iTZi1 i see all these posts about it being fake and all and how Criss sucks for deceiving us..well of course it's fake, and criss never said he was "magic" he said he was an illusionist.. which means he creates and illusion of magic, and you're left trying to figure out how he "faked" it..and he does it in the most entertaining way...The setups, the stunts, everything... all stuff that has never been "faked" before, at least not in the fashion Criss does it, and even though i know what he's about to do and that there's an episode after the one i'm watching, i still get a funny feeling whenever Criss is lying on a bed of nails or setting himself on fire etc.He creates both real suspense and great illusion, which amazes me quite a bit.

superwomen10192 Criss is an extraordinary man. His show pushes the limits of magic. He is constantly putting himself in life threatening situations. He may turn you off because of the Gothic style clothing (which I know for a fact he doesn't always wear) or the type of music he play's on his show Mindfreak. But I had the chance to talk to Criss himself on Thursday July 19, 2007 at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.There is a stereotype that all Goths are dark and mysterious, but with Criss it just doesn't fit. He is one of the most respectful men I have ever met. Weather he is on his show or not, Criss will do everything in his power to make sure no one is hurt or injured, and if someone is Criss will do anything for that person. A reason I think he is so amazing, is because he does things people would not dream of doing. People think it's amazing the things he does, especially since he is turning 40 this year. But it doesn't surprise me with his amazing physical conditions, trust me this man is fit. I have seen Criss on many occasions without a shirt on. When I talked to Criss, he was so respectful he wouldn't swear or ignore people. There was a crowd of about 15 people outside the Luxor to see him, and he signed autographs and took pictures with every single person. He is very dedicated to his job and he loves it, which is great. He has been working 15 years to entertain people with his talents. And for someone to criticize him, without ever seeing him in person or seeing one of his performances live is not right. If you were at one of his stunts, it's no joke. What he is doing is real. I have personally seen Criss perform these stunts. There is no stunt doubles. I saw Criss drive 100 mph in a Lamborghini through a light cloud of smoke, and he and the car disappeared, it was just gone. There was nowhere it could have gone. This man is known worldwide, so obviously he's doing something right. And it's working for him. He has his own store at the Luxor Hotel. He has a Dodge Viper, a Lamborghini, and a Rolls Royce. He lives at the Luxor, which isn't cheap. So I say continue what you're doing and have a ton of fun doing it. I love you! Megan

mdpomroy There was a time when the only reality show on television was the news, and the rest of the schedule was full of fiction. Now it seems there's little but 'reality ' on the box, while conversely some of the most entertaining and comical fiction is on Fox News. The edges have become very blurred and Criss Angel – Mindfreak does little to clarify things.It's billed as a reality show about a magician, who's also a member of a heavy metal band. It also showcases his music, live street magic, some behind-the-curtain preparation and his family life. Part Marilyn Manson, part David Blaine with a touch of Alan Partridge, we follow Angel around as he spouts mystical nonsense, including this gem: 'A lot of what I do is completely real. There are no tricks. It really is the mind, body, and spirit connection. And a lot of what I do is an illusion. It's up to you to determine what is real and what is... illusion.' As well as talking like a tipsy teenage goth at a Ouija board party, he does some impressive tricks and stunts. These include levitation, setting himself on fire – to 'honour' his mother on her 70th birthday – and lying on a bed of nails as a Hummer drives over him. If you like magic tricks and the colour black, this show should entertain.He may well look and talk like the sort of person you'd never get tired of punching, but as tricksters go he's one of the best. The Academy of Magical Arts at Hollywood's Magic Castle – a place so pretentious it's powered entirely by the magicians' sense of self-importance – named him 2005 Magician of the Year. Angel is so confident in his abilities, he once publicly challenged magic's other infant terrible David Blaine, saying if Blaine could perform a trick that he couldn't replicate on the spot then he would retire. Somewhat tellingly, Blaine never took up the challenge, although to be fair, Criss is yet to live in a box for 40 days and be abused by Londoners.Most of the tricks have been done before by the likes of Penn & Teller (who are friends of Criss) but all the same, some of these stunts are really great fun. That is, unless you watched one of those 'magician's tricks revealed' series and you'll know how a lot of them were done. For those who didn't peek behind the curtain, this won't freak your mind as the title promises, but it will set it off thinking about how he did it. And these days, a TV programme that makes you think is a rare trick indeed.

blurzzz@yahoo.com 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.