In a hilarious sketch on Saturday Night Live, Mikey Day takes on the role of magician David Blaine in a street magic act. Through his impressive improvisation skills and amusing interactions with passersby, Day successfully manages to create a comical yet astonishing atmosphere. The main idea behind this sketch is that Mikey Day channels David Blaine's style of street magic in a way that entertains and captivates the audience. His ability to convincingly mimic Blaine's trademark voice and mannerisms adds an extra layer of authenticity to the performance. The sketch showcases Day's comedic talent as he plays with the expectations of those who unwittingly become part of his magic tricks. By blending magic tricks with humor, Mikey Day manages to create a memorable and entertaining act that pays tribute to the iconic David Blaine.
“Above The Below” put Blaine on the center of the world stage, capturing the attention of a nation for 44 days in Great Britain, with no food inside a transparent box above the River Thames. The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper that documented his fast which resulted in the loss of 25% of his body weight. For “Drowned Alive,” Blaine spent one week submerged in a sphere-shaped aquarium at Lincoln Center. His name became the most widely searched on Google, and Yale University studied him to determine the human physiological reaction to prolonged submersion. Blaine went on to break a Guinness record for breath holding, live on The Oprah Winfrey Show where he held his breath for over 17 minutes. “Electrified” saw Blaine on the receiving end of one million volts discharged at him continuously for 72 hours from seven Tesla coils atop a 22-foot high pillar. Ascension, Blaine’s last stunt to date shattered YouTube Originals live viewership records with 770k concurrent views, making it the most watched YTO live stream when it launched. Additionally, Ascension sky-rocketed to the #1 trending spot on Twitter in the US and also #1 trending on YouTube. The VODs amassed over 43M views in less than a week.
Described by Howard Stern as the greatest magician that ever lived, David Blaine single-handedly redefined magic after producing and directing his original television special Street Magic when he was just twenty-three, which Penn Jillette of Penn Teller called the best TV magic special ever done. Ascension, Blaine s last stunt to date shattered YouTube Originals live viewership records with 770k concurrent views, making it the most watched YTO live stream when it launched.
By blending magic tricks with humor, Mikey Day manages to create a memorable and entertaining act that pays tribute to the iconic David Blaine..
Review: 'David Blaine’s Street Magic', Bring the Magic Back!
Okay, so I’m with the majority here. This show is funny. I’ve been watching David Blaine’s Street Magic since the beginning and waiting with anticipation as new eps come out. And the stalwart casting of Mitch Stilpa as David Blaine and Mikey Day (Kath & Kim) as Idiot One and Michael Naughton as Idiot Two is the bread and butter of this show. The three LA comedy vets make up Groundlings-trained Those Lil Rabbits, who’s channel on YouTube is definitely worth checking out. This show is like comfort food for me, ham and cheese, I know what I’m coming for and I know I’m gonna like it. But then they go and try to fix what ain’t broke. (Sorry ‘Zaoza,’ you seem like a person, but you gotta go.)
But before we get into that, let’s go back to what we love. First of all, the single shot technique is sheer genius. As low budget a production as this seems, there is some serious work going on behind the scenes. First of all, rehearsal, I have to believe they do a lot of it, because they do not miss a beat in the entire single shot of each ep. So kudos to all of them, and their director, David Morgasen, who definitely has work cut out for him.
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SubscribeSecond of all with their mise en scene and staging as in episode two (above) when one of the idiots is lifted into the air and placed on the garage (hysterical), or in three when the car is replaced with a miniature version, then again with its life size version, all before our very eyes (or at least just off camera – which takes some serious skill and preparation). Ep three (below) also has the changing of one of the idiots’ hats to different sizes which had me crying with laughter, then Mitch doing a fast and seemingly miraculous wardrobe change that you just have to see to believe.
The performances are great too. Stilpa’s David Blaine is so bizarre and lifelike it’s both frightening and hilarious. And though I’ve never seen the actual Blaine do it, his mysterious gaze into camera after each illusion has me in stitches EVERY TIME. That’s a trick in and of itself. It’s also very funny that each time he approaches them it’s all new to him, but the boys remember him from the last time he ruined their day. And the boys’ performances as the Blaine-beleaguered (and what I can only assume is) gay couple just going about their day be it shopping, fishing, or…shopping, never miss a joke. The writing is simple, but clever with the boys’ constant refrains of “What the F?!” and “Big whoop!” which I can only imagine is interspersed with a lot of good improv.
