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davidpeters Loyal user 213 Posts |
Hey there all, the kit comes with 3 DVD's one DVD has Criss doing an intro but someone else showing how to use the props in the kit. It is very well done. It is done in a way where language issues are not a big problem. There are titles and words written in English but otherwise all visual explanations. The other 2 DVD's are with Criss and Johnny T. performing and explaining. Filmed at the Magic Castle.
There is a book that covers all the props as well, so you get a DVD and Book. This is a very well done magic set.
David Peters
Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. www.murphysmagic.com[url] www.youtube.com/murphysmagic www.myspace.com/murphysmagic www.twitter.com/murphysmagic |
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truthteller Inner circle 2584 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-02-17 15:01, Review King wrote: The difference, Chris, is when one chooses to make their private life public, which Criss HAS done. Today people use bad bahavior as a stepping stone to celebrity. It is THAT behavior which raises the question of whether this is the kind of role model we should put forth to young magicians. And while a review of the kit is important, Tim raised several issues in his post which are worthy of consideration. As Criss's alleged motivations have been made public, then those issues are equally valid in this discussion. I don't think people really care how he looks. I think most of us have evolved beyond that, or at least, I would hope so. But because it seems fun: why is it wrong for Pat Boone to cover a black artist and make it acceptable to the marketplace and not for Criss to take the ideas of an old white guy, Goth them up, and sell them to the marketplace. Seems to me that if the first is wrong, the second should be too. Let's not focus on this point as it is just an amusing digression. I just wanted to point it out. |
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Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
Let's not forget about the claim that the International Magicians Society awarded the magic kit as being the best, and yet from their very own website they claim that another one is the best magic kit on the market. http://imsmagic.com/IMS_magic_set.php
That's a huge discrepancy!
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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Bill Thompson Elite user Mississippi 422 Posts |
The "International Magicians Society" is Tony Hassini. The magic set you refer to is Tony Hassini's magic kit of course he thinks his is the best. Knowing this organization... All about GTFM pay $50 and you are a life member, that's all there is to it. It wouldn't surprise me if Criss paid Hassini the money to create an award to give this kit.
"To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment.
Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." - Chuang Tse |
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Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
Here's a very nice magic kit without all the marketing hype. It comes with a DVD called 101 EASY MAGIC TRICKS YOU CAN DO, which features 5 HOURS of magic instruction!
The price is pretty good too. Only $24.99. I just purchased one for my niece. She was bitten by the magic bug when I first performed magic at her birthday party 2 years ago. I don't live in the same city as her anymore so I'm not able to mentor her directly one on one in person. We'll see how she likes this kit when she gets it.
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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magicmanfrank Inner circle 1127 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-02-17 13:13, misterbill wrote: I have been a serious collector of David Copperfield Memorabilia for over 27 years and I have NEVER heard of or come across an official David Copperfield Magic set. =Frank=
The Early Bird may get the Worm, but it's the SECOND Mouse that gets the CHEESE!!!
