Criss Angel Mindfreak-The Complete Season Three (2007)

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General		Extras
Category	TV Series	Main Menu Audio & Animation Bonus Episode-Most Memorable Mindfreak Moments Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Behind-the scenes of Season Three Featurette-Criss' Celebrity Guests Deleted Scenes Biographies-Cast-Criss Angel
Rating
Year Of Production	2007
Running Time	516:00 (Case: 567)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Criss Angel Michael Yanovich
Studio Distributor	Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	Criss Angel The Amazing Johnathan Billy Gibbons Carrot Top Sully Erna Flavor Flav Jamie Kennedy
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Dual
RPI	$39.95	Music	Criss Angel Micky James Sully Erna

    Master illusionist, Criss Angel is back with the third season of the popular, Mindfreak. If you're unfamiliar with the program, please check out my reviews of Season One and Season Two.

    The third season of Criss Angel - Mindfreak literally picks up where the first two left off. In each episode, Criss performs one main act or demonstration, as he calls them. These occur mostly in or around The Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, which is now Criss' home and the permanent base for his enterprise. These demonstrations are usually performed in front of large and enthusiastic audiences.

    As with the previous seasons, each episode is integrated with brief interviews with Criss and various members of his entourage. It's obvious that these are contrived pieces to help build the tension and highlight the seemingly dangerous aspect of each illusion. In most episodes we also get to see selected behind-the-scenes footage of the Criss Angel enterprise.

    For me though, the highlight of each episode isn't necessarily the main demonstrations, but the street magic that Criss performs in the streets, parks and buildings of Las Vegas. These illusions are performed in front of gathered crowds (although some of the participants are obviously planted) and adds significantly to the overall entertainment value of the program. It must also be said that some of the stunts and illusions in this series are variations of previous demonstrations.

    Like the first two seasons, each episode has a running time of approximately twenty-one minutes, which fits nicely into a thirty minute timeslot for commercial television. A few celebrities again make appearances - these include The Amazing Johnathan, Carrot Top and Sully Erna from heavy-metal band, Godsmack.

    For this third series, Umbrella have included a brief summary of each episode on the inside cover of the DVD. However, the summary doesn't include the many acts of "street" magic, which  feature in each episode. I have again listed these illusions in my episode summary.

    The twenty-four episodes that make up the third season of Criss Angel: Mindfreak are well presented in this three-disc set.

Disc One:

Episode One - Steamroller

    In the car park of the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Criss lies on broken glass as a 7 tonne roller drives over him. This episode also includes the Card in the Cigar illusion.

Episode Two -  Prisoner Transport Escape 

    In front of a big crowd, Criss is handcuffed and placed inside a locked mail bag. The bag is then placed into a prisoner transport van, which is loaded with explosives. He needs to free himself and escape from the van before it plunges over a cliff and explodes. Other magic includes Levitation at the Golf Course and Tricks at the Dinner Table.

Episode Three - Screwed

    In front of a big crowd on Fremont St in Las Vegas, Criss attempts to walk across the tips of 12 screwdrivers. These screwdrivers are fixed upright in two rows of six. Other magic includes Eat the Mouse, Card in the Mirror, My Biggest Fan, 20 Years Old and Floating Flame.

Episode Four -  Motorhead

    In front of a small crowd, Criss will drive his Lamborghini at 100 mph along a road and makes the car suddenly vanish. Other illusions include Bentley or Lamborghini , Pin the Card, Kinetic Energy and The Vanishing Go-Kart.

Episode Five - Animal 2

    In the last series of Mindfreak, Criss made an elephant disappear. In this series he'll make the same elephant reappear. Other animal magic includes OJ to OJ, Finding Hammy, Doves from a Scarf, Dog to Puppy, Balloon to Bird, Hammy the Magician, Tissue to Dove, Man to Tiger and Vanishing Freaky   

Episode Six - Quad Drag Escape

    Criss will attempt an escape from being hog tied with rope and dragged behind a quad bike. Other magic includes Floating Coffee Cup, Ring in a Loaf and Changing Clothes.

