David Blaine

David Blaine (born David Blaine White ; April 4, 1973) is an American magician , illusionist and endurance artist . He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has set and broken verschillende world records.

Blaine’s first television special, Street Magic , has bone called “the best TV magic special ever done and the Biggest Breakthrough in our lifetime.” [1] Blaine revolutionized the way magic is shown on television at focusing on spectator reactions. His idea was to turn the camera around on the people watching Limit download the performer, to make the audience watch the audience. The New York Times noted that ‘he’s tasks a craft that’s leg around for Hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it. ” [2] volgens to the New York Daily News , “Blaine kan lay claim to his own fire or Wizardry. The Magic have sacrifices operates on an uncommonly personal level.” [3]

Early life

Blaine was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York , the sun or Patrice Maureen White (1946-1995), [4] a school teacher, and William Perez, a veteran of the Vietnam War . His Father was or half Puerto Rican and half Italian descent, and his mother was of Russian Jewish ancestry. [5] When Blaine was four years old, he saw a magician performing magic in the subway. This triggered a lifelong interest for im. [6] He was raised by his single mother and attended many schools in Brooklyn. When he was 10 years old, his mother married John Bukalo and they ‘moved to Little Falls, New Jersey , [7] where he attended Passaic Valley Regional High School . [8] When Blaine was 17 years old, he moved to Manhattan, New York . [9]

Stunts and specials

Street Magic and Magic Man

On May 19, 1997, Blaine’s first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic Aired on NBC television. [10] “It really, really does break new ground,” zegt Penn Jillette or Penn and Teller . [11] When Asked about his performance style, Blaine Explained, “I’d like to bring magic back to the place it-used to be 100 years ago.” [12] Time commented, “His Deceptively low-key, ultracool, marble leaves spectators more amazed dan if he’d razzle-Dazzled. ” [13]

In Magic Man , Blaine is shown traveling across the country, entertaining unsuspecting Pedestrians in Atlantic City , Compton , Dallas , the Mojave Desert , New York City , and San Francisco , Recorded at a small crew with handheld cameras. Jon Racherbaumer commented: “Make no mistake about it, the focus of this show, boys and girls, is not Blaine. It is really about theatrical proxemics, about the show-within-a-show and the spontaneous, visceral reactions or people being astonished. ” [14] USA Today called Blaine the “hottest names in magic right now.” [15]

Buried Alive

On April 5, 1999, Blaine was entombed in an underground plastic box Underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank for seven days, across from Trump Place on 68TH St. and Riverside Drive, as part of a stunt Titled “Buried Alive”. Volgens to CNN , “Blaine’s only communication to the outside world was with a hand buzzer, welke Could port alerted an around-the-clock emergency crew standing by.” BBC News Reported therein the plastic coffin had six inches (150 millimetres) or headroom and two inches (51 millimetres) on lycra side. During the endurance stunt Blaine did not eat and drink only two to three US tablespoons (30 to 44 millilitres) or water a day. [16]An Estimated 75,000 people visited the site, zoals Marie Blood, Harry Houdini ‘s niece, who zegt, “My uncle did some amazing things, but he Could not have done this.” [17] On the final day of the stunt, April 12, Hundreds of news teams were stationed at the site for the coffin-opening. A team of construction workers removed a portion-of the 75 cubic feet (2.1 m 3 ) or gravel Surrounding the 6-foot (1.8-Metre) deep coffin voordat a crane Lifted the water tank. [18] Blaine emerged and Told the crowd, “I saw something very prophetic … a vision or everytime race, religion everytime, everytime age group banding together, and therein made all this Worthwhile.” [16] BBC News stated, “The 26-year-old magician has outdone his hero, Harry Houdini, who had Planned a similar feat but mayest in 1926 voordat have Could perform it.” [19]

Frozen in Time

On November 27, 2000, Blaine Performed a stunt called Frozen in Time , welke was Covered on a TV special. Blaine was shown encased in a large block of ice located in the euro in Times Square , New York City . He was lightly dressed and Appeared to be shivering as voordat the blocks of ice ulcers placed around im. A tube supplied im with air and water while his urine was removed with Another tube. He was encased in the box or ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 seconds voordat being removed with chain SAWS. The ice was transparent and resting on an elevated platform to show dat he was actually inside the ice the entire time. He was removed from the ice and taken to a hospital due to Fears have Might be going JSON shock . [20] The New York Times Reported, “The magician who emerged from the getting more unstable ice box seemed a shadow of the confident, robust, shirtless fellow who entered two daysBefore.” [21] Blaine later zegt it took a month to volledig Recover and dat he had no plans to attempt a stunt or this majoritarian difficulty in the future. [22] In 2010, a magician from Israel named Hezi Dean broke Blaine’s record-when he was encased in a block of ice for 66 hours. [23]

