Criss Angel Mindfreak: Close Up (August 27th, 2008)

Overall I thought this was another solid Criss Angel Mindfreak episode. I just wish there was more than just card tricks. Card tricks are nice but I don’t think an episode should just have card tricks. I guess one of the tricks actually used a cigarette put it is pretty much the same thing in my opinion. Since this episode was filled with all close up magic the only way I can explain any of the tricks is slight of hand. Obviously Criss Angel is good with tricking people with his hands since every magician needs to be or they wouldn’t be very good magicians.

Cigarette Through Glass

Criss meets with a bunch of people at a club. He asks one of the customers for a cigarette. Before he performs the trick he tells people not to smoke since he has never been a fan of smoking (I totally agree with him). Criss puts a napkin on the table and then finds the soft spot in the table. He then pushes the cigarette through the table and takes a couple of puffs from the cigarette to prove that the cigarette went through the table. After the whole cigarette is pushed through the table Criss reveals that there are no holes in the table. I have no idea how he did this and neither do the people at the club since one of the women call him the devil (in another language).

Evaporating Cards

Criss borrows some cards from a woman. He has the woman pick a card and then put it back in the deck. Criss then puts the cards in a nearby fountain and starts rubbing them. When he removes his hands the only card that hasn’t evaporated is the card the woman picked. Again I have no idea how Criss did this trick but I think there is something strange about him wearing a ring on every single one of his fingers. The funniest moment of the night is then shown where Criss tries to do his famous move where he heads towards the camera. This time he ends up hitting his nose on the camera.

Cheating at the Casino

In this trick Criss decides to see if he can trick a casino security camera. Criss takes all four aces out of a deck of cards. He spreads them out into four piles. He then adds three cards to each pile. Criss approaches the first pile and does a move with his had and the ace is replaced by another card. Criss approaches the second pile and flips the ace into the air. When it turns over the ace is also gone. Finally Criss makes a third ace disappear. Criss then reveals that all four cards in the final pile are the aces. Criss tells everyone this is why he isn’t allowed in Casinos anymore since the casino couldn’t even catch him cheating with their cameras.

Card in Glass Door

Criss has a woman pick a card and sign her name on it. Criss then writes his own name on the card. He places the card back into the deck. He then has everyone head to one of the Luxor’s glass doors. He has people get on both sides of the door. Criss then flings the deck of cards at the door and the card that was written on gets stuck inside the glass. People check on both sides of the glass and confirm that it is inside the glass. One thing I did notice about this trick is that two cards left Criss’ hands quite a while after the rest of the cards were on the ground. I think one of these cards was the card that eventually went into the door.

So what were your thoughts on the episode? Do you think you know how Criss performed one of the tricks? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts since we always appreciate comments on The TV Legion.