|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3..7~8~9~10~11 [Next] | ||||||||||
magicusb Inner circle 1135 Posts |
Mr Ayers, I will try to be as brief as possible.. not easy for me....
Thank you for your last word. I look forward to meeting you in person someday and seeing you perform, as I understand you are a very innovative and excellent performer. Master magician David Blaine himself said before millions of people it was an effect and an illusion. I will leave it at that. Why do others come in an interpret what he says. Dorothy Dietrich, not my wife by the way, does have an attachment to the bullet catch story being the first and only woman to catch the bullet in her mouth, in a cup as Blaine did it, not a box as magician and excellent balloon artist Skenes did. Had Blaine wanted to do the bullet catch as you suggest he would not have contacted a magician but a ballistic expert and the best marksmen anywhere in the world to which I am sure he could find access. This is one of the things Dorothy did, when she was putting together her presentation. Several times when we ran into David Blaine, a great guy and performer, he clearly knew who she was and made reference to her catching a bullet. Blaine is a very thoughtful and clever artist, who like Houdini takes chances, but not unnecessary ones. There is no doubt Dorothy Dietrich is a pioneer in the field, has tread where other women never have and has in fact inspired other females to enter the field, of which she is very proud. I did not bring Tina into this, and do not wish to, as she did not squeeze off the round. Many other magicians other than Skenes have used friends and assistants and wifes and even audience members to fire the rifle including Denny Haney (currently of Denny & Lee Magic Studio) and others. Dorothy feels for the success of this stunt it is important to find and hire the most accurate marksman available. Had David contacted us on this that would have been our suggestion. People cannot be taught in an instant the proper way to fire a weapon, it can take years. Anyone who watches TV and has been in the military or hunts or learns to shoot for whatever reason, clearly knows that. It is not a one day thing. I do not want to encourage young performers to attempt what is clearly presented as an effect and an illusion for real, as you posts would suggest and encourage. Again, Does anyone here watch Mythbusters. It is makes for very shattering viewing. In the interest of the magic arts I remain, Dick Brooks
Check out http://HoudiniOpoly.com
Houdini Museum Tour & Magic Show. Only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. http://Houdini.org http://HoudiniDisplays.com http://PsychicTheater.com Scranton, Pa (570) 342-5555 "The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you angry." -Robert Ingersoll-Atheist (on the mind of Houdini when he died.) We are thrilled we were able to bring The Grim Game to the world! Thanks TCM. |
|||||||||
magicusb Inner circle 1135 Posts |
If Mr. Ayers is still with us I would like to ask..
Were you actually there for the shooting.... I guess I should say filming? Dick
Check out http://HoudiniOpoly.com
Houdini Museum Tour & Magic Show. Only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. http://Houdini.org http://HoudiniDisplays.com http://PsychicTheater.com Scranton, Pa (570) 342-5555 "The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you angry." -Robert Ingersoll-Atheist (on the mind of Houdini when he died.) We are thrilled we were able to bring The Grim Game to the world! Thanks TCM. |
|||||||||
magicnewswire Inner circle 1947 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-26 03:10, MagicMattMan wrote: He described it in the audio and video clips that we posted in some detail. |
|||||||||
Peter Pitchford Elite user Philly 423 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-26 01:11, pepka wrote: I would have to agree with this. I don't remember what time the jump happened, but let's say 10:50. Even if the President's speech went until 10:49 (which it didn't) the jump would still happen at 10:50. The speech would cut into the pre-recorded magic but I don't see how it would (other than the spin pepka mentioned) have anything to do with the jump. |
|||||||||
Joey Stalin Inner circle Canada 1072 Posts |
Looked to me like the rifle was locked down in a stationary rig preventing any movement of the rifle. And it was Blaine being told to move to the line of fire of the rifle and not the other way around. Right?
-A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.
-It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them. -The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything. See you space cowboy... |
|||||||||
DT3 Inner circle Hill Valley 1920 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-25 11:36, DVLKCC wrote: "Poor" David? Wait. What? |
|||||||||
Joey Stalin Inner circle Canada 1072 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-26 18:27, Don Theo III wrote: Oh, well let me see if I can explain this to you. Sometimes words don't always have one definition or meaning. Yes, it's true! A word can have multiple meanings. Isn't the English language wonderful?
-A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.