Vertigo

On May 22, 2002, a crane Lifted Blaine forbidden to 100 feet (30 meters) high and 22 inches (0:56 meters) wide pillar in Bryant Park , New York City . He was not harnessed to the pillar, hoewel de there ulcers two Retractable handles on Either side or im to grasp in the event of harsh weather. [24] He remained on the pillar for 35 hours. He ended the feat by jumping down a forbidden landing platform made out of a 12 feet (3.7 meters) high pile of cardboard boxes and suffers a mild Concussion . [25]

Mysterious Stranger

Mysterious Stranger : A Book of Magic by David Blaine was published on October 29, 2002. [26] The book is an Autobiography and armchair treasure hunt with instructions on performing magic tricks. The treasure hunt was created by game designer Cliff Johnson and solved by Sherri Skanes on March 20, 2004. [27]

Above the Below

On September 5, 2003, Blaine Began an endurance have stunt in welke was sealed inside a transparent Plexiglas case. The case was SUSPENDED 30 feet (9.1 meters) in the air next to Potters Fields Park on the south bank of the River Thames in London , and Measured 3 feet (0.9 meters) to 7 feet (2.1 meters) to 7 feet (2.1 métres ). A webcam was installed inside the case so dat viewers Could observe his progress. The stunt lasted 44 days, prolongation welke Blaine drinks 1.2 US gallons (4.5 liters) of water per day and did not eat. [28]

The stunt was the subject of public interest and media attention, The Times Reported that ‘1.614 articles in the British press goods made reference to the exploit. ” [29] Then US President George W. Bush referred to Blaine’s stunt in a speech at the Whitehall Palace in London, saying, “The last noted American to visit London stayed in a glass box dangling over the Thames. A few Might port leg happy to bieden similar arrangements for me. ” [30] A number of spectators threw food and other items towards the box, zoals eggs, paint-filled balloons and golf balls, volgens to The Times . [29] A hamburger was Flown up to the box with a remote-controlled helicopter as a taunt. [31] The Evening Standard Reported dat one man was arrested for attempting to cut the cable supplying water to Blaine’s box. [32] [33]

On September 25, BBC News Reported that ‘if his endurance test is real Rather dan an elaborate illusion “dan Blaine’s claim or tasting pear drops name ® have been advancing through the first stage of starvation. [34] A medical doctor zegt dat the taste is caused by ketones , welke are produktie als the body burns fat reserves.

The stunt ended on October 19, and Blaine emerged saying “I love you all!” and was subsequently hospitalized. The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper dat Documented his 44-day fast and stated his re-feeding was perhaps the musts dangerous part of the stunt. [35] The study Reported, “He lost 24.5 kg (54 lb) 25 percent or his original body weight-and his body mass index dropped from 29.0 to 21.6. His appearance and body mass index after his fast mention anything not to themselves harbor alerted us to the risks or Refeeding. on Despite Cautious management, have had hypophosphatemia and fluid retention, important elements of the Refeeding syndrome . ” [36]

Drowned Alive

On May 1, 2006, Blaine Began his Drowned Alive stunt, welke lasted seven days and involved a submersion in an 8 feet (2.4 m) diameter water-filled sphere containing isotonic saline in front of the Lincoln Center in New York City . At the end of the stunt, Blaine Attempted to free himself from handcuffs and chains after Exiting the sphere. [37] After the stunt, Blaine entered JSON an agreement with researchers at Yale University to monitor im in order to study the human physiological reaction to prolonged submersion. [38]

Revolution

On November 21, 2006, Blaine Began his Revolution stunt, where he was shackled to a rotating Gyroscope without food or water, in fact thing to escape binnen 16 hours. Blaine COMPLETED the stunt 52 hours later. [39]

Guinness World Records

Blaine Appeared on the April 30, 2008 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for oxygen assisted static apnea , volgende his failure to break the then-current record or unassisted static apnea in his previous attempt Drowned Alive . [40] The previous record was set by Peter Colat or Switzerland on February 10, 2008. [41]

Before ends ring the 1,800 US gallons (6.8 cubic meters) of water tank, Blaine spent 23 minutes only remedy pure oxygen. [42] Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes 4-1 / 2 seconds, surpassing Colat’s previous market or 16 minutes 32 seconds. [42] This record [43] stood for almost four and a half months, Until surpassed by Tom Sietas on September 19, 2008.

