David Blaine is a world-renowned street magician known for his mind-boggling illusions and death-defying stunts. Born on April 4, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York, Blaine began his fascination with magic at a young age. Blaine's interest in magic started when he received a small magic kit as a gift from his mother. This ignited his passion for the art form, and he began practicing his tricks relentlessly. Blaine made his mark in the world of magic by performing street magic, which involved performing tricks on the streets of New York City. His performances were unconventional and often left spectators amazed and bewildered.

David blaine street magician

Before I begin I want this forum to be a huge topic of discussion.

I have noticed many people do not like David Blaine. Why? What makes him so different than you. Do you not own a raven or an invisible deck? Hardly. He is an excellent performer and a wonderful magician. He studies and practices just as we all do here.

I think some are jealous that by doing things we all do, he got a television show. When in fact if you were the one to get the show instead of him you would be full of happiness.

I think we all should accept blaine for being a wondeful addition to the world of magicians and praise him for taking something we all do here and making it known.

P.S. This is not meant in a rude way or to offend anyone. Thanks

. think not that all wisdom is in your school. You may have studied other paths,but, it is important to remember that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always more to learn.

Greetings and Salutations StreetWalker,

DB has done a wonderful thing for magic, he introduced it, through his TV specials, to a whole new audience, and if that is how or why you got started, then he has done his job well.

Believe it or not, the Masked Magician spurred my interest in magic. I had always loved watching magic, but thought the performing was beyond me until I saw him. So you never know where you're going to find you inspiration.

But DB does not do street magic, he does magic in the streets. What's the difference? With his magic and the way he performs it, he would be lucky to make enough money for his lunch, let alone keeping his TV crew employed.

Street magic, as defined in this particular forum, "The sidewalk shuffle," is the art of gathering a crowd, entertaining them, and then having them reach into their pockets and pull out money to drop into your hat.

DB does strolling or walk-around magic, showing a trick or two to a couple or group, and then moving on.

He does some great magic, but much of it is not practical for a full street show. This is my way of saying more power to DB and his skills and abilities to make the coin of the realm, but without the name and face recognition, i.e., a TV special, few if any of his imitators will get the exposure or money he does.

That's my two cents.

I like David Blaine quite a lot. I own a raven and an invisible deck and I use them in my walk around show.

The reason people are not interested in him in this particular forum is because David Blaine is not a street magician.

He had a special called "Street Magic". In this special he did walk around magic for people who just happened to be on the street. It isn't the same thing. For some reason people not familiar with magic assume that because he did a few tricks on the street he must therefore be a street magician.

A street magician is a person who makes their living by performing magic on the street. It is a completely different type of show and style of magic. David Blaine would tell you the same thing. This particular forum is for people interested in that type of magic. There are many professional street magicians who post here and share ideas and thoughts on this type of magic.

When someone posts a David Blaine story here it makes about as much sense as posting it to the kid’s show section.

I hope that clears it up for you.

"MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm
©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved.

It's not that we don't like him. he doesn't belong here. and I don't own an invisible deck. or a raven. and haven't bought anything from a magic shop in a year.

If I were it would be a book or a video that shows the real stuff. now I don't have a problem with guys walking around doing magic with gimmicks. very strong stuff. but for me I would rather accomplish the same thing just using real stuff.

Please leave Blaine someplace else. talk to the powers here to maybe start a seperate forum for just Blaine. then us street guys won't have to hear about how great a street performer Blaine is. from guys who don't know Blaine is not a street performer.

I love this site and this thread. it's great.

and I thank the people who run this site.

but I wish they would come up with a place for all the new Blaine fans to go..

What is a raven---besides a bird?

Ellen
harryandersonfan.com
New Orleans or BUST 2003!

It’s also an interesting poem by Edgar A. Poe.

The raven is a device that can be used to vanish a small metallic item that is usually held in the spectator’s open hand.

"MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm
©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved.

It's basically a very attractive pull. I can't say any more without exposing a marketed item.