Frank Thurston www.FrankThurstonMagic.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Magic-of-Frank-Thurston/116625117910?ref=nf |
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-02-17 18:35, truthteller wrote: Brad, my raising these points wasn't a digression when Mark Reed posted that he's against Angel because he "promotes a gothic style which is considered somewhat dysfunctional in our society". He certainly cares about the way Angel looks, so not everyone has evolved past that. Brad, when you say "raises the question of whether this is the kind of role model we should put forth to young magicians" It doesn't matter what anyone in the Magic world thinks of Angel, young people watch his show and they make the choice. You can write 1000 articles on how you feel he is bad for magic and it will do nothing to stop anyone from making him their hero. It might even drive some towards him. Kids are funny that way. It wasn't wrong for Pat Boone cover a song. What was behind it was wrong. They didn't want to play black artists ( what they termed 'race music ' ), so they got a squeaky clean ( so it looked ) person to do a nice white bread version of Little Richard's song(s) and other black artists. It's not the same as Angel "to take the ideas of an old white guy, Goth them up, and sell them to the marketplace". The old white guy wasn't denied the opportunity market his material based on his race. I'd also rather the talk about the Angel Magic Kit. An old white dude, Johnny Thompson, was involved with the show and some of the dvd's teaching the magic, so we all want to know is there proper crediting, etc. that we all care about. Anyone in my family, I'd give the Joshua Jay book. Comes with a dvd, it's filled with history and crediting. But, Angel has many fans, so I'm sure his kit will appeal to that group. If we can get some reviews that might be helpful to see if Angel is helping people that are interested in the art. Brad, will you do a review? I only got involved in the thread when it was alluded that his attire was hurting society, etc. It's not long ago that people were attacked on attire, hair length, color of skin, politics, etc. And yes, sadly, all those things still happen. Chris
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
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mmreed Inner circle Harrisburg, PA 1432 Posts |
Chris,
Just to clear it up - I am not against his style... the norm of society is... just as the norm of society wasd against the Beatles back then. Angel is presenting himself as something that the norm of our society deems inapproriate and not presentable. that's why Gothic is considered a SUBCULTURE. It does not mesh with the accepted culture of society of today. that's just a fact - its not a bigot statement or lack of evolution of thought on my part. Its part of society and how it functions. If a kid follows Angel and mimics him in dress and style, and does not make it as a full time magician, and wants to get a solid and well paying job, would he walk into a job interview dressed like Angel? Heck no. Hence - that style is not a normally accepted style. I think a good role model needs to support fitting in with society - because regardless how much people complain about freedom of expression, and how looks should not matter... in the end it does... and you know what... there isn't a darn thing you or I can do about it. It is an aspect of society. If your line of thinking was true, you would see bankers looking like Angel instead of wearing khakis and polos on the weekend. I would love to see society not base impressions on looks - Im an ugly fat white guy with no fashion sense... it would be to my advantage! hahahah
Mark Reed
Wedding and Event Entertainment |
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Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
Truthteller: as always, you make a lot of sense and once again hit the nail on the head.
Mark: Great comments. I appreciate you beeing the guinee pig, but I don't think you'll find the kit is any different than the houndreds already out there. Other than Criss Angel's face on it of course. misterbill: Thanks for that bit of info. I had no idea who Tony Hassini was. Mind you, I never really heard of IMS either. They boast of having over 37,000 members, but how many of them are still alive? How many of them are active members? Oh well, I learn something every day.
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-02-18 08:41, mmreed wrote: Mark, it's 2010. Things have changed. Anything I hear today about things being worse because of style of dress were being said in the 50's, 60's, etc. A kid dresses Goth that gets turned down for jobs learns a lesson that he can't dress like that for front of the house jobs. Life lessons for them. If I owned a business and a young person applied for a job, I'd tell him to come back wearing a tie if he wants an interview. I'm not saying standards should be lowered. But Angel is popular with a certain segment of the population and telling kids he's bad for them will only drive them to him. Angel could have gone nowhere with his look, style, but...it caught on and he got a TV show, a Las Vegas show. His poor reviews in Vegas aren't about his look, but that actual show. I'm not saying he's a good or bad role model for kids interested in magic. I'm saying it's a moot point because he has arrived and connected with a certain part of the population that may not have ever gotten interested in magic in the first place if it weren't for him. I don't think he's stealing Lance Burton fans. I think someone should take the Lance Burton magic kit and the Angel kit and compare them. Not "Lance teaches the cups and balls and Criss doesn't. Criss stinks". More on the quality of instruction, crediting and things like that. Maybe both kits stink. I like watching Fred Kapps clips and seeing Lance and both David's. That's what I enjoy, but, some kids want things on the fringe. Something that society doesn't approve of. I'd rather them be Criss Angel fans than fans of the Sopranos. Let's see...love Criss Angel..learn a card trick. Love the Soprano's...go run numbers. lol. Society does base impressions on looks. I know I do. I just worry when someone wants to deny someone a living based on it. Chris
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
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paw Loyal user 265 Posts |
WOW!!!! All this over a magic kit...
