David Copperfield, one of the most famous and successful magicians of all time, celebrated 15 years of his groundbreaking show "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic". This milestone event showcased Copperfield's incredible talent and innovation in the world of magic. Copperfield's career began at a young age when he first became interested in magic. He honed his skills and quickly rose to fame, performing on television and in live shows. His unique style of magic incorporates storytelling elements and elaborate illusions that captivate audiences worldwide. "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" was a retrospective of Copperfield's greatest tricks and illusions.

David copperfield 15 years of magic

A TV special/documentary in which David Copperfield is interviewed in his Magic Warehouse by his girlfriend, the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer, about his career as an illusionist, speaking primarily of the most famous illusions and escapes performed over a period of about 15 years. The illusions shown are taken from 8 TV specials between The Magic of David Copperfield IV: The Vanishing Airplane (1981) and The Magic of David Copperfield XV: Fires of Passion (1993) and are 12: "Train Car Vanish" (1991), "Amazon Ritual" (aka "Burning Rope Escape" and "Fires Of Passion") (1993), "Graffiti Wall" (1992), "Cocoon" (aka "Passion's Prison") (1993), "Lear Jet Vanish" (1981), "Death Saw" (1988), "Brazilian Water Levitation" (1991), "Statue Of Liberty Disappears" (1983), "Touch The Magic - Destinations Of Flight" (1992), "Walking Through The Great Wall Of China" (1986), "Building Implosion" (1989) and "Flying" (1992).

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David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic

“The Most Amazing Two Hours in Television History,” says a CBS press release for David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic (CBS), and I’m tempted to concur. After all, what TV show has ever offered both a man walking through the Great Wall of China and supermodel Claudia Schiffer as a reporter wearing the tiniest black dress in the history of journalism?

I await Copperfield’s annual television displays of grand-scale magic and blown-dry narcissism with awestruck glee, and so this special compendium of Copperfield’s greatest hits-remember when he made the Statue of Liberty disappear? Remember when he turned a motorcycle into two women?-is pure gold. Over the past decade, we’ve watched Copperfield grow from a damp-eyed nerd / into a meticulously coiffed magi-hunk whose merest wink elicits screams from the inordinate number of attractive young women in his studio audiences. Always shot in heroic poses, Copperfield has middlebrow hip down cold-he thinks it’s cutting-edge to do a trick while playing Peter Gabriel music in the background-and his real-life romance with Schiffer has turned him into a tabloid pinup. Here, Schiffer gives 15 Years of Magic its slinky narrative spine, portraying a writer who asks Copperfield questions that set up the clips.

The thing is, the guy’s tricks are really good-I mean, how the heck do you make the Statue of Liberty disappear? For all his chic veneer, Copperfield is a happily old-fashioned throwback, the sort of unironic trickster we haven’t seen much of since the heyday of that enjoyable gasbag Harry Blackstone Jr. These days, magic, like everything else, seems to require a coating of cool to make it acceptable, and thus we get Penn and Teller, who specialize in demystifying the art, as well as Ricky Jay, who has attracted a fervent, ever- expanding cult with his deadpan, richly self-conscious card tricks. Copperfield, by contrast, is such a softy that he caps his special with a montage of the magic we’ve just seen, set to Jimmy Durante singing the chestnut ”Young at Heart.”

It’s when he’s trying to wring irony from his act that Copperfield is least appealing and ends up seeming merely coy. At one point, he shows us some of his earliest publicity shots and tries to poke fun at himself before we do: ”I wore big collars, shiny jackets, and a bad haircut.” It’s as if he doesn’t realize that he still sports pretty goofy clothes and a ridiculously stylized ‘do.

On the other hand, his best achievement is the way he has managed to blow up the scale of traditional magic stunts to suit the TV screen and an audience that is increasingly savvy about special effects. When he walks through the Great Wall, for instance, Copperfield takes care to show us that the camera is shooting this illusion in one long, gliding take-there’s no way the trick is being accomplished by editing.

It’s this combination of genuine skill and egomaniacal showmanship that makes Copperfield fascinating. Even if you don’t like hocus-pocus, I suggest tuning in just to see him sit close to Schiffer and murmur his real reason for becoming a master illusionist: ” There’s a sensual side to magic that hadn’t really been touched.” Ooooh, David!