Dive of Death

On September 18, 2008, Donald Trump and Blaine announced his latest feat, The Upside Down Man , have in welke Planned to hang upside down without a safety net for 60 hours. On September 22, Blaine Began his stunt Dive of Death , hanging on Wollman Rink in Central Park and interacting with fans at lowering himself upside down. He pulled himself up to drink fluid and restore normal circulation. Reportedly, Blaine risked blindness and other maladies in the stunt. [44] He was widely [ POV? – Discuss ] criticized als, only hours into tje endurance challenge, he was seen standing on a waiting crane platform, not upside down as pure chance. [45] During the stunt, he cameramen down once an hour for a medical check and to use the bathroom. [46]

What Is Magic?

In this 42-minute television special from 2010 Blaine catches a .22-caliber bullet fired from a rifle JSON a small metal cup in his mouth. The special features ook 2008 footage of Blaine performing in New Orleans for people AFFECTED by hurricane Katrina.

Electrified: One Million Volts Always On

On October 5, 2012, Blaine Began performing a 72-hour endurance stunt called Electrified: One Million Volts Always On Atop a 22-foot high pillar on Pier 54 in New York City , welke was streamed live on YouTube . [47] During the stunt, Blaine stood on the pillar Surrounded by seven Tesla coils Producing an electric discharge or one million volts or more Continuously. The coils ulcers directed at Blaine for the entirety of the endurance stunt, prolongation have welke did not eat or drag. He wore 34 pounds (15 KILOGRAMS) or gear, zoals a chain mail Faraday suit , designed to preventable Electromechanical current from traveling through the body. [48] John Belcher, a physics professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , reportedly said, “He has a Conducting suit, all the current is going through the suit, nothing through his body. There is no danger in this dat I see. ” [48]

At night, Blaine shivered uncontrollably from the inclement weather. The New York Times published an article Describing the science behind Blaine’s stunt. [49] Members of the public-generation handheld to control the pattern of electric current to acces screens, [50] and musicians Pharrell Williams [51] and Andrew WK [52] Performed solos on a keyboard welke controlled the electric discharge .

The event concluded on October 8, 2012 at 8:44 pm. Blaine was loveable to walk away with assistance, and was transported to a hospital for a medical check. [53] [54] Blaine donated two of the Tesla coils to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey to be exhibited on permanent display. [55]

Real or Magic

Blaine starred in a 90-minute ABC television special, David Blaine: Real or Magic , on November 19, 2013. [56] The special featured Blaine performing magic for celebrities and public figures. [57] Real or Magic Achieved a 2.5 rating in the 18-49 age bracket, and posted the best numbers in the 9: 30-11: 00 pm time slot for ABC’s 2013 season. [58]

Beyond Magic

This 42-minute television special Aired on November 15, 2016 on ABC . Like his previous special, Blaine is featured performing magic for various public figures. Also featured in this special is a stunt where Blaine catches a .22-caliber bullet in a small metal cup in his mouth. Improving on the previous version of this stunt featured in David Blaine: What Is Magic? , The bullet catch was Performed live on stage in front of 20,000 people (in August 2015), and Blaine fires the gun himself. In early 2017 it was revealed therein prolongation the taping of the program Blaine was injured als the cup slipped and the bullet shattered his mouthguard, cutting his throat. [59]

Charity and private appearances

Philanthropy

Blaine makes an annual visit to perform at children’s hospitals and burn units in the US and Elsewhere, zoals Spofford , Bridges, Horizon, and Crossroads. He has Performed at Hole in the Wall Gang Camp , a summer camp for children diagnosed with serious illnesses, and led 100 children on a shopping spree funded by Target and selected by The Salvation Army . On January 15, 2010, Blaine Performed “Magic for Haiti” in Times Square , a performance lasting 72 hours welke raised nearly the US $ 100,000 for Haiti earthquake relief. [60]

Private appearances

He has Performed privately for a number of celebrities and world leaders, and Performed magic alongside Michael Jackson . Hey watch a TED talk in 2009 Describing his Guinness World Record of oxygen-assisted static apnea. [61]

Personal life

Blaine has one half-brother. Blaine and Alizee Guinochet have one daughter, who was born on January 26, 2011. [62] [63] At the time dat Guinochet went JSON labor, there was a massive blizzard where they ‘lived in New York. Due to the intense weather, no cars or taxis ulcers on the road, so Blaine had to hail a snowplow , welke transported the couple to the hospital. [64]