Having seen the kit I can tell you; 1) It has some of the same effects you would have in your average Magic kit just done (in my opinion) better. The quality IS better. The card box is better quality; the ball vase is better quality etc. If you are to compare this kit to any other kit in its category it Sits head and shoulders above the rest. 2) Some of the effects I have never seen in a magic kit before. (I have been In the magic business for over 30 years). 3) I find it very interesting that some members of the Café are so down on Criss Angel. I can remember a time when Doug Henning was getting the same type of Criticism over his appearance and style of magic. 4) As far as using the camera to his benefit... get over it! Copperfield, Henning, Blaine, Wilson, Angel, and the list goes on; have all used the camera (be it angles, editing or timing) to their benefit. 5) This kit is for the beginner(like all magic kits). So, yes you are going to find beginner to semi advanced products. One last thing, please don't forget we are entertainers first and that’s what Criss Angel does, he entertains. He is not on television to prove to magicians how "good" he is. He is an entertainer and magic is his vehicle. He also knows his demographic well and caters to them not us... Thank you, Patrick |
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
The ball vase? GROAN..I wish they'd top selling this in beginner sets. It's a professional prop in the right hands. You can even fool people that know the ball vase.
I don't think Murphy's would carry the kit if it was done poorly. Tim Trono wouldn't defend a product he didn't believe in. Patrick, thanks for bringing up Doug. There were lots of folks down on the hippie Magician. People still attack David Blaine. After his first special aired, I couldn't believe there were folks that ridiculed him. Anyway, maybe we can concentrate on reviews of the kit. That would serve a better purpose. Chris
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
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truthteller Inner circle 2584 Posts |
In todays world, to condemn someone for stylstic/fashion choices is unevolved. Clothes and hair may make the man, but they aren't the man. On that we can agree.
However, Criss's bad boy image and antics are not those I feel are worthy of being held up to emulation. I can't see how a magician who can't be bothered to show up for rehearsals (assuming that is true) is the kind of model we should want to represent our art. Likewise, someone who would threaten a reporter with violence or use inflammatory epithets in public towards others may not be the best face for magic - regardless of wether or not that face dons eyeliner. And I don't think any discussion on a magic forum will drive any youth toward or away from Angel, so I think we're safe here. But I do think the Boone/Richard issue is similar. In both cases someone is choosing to profit from someone else's idea by repackaging their work and selling it to the monied class. The game's the same, the pieces just look different. My personal concern is when hype transcends the line into lying. Performing magic that cannot be presented in the real world may be entertaining to some, but it raises a lot of questions for others. Inavlidating the trust built by magicians with their tv audiences over the years may be meaningless to some, but it is a serious cause of concern to those whose entire world does not revolve around solely promoting oneself at the expense of everything else. I enjoyed criss's early illusion work and found his style fun and visually exciting. That doesn't mean I have to be pleased he is positioning himself as the representative of our art. That seems reasonable, yes? |
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Keith Mitchell Special user 799 Posts |
I wonder what he is going to look like 20 years from now? Remember Elvis Presley?
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doormouse Regular user 152 Posts |
Don't kid yourself Chris, Murphy's has lot's of junk they push, just like every other distributor. Not saying the magic set is junk, I'm sure it is the same as every other magic set made in China. I'm sure any kid would love to have the Angel set for Christmas. They will probably be in Wal-Mart before long.
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mmreed Inner circle Harrisburg, PA 1432 Posts |
It is kinda odd that Angel does not sell his kit on his website... I would think he would offer it on his web store along with all the shirts, hats, towels, coffeecups, mousepads,
I mean heck... he sell womens PANTIES.... http://crissangel.com/items/Panties-apparel why not his magic kit???? so the "magician" sells panties but no magic? hmmmmm
Mark Reed
Wedding and Event Entertainment |
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Keith Mitchell Special user 799 Posts |
It's hard to believe what he sells on his website...
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Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
I for one look forward to your review Mark.