Episode Seven - Raging Bull

    A Mexican fighting bull will charge at Criss as he stands behind a red cape - he must vanish before the bull gores him. Other magic includes Levitate on Water Spray, Justin Case and $5 into $500.

Episode Eight - Car Crash Escape 

    The Amazing Johnathan drops in again. This time the challenge is for Criss to escape from being chained to a burning car. Another speeding car is also traveling towards him and all will explode on impact. Other illusions include Fountain Levitation, Lamppost Levitation, Magic Fountain, Magic Motorcycle, Street Magic with Jonathan and Raise the Olive.

Episode Nine - Sucker 2

    This episode is a follow up from the Sucker episode in series two. Criss explains many cons and scams in an effort to make people aware of just how easily they can be fleeced of their money.

Disc Two:

Episode Ten -   Drowned

    In front of a huge audience, Criss prepares to be shackled inside a small steel box before being lowered into a massive aquarium. But for the first time, things don't quite go to plan. Other stunts include Crazy Crib and The Man Hole Cover.

Episode Eleven - Burning Man

    Criss and Co retreat to the Nevada Desert for some r & r. It is here that Criss takes part in a fire initiation ceremony. Other magic includes The Vending Machine, Hypnotize the Chicken, Meet the Scarecrow, Marshmallows and The Vanishing Assistant.

Episode Twelve - Rollercoaster Thru Criss

    Criss stands on a rollercoaster track and waits for the coaster travelling at 70mph to hopefully pass through his body. Other illusions include Girl thru Criss, Finger thru Card and Repair the Chain.

Episode Thirteen - Underwater Car Escape

    In a tribute to his uncle, Criss will have his hands and feet taped and be locked in the boot of a car. The car will then be lowered into a lake. Other illusions in this episode include Chopped Finger, Watch the Watch and Floating Mum.

Episode Fourteen - The Loyals

    This episode is dedicated to the massive, loyal band of fans that Criss Angel enjoys. To show his appreciation, Criss organises to give away a holiday and a new car to a couple of deserving people. Other magic includes 3 of Spades, To Barbados and Date Prediction.

Episode Fifteen - Mentalism

    Following on from an episode on series one, this episode is dedicated to the art of mentalism. Criss performs a number of prediction illusions and even let's us in on the secret of one of them. This episode also introduces us to the rude and obnoxious, Nicky Glass .

Episode Sixteen - The Kid In Criss

    Playing Santa, Criss will deliver a truck full of presents to a group of less fortunate kids. Other magic includes 10 years old & back, Stop Smoking, The Doll's House, Rewrapped Gum and Pen & Coin.

Episode Seventeen - Cement Block

    This entire episode is dedicated to a major demonstration that Criss performed in front of a big crowd in Times Square, New York. Criss is shackled and locked inside a small perspex cage which has the walls filled in with cement. The cage is suspended five storeys above the ground and will plummet down to earth in precisely 24 hours.

Episode Eighteen - Séance

    This is another extension of the Celebrity Séance episode in series two. Criss has assembled a small group of people at the haunted, Artisan Hotel in Vas Vegas and he will attempt to make contact with the "other side". Other magic includes What's the Name? The Burnt Page and Amy.

Disc Three:

Episode Nineteen - Tribute To Houdini

    Following in the footsteps of Houdini, Criss is handcuffed and locked inside an old jail cell stark naked. He has exactly two hours to escape or a large group of excited women will get to see him in all his glory.

Episode Twenty - Making Mayhem

    This episode takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Mindfreak. Some incidental magic includes Drop the Box, Brunette to Blonde and Where's the Party?

Episode Twenty One - Fantasy

    On the pool deck of the Artisan Hotel, Criss will attempt mass hypnosis on a large group of people and get them all to remove their clothes. Other illusions include Pick a Chocolate, Repair the Jeans, Boob Job and Bra Removal.

