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Posts with tag magic

Did David Blaine break a record on Oprah today?

Posted Apr 30th 2008 3:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Daytime, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

David Blaine

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! MAGICAL SPOILERS!

On today's edition of Oprah, which many people in the country have already seen, magician/stunt artist David Blaine attempted to break the world record for a person holding their breath. Did he actually do it? The results after the jump.

Continue reading Did David Blaine break a record on Oprah today?

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Derren Brown will blow your mind - VIDEO

Posted Jul 9th 2007 4:22PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, OpEd

Derren BrownI recently saw an ad on the Sci-Fi Channel promoting the US debut of Derren Brown's Mind Control, which was his first show from 2000. A few years ago, a friend of mine sent me a clip of the zombie video game stunt Derren pulled, and I was immediately captivated.

Soon after, I had watched every single episode of Mind Control and Trick of the Mind online. Sure, I didn't completely believe everything I saw, but the show was a refreshing change from the likes of Criss Angel and David Blaine. Brown wasn't striving for the same "magician as rock star" pretentiousness, priding himself mainly on his use of psychology and showmanship. The show is slick and super-cool, so I recommend it to anyone who has a fascination with things like the art of mind manipulation and subliminal messaging.

Continue reading Derren Brown will blow your mind - VIDEO

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Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates DJs

Posted Mar 19th 2007 10:04PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Everybody Hates Chris, The CW

Everybody Hates Chris(S02E17) Remember when I said I couldn't review this show anymore? Well, I have the CW again, so it's all good. Hopefully it won't be removed from my cable again.

My love for this show may have just increased ten fold. This episode was not only well-written and well-acted as usual, but it actually contained a reference to Night of the Lepus, probably the best movie ever made about gigantic killer bunnies. I'm not sure I believe Chris' real father actually had an irrational fear of rabbits, but it provided a nice B story about how willing Julius is to be there for his kids, even if it means passing out at a magic show.

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Harry Potter reality series coming to the BBC

Posted Jan 27th 2007 8:29AM by Kevin Kelly
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, BBC, Children

Harry Potter becomes a reality on the BBCOf course, this is an entire new usage of the word "reality." You know, the kind of reality where kids have magical powers and can fly around on broomsticks? My dictionary needs some serious updating. Apparently a new series coming to the BBC entitled The Sorcerer's Apprentice (no, we aren't kidding) will enroll fourteen kids into a Hogwarts-esque school where they "will be schooled in magic history and folklore, told the latin terms for casting spells, and taught how to look after resident magic animals. As their knowledge and skills progress they will also be taught the art of illusion."

Apparently they'll basically be taught magic by lesser known David Copperfields and Lance Burtons, thereby making this potentially one of the greatest must see train wreck shows in television history. Yes, kids are adorable, but watching them try to learn sleight of hand so they don't get voted off a TV show? Ouch-tastic. Stay tuned for more as the secrets are revealed. You might also brace yourself for a lot of magical puns, because I just can't help myself.
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Get ready for a Penn & Teller onslaught

Posted Oct 22nd 2006 2:35PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities

Penn & TellerNot only is magician Penn Jillette doing his radio show from New York City Halloween week, but he and his silent partner Teller are going to be making a ton of appearances on Halloween and the following week.

The magic duo will be on The View on October 31 (oh, if they could make one or two or the hosts disappear, oh please, oh please, oh please...). Then, on November 1, they'll be on the local New York morning show on the CW and, later that night, The Colbert Report. Then, we'll see them on the CNN Headline News show Glenn Beck. Which seems like an, um, interesting choice.

Penn & Teller's Showtime show Bullshit has been renewed for a fifth season.

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David Blaine to hang from Brooklyn Bridge

Posted Jun 19th 2006 2:06PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: ABC, Talent, Celebrities

David BlaineThat's going to be the magician's next stunt on ABC. He's going to hang 135 feet above the water from the Brooklyn Bridge for a long period of time.

It was reported a few weeks ago that Blaine's next stunt would involve living with various dangerous animals in the jungle, but it looks like while that project is still in the works, it's going to be a documentary and not one of his stunts.

The NY Post piece above says that last week he was hanging from the bridge with suspension wires. But I'm still not sure what the stunt will be. Will he be hanging from suspension wires? If so, I'm not sure what the "stunt" aspect is. Or maybe he was just practicing and he'll be hanging from his hands or something?
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Blaine's next stunt: lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Posted May 15th 2006 5:37PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: ABC, Talent, Celebrities

David BlaineFor his next stunt, magician/showman David Blaine plans to live among the wild beasts in the jungle.

Not a zoo, mind you, but a real, honest to goodness jungle, with wild, dangerous animals. He wants to be the next Tarzan, though several experts are advising him against him. Says zoologist Dave Salmoni of Animal Planet:

"I'd be amazed if he lasted a week in a place like the Sunderbunds ... after just 24 hours, chances are excellent that Blaine would run across a Bengal tiger - and it would eat him."

But something tells me that would be good ratings for ABC.

[via TV Tattle]
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David Blaine wants to hold his breath again

Posted May 11th 2006 1:40PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: ABC, Talent, OpEd, Celebrities

David BlaineBut this time, he doesn't want to do the whole "stay underwater for a week" thing beforehand.

Blaine was pretty upset that he didn't break the record, so now he wants to try it again. He feels he let fans down, so he is going over exactly what happened before he tries it again.

Personally, I'm rather impressed that he failed. And what I mean by that is, I (and I'm sure many people) thought that he would do it with no problems, because he had practiced for so long and he had succeeded in all of the other stunts. Not that it was a "trick," but just that he seems to know what he's doing and it was almost a no-brainer, inevitable that he would do it, and it would be almost an anticlimax to the whole overlong ABC special. But that fact that he actually didn't succeed shows how dangerous it was, that he was really attempting to hold his breath almost nine minutes and there wasn't any trickery involved.

I think this makes his next stunt, whatever it is, even more interesting to me. I'll be watching.
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The Daily Show: May 3, 2006

Posted May 5th 2006 8:18AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Cable, Late Night, OpEd, The Daily Show, Comedy Central

Jon StewartMexico's Vincent Fox is planning for the legalization of several drugs in small amounts for personal use. Yup, this will include cocaine, heroine, and marijuana (craziest Spring Break ever). Jon was kind enough to warn us to drink only the bottled bong water in Mexico. He also showed us that the legalization will serve very well with our immigration issue: Mexicans will keep flocking to America for jobs, Americans will flock to Mexico to get hammered and fall into the Gulf. Excellent.

Continue reading The Daily Show: May 3, 2006

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Two more seasons of Bulls**t!

Posted Jan 25th 2006 8:38AM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Premium Cable, Programming

While many of the networks will undoubtedly keep a lot of crap on the air for another two seasons, this is actually good news. Showtime just picked up seasons four and five of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! The program is along the same lines as their live show, except, instead of debunking magic tricks, they debunk all sorts of things like magnet therapy, reflexology, Feng Shui, Ouija boards, baby myths, and chiropractors (don't shoot the messenger!). Season four of the show starts April 3 on Showtime. New episodes include examining the death penalty, prostitution and virginity.
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