"Criss Angel Mindfreak" (2005) TV series 2005-????

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Creator:

Criss Angel

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

20 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Special Interest | Associate Producer | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Luigi Francis Shorty Rossi	...	Luigi and Shorty / ... (33 episodes, 2005-2008)
Criss Angel	...	Himself (24 episodes, 2005-2007)
Banachek	...	Himself (14 episodes, 2005-2007)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Angel Productions Incorporated

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tropic Thunder (2008)

Criss Angel: MindFAKE.

This A and E program supposedly of "Magician" and "Illusionist" Criss Angel is one of the biggest Con's ever produced by a television network and given up to the viewing public as truth.

Real time recording and crass editing and slow pans away from the face of Angel which allows for props and re-appearing devices for Mr. Angel and his crew makes this slickly produced show appear as though Mr. Angel is the next Harry Houdini, in fact one watches the program with the intact knowledge That far from being Houdini Mr. Angel is in fact playing the best known cinematic con games this side of a Paris back lot and George Melies's 'A Trip to the Moon'.

For all of Mr. Angels hushed reverence and transported invincibility and telepathic powers one is left with the obvious explanations of knowing that Mr. Angel's camera operators and editors are the real magicians behind the most hockey and disappointing magic this side of a modern day basic cable 19th century traveling medicine show.

For all the fire and brimstone of the editing, camera work and lighting the tricks of this magic show are the most simple instruments of George Melies. One episode of the program feature's Mr. Angels supposedly disappearing from behind a big blanket into nowhere. This was the silliest of all the tricks done on the show because it was so obvious that Mr. Angel in fact ran to the back of the big wall that was behind him when the blanket went up in front of him. Then when the blanket came down Mr. Angel was safely in the back of the big wall.

Another program featured Mr. Angel putting a razor blade and string in his mouth and he supposedly in real time video with no cutting of the semantic filmed language tied the string in an intricate pattern that would have taken a seamstress hours to do. This was the most ludicrous thing i've ever seen on television. The camera operator keeps this very close shot of Mr.Angel for most of this sequence and then at the most dramatic moment when Mr. Angel is supposedly tying up the string into the razor blade with his tongue he pans towards the adoring crowd (or most likely paid extra's) while i'm sure some production assistant takes the razor blade and string out of his mouth and puts in the prop razor blade and string all tied up. Then the Camera operator quickly and very dramatically with a very fast zoom pans back to Mr. Angel who shows the razor blade and string all tied up.

The rest of the programs stunts consists of turning the camera off so that Mr. Angel can be placed in the way of props or in the right place so that props can blow up or so that body doubles or dummy's can take Mr. Angel's place in the face of fire, lightning, chainsaw's, or mechanical shrub mulches. This whole program is so fake, so devoid of any Magic that it's hard to critique in any way other than to take apart every single one of Mr. Angel's stunts and con games and say that Mr. Angels is one of the biggest con's and liar's in television history since Charles Van Buren went on 'twenty one'.

In one very sad and obvious appearance on 'Mindfreak' Mr. Angel appears hanging from a helicopter with his arms raised like Christ being crucified. For anyone who remembers the real Magician Felini's similar shot of the statue hanging from the helicopter over Rome one has the moment to throw up at such not only hubris on the part of Mr. Angel but out right plagiarism. Mr. Angel is certainly no Houdini, and certainly no Felini and most certainly not Jesus Christ. Sadly he's only a fake being let lose on a very long leash and big budget.