This guy has an unusual way of unicycling:

barnesy - 2015-09-17 18:22:12 UTC - Parent #

I found it hugely entertaining! But yeah, perhaps not for any of the intended reasons...

Daniel Simu - 2015-09-17 22:26:32 UTC - Parent #

I had expected so much more from that preview image :(..

I think he had better spent his money on dance lessons and a magic director rather than on his expensive prop and girls....

Original trick, but a cheap version nonetheless and poorly performed... I am not a magician, and I think I can do better than this.

Cedric Lackpot - 2015-09-18 12:51:42 UTC - Parent #

Dobby you have shared so many great videos with us. This, my friend, was not one of them, not for the right reasons at least.

That was fucking hamtastic! It had everything - a bloke trying *really* hard to look enigmatic, some slappers with a severely restricted wardrobe budget, a canapé piece consisting of a small trick made large but in no way better, and in the set piece an effect that was bleedin' obvious even to me.

bad1dobby - 2015-09-19 04:29:46 UTC - Parent #

To be honest, I enjoyed it at the same level as Barnesy, and really just posted as a curiosity.

However, the strong responses got me thinking - are there any genuinely great stage illusions? I’ve watched a lot of magic in my time, and for many years now I’ve been skipping past the illusions, because they generally fit all the comments above.

My challenge - to find 3 stage illusions that I rate as great performance. It took some searching!

Morettis sword box, because after 30 years it still baffles me, and because the strangeness of the performers is practically an artform in itself:
https://youtu.be/8t2ulwSKDi0

Copperfield's Origami box, because the visual illusion is beautiful, and the presentation is flawless (warning: 80’s hairstyle ahead…):
www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x26o9mb?start=891
It’s cheesy, for sure, but if you’re going to do cheese, you may as well do it to perfection.

Pendragons' Metamorphosis, because it is the ultimate example of doing something as well as it can possibly be done:
https://youtu.be/8WXCP0RCdk0

They are my three. I would have liked to include Copperfield's Flying, which is probably my all-time favourite illusion on camera, but it's nowhere near as impressive live, so I reluctantly left it out.

Hope these goes some way towards ameliorating the disappointment of my previous post.

Little Paul - 2015-09-19 09:45:42 UTC - Parent #

I'm 100% with you on the Morettis.

The Pendragons' version of Metamorphosis is impressive for it's speed - although watching them perform now feels a bit weird given https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pendragons#Arrest_of_Jonathan

I'd put Richiardi's version of the buzzsaw illusion in my top 3.

I can't find a good video of it (the only version I can find is poorly cut video of his son performing it, which is missing most of the original audio and has had an annoying heartbeat dubbed over the top of it) but it's hideously plausible version of the sawing in half, with blood and guts everywhere.

I seem to remember it was always the last trick in the show, and he made a point of not restoring the girl at the end. She'd be propped up on the front of the stage, dripping blood while the audience filed out.

https://youtu.be/XOVlNiX0yiY

Talking of buzzsaw illusions, Penn and Teller do a nice "accidental" take on it
https://youtu.be/NNsGGTt9CTs

Does Barry and Stuarts "rabbit from a hat" count as a stage illusion?
https://youtu.be/U4gJfwGYCV0

And to lighten the mood after all that. Have some Doug Henning at his "happy hippy" Finest. His motorcycle vanish is just so joyful and bouncy!

https://youtu.be/BAyUA1d7hgQ

bad1dobby - 2015-09-21 15:53:09 UTC - Parent #

You have some darkness in you, LP!

Yes, the Pendragons are no more, which is sad - they were a formidable team.

Richiardi (the father) died in 1937 - I've not seen any film of him. Richiardi Jr. is a good pick, though - he is definitely not boring/cheesy.

In 2012 "The Illusionists" was here in Adelaide and the motorcycle trick was one of Brett Daniels' showpieces. Unfortunately at one performance, when the cage was hoisted and the bike was about to disappear, the rider gunned the throttle as usual, only this time he also dropped the clutch by mistake. The Harley (yes, a real Harley) shot out from under him, off the end of the platform and plummeted several metres to the stage instead of disappearing. Whoops!

bad1dobby - 2015-09-23 10:52:40 UTC - Parent #

Yes, it will be interesting to see if that goes anywhere. I suspect the 'escapologist in hospital' is to generate publicity, though.

How does Chris Angel actually have a following? - I tried to watch Mindfreak when it first came out, and just couldn't put up with him for more than 5 minutes.

Daniel Simu - 2015-09-21 00:48:48 UTC - Parent #

I liked the last one, the other two are impressive, but a bit slow for my taste.... Since I know I am going to be 'tricked', why squeeze out the thing that is probably easy for you?

For this I much more like fellow-countryman Hans Klok ;)
The illusions might not be very original, but his speed makes you loose track!

https://youtu.be/BCJhRfwylSI

Mïark - 2015-09-21 18:26:33 UTC - Parent #

being Dutch is probably the best excuse for having 80s hair