Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enbOb_3-zIc

I can't stop watching it over and over , so magical ! I do Tarbell's version but still love this one so much !

What is it about this performance that makes you qualify it as "the best"?

I've seen swallowing routines like Teller's / Dan Harlan's and some carnies IRL , but fell in love with Otto's routine , he's being funny and going too far with the routine admit it you liked it too !

No, I really do not like it.

It's just ... bad. Not original, not interesting. It takes a routine with an inherent, visceral reaction and turns it into a stupid stunt by a bad birthday clown.

I mean, if that's what he's going for, sure, he nailed it.

Yeah, I'm afraid that I didn't like it either. He sure did a lot of razor blades, but it had no drama (or humor), no real arc, no suspense, and no point. Sorry. It's great for the sheer spectacle of so many blades, but other than that...meh. Isn't this supposed to be a danger act?

OH you guys don't obviously know who Otto is x)

No, never heard of him. Doesn't change the fact that this is artistically and dramatically void.

Well he worked several years in the crazy horse in paris. So he must doing something right.

I know who Otto Wessley is. I saw him in Monte Carlo over 35 years ago. He is a somewhat comedic magician. If you check out his various YourTube offerings you'll see that he really does any number of different acts. It is almost as if he builds an "act" for a specific venue and that they all feel very "one off".

I guess the definition of "the best" simply means the most razor blades. Sadly his whole turn on the clip was a throwaway. He exposed the key to the linking rings (and got almost no laugh), didn't build or sell any trick/effect he performed. He even managed to ruin the stool gag with poor timing. It is as if he does not know how to pace, point, and sell a comedic prop. Other than frantically and frantically tossing in dozens of razor blades then pulling them out strung on thread there was nothing of note to the whole act or routine. He even stepped on the razor blade trick by ending it with a mouth coil! I would never believe that you could minimize a razor blade trick and turn it mundane but Otto managed it.

I think that this one suffers from the same thing as a coin production. After putting the first 4 or 5 in his mouth, no one really cares. They get it that it isn't going to hurt him. I never felt any danger in the effect, which is a strong part of a razor blade effect.

Yep, I have to confess that I wasn't as impressed either. Though I don't mind the slapdash approach so much, I do, however, wonder why he threw that link in rings gag in the middle of it all. As was noted in earlier posts, there was really no sense of danger, but a bit of a puzzle instead.

Indeed! One of the main reasons that I went down to three blades. After a few of the blades, it ceases to be a stunt and becomes a trick.

"Something" doesn't remotely mean "everything". I have seen lots of professionals that I thought were awful. Reading books like Scripting Magic and Strong Magic - it's pretty clear I'm not alone in my opinions.

Oh BTW the best stands for the only blade routine that fooled me badly , and I personally love Otto's routines , he has a personal comedy taste he calls that Pop Magic

That was painful to watch, and not in a good way.

Different strokes for different folks.....the arts are subjective.....

Having said that, I thought it was fine.

Yeah, it was "fine." But that shouldn't be the goal. I think what bothers me about it is the lack of any sense of drama or danger.

It seems to me that the essence of the razor blade trick is danger. There has to be a feeling of risk involved, which is what captures the audience's emotions. It's dramatic. It has you on the edge of your seat. Additionally, there's a kind of "Ew, gross!" factor, of swallowing razor blades. It's edgy, it's disgusting, it's dangerous, and maybe there will be blood and gore.

There is none of that in this act. The only energy it has is a kind of frantic comedy from the sheer number of blades involved. There is no sense of danger. It could be anything he's swallowing. If you're not going for danger, why use razor blades? If you're going to do a silly performance rather than a dangerous/dramatic one, Why not use a silly prop instead of blades?

As I watched the video, I thought of a time I was goofing off in my studio, and just for the heck of it did the razor blade trick with Froot Loops and silly music rather than razor blades. (Here's a link to my goofing off: https://youtu.be/zrAgvBqCAuc. I don't know if it can be seen, because the setting is set to private. And sorry about the performance and my bad hair. This wasn't meant for public consumption, it was just for private fun.) It seems to me that, given that this guy was going for comedy rather than danger, his act would have worked better if he had been using Froot Loops or something just as silly, instead of razor blades.

Just the humble opinion of someone who probably shouldn't be offering one. As with anything to do with magic, your mileage may vary.

I also think that is a better idea, Danaruns. Like you said, a silly prop would have matched the silly feeling of the presentation.

Yep, Dana, your video is view-able and a very good idea for a more comedic variation on the theme. I think it would have served him better as well.

He has some nice dancing moves in the start.. Hu hu hu