Episode Twenty Two - Thunderbirds

    At the Nellis Air Force Base, Criss will make seven F16 Thunderbirds appear. Other magic includes Forks thru the Box, Swallow the Ring and Pin in the Glass.

Episode Twenty Three - H20 Teleportation

    At Cancun in Mexico, Criss will jump from a boat into the sea about 200 meters from shore and then appear on the shore within a couple of seconds. Other magic includes Moving Shadows, Ace of Clubs, Cards in the Water, Voice in the Shell and Link the Tabs.

Episode Twenty Four - Mexico Barrel Escape

    Still in Cancun, Criss is placed inside a barrel, which will then drop from a height of 200 feet into the ocean. Other illusions in this episode include Sandcastles, Twisting the Corona, Guess the Drink and A Stack of Shots.

Video

    If you own the previous seasons of Criss Angel - Mindfreak, you can expect much of the same in the way of transfers.

    Season three is presented fullscreen in the correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which is not 16x9 enhanced.

    As with the first two seasons, the degree of sharpness is quite respectable, which is consistent with most recently produced television productions. Blacks were clean and shadow detail was generally excellent.

    There were no adverse issues with colour. They appeared natural and nicely balanced.

    There were no MPEG artefacts in the transfer. Film-to-video artefacts were well controlled and film artefacts were non-existent.

    There are no subtitles available on any of the discs.

    All three DVD's are DVD9, dual layer discs. The layer change on the first disc occurs at 11:28 during the Animal 2 episode. The layer change on the second disc occurs at 8:20 during the  The Loyals episode. The layer change on the third disc occurs at 19:42 during the H20 Teleportation episode.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    There is only one audio track available on this set, English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (192Kb/s).

    Dialogue quality was outstanding throughout and audio sync appeared accurate.

    The original music for the third season is again credited to Criss Angel, Micky James, Klayton, Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt .The theme music is the same blast of heavy metal used in the previous seasons of Mindfreak. This suits the mood and image of the show really well.

    Apart from the music on the main menu, the surrounds and subwoofer were not used.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The main menu is similar to the design and structure of the first two seasons on DVD. It is suitably animated and features a sample of the Mindfreak theme music.

Disc Three:

Bonus Episode - Most Memorable Mindfreak Moments (43:35)

    This bonus (double) episode features various celebrities and fans disclosing their favourite Mindfreak moments. A top ten list is finalised and is then revisited, counting down from ten to one. Some other popular illusions and bloopers from previous seasons are also highlighted.

Featurette: Behind The Scenes Of Season Three (12:38)

    A behind-the-scenes look at a few of the illusions from this series. It appears that this is probably just deleted footage from a few episodes.

Featurette: Criss' Celebrity Guests (6:37) 

    Looking a lot like Freddie Mercury from Queen, Criss transforms himself into the late magician, Doug Henning. He also talks with ZZ Top's, Billy Gibbons and has some fun with The Amazing Johnathan.

Additional Scenes (24:45)

    A reasonably comprehensive and interesting collection of scenes that didn't make the final cut of season three.

• Fan Q & A
• Radio Contest 
• Criss Plants A Tree For His Father 
• Criss' Rise To Stardom
• Mindfreak Bloopers
• Toys For The Player - MF2 Chopper
• Toys For The Player - Criss' Car Garage
• Criss Behind Bars
• Swimming With The Fishes
• Eye In The Sky
• Clean Freak

Biography

    Eight pages of text based information of the life and career of Criss Angel - Mindfreak.

    Apart from the NTSC transfer, the R1 edition of Criss Angel - Mindfreak, Season Three appears to be completely identical to this R4 edition. This even includes the same cover art, although the actual packaging appears slightly different between the two.

    There seems no logical reason to have to track down the imported edition.

    As is the case with the previous two seasons, the contrived rhetoric can become just a little monotonous. But when you look past all of that, Criss Angel - Mindfreak is great entertainment and this third season is really not much different from the first two seasons. If you're a fan of the series and already own the first two sets, then this one is a must.

    The video and audio transfers are both fine.

    The selection of extras provides some interest.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall