Magic?

[icecold]

how does it work, it doesnt make sense..david copperfields illusion, or those two guys stopping bullets with their teeth, darren browns 'mind control', or when dave blaine makes tax discs on cars disappear, its a little too much for me and i quite enjoy it, but do these people know something we dont?

[incitatus]

they know how to deceive. none of this stuff works in the way it appears....i.e. normally when people stop bullets with their teeth it is a bullet they had previously swallowed and regurgitated. these are all clever and enjoyable illusions. (what derren brown does is slightly different, but never mind). The fact that they are not easy to see through is a testament to the cleverness of the performer.

[gilf]

Yes they know how to make it look like something is happening when its not. With all Magic you have to ask yourself "has that man really just been cut in half or does it just look like it". Its all about tricking you. For example most great card tricks are simple in that you think you have free choice of the cards but you don't the magician knows exactly what card you are going to choose. Therefore he can prepare the most amazing revelation. I know how 90% of the tricks are done but I still love Magic, I'm not amazed by the fact they have just caugh bullets in their teeth, I'm amazed at how they made it look like they caugh bullets in their teeth.

[sft42]

That's exactly why you like it....when you know how tricks are done then the magic and most of the enjoyment disappears....Though the Bullet Trick has killed 14 magicians in the past since it was invented so you can draw your own conclusions on that one.....Like Gilf I know how most magic is achived or can have a fair stab at the mechanics of it, being interested in it when I was younger, but the one guy who consistantly blows me away is Derren Brown. Just remember that everything you see is an illusion...it didn't really happen and there must be a way for it have been wangled somehow....the fun is figuring out how.

[icecold]

incitatus, but when penn and teller did the bullet trick there was a plastic sheet infront of them, ive heard of glass being able to deflect bullets slightly but i still dont know how they did it

[geofbob]

It sounds, icecold, as though you still believe that there is a real bullet in the gun - I very much doubt it. The shattering of the glass may be synchronised with the firing of the gun, which contains a blank, the marked bullet being swapped at some stage. A trap people fall into is assuming that there is just one secret factor, which if revealed would explain the illusion. But top-class illusionists employ a complex mix of mechanical devices, manual dexterity, psychology and confidence trickery. And, of course, they practice and plan their major illusions for many months, to get every element right.

[johntheplamf]

I don't agree with the bullet trick being a bullet which has been regurgitated, I mean almost all the magicians nowadays get the member of the audience to write their name on the bullet, and unless they have a little guy in their stomach writing( In the other persons handwriting) the name, I don't think this would work. But then again, the magician probably knows the person and set it all up before hand, Hmmmm, My head hurts

[smorodina]

It's not regurgitated, just palmed - standard technique. Didn't you watch the 'Masked Magician' where this and many other illusions were explained? I'm Mitch Pileggi.

[icecold]

ok not being annoying, but during the shower the bullets had names and you saw the 2 would be magicians load the guns...

[johntheplamf]

Correct, and then you see it appear in the guy's mouth across the room, after no contact between the two guys, how is this done??????

[icecold]

thats the only trick those magicians wont reveal how its done, usually they would reveal how the trick was performed, they are also known for making an 18 wheel truck tread all over one of the 2 but it was trickery of using tubless tires and weights on the other side...

[smorodina]

Developing new sleights that cannot be detected is the art of magic. Usually the trick has been done long before you suspect. All sorts of techniques are applied like mis-direction which takes your attention away from what's really going on. Are you sure the two people were not together at any time? Or a third person could have passed between them? Whatever happened, you can be sure that, if the bullet was marked, it got into the magician's mouth by a method other than being fired from a gun. If you want to see how some of the standard magic tricks are done there are plenty of books available. Good magic shops stock hundreds. Or just watch Geoffrey Durham - he really doesn't cover his sleights well.

[sft42]

Smordina How 'a dare you say anyting bad about a da Great Soprendo? He willa come a round your house and tear your newspaper into loads of little bits then put it back together again.

[smorodina]

No. the Great Soprendo was altogether different - a truly great magician. I was talking about Geoffrey Durham. Funny how Soprendo hasn't been around since Durham came to prominence.