Criss Angel to Escape Death, LIVE Tonight!
Just in time to let you know that you need to set your TiVo this evening, I have amazing news for all Criss Angel fans out there. After over 90 episodes of Criss Angel Mindfreak, Criss will take on his most challenging and dangerous feat ever, LIVE tonight on A&E.
He’ll be extracating himself from handcuffs and other restraints and making his way out of a building before it is set to implode. It sounds scary and spectacular!
To help promote the event, I got to take part in a conference call interview with Criss Angel where he told us about what he’ll attempt to do this evening.
Get ready! Here’s what we discussed:
Q: Could you describe in detail the handcuffs, shackles & chains that you’ll be in. Will they be on your feet, your hands, are they police-issue, are they made of steel & how heavy is this chain? And then once you get through this, obviously you have obstacles. You have to get out of the building. Can you fill us in?
Criss Angel: Yes, let me give you all of the particulars, because I just got back from rehearsing this escape.
First off, the lieutenant and commander of the SWAT Team and the lieutenant of the police department in Clearwater, Florida will be providing whatever handcuffs they want to provide. I think they are going be Smith and Wesson, and they are police-issue handcuffs. As are all of the locks, there is a pair of handcuffs basically with which I will be manacled, my wrist will be manacled through the sixth story balcony completely visible to the public and to the camera at all times.
I will have to get out of the handcuffs, I’ll pick my way through them. And I will have the picks hanging around my neck, I will also have a stop watch on because it’s critical for me to know moment by moment where I am, and how much time I have allocated for each thing just in my head and the way I’ve been rehearsing.
Once I give the go, the overall running time of this escape is four minutes, but I will have to do it in less - not a second more than three minutes and thirty seconds and I’ll explain why. Once I escape and pick my way out of the handcuffs, I will then have to pick my way or get through four sets of doors. One will be directly behind me on the balcony, and once I make my way through that, I will have to tend to another door which is the only entrance and exit into that room to that balcony that will have a chain and a lock that will also be provided by the police.
I will pick my way through that, I will then have to run down the hall. I will have to run up three flights of stairs, they’ll be no stairs going down in that building, and that is because it cannot mess with the integrity of the implosion. And that is what is coded in the design of the implosion to allow it to implode within a parimeter of 20 feet, obviously for safety for the public. So, the stairwells have to be removed.
I will have to run up three flights of stairs, once I get through the door to the staircase, and then when I hit the roof, which is nine stories, they’ll be a roof hatch that will have two locks. I will have to make it through both of those locks, open up the hatch, climb up to the roof, go to about the center of the roof where it will be an area that would allow me to grab the 30 foot ladder that would be hovering from the helicopter, which I’ve been rehearsing while I was in Clearwater just now at the airport.
I will grab a hold of that ladder, and then be whisked up a 1,000 feet above, we will ascend in 30 seconds, that’s why I have to make it to the helicopter to the roof by no later than three minutes and thirty seconds. Because if I get there at 3:31, that helicopter won’t have enough time to ascend a 1,000 feet. Once it ascends a 1,000 feet, at four minutes, that building will blow up.
Now my goal is to be at that roof top in no more than two minutes and thirty seconds, that’s what I’ve been practicing in that time zone 2:30 to 2:40 tops. And then I’ll have a little time to kill in the event that the helicopter for some reason has some wind conditions or whatever that needs to stabilize and adjust itself, but that’s essentially my goal.
I’m going to be in the helicopter and then they are going to have to go to the airport that’s within five minutes, that I will have to land. Because I don’t think they can get a permit to land anywhere near that area, because we don’t have the exact numbers of the public and how many people will be attending because it’s a free event.
So there will be a clip from the helicopter that I’ll clip onto, and hang from. I’ll be holding on but once I’m on there, if I lose my grip - which I won’t, but if I did, I will be clipped on for safety.
Q: Okay, so you’ll be actually be kind of swinging off.
Criss Angel: Yes, I will, yes I’ll be swinging but he’s not going to be flying you know at a rapid speed.
[photo: newscom.com]
(click on “Read More” for the rest of the interview!)
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You Can Be in Criss Angel’s Halloween Special for 2008!! Here’s How…
I just got word that Criss Angel is preparing his 2008 Halloween special already. He’s asking for his fans to show up in costume to take part in his HUGE illusion! Here are the details:
INVITING ALL LOYALS TO ATTEND CRISS ANGEL SEASON FOUR HALLOWEEN EPISODE!
Monday, November 5th (6 PM)
Luxor Hotel (meet outside the Production Office)Criss will attempt to be CREMATED… ALIVE!