David Copperfield – 15 Years of Magic – Room 101 – Film 95 – tape 957

This tape opens just as an episode of Tomorrow’s World is finishing, and I’m a bit sad I didn’t record more of those.

There’s a trailer for programmes on Sunday.

Then, David Copperfield – 15 Years of Magic. Using his then girlfriend Claudia Schiffer playing a reporter as a framing device, this is a look at some of his greatest illusions. It starts with a disappearing train car. Beautifully done, and scored with the soundtrack from Young Sherlock Holmes. As I’ve noted before, either he or his musical director is a big soundtrack fan.

Next, it’s an escape over some burning spikes, which uses Alan Silvestri’s score for The Abyss.

There’s Copperfield’s version of the classic effect Metamorphosis. Not a soundtrack this time, but Mama by Genesis. Metamorphosis is pretty famous, and Copperfield’s version is a little more elaborate than the original. I also suspect this one requires twins to work – probably not Copperfield but definitely his assistant. But it’s really slick, as you’d expect.

There’s a montage of some other illusions, to the music of Crazy by Seal.

The next illusion is one of my favourites, and I think it was featured on the last David Copperfield show we saw here. It’s the Death Saw, scored with James Horner’s score for Aliens, of course.

I love this illusion. Despite knowing, logically, how it’s done, it’s still almost impossible to believe.

Next, it’s vanishing the Statue of Liberty. This one isn’t quite as great, although the music is, not a movie this time, but Beethoven’s Great Mass in C Minor, one of my favourites.

There’s a montage of some of his sleight of hand tricks. Music: In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel, used in Say Anything so it counts as movie music.

The next trick is introduced by James Earl Jones.

It’s an audience participation, where the audience has to do some counting, and they end up on a symbol predicted by David. It’s fairly simple to work out the maths behind this one, but it’s lovely even so.

Next, it’s the walking through the Great Wall of China. Again, not a particular favourite of mine.

Next, he escapes from an imploding building, after escaping from a safe. The music for this is Mozart’s overture to The Marriage of Figaro. This is one I’m less familiar with, but it’s a nicely done illusion, and the final appearance seems suitably mystifying.

Then it’s Flying. Possibly my very favourite of his illusions. Everything about it is beautiful. It’s so close to the way flying works in my own dreams, so it touches something quite deep in me, and Copperfield performs it all really well. The music for this is by Lee Holdridge, for East of Eden.

After this, a trailer for They Think It’s All Over – brand new at the time.

There’s also a trailer for Death Becomes Her.

Then, the start of the Nine O’Clock news, leading with a possible peace deal in the Balkans.

Recording switches to BBC2 a little later, with the end of Felix Dexter On TV, part of the Comic Asides series of one-offs.

There’s a trailer for The Public Eye. And a trailer for Shooting Stars.

Then, an episode of Room 101 featuring Frank Skinner who chooses Action Man, Jokes that bomb, School Food, Sophie’s Choice and Shakespeare.

After this, recording switches, and there’s the end of Sneakers. I love that film.

There’s a trailer for Jennifer Eight. And for Love Bites: Go Now.

Then, an episode of Film 95 with Barry Norman taking a look at the following films:

Of interest (to me) is The Young Poisoner’s Handbook, based on real-life events that happened in various towns very close to where I live.

Tom Brook talks to Billy Crystal about Forget Paris.

After this, recording continues with a trailer for the Last Night of the Proms, and for Omnibus on Isabel Allende.

Then, there’s quite a bit of a film, A Walk on the Wild Side featuring Jane Fonda, but the tape ends before the film ends.

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"David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" was a retrospective of Copperfield's greatest tricks and illusions. It featured some of his most famous acts, including making the Statue of Liberty disappear and walking through the Great Wall of China. These iconic performances solidified Copperfield's status as a master magician.

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I went to see The Young Poisoner’s Handbook at the pictures, it’s pretty decent. Pretty much forgotten now, though. Bold move by Frank Skinner putting Sophie’s Choice into Room 101, how on Earth did he justify that?! And I wonder if he’d include The Bard now, given his renaissance as a man of culture?

His problem with Sophie’s Choice was that he watched it with his parents when he was young, thinking it was a nice romantic comedy. “Somebody told me it was a real weepie”. He was mortified when a character appears and ‘talks about f***ing’ all the time. He was so embarrassed he left the room and shut himself in his bedroom. Minutes later, his mother knocked on the door, and said “Can you come down? We don’t know how to turn it off.”

