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from Amazon.comThough audiences seem polarized by illusionist Criss Angel, there’s no denying that his feats possess the right amount of danger, theatricality, and sheer “wow” factor to keep magic fans gasping at every new trick; the raven-tressed Angel offers a slew of new stunts in this three-disc set, which compiles the entire second season of his television reality series MindFreak. Though “impressive” is often in the eye of the beholder, it’s hard to argue that Angel’s roster of illusions and stunts in this season are particularly impressive: He walks on water across a pool in Las Vegas, gets dragged behind a speeding boat (while laced into a straitjacket), attempts to escape a shark cage, makes an elephant vanish, and in the season’s most eye-popping moments, saws not only himself in half, but a bystander on a city park bench. Lighter moments, like Angel clowning with animals in a zoo, are interspersed with the big tricks, as are moments where Angel reveals hoaxes like psychic surgery and performs slight-of-hand at various Vegas clubs during a night on the town. Celeb guests like Ice Cube, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, and Motley Crue’s Vince Neil also turn up to be amazed by Angel’s skills (all are featured in a mind-reading bit in “Celebrity Minds”). Extras-wise, Angel contributes commentary on the “Building a Float” and “In Two” episodes, in which he discusses the preparation required for these stunts, as well as the challenges they present. Several featurettes are also included: “Teach a Trick” offers the viewer instructions on how to perform several of Angel’s smaller bits, while “Interviews” has Angel in conversation with fellow magicians/debunkers Penn and Teller and other performers as they discuss their particular trade. A series of practical jokes Angel carries out on tourists in Las Vegas are amusing, while “Special Gift” and “Criss Uncensored” offer glimpses behind the scenes on his career and life. For sheer showmanship, it’s hard to be beat Angel’s second season of sleight-of-hand. — Paul Gaita Join the master of illusion for another full season of unbelievable exhibitions, aerobatics, and drama as Criss Angel breaks out of jail in the nude, makes a speeding Lamborghini disappear, and levitates 500 feet above the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. With special guests Jamie Kennedy and Flavor Flav. USA, 2007, 462 mins.