You being a distributor yourself are unlike some distributor's who will say just about anything just to push a product to make a buck, no matter how crappy the product is. I usually take a distributor's review with a grain of salt because I know they would not want to lose sales by giving a product they sell a negative review. I also realize that you are not selling the magic kit on your website, and don't have anything to loose if you should choose to give it a negative review, but none the less, I think it's respectful of you to choose to want to buy the product so you can give your honest opinion of it by examining it first hand. Posted: Feb 19, 2010 2:09am Everyone has a right to share their honest opinion. I also have a right to put my faith in anyone I choose to. If I choose to put my faith in Marks review on a product is no different than if I choose to put my faith in one by Review King. I have more serious issues about Criss Angel than just the clothes he wears. I don't like what he's done with magic. I don't like how he treats his peers. And, I don't like his morals. Gullible kids may be fasinated with him, but that's because they don't know any better. They usually want to emulate any person who is famous. As adults and parents it's our job to make sure our kids are raised with proper morals. If my son wants to be a baseball player, I would make sure that he is educated about not using steroids. If my son wants to be a magician, I would want to make sure he is educated about not relying on camera tricks. I don't think we need Criss Angel to get kids interrested in magic. David Blaine did a great job making magic popular again with his t.v. specials. Criss took advantage of that, and decided to abuse the trust that many magicians created with t.v audiences by using camera tricks. Not just a couple which would of been fine, but a lot. As we've seen, Criss can't survive outside of all the camera tricks. He can't survive without all the young creative magicians who have served as his consultants. He can't survive without a great special effects editing team. Thompson, Banachek, Wayne Houchin, Jay Sankey, etc can all survive and are all surviving without the camera tricks and special effects. Those are real magicians. Magicians that the young kids can realistically aspire to be. Either way, it's my personal opinion, and it's nice to see that others share the same opinion. My niece hates Criss Angel. If I would of got her the CA magic kit, she would of hated it. Some kids will love CA's magic kit. But their misguided image of Criss Angel is blinding them from what exactly is in the kit. It's the same things you can get in other kits, but this one is different because it has Criss Angel on it. They won't know much about magic, and believe the advertising for it, and actually believe that Criss Angel created some of this stuff. Criss Angel has created nothing. He has never created a magic trick. Even his levitation wasn't his idea. Anyways, I'm babbling now so I will end my rant.
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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Xiqual Inner circle Upper left quadrant 4935 Posts |
Mark,
Turn off the TV and go outside. It's bad parenting that ruins society, not TV. James Quote: On 2010-02-17 11:44, mmreed wrote:
Still with the Chinese circus
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mmreed Inner circle Harrisburg, PA 1432 Posts |
I plan on reviewing this kit openly and honestly with disregard to whos face is on the box and whos logo is plastered all over the items.
If its a good kit, I will certainly say so. I really hope it is a good kit with quality props and DVDs that teach solid magic with proper crediting and lineage. It would be a good step for Criss to have endorsed such a kit. I do wonder how it will stack up to the Fantasma Kits - they are pretty solid kits for the money. The Legends of Magic kit is one of the best kits I have seen. Fanstasma has a great reputation and the props are usually pretty well made. The Melissa and Doug kits are also top notch. Some of the best props I have seen in a kit. If you guys arent familiar with these kits, google them. They are wonderful - though sometimes hard to find. I do not carry the Melissa and Doug kits, but I have pointed many people to them. Our local hobby shop carries them so I often refer people to them if they come to me for a decent low priced kit. I tell them to get one of those, and I usually sell them a few things to compliment it, along with the offer for the kids to come to a group gathering to have some of the local magicians show them a few things and work with them on stuff. That seems to work out well. We have a young boy that has really taken a liking to magic and is amazing. He has an eye condition that will leave him blind sometime in the next few years most likely, but he has the best attitude toward it - wanting to become one of the worlds few blind magicians. He takes his stuff to school and does shows at lunch time. He brings friends to gatherings to introduce them to magic... He knows who Denny Haney is, he knows who Howie Schwarzman is, he knows about many of the legends in magic. The kid even reads Wilson, Fitzkee and Tarbell.... all of this because he got a magic kit as a gift. A magic kit is a very powerful gift when done right.
Mark Reed
Wedding and Event Entertainment |
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