-It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them. -The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything. See you space cowboy... |
|||||||||
Mercury52 Inner circle Kevin Reylek 2240 Posts |
Hi everyone. We have our photo gallery updated to cover all 3 days (you can see a shot of the bunch of balloons in daylight), as well as our timeline breakdown of our time spent in the park. You can find it all here:
http://www.newyorkmagicproject.com/community You can also see all of our videos at http://www.youtube.com/nymagicproject We already have several videos up, and we'll continue to post more of them throughout the weekend. My "final thoughts" wrap-up will be posted very shortly. Thanks! Kevin
Kevin Reylek
|
|||||||||
Thomas Wayne Inner circle Alaska 1977 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-26 08:47, magicusb wrote: The words "effect" and "illusion" both have broad and potentially ambiguous meanings. For example, "The effect of being hit by a car is often serious injury". Does this sentence mean that the injuries of being hit by a car are "fake"? And what part of the Bullet Catch, exactly, is David Blaine referring to when he uses the word "illusion"? Is he saying that no rifle is actually fired, or that no rifle exists at all, or that what the audience thinks is a rifle is actually a cleverly disguised pumpkin squash? Could it be that the "illusion" part of the "effect" is simply that the rifle and ammunition and mouth-cup are highly modified and cannot be found in any sportsman's supply or neighborhood mouth-cup emporium? I mean, really, how is your interpretation of David's words anymore accurate than any other outside party's interpretation? Many people involved the special - including myself - were told in advance that ABC was requiring David to disclaim the stunt in such a manner as to discourage "copycats" (for obvious liability issues). People in the know, who were informed in advance that this would be the case, are telling you this for a fact, Dick - not "interpreting" [after-the-fact] what David was legally required to say on air. We're not "interpreting" anything. There are men all over the world who catch bullets every day with Kevlar body armor, and live to tell about it. How is catching a small-caliber bullet fired from a precision rifle into a specially machined steel cup any different? Why do YOU - who had no connection whatsoever with these events - refuse to accept the obvious? David Blaine replicated a famous stunt exactly [so to speak] as it was originally done. All it took was tremendous guts and determination - plus a lot of practice. Why is that so hard for you to believe, and what do you stand to lose if it's the real deal? TW
MOST magicians: "Here's a quarter, it's gone, you're an idiot, it's back, you're a jerk, show's over." Jerry Seinfeld
|
|||||||||
Zhang Special user 515 Posts |
Welcomeback Thomas,
Good post. |
|||||||||
Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Sometimes things don't go as planned. David wanted to provide an evening of entertainment.
He came on TV to explain what went wrong. He's so personable, most people not only want him to succeed, they feel sorry when he fails. He's not going away. He'll be back with another special. And remember this: he got paid.
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
|||||||||
magicnewswire Inner circle 1947 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-27 15:29, Mercury52 wrote: HI KEVIN, GOT A 404 WHEN GOING TO THAT LINK. |
|||||||||
Mercury52 Inner circle Kevin Reylek 2240 Posts |
Whoops! The correct link is http://www.newyorkmagicproject.com/community.htm
We have some interesting follow-up information and new photos and videos. We'll be releasing a few more videos soon, so keep checking back! Thanks! Kevin
Kevin Reylek
|
|||||||||
magicusb Inner circle 1135 Posts |
Thomas Wayne
Dear Thomas. You said you were involved with the David Blaine Special. Were you there for the filming of the bullet catch portion? It would seem to me that would be the only way you could speak with authority on what happened at the time. I would appreciate an answer on this point. Or were you there when magician Skenes did it on "That's Incredible"? Here is what TV Guide in 1982 had to say about "That's Incredible". The bullet catch quotes are not mine but TV Guides. "The popular 1980s reality-show precursor traded primarily in eye-opening stunts (a chimp tending bar, a plane landing on a moving truck, jousters on top of cars, a man `catching' a bullet with his mouth), and the credibility of some segments was occasionally called into question (a May 1982 issue of TV GUIDE revealed that several `death-defying' acts had been rigged)." OR http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/......ible.htm "An expose in a May 1982 issue of TV Guide revealed several of the programs' stunts to be rigged or, even worse, straight out frauds. But this had absolutely NO effect on the shows' producers." OR http://memorylab.deanlabs.com/TVDetails.aspx?ID=1113 "In addition to the mishaps, there was a little stunt tomfoolery too- an article in a 1982 TV Guide gleefully exposed stunts that were rigged and stories that were blatantly false." I have the TV Guide in question in my bullet catch collection entitled, "That's (Not So) Incredible! How a Reality Show Pulls Some Phony Stunts" TV Guide 5/15-21 1982 Magician and balloon artist Skenes also did it on several other