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DVD Description
Russian Roulette Live
The original and most infamous of Derren's live stunts caused nationwide controversy and had viewers terrified. In a secret location, a member of the public selected from a nationwide search is asked to load a real gun with only one bullet. The gun is passed to Derren, who must work out what chamber contains the live bullet, whilst firing the other chambers against his head. Will his skills give him the power to dodge the bullet?
The Heist
Derren uses the cover of a motivational seminar and documentary to see if he can persuade a group of businessmen and women to steal £100,000 in what they believe is an armed robbery. How much will it take for him to make a responsible human mind cross into dangerous and criminal behaviour? One of the most compelling and disturbing hours of television to be shown for many years.
The Séance
At the time of broadcast, this was the most complained about show in television history, and had the nation cowering behind its sofas. 12 students take part in various stages of a séance using a variety of Victorian methods – from automatic writing and the Ouija Board, through to a chilling possession in the climactic dark seance. Viewers watching live will also contribute with their own experiences at home. Brilliantly challenging the myths of spiritualism, will Derren find a modern audience any more sceptical than the terrified Victorians in this roller-coaster of an experiment?
The System
Posing as an anonymous tipster, Derren repeatedly predicts, twenty-four hours in advance, the winners of horse-races and sends those tips to a single mother from London. She starts to bet and win increasing amounts, until she bets every last penny she has in one final race. But is there really a perfect system? Derren explains his fool-proof method for guaranteeing a win every time, and takes us galloping through the limits of our perception up to an edge-of the seat finale.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A master showman's finest hours,
By
This review is from: Derren Brown: The Specials [DVD] (DVD)
How does he do it?
There is a bit in Derren Brown's book where he makes a point often made by magicians, illusionists, mentalists - call them what you will: you don't really WANT to know how it's done. Usually the trick is so simple and straightforward that it's profoundly disappointing to know the secret. The real trick, of course, is the breathtaking showmanship with which it is executed. All the same, I really WOULD like to know how he did these! These are some of his most audaciously-executed one-offs and fans have been waiting for them to come out on DVD for some time. His Russian Roulette stunt got the whole country talking. Some people seemed genuinely surprised that there was any element of trickery involved at all ('What, so he was never in any real danger of blowing his own head off? Aw!') but whatever your perspective, it plays brilliantly with your expectations and creates real tension. As for The Seance, despite the fact that he TOLD everyone it was trickery and nothing supernatural was going on, it became one of Channel 4's most complained-about programmes because loads of people thought he was meddling with dark forces. This reveals just how convincing his stunts are. I was once asked, in my capacity as a psychologist, to be in the audience of one of his other specials, The Gathering, but it wasn't one of his classics. How I wish I'd been in one of these four instead! Mesmerising stuff!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-boggling, thought-provoking, original TV,
By
This review is from: Derren Brown: The Specials [DVD] (DVD)
Derren's TV series & live shows have always been thought-provoking mind-boggling entertainment but for me, his best material has been his one-off specials. At one hour each, these give him more of a chance to show off his talents & offer some insights into the techniques he uses.
RUSSIAN ROULETTE - The controversial stunt which really got Derren noticed. A member of the public loaded one bullet into a gun with 6 chambers. Derren then pointed the gun at his head & pulled the trigger. There are still some mysteries about this stunt, although much came to light in the inevitable media storm that followed. Nevertheless, it's still an engaging programme which stands up to repeat viewing, as most of it is taken up with Derren testing the potential candidates for loading the gun & in doing so, explaining a little about his techniques. SEANCE - For many years, this was the most complained about TV show ever in the UK - moreso than Derren possibly blowing his own head off live... Derren takes 12 students to a creepy, abandoned building & demonstrates the tricks used by various Victorian mediums, such as spirit cabinets & ouija boards, explaining the tricks behind each one. The show culminates in a hair-raising seance. Watching this again, I'm struck by the extent of its genius. The students know who Derren is & know it must be a trick but as you can see from the clip above, the atmosphere & the way the event is structured means they still fall for it hook, line & sinker. Fantastic stuff. THE HEIST - Derren conducts a motivational seminar - with a twist. Unknown to the participants, he is trying to persuade them to take part in what they think is a genuine armed robbery. This dramatic show gives us much to ponder on the dangers of asking others to take responsibility for our lives & how easy we really are to manipulate. THE SYSTEM - Derren has created a foolproof system for predicting the winner of horse races. He tips off a single mother about 5 winning horses in a row before getting her to bet every penny she can get hold of on a final race. But is there really a perfect system? The System is an atmospheric ride but one which I feel doesn't stand up to being re-watched quite as well as the other programmes in this collection. Its inclusion meant that the other special 'Messiah' was passed over for this collection. While Messiah has more replay value, I must grudgingly admit that The System fits better theamatically with the rest of this collection. Although Messiah hasn't yet been released on DVD, it's available for download on iTunes. Sadly there are no extra features included but it could be argued that any commentaries in which Derren explains his tricks would be no doubt fascinating to us but from his point of view, would perhaps give too much away. And these specials are of sufficient quality to not need additional bells & whistles to sell them. After all, how often does TV entertain, confound & provoke as much thought as this?
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome shows, Lame DVD Release. A missed opportunity.,
This review is from: Derren Brown: The Specials [DVD] (DVD)
First of all, the positives. These shows are awesome. For those unacquainted, Derren Brown is an illusionist, often misconceived as a psychological trickster. He uses a fusion of various techniques, including psychology which is what he's best known for. What sets him apart from others in his field is the openness with which he admits that he's nothing but a scam artist, though an exceptionally clever one at that.
What we have here are four of the 'specials' he made for Channel 4, in order of transmission: Russian Roulette, The Seance, The Heist and The System. The specials showcase Brown's unique artistry brilliantly. What's wonderful about Brown is that his illusions are as much about the human condition, and the ways in which we're programmed to behave and think, as it is about magic or showmanship. As such, what you have here are four incredibly insightful shows that make you wonder as much as they'll have you picking your jaw up from the floor. Derren Brown is a true pioneer in the field of progressive illusionary art. Sadly, these DVDs are a missed opportunity. This being a review for the product not the shows, a review would be amiss were it not to mention that Channel 4 have put out a wholly minimal product here, with absolutely no extras whatsoever. Also missing is Brown's special entitled 'Messiah', far superior to 'The System' and notably absent from this set (presumably because it's inclusion would have meant the set would run from two to three DVDs). Inside the box are two cases; each with a single DVD and no inside artwork or information. Given the extent to which Derren goes to ensure his shows are packed with mind-boggling footage and spurious explanations, these DVDs are a disappointment and feel like a real missed opportunity to release something amazing. Suffice to say, they're a must-buy for any Derren fan, but having these in your collection would have been a whole lost sweeter if a little more care and effort had been made by those responsible.
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