But it's just a fancy $30 pull.

KOZ has a good idea. Maybe they should move all David Blaine threads to;
"Magic names in the media"
General discussions concerning the stars of magic. Topics may include tv specials or appearances,magazine and newspaper articles,personal appearances,tour schedules,radio interviews,etc.

Somtimes I think the whole DB discussion revolves around whether you like him, or whether you like his style of performing. I for one was completely intrigued when I first saw his Street Magic special. I thought the one-on-one reactions from the people he performed for were fantanstic, it showed me a new dimension. But as far as his personality - well, I know that if I were a lay person I probably wouldn't feel comfortable with someone acting that spooky (for lack of a better word) in my space. So I was fansinated by the magic, but put off by the character. Just my 2 cents worth.

Ya know what I think? they should just make another forum called "David Blaine street magic or something. That way all the people who come from that site http://Ellusionist.com which if your not familiar with is marketing guerrilla magic learning tapes under the false name of "Street Magic." They have their own commercial on T.V. and everything. They play the commercial at commercial breaks whenever they have any magic shows on T.V. Namely the David Blaine specials. Ya know what also ticks me off about these guys (I feel a tangent coming on) is that they seem to be creating a new form of magician with their tapes. I checked them out and they have all these tapes and stuff that teach you "ninja" (LOL) sleight of hand and stuff and they have their own names for the sleights.

They even have effects that many magicians use but they are naming them something different and so like any new magician that has no clue and starts with these guys is gonna try to talk to another magician and have no friggin clue what they are talking about. I mean stupid stuff like they call the trick we know as "Out of this World" something like I think it was "Chance Zero"

Anyway, back to topic. I am getting really really really sick of hearing about this David Blaine controversy. can't anyone just accept that everyone has an opinion on everything? Some people are gonna hate Blaine and some are gonna love him and others JUST DON'T CARE. I mean it's just like if I was gonna ask the world whether they liked Elton John or not! Who cares man. David Blaine is old news and I'm sick of seeing new posts about opinions on him.
Anyway, as for my opinion I think he has done a great thing for magic. More people that thought magicians were blundering idiots (because of the bad reputation that bad magicians have given)and would never give me the light of day are now totally interested and ask "Hey can you bite a quarter in half?" (as I say yes but let me show you something different you've not seen before and maybe you'll like it better.)
Gosh sorry I'm blabbering on. I think David Blaine is a good performer but as a magician I find him somewhat boring.
Ok I'm done now sorry for the novel.

He is a guy that does magic tricks, but he is not a magician as we know one to me. He is, of course, a guy that does magic tricks and gets paid millions!! What he is, is a showman, a very good showman.

When we are making a couple mill a piece on tv specials, then we may critique this man. I have the utmost respect for some one who can exploit these illusions, ala Houdini!

I don't know how this makes a difference as to the fact that he is not a street magician.

To a street performer it makes as much sense as looking at your picture and thinking you are a kid show magician.

I think Blaine is probably insulted to think that people catagorize him as a street magician.

That is not what he is about. He is part Uri Gellar, part walkaround, and part Houdini.

None of these have anything to do with busking.

"MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm
©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved.

I have personally never really heard DB refer to himself as a street magician(Yes I know he has special called street magician) but let's face it, he probably didn't have a complete say in what his special was called. ABC, I'm sure was looking for a good catchy name. The execs at ABC probably have no idea what the difference between what DB did/does and "real" street magic. I have a question. I would love an honest answer too. How many people here don't really do street magic, but would perform magic on a special called "street magic" if offered 1.8 million dollars, plus a promise of two more specials paying no less then 3 million dollars each?

Interesting question, huh?

I watched DB first tv special,and found it dull and predictable, as stated in many reviews. He does use the "camera" unfairly ,with example of his levitation. Every time he would perform a top-change,the camera would turn away. As with many other moves he did.

His tricks were absolutly bog-standard, nothing I had not seen before,

Frozen in time. Poor.