shows world wide but for some reason the video of those have not appeared, as I wish they would. I would like to see other filming of this stunt as without a doubt Skenes presentation is one of the best of all time. Were they done before a live audience? Were there camera cuts involved as in all the ones I've seen, or is there one with a continuous long shot? Since you are an insider maybe you can get these. When you mince words as to what the words effect and illusion mean, we all in magic, I believe, know when a magician says effect or illusion what they are getting at, so this explanation on your part as to the various meanings of the words do not hold water on a magic forum. You ask how is this different than catching a bullet in a kevlar vest. Easy.. a vest is safe, and not a pin point hit, either. You say a lot of practice on David's part. My guess if he did it your way (?) he did NOT practice it a lot. I have a quality digital recording of the Blaine sequence, which appears to be edited and not one continuous shot. This is the case in all filmed versions of magician "Skenes Method" I have ever seen. If magician Blaines' version is played on a large screen, one sees the rifle wobbling back and forth on the last seconds of close up filming before the firing. This wobbling would have been enough to miss magician David Blaine completely or possibly hit him in the face, so, if it is as you say, he was very lucky not to be hit from such an unstable mooring, if it was not a cut away. Every version that I have seen of magician "Skenes method" involves editing and camera cuts from a closed studio, never one continuous long shot from the rifle to the target, or live. I believe Mythbusters proved that the human jaw could not withstand the blow, let alone a pigs jaw which is stronger. Again I do not want young magicians here or anywhere to be tempted to do this stunt by magician "Skenes method" and what some now claim is magician "David Blaines method" though David Blaine did say and or admit it was an illusion and an effect. Had he been hurt those few days before the airing the show would not have gone on, with much money to loose by everybody concerned. This is not the way big corporate show business works when millions of dollars are involved. More importantly with David Blaine, would he really risk his life with an amateur marksman/friend/writer? He did not care to really risk staying upside down for 60 hours straight, or 24 or 12 or less for that matter. Once an hour or more he stood up if reports are correct. I still feel had magician David Blaine wanted to do the bullet catch for "real" and not as an illusion and effect as he himself said, he would not have gone to a magician/balloon artist for help, or in any case would have also contacted the best ballistics experts and the best marksmen in the world to work this out, to which he would have easily had access. Magicians can be fooled. I am sure you have been many times, as admittedly I have as well. But as Lincoln said, You cant fool all of the people all of the time. My best in the interest of protecting the integrity of magic and magicians. Dick Brooks
Check out http://HoudiniOpoly.com
Houdini Museum Tour & Magic Show. Only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. http://Houdini.org http://HoudiniDisplays.com http://PsychicTheater.com Scranton, Pa (570) 342-5555 "The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you angry." -Robert Ingersoll-Atheist (on the mind of Houdini when he died.) We are thrilled we were able to bring The Grim Game to the world! Thanks TCM. |
|||||||||
MagicMattMan Special user Tampa, FL 741 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-26 09:24, magicnewswire wrote: Which clip?
"For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not, none will suffice." -Joseph Dunninger
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."Hebrews 13:2 |
|||||||||
Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
-Matt
|
|||||||||
Thomas Wayne Inner circle Alaska 1977 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-29 16:47, magicusb wrote: No, I wasn't there - and neither were you. But, unlike you, I've been privy to much of the work that went into the special. I was told well in advance of shooting about the network's required disclaimer, AND OF THE FACT THAT THE BULLET CATCH WAS THE REAL THING. I have also fired match rifles, from a bench rest with NO CLAMP (just a single sandbag). My best score ever was very close to zero - which means I essentially put FIVE .22 caliber bullets into the exact same hole - so I KNOW what can be done with such a special purpose rifle. That's FOUR bullets into the same 1/4 inch hole that the first bullet made. By comparison, the steel cup David used presents a target in excess of 16 times larger, from a distance that is a fraction of the range distance for match rifle competition. This was in the 70's, and the rifle I used cost in excess of $700 at a time when you could buy a pretty decent .22 rifle at Sears for about $40. I'm finished with you, Dick. You obviously have an ax to grind, and - despite an overwhelming truth that is quite apparent to everyone but YOU - it is unlikely you will ever come around. From this point forward you're talking to yourself, and I pity you for your delusions. I said it before and I'll say it again: Just because you can't do it doesn't mean David Blaine can't. Thomas Wayne