It should also be noted there are a few errant versions of the show, like the one of just Silpa’s Blaine, doing things like ‘magically’ making a trashcan rise (as a garbage truck raises it) and pigeons disperse (as he runs toward them). And then there are the French ones. The guys flew over to France to shoot two online commercials for a French subscription music site, ZaOza.com, featuring a rival magician “Zaoza” brought in for the fourth and fifth installments, who incidentally is the website’s spokesman.
Zaoza just doesn’t do it. He could be funny I’m sure, I mean, it’s not his performance, it’s just that it messes with the format too much. Suddenly, Stilpa’s Blaine is less confident, and instantly unfunny as a regular Joe. I liked him when he was perfect. That’s the joke of Blaine, guys, when Blaine is on, he does unbelievable, otherworldly things. He’s better than us and it’s frightening and amazing. And as in real life, when Blaine becomes fallible, it’s boring and kind of depressing. [Ed. note: The french episodes were written by the Zaoza team (owned by Vivendi) and aren’t part of the official three-episodes from ThoseLilRabbits.]
Now, in the end I guess the question remains, how long will the joke last if they just kept going the way they were, the three leads intact? Who knows? But I was good at three. And four and five are still funny before Zaoza appears, so I’m thinking there are a few comfort food, oldy-but-goody Street Magics left that will leave us laughing. Guys, please, don’t mess with my ham and cheese like that, leave frenchy for another sketch and bring back just the boys for a couple more.
Until then, there’s always Human Giant’s “The Illusionators,” a spot-on spoof of Criss Angel’s Mindfreak.
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“David Blaine is the greatest magician who ever lived.” Howard Stern made that on-air proclamation, a sentiment echoed by Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, who referred to Blaine’s Street Magic as “the best TV magic special ever done.” Blaine was just twenty- three when Street Magic first aired on ABC, transforming televised magic by turning the camera on the audience. Spectators at home could feel the visceral reaction of people being astonished. The New York Times went on to declare that Blaine had “taken a craft that’s been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it,” while The New Yorker prominently stated “he saved magic.”
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Reviews for "Mikey Day's street magic showcases his uncanny ability to channel David Blaine's unique style."
1. Linda - 2 stars:
I was not impressed with Mikey Day's attempt at channeling David Blaine in his street magic performance. While Day is a talented comedian, his execution fell flat in this particular act. The tricks were predictable and lacked the wow factor that one would expect from a magician. It felt more like a cheap imitation of Blaine's unique style rather than an original performance. Overall, I was disappointed and would not recommend watching this if you're looking for mind-blowing magic.
2. Paul - 1 star:
Mikey Day's attempt at channeling David Blaine in his street magic act was completely underwhelming. As a fan of magic performances, I was excited to see what Day would bring to the table, but it was a huge letdown. The tricks were basic and lacked any originality or creativity. Day seemed uncomfortable and out of his element, struggling to capture the intrigue and suspense that Blaine does effortlessly. It ended up feeling like a forced imitation rather than a genuine magic act. I would advise skipping this performance if you're seeking captivating magic tricks.
3. Emily - 2 stars:
While Mikey Day's street magic performance as David Blaine had potential, it ultimately fell short of impressing me. The tricks he performed felt common and lacked the ingenuity that Blaine brings to his acts. Additionally, Day's delivery and overall performance seemed lackluster, failing to capture the audience's attention and keep them engaged. It was evident that Day was trying to mimic Blaine's style, but it came across as forced and unnatural. Overall, I was disappointed with this rendition and didn't find it to be an enjoyable or memorable magic experience.
4. Mark - 2 stars:
Mikey Day attempting to channel David Blaine in his street magic act left a lot to be desired. The tricks he performed were unoriginal and lacked the complexity that Blaine is known for. Day's execution seemed lackluster, and he failed to create a sense of wonder or mystery. The performance felt rushed, with no build-up or climax to leave the audience in awe. If you're a fan of David Blaine's mind-bending magic, I would suggest skipping over this attempt at recreating his style.