Vertigo, as every effect he performed took no skill. They were all purchased tricks. There Were no card or coin effects worth mentioning. Without a doubt the worst, and most disappointing special yet.

There is only one thing in common I have with DB. We are both paid cheats,only he has a tv special. ha,ha

There are a few reasons why people get up in arms when Blaine's name is mentioned.

The first is the one that always comes up -- his effects are sometimes edited to make them appear more spectacular than they are. The levitation is one example, but there are many more. Sometimes spectator reactions are clipped from one trick and added to the end of another that got only a lukewarm reaction when presented live.

Another complaint is that his specials have gotten less and less entertaining as they've begun to focus more on his stunts. By the time Frozen in Time aired, he'd gotten down to about 5 or 10 minutes of actual magic, whereas Street Magic was one effect after another all the way through.

A third complaint is that the average magician can do nearly all of Blaine's tricks. (And since many are store bought, even mediocre magicians can do these tricks.)

But he certainly deserves some credit. His performance style, while off-putting to many magicians, works. He gets reactions that would make many of us jealous, and he's managed to become one of the best-known magicians in the world in a very short time. His success may not last -- the general public will eventually tire of his act unless he introduces a little more variety into it -- but the success is there now.

And as has been said before, he's helped to re-popularize magic, and if by doing so he's introduced other performers to new audiences, he's done magic a service.

I think that anyone that presents magic in a positive light on TV does the art and all those who practice the art of magic nothing but good. It may not be your style of magic ( it's not really the style of magic I like or perform), but it gets the lay audience talking about magic. This can be nothing but good for us all. I applaud the Chriss Angels, David Blaines, and the Penn and Tellers of the media and their presentations of wonder and mystery.

David Blaine is one of, if not THE most controversial magicians ever to enter the magical art. I'm going to point out a few things that need to be said.

1. Like him or hate him, stating your personal opinion on DB has no effect on how he performs. Only those that are close to him can influence how he performs, what he performs and who he performs for.
2. Despite the controversy among magicians, Fox has not and probably will not stop airing his specials. It's the same way for the Masked Magician specials.

If anyone sees my sanity, please return it to

David Blaine

David Blaine White was born on April 4, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York to parents Patrice Maureen White and William Perez.

David as many professional magicians before him, developed an early interest in magic. At age four Blaine was at a subway station waiting for a train when began watching a street magician perform, young David fascinated.

David began to study magic and practice simple magic tricks and soon mastered the art of slight-of-hand. Blaine began his career performing card tricks, dazzling everyone who watched. He then began performing larger illusions, today Blaine is best know for his highly publicized endurance performances.

In 1996 ABC television network took note of David, and aired his first television special "David Blaine: Street Magic". David has followed up with the following TV specials David Blaine: Magic Man (1998), David Blaine: Frozen in Time (2000), David Blaine: Vertigo (2002), David Blaine: Dive of Death (2008), David Blaine: Beautiful Struggle (2010), David Blaine: What Is Magic? (2010) and David Blaine: Real or Magic (2013).

Blaine has appeared in the movies Celebrity (1998), Mister Lonely (2007) and The Great Buck Howard (2008). David has also made numerous talk show appearances including: Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and many more.

Today David Blaine has focused his career on his endurance performances, he continues to entertain, amaze and surprise us.

David Blaine

David Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is famous for his street magic and his endurance feats that defy explanation. These include being buried alive, hanging upside down for 40 hours, being encased in a massive block of ice and fasting for 44 days.

How does he do it? What techniques does he use? Hoping to answer this questions, we have revealed some of David Blaine's most famous tricks.

With his first television special, Street Magic, Blaine established himself as a master of conjuring and a quirky innovator. The first magic special to concentrate on the amazed audience instead on the magician, Street Magic was considered a great breakthrough. It was followed by Magic Man, another street magic show which only strengthened Blaine’s reputation as “the hottest name in magic”.