MOST magicians: "Here's a quarter, it's gone, you're an idiot, it's back, you're a jerk, show's over." Jerry Seinfeld
|
|||||||||
Mick Ayres Special user Hilton Head Island 998 Posts |
Dick,
I swore I was finished with this thread. But I'm back now because I've never had my integrity questioned on the Magic Café like this. Even worse Dick, you are now implying that Carl and Tina Skenes are liars. That is unacceptable. Some years ago, at the encouragement of Phil Willmarth, I wrote an article detailing Carl's historic feat for The Linking Ring magazine titled: "Carl Skenes: Biting the Bullet". I did not write the article as Carl's publicist. I did it because he had done something remarkable and no one in the conjuring world noticed because Carl wasn't a "name" act. I wanted him to get the credit he was due. I watched as my friends developed this feat over the years. For the future of their family, they needed an act that would set them apart...something no one else had ever done before. I stood in the Skenes' living room as Tina practiced mounting the rifle properly on its tripod, sighting it in and taking shot after shot after shot until she KNEW exactly where that bullet was going to go. The Skenes family invested a lot of money on state-of-the-art equipment and put countless hours into rehearsal. I remember looking through the scope at the white target dot on the box which was mounted on a stand at the correct height. The white dot completely filled the lens. I commented about it and Tina said, "It has to be that way, Mick. In performance, if I can see any part of Carl's mouth in the scope, I just can't pull the trigger." Bottom line: Facts are facts, Dick. If you still wish to question everything, you certainly have that right. However, you own a museum that highlights anything connected with the life of Harry Houdini...who refused to perform the Bullet Catch, right? I've got a brilliant solution: JUST CONTACT CARL SKENES AND BOOK HIM TO PERFORM THE REAL BULLET CATCH IN YOUR MUSEUM! You can be your own witness. Even better, afterwards you can build a huge, colorful display booth in your museum that highlights Carl Skenes doing the feat Houdini himself wouldn't dare. I bet the world would beat a path to your door. It's a common-sense win/win situation for you. Do you want to know the best part? Because I'm a gentleman of integrity, there's no consultation fee for this excellent idea. Cordially, Mick
THE FIVE OBLIGATIONS OF CONJURING: Study. Practice. Script. Rehearse. Perform. Drop one and you're done.
|
|||||||||
magicusb Inner circle 1135 Posts |
Dear Mick Ayres;
No where did I question your integrity and I believe you are very sincere in your posts. If I gave you that impression I am sorry. You say "If you still wish to question everything, you certainly have that right." but you do not seem to honor that right that you claim to believe I have. Also NO WHERE do I say Carl or Tina are lying. No Where. No where. Now or ever. This is your read. Please be reminded that David Blaine said it was an effect and illusion and yet when he says it no rancor or venom is sent in his direction. No where do people say he says Carl or Tina are lying because of that statement. He is the one that said it. I have extensive experience with firearms. I know the force they have at close range. Some who attack me here were not even at the event. Maybe all. I do not know if you were there, or to any. Otherwise it is just here say. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. To me I have not seen it. I do not want the impressive and foolish out there trying this after reading it on a public googleable magicians forum or anywhere else. Controversy is not a bad thing anyway. My best to you and yours, Dick Brooks
Check out http://HoudiniOpoly.com
Houdini Museum Tour & Magic Show. Only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. http://Houdini.org http://HoudiniDisplays.com http://PsychicTheater.com Scranton, Pa (570) 342-5555 "The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you angry." -Robert Ingersoll-Atheist (on the mind of Houdini when he died.) We are thrilled we were able to bring The Grim Game to the world! Thanks TCM. |
|||||||||
Heres Tony Loyal user Orlando 259 Posts |
Okay, I'm going to chime in on this because I WAS there for the bullet catch. In a nutshell:
-The bullet catch was real. -DB wanted to use a more "dangerous looking" rifle but Carl and Tina refused stating that they could not vouch for the accuracy of that particular rifle. -DB said it was an "illusion" because ABC threw a fit when they found out he was even going to do the bullet catch. They sent him an email the night before he did it saying if he didn't pretend it was an illusion they might sue him. Ironically myself and a few others discussed the fact that he actually did something for REAL and claimed it was an ILLUSION, the opposite of what every other magician would do. It doesn't matter what Dick or anyone else thinks of the situation. The fact is DB sought out Carl because in his own words, "Carl is the only person to ever do it this way." Once again, I was there personally and witnessed the entire thing. Tony Brent |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Did you hear the latest? » » Does anyone care? "David Blaine: Dive of Death." (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3..7~8~9~10~11 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.13 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |