Probably you think he has superpower because you don't know how the tricks are done. As a magician myself I know how to do EACH AND EVERY TRICK, yes EACH AND EVERY TRICK, even the ghost trick at the end. Many of the tricks are classics in magic tricks, ask any magician and they can immediate tell you what sleight of hand is used (especially the first few tricks when Eisenheim was a boy, and Eisenheim's first show). The orange tree DOES exist in the real word, of course not as fancy as the visual effects in the film, but still it DOES exist as a real magic trick. A similar version of the sword trick is being performed daily in Hong Kong's Disney Park. The ghost trick can be done with some simple mirror and light trick, perhaps with the use of laser technology. It's nothing special to David Copperfield's tricks.
In fact some of the tricks are real magic tricks even when they shoot the film, they're not visual effects. Watch Eisenheim make the ball disappear when he was a boy. That called French Drop in magician's term, and is one of the most popular and basic sleight of hands a magician has. The rising apple in Eisenheim's show is just as easy with a little gimic.
And in case anyone who's reading this is wondering whether the tricks in the film can be done in real life, YES they can. I cannot tell you exactly how each trick is done because that would expose the secret of magic, but I can put up a show demonstrating all Eisenheim's tricks.
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leoguy7
14 years ago
Kaysongwong perhaps you could enlighten me on how to do the "ghost trick" WITHOUT late 20th century or 21st century technology. Sorry but no high tech holographic projection, which would not have been available in the movie's time period could have been used. Lasers?????? Did you even watch this movie? Do you know what time period it was set in? Even with such elaborate devices (very rarely used in real illusions, most tricks are actually simple and just play on the mind) it would be difficult to hide the light projection. They show a sort of smoke and film projector in the movie to give you a rough idea of how it could have been done, but it doesn't come anywhere near the appearance of Eisenheim's ghosts nor explain the "free form" walking around that his ghosts do.
If you reference my previous posts on this subject you will see that I am well aware of the real orange tree illusion, and that the illusion performed in the film is nothing like it. Eisenheim's trick has a pot brought out onto a table with nothing underneath it, which then sprouts branches and twigs. Then the branches sprout leaves and the leaves sprout oranges. That's quite a difference from a fake looking plastic tree being brought out and then having little oranges sort of "bloom" out of it which were inside the tree already. If you're truly familiar with magic you must know that the trick performed by Eisenheim was impossible (given the time frame of the movie) and the trick actually performed in real life is quite easy and unimpressive. At what point did I suggest that any of his sleight-of-hand tricks were impossible or lead to a plot hole? I barely remember them, but those were petty parlor tricks and yes sleight of hand is quite easy. They had no major effect on the plot. I specifically refered to the orange tree and ghost illusions. How would you have performed THOSE 2 tricks in that time period? You couldn't expose the secret of magic? Give me a break son, I don't think you know a thing about stage magic or the basic concepts that real magicians use... such as misdirection. What did you pay 100 bucks on a magic shop website for a few tricks and think you're a magician? I'm getting bored here. Look I honestly don't mean to insult you but please don't try the old "argument from authority" to hide your inability to explain what isn't explainable. Your post suggests to me that you are clearly less of an authority than even myself, and I'll admit I'm no real expert either.
If you liked the movie that's fine. If you want to say it's still a good film despite the plot hole that's fine too. But please don't tell me that I didn't understand the film or that the illlusions performed in the film are historically accurate or even plausible unless you can actually explain how they were done as performed in the movie. Put up or shut up on that. Otherwise though, peace to you and take care, I realize it's kind of silly but I get fired up over how much I hated this movie :)
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kaysonwong
14 years ago
haha if you decide you should hate this movie fine then ( :
watch david copperfield cut his body into half, holding his lower half part of the body with his hands, and then flying in mid air. were laser used? no. was it a real trick? yes.
You're teaching me misdirection? I'm a champion in a regional stage magic competition dude. i can list over a thousand tricks that you do not know. if you think you're better then me then explain every trick performed in FISM 2006. Or, explain all the jokes played by the stage magician right before Martin. Tell me what is a topping dude. I bet you even haven't heard of what is FISM.
There's no need to insult me as "knowing nothing about magic". Yes I cannot prove to you, I won't meet you in real life (or even if i do i won't regconize you) so there's no way to prove whether i'm bluffing or not. but let's keep this as a friendly discussion. I see no point of expressing your anger on this movie (which you hate) on another person on the internet who you do not know.
If you understand magic then surely you won't attack anyone who tries to protect the secret of magic. Any magician who reads this will definitely be on my side. So all magicians are selfish? Yes. We do not share any bit of our secrets to anyone outside the community. So I suggest you hate all the magicians in the world as well.
Reply this post if you would like to, I'm not going to reply anyway. There's no need to spend time on this. I'm sure we won't come to a conclusion. And for anyone out there reading this, reply if you would like to, or simply, read, laugh at us in your mind, and then go. ( :
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leoguy7
14 years ago
Ugh...well in classic "baloney" argument style you're now just throwing out crap that I can't possibly respond to and still arguing from authority which you don't even have. Clearly if I don't know what "FISM" is then the ghost trick and orange tree trick (as performed in the movie) could not be explained by me but could be explained by a true "authority" such as yourself. I realize I have no way to prove it nor does it matter to the argument at hand but no I do not believe you're a magician based on your staggeringly bad grasp of how important the DETAILS of a trick are to whether or not it could be performed. As a matter of fact though I do have respect for magicians and at no point have I insulted the profession, I'm just not buying that you are anything more than a teenager (you like to call me dude) who knows how to google. You going to answer my question about how you would perform the orange tree or ghost illusions as seen in the movie or are you just going to keep changing topic, use straw man arguments, and lie about your background? Oh an regarding the straw man (I doubt you know what that is anyway) but at what point did I suggest david copperfield performing a body-split trick required the use f lasers? Go back to school son you're embarrasing yourself.
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leoguy7
14 years ago
I almost forgot to mention something. I would have kept this friendly but since you opened on me with an insult in your first post and are now blowing smoke and lying I have no problem calling it like I see it with you. Also "any magician who reads this will be on my side"...is a laughable statement. Do you know every magician (professional or otherwise) in the world? This started with you trying to defend a movie with weak arguments and you now lying about your background so you can argue from authority because you couldn't argue against my logic. Basically you're using BS to defend your other BS :)
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amoebapudding
12 years ago
I know this is a late response, but this thread was way too amusing to ignore. I find it hilarious that a person who hates a movie so much would spend so much time whining about it.
Don't you think that the illusions are shown as the audiences in that time period would have perceived them? That's what I was thinking the entire time. I mean, Uhl is recalling the story himself. I really believe that you're over-thinking this.
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mawriz
12 years ago
Stop trolling and show me a video of ghost walking around in free space in the audience area and a person tries to touch it and his hands go through it.
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