Criss Angel and Some Playboy Model Person

Stephanie Courtney as Flo

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer brings news from People Magazine.

We, in turn, bring news from The Post-Intelligencer that is finding solace from the slings and arrows launched by theatre critics in the arms of Hugh Heffner’s former girlfriend.

None of the news has anything to do with the beautiful and talented , currently appearing on television as the spokesperson in the very creative advertisements.  We love Flo and we are not alone.  Check out The Strange Allure of the Progressive Insurance Chick.

The second-hand nature of this report perhaps reveals the value Inside Magic places on the story.

The critics have been harsh on Criss Angel’s .

Fortunately, there seems to be an almost endless supply of potential girl friends to buoy his name in the press.

Holly Madison is dating closer to her own age bracket. People magazine reports the former girlfriend of 82-year-old founder Hugh Hefner has been the arm candy lately of illusionist Criss Angel, 40.

Apparently fans of magic and Playboy magazine should be happy or impressed.

Mr. Angel has been in the arms of many a woman found in the fickle focus of the popular media.  The list runs from Minnie Driver, to Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, to Lindsay Lohan. Continue reading Criss Angel and Some Playboy Model Person

Dean Gunnarson Cleans Up in New Escape

World-Famous Artist, is not normal.

Rather, he is nuts.

He performs an escape attempt each Halloween as a tribute to .  The escapes are never easy and rarely safe, but always the subject of great media attention.

Performing escape attempts that combine high risk and great difficulty is sure bet for unexpected and tragic results.  Perhaps that is why the press follows each attempt so closely.

Quoth Houdini: No one wants to see someone die, but they want to be there if it happens.

A quarter century ago, Mr. Gunnarson came with in a breath or two of losing his life in an underwater escape dedicated to Houdini.

As more than 10,000 watched, Mr. Gunnarson was shackled inside a coffin and lowered into the frigid, rushing Red River in Winnipeg, Canada. Continue reading Dean Gunnarson Cleans Up in New Escape

Curtis Lovell Escapes Death on Halloween

is well-known to television audiences.  He cut Paris Hilton in half on her show The Simple Life, provided instructions to from handcuffs on the Spike TV show Manswers.  He called out David Blaine and John “I talk to dead people” Edward.

Neither performer had the guts to take him up on a magic duel.

Mr. Lovell made a great impression with his performance of his Cube of Death on the USA Network’s Road Characters.

On the 84th anniversary of ’s passing, Mr. Lovell literally went underground.

By performing an escape Houdini himself said was too dangerous to repeat, Mr. Lovell took an enormous risk — an not just to his career.

The Buried Alive escape is a test of physical endurance and mental focus.  Oxygen is in short supply and panic is a constant enemy; ready to steal the limited amount trapped within the sealed coffin.

Mr. Lovell attempted the escape as part of The Halloween Haunt in Grand Terrace California’s Pico Park. Continue reading Curtis Lovell Escapes Death on Halloween

Japanese Court Denies Magicians Suit

Shintarou Huziyama Performs for Press

It is not over until it is over.

A Tokyo trial court dismissed a suit Japanese magicians brought against Nippon Television for exposing secrets related gimmicked coins.

Readers of Inside Magic no doubt recall the very strange police raid and seizure of magic coins.  The police charged the magicians with defacing Japanese currency.

Just as the story attracted Inside Magic’s attention back in 2007, television news reports in showed entirely too much of the seized booty.

Magicians sued the two major television networks for exposure. Continue reading Japanese Court Denies Magicians Suit

Criss Angel’s Believe – “No Wonder”

The reviews are in on .

Unfortunately, they are not much better than those received during previews.

There was hope here at Inside Magic and likely other magic hubs that changes promised after the limited preview run would help.

Of course with a ten-year run, there should be time to correct mistakes and improve.

The Las Vegas Sun‘s article “Illusion is Elusive in Angel’s Believe” begins its scathing review with the terse summation “No wonder.”

The Sun‘s rival, The Las Vegas Review-Journal did not disagree.

Midway through his new show, turns and asks his audience the night’s big question: “Are you still there?”
He probably meant it as, are the fans he made with his slam-bang “Mindfreak” stunt-magic hanging on for this new career left turn; a journey through a Cirque du Bizarro ballet?
But the fans might be asking him the same question from their seats. It looks like their guy (most of the time, anyway), and talks like him. But is he still there?

The Los Angeles Times‘ reviewer found the audience fell into one of two camps: Continue reading Criss Angel’s Believe – “No Wonder”