Escape Act Going Into The Steampunk Illusionist Show

This past weekend, my assistant Denise and I presented a sort of recreation of Houdini's act for the ObscuraDay 2016 event called Houdini Escapes DC. We gave it a sort of modern spin, in that the escapes were done quicker than Houdini might have presented them. But we used music from the era and even one track that Houdini himself used. We had our Victorian garb on and plenty of handcuffs to delight the audiences.

The whole idea of an escape act really comes out of the Victorian era. Some of the first folk to present escapes were the fake mediums/spiritualists. Magicians then took the methods they used and adopted them to the world of magic. The first person to ever present a handcuff escape was a man named Samri Baldwin who was known as The White Mahatma. Harry Kellar the greatest magician in America at the dawn of the 20th Century, was known for his ability to be tied up, free himself and then return to the tied up state. Kellar learned this technique while being employed by the famous Davenport Brothers. Harry Houdini of course took the escape act in directions it had not known by taking on pretty much any sort of restraint available.

The Escape Act is now part of our Steampunk/Victorian show. We will also include the multi-cuff escape which uses 6,7,8, or 9 different handcuffs and a pair of thumbscrews. Escape looks impossible! This is right out of Houdini's act and it's something that is almost never seen today.

In addition, we will feature the escape from 100 feet of rope and one or two of the following: The Steel Straitjacket, The Challenge Belt, The Glass Head Box, Sack Escape, Escape from Old World Stocks, and more. 

We are searching for a 'dangerous' escape to add as well. Right now, the Glass Head Box is probably the most dangerous. This box fits over my head and can either be filled with water or left air-tight. The water fill has been problematic in the past because of the way it has to be filled.

Keep watching for more updates on the escape act!

Steampunk Frankenstein, Sort of.

I just watched the movie Victor Frankenstein, starring James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe. I had been waiting for it to come out and never noticed it at the theatre. To my surprise I found it on iTunes, so I quickly rented it.

Before I tell you my thoughts, I must tell you that after watching the movie I looked up the various reviews of the movie, all of which were bad. I couldn't find any critics that liked the movie and some had some pretty disparaging things to say about it. What did I think?

I rather enjoyed the movie. I thought the 'origin' story was a fun departure from the regular remakes of the same story. It was a bit over the top, but I was not expecting to see an Oscar winner. Rather, I had hoped it would just be good fun, and for the most part it was. Daniel Radcliffe plays Igor and starts out as a hunchbacked clown in the circus who has a fascination with anatomy and medicine. Yeah, a bit far fetched, but I thought it worked with this overall crazy concept. 

James McAvoy, plays Victor Frankenstein, not yet a doctor. He is in medical school, but busy conducting experiments in his off hours. He is more interested in his experiments than the information he gains at school. His house and lab are a steampunk dream. Many cool gadgets and gizmos as well as gears, cogs and wild Victorian contraptions to delight!

If you are a purist and either stick firmly to the Mary Shelly original story or the Boris Karloff movie, then you might not like this movie. But if you're open having some fun, check out Victor Frankenstein. You may just enjoy this new version of a very old story.

Ripper Street Season 4

Photograph: Bernard Walsh/Amazon

This series is the BEST Victorian era series on TV. It's not steampunk, but it's the next best thing. The BBC cancelled it after two seasons and there was a big revolt among viewers. The show got picked up for a third season by Amazon Prime and then before the season was over, Amazon Prime ordered a season 4 and 5.

Season 1 takes place in 1889, right after the Ripper Murders in Whitechapel. Season 2 takes place in 1890. Season 3 shakes things up a bit and begins in 1894 and now Season 4 takes place in 1897. They're already booked for a Season 5 and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that HOUDINI makes an appearance in that show!

The video below is the teaser video for Season 4. Now, there is an air date listed as January 15th, 2016. However, I have come to understand that this only applies to Amazon Prime customers in the UK. For folks like me in the USA, I do not know when we will be able to see season 4. Soon I hope. Until then, enjoy the trailer. AND THEN below that video will be a second teaser video with 9 minutes from episode 1 of season 4.