This will be a part of the Halloween Episode that will air in 2008 so feel free to show up in costume!
csi-new-york, csi ny, CSI, cbs, tv, Television, criss angel, MindFreak, Magic, Television, illusion, illusionist,
The 2007 Really Awards Ceremony Recap
October 13, 2007 by Lynn
The night was full of glitz and reality glamour. All the excitement that the one reality-only awards show deserves. In the next day or so, I plan to post video clips of the show, but in the mean time, I’ll tell you the winners in this post. Here they are:
Presenting the first award were Evel Dick from Big Brother 8 & Bridget Marquardt from The Girls Next Door. It was a tie between last year’s winners and a new pair:
Favorite Showmance
- Eric and Jessica from “Big Brother 8”
- Nate and Jenny Lee from “Beauty and the Geek”
- Jackie and Rebecca from “Workout”
- CT and Diem from “The Real World/Road Rules Challenge”
- Dr. Will Kirby and Mike “Boogie” Malin from “Dr. 90210” (last year’s winners)
- Daniele and Nick from “Big Brother 8”
(lots more after the jump)
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Prepare For The Phenomenon
October 10, 2007 by Lynn
NBC will air a unique new reality show called Phenomenon, starting on October 24. Between you and me, I’m not really sure what the definition of “mentalist” is, but I’ll be watching the show to find out! Here are the latest details of the show and its cast. I’ll post more about it as information is released.
NBC has named Tim Vincent (“Access Hollywood”) host of the upcoming live reality series, “Phenomenon” — the search for the next great mentalist. Vincent will work along side the series’ previously announced experts, world-renowned mystifier Criss Angel (“Criss Angel Mindfreak”) and famed mentalist Uri Geller.
Additionally, the network revealed today the identities of the 10 carefully selected contestants chosen to compete. They are: Jan Bardi, Guy Bavli, Jim Callahan, Angela Funovits, Wayne Hoffman, Jim Karol, Gerry McCambridge, Eran Raven, Jason Scott and Ehud Segev. These contestants will be showcased in the riveting live competition, which will premiere on Wednesday, October 24 (8-9 p.m. ET) airing its five-week run Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with a special two-hour live episode on Halloween night, October 31 (8-10 p.m. ET).
The contestants preparing to mystify viewers include:
Official Nominations For Really Awards 2007
October 3, 2007 by Lynn
The 2007 Really Awards show was taped yesterday and the official nominations were released. We have to wait to see the show on October 13, but until then, at least we can see who was nominated. Here they are:
Official categories and nominees include:
Favorite Showmance
- Eric and Jessica from “Big Brother 8”
- Nate and Jenny Lee from “Beauty and the Geek”
- Jackie and Rebecca from “Workout”
- CT and Diem from “The Real World/Road Rules Challenge”
- Dr. Will Kirby and Mike “Boogie” Malin from “Dr. 90210”
- Daniele and Nick from “Big Brother 8”
(lots more after the jump)
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Criss Angel & Tommy Lee at the MTV Video Music Awards
September 10, 2007 by Lynn
Big Brother Evil Dick lookalike, drummer Tommy Lee (Rockstar: Supernova) and Criss Angel (Mindfreak) in the audience at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards at The Palms on September 9 in Las Vegas. Is it just me, or does Criss look like he’s having less fun with the kiss than Tommy…? 
Criss Angel Celebrated Ryan Cabrera’s Birthday at PURE
July 25, 2007 by Lynn
Here are some cool shots of Criss Angel at Ryan Cabrera’s Birthday Party at PURE Nightclub on July 21 in Las Vegas.
Criss Angel
Criss Angel Will Be On Larry King Live Tonight!
July 12, 2007 by Lynn
Are you the biggest Criss Angel fan? Call in to Larry King Live at 1-800-676-2100 on Thursday, July 12 at 9 PM EST to let both Larry and Criss know who is the most devoted fan!
The show airs tonight, July 12 at 9 PM EST, so don’t miss out on an opportunity to show your support for Criss!
csi-new-york, csi ny, CSI, cbs, tv, Television, criss angel, MindFreak, Magic, Television, illusion, illusionist
Criss Angel Contest Entries - Be Sure to Cast Your Vote!!
June 23, 2007 by Lynn
The entries in the “Be Like Criss Angel for a Minute” contest are all in! We have quite a round up of illusions to enjoy here. There are a couple of them that definitely will get the “cute” votes, some that will qualify for the “funny” votes and those that are serious illusions. All are terrific! I’m just glad that you readers will be making the final choice of the winners! 
And the prizes are worth it! Here’s what these folks can win, based on your votes!
- 1st place: wins a copy of the Season 2 DVD & a copy of the book
- 2nd place: wins a copy of the DVD
- 3rd place: wins a copy of the book
From Stephen - “Card Illusion”:
“Be Like Criss Angel for a Minute” Contest
Title says it all & I was talking but my mic was turned off lol.
Criss Angel at CineVegas 2007
June 21, 2007 by Lynn
It looks like Criss has recovered nicely from his ordeal with the cement block in Times Square. Here are some photos of him at CineVegas 2007 and Vegas Magazine 4th Anniversary Party on June 16 in Las Vegas.
