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Angel Says Clearwater Implosion Escape Is 'Not A Trick'

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 29, 2008

After 92 episodes of his hit cable TV series, Criss Angel hasn't run out of stunts, illusions and escapes.

His next escape attempt -- just moments before the Spyglass Resort hotel in Clearwater is turned in to 4,500 tons of rubble -- will be televised live on A&E's "Criss Angel Mindfreak" (beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday).

The 40-year-old performer has said this escape is "not a trick."

He says he is putting his life on the line. Handcuffed on a seventh-floor balcony, he has to reach the roof of the nine-story building and board a helicopter before the building implodes. He says he will have three minutes and 30 seconds -- or the helicopter leaves without him.

This is the latest in a string of escapes and feats. Here are five of his most memorable moments from "Mindfreak." All can be found on YouTube.

5. Angel in Cement: The funky magician is shackled and put in a Plexiglas container that is placed in wet cement and hardened into a block. Dangling over Times Square from several stories, he has 24 hours to escape before the block crashes to the ground. This successful stunt was recorded for last season's "Mindfreak" series. Video

4. Angel Versus Steamroller: For a 2005 episode, Angel stretched out on broken glass and let a steamroller roll over him. He isn't flattened like pancake. Video

3. Angel Skyhook: In a stomach-turning stunt, Angel is suspended a thousand feet in the air, held aloft by four fishhooks in his back. He dangles from a helicopter over the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Video

2. Angel and the Fence: For one of his most bizarre and not-for-the-squeamish stunts, Angel is impaled on a wrought iron fence. The ghastly video is one of the most widely circulated on the Internet. Video

1. An Angel Divided: Suspended on a platform held by chains, Angel is sliced in half by a giant buzz saw while onlookers scream in horror. It's one of the oldest tricks in magic, but he made it look real, and he did it without an assistant. Video

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