So I finally sat and watched the first episode last night ... simply a waste of time. A couple of things that I did notice, first there were at least two people playing the part. One with bare hands that apparently has no magic experience ... maybe a mechanic by the look of his hands, possibly a car thief?? The other "Moron" wore gloves the entire time ... that may have been our buddy Valentino. Does it really matter ... no.

Aside from the ridiculous methods they exposed, they were insulting not only to us ... but the viewing audience as well. The only reason I taped the show is it's part of our industry and we need to be prepared when this comes up. The explanations are laughable at best ... did you see the "Vanishing Quartet" illusion??

What layman would even remember "Wall of China" illusion?? Most of the viewers wouldn't have even been born yet. No one remembers that stuff ... only us as we cry our selves to sleep.

Simply explain to laymen that the illusions were designed for just this show. No one could perform them under normal conditions ... only on TV.

Do not bring it up in your show for any reason. The only reason I bring it up is so we can be educated about the situation ... and it will pass, just like it did years ago.

We will survive ... trust me.

Steve

I just saw the last night's episode on Yo**ube... I have to agree with you steeve, the explanations were laughable at best. If the other episodes are as bad as this one was, we REALLY do not have much to fear...

Just my opinion...

Louis Jutras

He really did butcher them. They can't compete with Copperfield in buying the million dollar props so they result to c-rap. Although I guess he is just all about exposing the method, who cares about the rest.

A side note, I read a lot of magicians who state the explanation as to why they watched the show. I don't think we really need to. It is affecting ourselves and our industry so you had better be watching it. I hate to give the guy any type of ratings, but I want to be prepared.

Agreed nothing wrong with preparation. I feel they aren't going to have the sting that I thought they where.

Unless your TV is hooked up to one of the Neilson Tv Ratings monitoring devices, you can watch all the TV you want and it won't impact the ratings

The methods are laughable to us because we know how they really work.
To a lay audience they see a recreation of an effect and assume the stupid explanation is real, or at least plausable.
The end result is an audience that will yawn at effects that appear to be similar to the phony explanation. The lay audience assumes they know how it worked.
Phoney explanations, or not it is the effects that is damaged by the exposure.
It doesn't matter if the audience member is right about the method, assuming you're righ spoils the effect.
The kind of exposure is bad for magic it reduces magic from art to scam.

This moron must have big inferiority complexes - each comment for this maybe mentally disabled guy is one too much.

Loual4-

I couldn't find the youtube link -- could you please post it?

Thank you!
Brian

"The Vanishing Quartet" was absolutely ridiculous - I honestly laughed for a solid 3 minutes.

I still say it sucks to have any exposure out there, though. That's what it boils down to for me.

PM'ed you...

Louis Jutras

I saw the youtube link and I have to say that this crap really hasn't bothered me before, but when I saw him -the Moron- do the Prohibition effect it really angered me.

Michael

Awwww man...say it ain't so.

So, I just watched it on youtube. Whoever is under that mask (not Valentino) is an atrocious performer. I mean really, really bad.

First of all the quartet should have just been lowered into the huge platform! Why have such deep platform like that and not use it!

Did you notice his hands always shake?

I agree. I thought it would be hard to find a worse peformer than Valentino , but they found one. Unless Valentino has actually gotten worse over the past 10 years (which is a possibility) since he is no longer even attempting to be a real , practicing magician. Think about it: if your whole career is built on ripping-off other people and exposing other people's creative work then why would you ever bother to practice or try to improve your performance style ? What's the point ? So you can be a "better exposer"? Ha.

But I think it's probably true what others have observed: there appear to be two different monkeys hiding behind the mask this time around ... maybe one is still Valentino, maybe not ? Who would have thought the poor sap could go any lower , but he actually has sunk lower than before.

That's why I wrote in a proir post that if one of us has a chance to meet the guy, beat him up.
Thanks,
Goodbye.

At the end of the special, it says he will be back next week to reveal more of magicians secrets??? how many of these is he doing?!

magic mike

13 episodes... I hope the at least the presentations get better, I know they can't get worse!

13 episodes over 120 illusions is what the website states.

Well, it was interesting to see his version of the Super-X.
Anyone want to buy several of my suits, coat and pants...
but just one leg missing on the trousers.

Walt