“I eff daytime, and I eff effing night time!” Frank’s Room 101 is one of the very best, I think, he picks some brilliant choices and I watched it over and over again. His selection of jokes that die is brilliant, including “Marmite… hopeful pa!” which he’d seen David Frost tell on the telly and then attempted to tell to a mate in the pub, and his brilliant Rothmans joke (“I smoke Rothmans, and it says on the packet ‘By Appointment’, so I went to the newsagents and he said ‘is Tuesday alright?'”) which he told on Wogan to no response whatsoever. The Felix Dexter show is an interesting one, it was part of the Comic Asides season of pilots and was script edited by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson. Then a few months later he appeared on the cover of the short-lived but fondly remembered Comedy Review magazine and the feature inside suggested that a series was forthcoming, but it never was. But a few months later he wrote and starred in a one-off sitcom called Douglas, spun off one of the characters in that show, but that never went to a series either. Felix Dexter was certainly the most prominent black comedian in the mid-nineties, I think he was the first black comedian to appear on HIGNFY which seemed a bit of a landmark at the time, as before that black comedy seemed a bit ghettoised. But despite enjoying a successful career, including working on other occasions with Whitehouse and Higson, he never quite became the star everyone thought he would be, alas.

Frank Skinner reminds me of someone in that pic. I think it’s the lead singer of Squeeze, Glenn Tillbrook. My brother used to jokingly call him Frank Skinhead and I remember when we watched his Sunday night chat show from 1995, he called him that out of anger when he started making jokes about condoms. My chemistry teacher wanted to watch that film. Dunno if she did but I recall Empire magazine gave it a good review.

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In addition to showcasing his classic illusions, Copperfield also introduced new and innovative tricks during the 15 years of magic show. He continued to push the boundaries of what was possible in magic, using cutting-edge technology and staging techniques to create mind-boggling illusions. The show was a testament to Copperfield's enduring popularity and talent. Audiences were captivated by his charm and charisma, and his ability to connect with them on a personal level. Copperfield's performances were not just about the tricks, but about creating a sense of wonder and awe. The success of "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" is a testament to Copperfield's dedication to his craft. He has spent his entire career perfecting his skills and pushing the boundaries of magic. His performances continue to inspire and entertain millions of people around the world. In conclusion, "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" was a milestone event in Copperfield's career. It showcased his greatest tricks and illusions and solidified his status as one of the greatest magicians of all time. Copperfield's talent, innovation, and dedication have made him a true icon in the world of magic..

Reviews for "An Extraordinary Legacy: 15 Years of David Copperfield's Mesmerizing Illusions"

1. Emma Johnson - 1 star

As a fan of magic shows, I was excited to see "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" but I left feeling extremely disappointed. The tricks were outdated and lacked any wow factor. It felt like I was watching a mediocre magic show from the 80s. Even Copperfield's charisma couldn't save the performance. The show desperately needs a refresh, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and modern magic experience.

2. John Smith - 2 stars

Having heard so much about David Copperfield, I had high expectations for "15 Years of Magic." Unfortunately, the show fell flat for me. The production quality was subpar, with a lackluster stage setup and minimal visual effects. Copperfield's rapport with the audience was also lacking, and it felt like he was just going through the motions. I was hoping for an unforgettable experience, but instead, I left feeling underwhelmed and unimpressed.

3. Samantha West - 1 star

"David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" was a complete waste of time and money. The tricks were predictable and unoriginal, and I could hardly stay engaged throughout the show. The overall flow of the performance was disjointed and lacked any coherence. Copperfield's charm and stage presence were overshadowed by the lackluster content. I would not recommend this show to anyone looking for an exciting and mind-blowing magic experience, as it falls far short of expectations.

4. Michael Thompson - 2 stars

I have always been fascinated by magic, but "David Copperfield 15 Years of Magic" left me feeling unimpressed. The tricks felt outdated and lacked any innovation. Copperfield seemed to rely heavily on his reputation rather than delivering a truly captivating performance. The staging and set design were also lackluster, failing to create the illusion and wonder that a magic show should have. Overall, the show was underwhelming and did not live up to the hype surrounding Copperfield's name.

David Copperfield's Most Spectacular Moments: A 15-Year Retrospective