But Blaine was all but finished. Determined to prove himself as an endurance artist too, he went on to perform all kinds of endurance feats and break some world records. He got himself buried, frozen, starved and almost drowned.

Blaine describes his magic adventures and reveals a lot about his personality in his book Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic.

In the last few years, Blaine continues to amaze the world by perfoming magic for celebrities and public figures. Examples of this are his latest TV specials Real or Magic and Beyond Magic. He performed magic for people like George Bush, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Depp, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ellen, Ricky Gervais, Tyra Banks, Katy Perry, Pharrel, David Beckham, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and many others.

Here, you can find explanations of his tricks, from his early street magic to his latest trick with the celebrities. We try to reveal as many of them as we can. As always, you are welcome to send us your explanations or tell us if you think we missed something.

His performances were unconventional and often left spectators amazed and bewildered. Blaine's street magic focused on close-up illusions, where he would perform mind-reading tricks, card manipulations, or levitation in front of astonished audiences. One of Blaine's most memorable street magic performances was his levitation stunt.

He amazed onlookers by seemingly defying gravity and floating in mid-air. This illusion earned him widespread recognition and established him as a unique and talented magician. Blaine's success as a street magician led to various television appearances, where he showcased his skills to a broader audience. His television specials, such as "David Blaine: Street Magic" and "David Blaine: Magic Man," captivated viewers worldwide and solidified his reputation as an extraordinary magician. Blaine continued to push boundaries and challenge the limits of human endurance with his televised stunts. Some of his most notable performances include being buried alive for a week, encased in a block of ice for over 63 hours, and spending 44 days without food inside a transparent box suspended over the River Thames in London. These incredible feats not only showcased Blaine's skill as a magician but also his ability to endure extreme physical and mental challenges. Aside from his street magic and daring stunts, Blaine has also collaborated with various celebrities and athletes, adding a unique element to his performances. His tricks with renowned personalities, such as Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Stephen Curry, have made for some unforgettable and entertaining moments. Overall, David Blaine's talent and creativity have firmly established him as one of the greatest magicians of our time. His ability to captivate audiences with mind-bending illusions and his willingness to take risks and push the boundaries of magic have earned him a rightful place in the world of entertainment. David Blaine continues to inspire and amaze people with his magic, and his legacy as a street magician will undoubtedly endure for years to come..

Reviews for "The Enduring Legacy of David Blaine: The King of Street Magic"

1. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - As a fan of magic and illusions, I was really disappointed by David Blaine's street magician performance. The tricks he performed were very basic and predictable, lacking any real wow-factor. Furthermore, his stage presence was quite underwhelming, and he didn't seem to have a good connection with the audience. Overall, the show felt amateurish and didn't live up to my expectations of an experienced magician like David Blaine.

2. John - 1 out of 5 stars - I couldn't believe how unimpressive David Blaine's street magician act was. It felt like he was merely going through the motions with his tricks, without putting any real effort into creating a captivating performance. The illusions he performed were nothing I hadn't seen before, and they lacked the element of surprise and excitement. Furthermore, his interaction with the audience felt forced and awkward. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this show if you're looking for mind-blowing magic.

3. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars - I had high hopes for David Blaine's street magician show, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The tricks were basic and lacked any real creativity or innovation. The whole performance felt very repetitive, with Blaine relying on the same tired tricks over and over again. Additionally, his stage presence was lackluster, and he failed to create any sort of suspense or anticipation. I expected more from a magician of his caliber, but sadly, I left the show feeling underwhelmed and unimpressed.

4. Alex - 3 out of 5 stars - While I wouldn't say David Blaine's street magician performance was terrible, it definitely didn't blow me away either. Some of the tricks he performed were interesting and had potential, but overall, they lacked the wow-factor that I expect from a magician of his reputation. I felt like there was a lack of showmanship and charisma, making the whole act feel a bit dull. If you're a fan of magic, you might still find some enjoyment in the show, but don't expect to be amazed.

The Perils and Triumphs of David Blaine's Street Magic Career