Doug did retire from magic to pursue Transcendental Meditation full time. He did run for Prime Minister of Canada on the Natural Law Party Ticket. (The TM party.) But it is not true that Doug found out about TM at the height of his career. He had been involved with it for many years before he reached his peak. He often credited his success to his practice of TM. Dennis Loomis
Itinerant Montebank
<BR>http://www.loomismagic.com |
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markmiller Special user 731 Posts |
Dennis, in your opinion, did the TM movement exploit Henning?
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billappleton Inner circle Los Gatos, California 1154 Posts |
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On 2009-09-13 20:09, m.ruetz wrote: This was not a circus stunt, it was a magic trick. |
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Dennis Loomis 1943 - 2013 2113 Posts |
To markmiller,
In a word... yes. Doug would not have agreed, and his wife Debbie does not, but I do. Today I see TM as a cult and the Maraheshi Mahesh Yogi was a con man of the first order. My friend Rick Allen who has traveled in India many times tells me that was the Maraheshi's reputation there. I felt that the Mahaareshi was also short sighted in some of the advice he gave Doug. Recognizing that the continuation of Merlin would have been good for Doug's career, he sould have advised Doug to stay in NYC with the show instead of leaving for the TM retreat. Merlin was finally doing well and returning money to it's backers and Ivan Reitman would not have shut it down if Doug had remained. And, the Maraheshi was also short signted when he advised Doug to stop performing in casinos. Those were big money gigs for Doug and since he disliked touring, the opportunity to perform in one static location for two weeks would have been welcome in his schedule. And, Doug might have accepted the offer to perform full time in Vegas if the Maraheshi had advised him to do so. I thing this would have been great for Doug's career as it has been for Lance Burton, Penn and Teller, and was for Siegfried and Roy. Dennis Loomis
Itinerant Montebank
<BR>http://www.loomismagic.com |
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markmiller Special user 731 Posts |
Nice to hear you share my opinion. I did not know Doug but after reading his bigraphy it is hard to see it any other way.
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
I knew a number of people in Houston who fell under the Maharishi's spell. Some of them woke up. Others didn't. For an interesting view of TM, take a look at William Poundstone's book Big Secrets. He explains the "secret word" con. If you are a mentalist, you need to know this.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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