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Decade of Magic

Blaine, David

(Based on 2 reviews)
David Blaine revolutionized magic with his groundbreaking television special Street Magic. He then took his craft to the next level, creating a unique genre of endurance art that defies what is possible by pushing his body and mind to the limit.

For the first time on DVD, this two-disc collection contains three of the most death-defying stunts ever performed in front of a live audience. Each special also features footage of jaw-dropping street magic that first made Blaine a worldwide sensation. From transforming dollar bills to hundreds in New Orleans' impoverished Ninth Ward to blowing the minds of the likes of Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming in the NBA All-Star locker rooms, this is David Blaine at his most creative, disruptive, and spectacular.

Imagine standing atop a 100-foot tall, 22-inch wide pillar in New York City's Bryant Park. No harness or safety net for 36 hours. Winds rage, pain persists, and hallucinations set in. In Vertigo, crowds of spectators gather to witness what happens when sleep can mean an imminent death.

For seven days and seven nights, Blaine is submerged in 10,000 gallons of water in front of Manhattan's Lincoln Center. Liver damage, kidney failure, loss of feeling in fingers and toes threaten his attempt to break the world record of 8 minutes 58 seconds for underwater breath-holding in Drowned Alive.

To catch a bullet - the deadliest feat of magic ever attempted. In What is Magic? a .22 caliber bullet travels at a speed of over 1,000 feet per second. The slightest facial twitch can be fatal.

For the first time ever, Phantom Cameras capture David Blaine's bullet catch using a small metal cup in his mouth, at a speed of 10,000 frames per second. Witness the conviction of a man staring death in the eye of the barrel.

Special Features
  • TED Talk
  • Soweto
  • Swimming with Great White Sharks
  • 44 Days No Food Only Water
  • World Record Breath Hold

Reviews

Joe Diamond

Official Reviewer

Apr 06, 2013

This DVD set consists of several TV specials by David Blaine himself. While no tricks are taught, there’s still an education here.

My favorite clips on the specials weren’t the big stunts, although I’ll get to those later. My favorite clips on here are the simple street magic clips, where he interacts with people in places like New Orleans, Arizona, and New York. You see children, adults, rednecks and gangsters all react with childlike wonder to the simple miracles Blaine performs.

As fellow magicians, we can also see that with all of Blaine’s fame, and endless resources of consultants, he still performs the simple classics that made him famous. After getting punched in the stomach by a fighter, he then performs a simple two card transpo, which gets just as huge of a reaction from the group as him taking the gut punch that killed Houdini.

It’s also interesting to see the people of New York react to his stunts, and how they interpret them. Some of the various comments range from women simply stating, “He Crazy!” to hippy artists talking about the meaning of ‘standing still’ for any amount of time in the world’s busiest city!

No matter what you think about Blaine, we all can learn from each other, and I think while I don’t agree with everything Blaine says and does, I still got an education from re-watching these specials.
(Top ▲)

Jeff Stone

Official Reviewer

Jan 04, 2013

Like Whispers In The Dark (Thank you Skillet) David Blaine is a bit on the creepy side when he's "on" . . . Until You Get To Know Him! Which is exactly what happens in the 2 disk set. Love him or hate him, it's tough to deny his impact on the magic community. The 2 disk set contains 3 of his television specials, his appearance on Oprah, his TED Talk and tons of other awesome stuff.


When I get stuff in the mail for review, I never know the price. I always have to look it up. Most times my guess is pretty accurate. However, on this one, I wasn't even close. I truly expected the price to be around $75 bucks. That doesn't mean I think it should be priced that high. It's just that I thought it would be. I was pleasantly surpirsed to find out that it was only a third of what I expected.


I'm a fan of documentary style videos, and this set kind of fits that genre. You'll get to know David Blaine; You'll see "the person." This was the most moving part for me. It was inspirational and motivational to see and hear pieces of his "story."


I really enjoyed getting to see the more "real" or "human" side of the Mysterious Stranger. He opens his heart and bares his soul. It was beautiful. I highly recommend this set.


Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM

(Top ▲)