References

  1. Jump up^ What Will Be Magic Like in the Future? Big Think, July 8, 2010
  2. Jump up^ If He Can Conjure Magical Ratings, That’s Some Trick,The New York Times, May 11, 1997
  3. Jump up^ Magic special turns out to be zowel ArchivedNovember 7, 2007, at theWayback Machine., Daily News (New York), May 19, 1997
  4. Jump up^ Record of Maureen P. Bukalo,Social Security Death Index.
  5. Jump up^ “Life’s a magic box or tricks” . The Scotsman. September 20, 2003 . Retrieved January 17, 2013 .
  6. Jump up^ “David Blaine” . Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the originalon May 26, 2011 . Retrieved September 7, 2009 .
  7. Jump up^ Finn, Holly. “Through the Plexiglass Darkly: David Blaine Exposes Britain’s nasty underbelly”, The Times , September 25, 2003, p. 20.
  8. Jump up^ Behrens, David. “THE WONDER OF ARTr / From performing death-defying stunts to launching readers or his new book on an old-fashioned treasure hunt, David Blaine delights in surprises”, Newsday , November 7, 2002. Accessed September 18, 2007. “Later, ze moved toLittle Falls, New Jersey, where he attended Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls. “
  9. Jump up^ “David Blaine: the Man, the Magician” . Magic Directory . Retrieved September 7, 2009 .
  10. Jump up^ “David Blaine – History of Magic” . Magic Tricks For Kids . March 8, 2016 . Retrieved October 30, 2016 .
  11. Jump up^ What Will Be Magic Like in the Future? ArchivedJuly 12, 2010, at theWayback Machine. Big Think, July 8, 2010
  12. Jump up^ If He Can Conjure Magical Ratings, That’s Some Trick, The New York Times , May 11, 1997
  13. Jump up^ The Wizard of Grunge, Time , May 19, 1997
  14. Jump up^ “Bingo Bango” . Magicdirectory.com. May 27, 2002 . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  15. Jump up^ He’s a nice guy, dat David Blaine,USA Today, November 20, 2000
  16. ^ Jump up to:a b Magician Surfaces from watery grave after week long burialArchived June 5, 2008 at the Wayback Machine ., CNN , April 12, 1999
  17. Jump up^ Kuntzman, Gersh. Magician Makes It Out Alive, New York Post , April 13, 1999. Accessed April 27, 2012.
  18. Jump up^ Breen, Virginia. Magician in deep for week-long stunt, Daily News (New York), April 6, 1999. Accessed April 27, 2012.
  19. Jump up^ Americas Magician Emerges from grave,BBC News, April 12, 1999
  20. Jump up^ David Blaine0 – Fearless (DVD), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, shows footage of his hospitalization waaronder the Exclamation “He is going JSON shock!”
  21. Jump up^ McKinley, Jesse. Magician Emerges From Icy Stunt,The New York Times, November 30, 2000. Accessed April 27, 2012.
  22. Jump up^ “David Blaine: Electrified and his greatest ever stunts” . Retrieved February 2, 2013 .
  23. Jump up^ “Illusionist Hezi Dean Emerges from Tel Aviv ice cube” . January 1, 2010| work = Herald Sun | Access date = May 8, 2016
  24. Jump up^ Burkeman Oliver. New York’s pillar-Dweller jumps, The Guardian , May 23, 2002. Accessed April 27, 2012.
  25. Jump up^ Dolak, Kevin (October 6, 2012). “David Blaine: 7 or His Most Enduring Performances” . abcnews.go.com . Retrieved March 29, 2016 .
  26. Jump up^ Mysterious Stranger , Copyright 2002 by David Blaine. Published in 2002, in the United States and Canada, at Villard Books, a division of Random House, Inc. ISBN 0-375-50573-3. First Edition.
  27. Jump up^ “The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club – Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic” . treasureclub.net . Retrieved May 9, 2016 .
  28. Jump up^ “Blaine begins starvation stunt” . BBC News. September 5, 2003 . Retrieved October 6, 2010 . Heard, Chris (September 11, 2003). “All’s quiet with Blaine in the rain” . BBC News . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  29. ^ Jump up to:a b Illusionist and The Facts of Life , October 20, 2003
  30. Jump up^ Remarks by the President Bush at Whitehall, “From 9-11 to the Iraq War in 2003”, November 19, 2003
  31. Jump up^ 2003: David Blaine ends glass box stunt,BBC News, October 19, 2003
  32. Jump up^ Blaine cage attack ArchivedJune 5, 2008 at theWayback Machine., Evening Standard , September 16, 2003
  33. Jump up^ “Punters Expect Blaine to fail” . BBC News. September 18, 2003 . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  34. Jump up^ What’s going on inside David Blaine’s body? ,BBC News Online, September 25, 2003
  35. Jump up^ Korbonits M; Blaine D; Elia M, Powell Tuck J (November 2005). “Refeeding David Blaine studies after a 44-day fast.” N. Engl. J. Med. 353 (21): 2306-7. doi : 10.1056 / NEJM200511243532124. PMID  16306536 .
  36. Jump up^ Refeeding David Blaine: studies after a 44-day fast “ArchivedDecember 31, 2007, at theWayback Machine. David Blaine Library
  37. Jump up^ Blaine Out For Record,Sky News, May 1, 2006
  38. Jump up^ Cnn.com – David Blaine out of hospital ArchivedMay 29, 2006, at theWayback Machine.
  39. Jump up^ “Magician Blaine Ends Times Square Stunt” . The Washington Post . November 24, 2006 . Retrieved May 1, 2010 .
  40. Jump up^ Jackson Kate (May 2, 2008). “If David Blaine breaks the record for holding his breath, we find more Super Human feats” . Daily Mirror . London . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  41. Jump up^ Tara Burghart (April 30, 2008). “David Blaine breaks world record for holding one’s breath” . USA Today . Associated Press . Retrieved May 8, 2016 .
  42. ^ Jump up to:a b “Longest breath holding-world record set by David Blaine”. Worldrecordsacademy.org . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
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  44. Jump up^ “Blaine Stunt Could Cause Blindness” . Associated Press . Archived from the original on September 27, 2008 . Retrieved September 23, 2008 .
  45. Jump up^ “David Blaine is only upside down for 50 minutes per hour” . MyParkMag. September 24, 2008. Archived from the originalon September 25, 2008.
  46. Jump up^ “David Blaine Caught Taking Standing Up Breaks” . Foxnews.com. September 23, 2008 . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  47. Jump up^ Hutchinson, Bill. “David Blaine to risk electrocution in 1 million-volt charge stunt” . The New York Daily News . Retrieved September 25, 2012 .
  48. ^ Jump up to:a b Alexander, Harriet. “David Blaine’s” electrifying “New York stunt” , The Daily Telegraph , October 6, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  49. Jump up^ Tierney, John. “If He Starts Nodding Off, Try Another Million Volts”,The New York Times, October 1, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  50. Jump up^ “Darren Aronofsky stops at David Blaine latest electrifying stunt”, New York Post , October 8, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  51. Jump up^ Johnson, Miranda. “Pharrell Assists David Blaine With Electrocution Stunt”, MTV , October 8, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  52. Jump up^ Berman, Taylor. “Watch: Andrew WK shocks David Blaine With One Million-Volt Keyboard”, MTV , October 8, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  53. Jump up^ Boyle, Alan. “David Blaine gets a checkup after high-voltage stunt” . MSNBC . Retrieved October 9, 2012 .
  54. Jump up^ “He’s fine, just a bit frazzled: David Blaine completes One Million Volts stunt in New York after three days playing conductor” . Daily Mail . London. October 9, 2012 . Retrieved February 23, 2013 .
  55. Jump up^ “David Blaine to Donate Two $ 1 Million Tesla Coils to Liberty Science Center After ELECTRIFIED Event”, Liberty Science Center , October 3, 2012. Accessed October 16, 2012.
  56. Jump up^ Highfill, Samantha. “David Blaine returns to television with celebrity-filled ABC special” . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 10, 2013 .
  57. Jump up^ Gavin Edwards (November 19, 2013). “David Blaine’s” Real or Magic: Ranking the Celebrity Reactions ” . Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 17, 2013 .
  58. Jump up^ Andreeva, Nellie. “Ratings Rat Race: ABC Scores With David Blaine Special, CBS nabs First Tuesday Win” . Deadline.com . Retrieved January 17, 2013 .
  59. Jump up^ Golgowski, Nina (January 8, 2017). “David Blaine’s Attempt To Catch A Bullet In His Mouth Went Painfully Wrong” . The Huffington Post.
  60. Jump up^ Halperin, Carrie (January 15, 2010). “David Blaine’s Times Square Marathon for Haiti” . ABC News . Retrieved October 6, 2010 .
  61. Jump up^ “How I held my breath for 17 minutes” . TED. October 2009 . Retrieved February 5, 2014 .
  62. Jump up^ “David Blaine on Twitter” . Twitter . Retrieved May 9, 2016 .
  63. Jump up^ “Plow’s Baby Magic for Blaine” . New York Post . February 2, 2011.
  64. Jump up^ “David Blaine’s Pregnant fiancée Hitches Snow Plow to Deliver Baby” . UsMagazine.com. February 3, 2011 . Retrieved October 2, 2012 .