Original subtitles

DEAN: Illusion.

The art of tricking the brain.

Distorting the senses.

Challenging perception.

You can't trust what you see, even with your own eyes,

because your brain can be misled.

Meet "The Masters of Illusion."

DEAN: Hello, and welcome to Masters of Illusion.

I'm you host, Dean Cane.

For centuries, it was believed that the world was flat,

like this sheet of paper.

But look at this graphic.

As we rotate it, our brain reinterprets its

configuration.

A two-dimensional image appears to become

three-dimensional.

Rob Lake will challenge your perceptions as well.

Watch closely and see if you can figure out this

mind-blowing illusion.

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Joel Ward is really fast.

Stay focused and try not to miss a moment.

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(APPLAUSE)

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DEAN: Next, Eric Buss takes comedy magic to the next

level.

DEAN: Eric Buss is leaps and bounds

above the competition.

Watch, and see how.

ERIC: I actually need to find somebody to help me on

stage.

Let's see, who do we have?

Uh, how 'bout you, you look friendly!

Come up the stairs, careful.

And, right over here.

Perfect.

What is your name WOMAN: Laura.

ERIC BUSS: Laura, nice to meet you, Laura.

LAURA: Thank you.

ERIC: Where are you from? That's nice.

Alright, Laura, do you like rope tricks?

LAURA: Yeah.

ERIC: You do? I don't.

I'm going to do a card trick. Is that okay?

LAURA: Sure.

ERIC: Good. My show, I'm calling the shots.

This is a giant deck of cards, it's huge.

It is the Humvee of playing card decks.

Except this does not anger hippies.

Giant deck of cards.

Laura, what I'd like you to do,

touch the back of one of those cards and leave your finger on

that card and that will be the one you select.

That one.

Excellent.

Is that the one you want or do you want to change your mind?

LAURA: I like that one.

ERIC: Excellent. Alright, go ahead, take that.

Show everybody in the audience.

Perfect, alright, go ahead and stick it right back.

I will lose it into the deck.

I'm going to try to find your card,

in a very interesting, yet dangerous way.

For that reason I would like you to stand right over here,

out of harm's way, and out of my spotlight.

I will find Laura's card using this pogo stick of

death...death...death...death.

Thanks. (APPLAUSE)

I call her "The Widow maker."

Alright, Laura, hop on!

This is great, you should've worn tennis shoes.

You're screwed.

LAURA: I know. Really?

ERIC: No, I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

I'm just kidding!

No, if you fell off and broke your neck you would've owned

the entire building.

Your family's like "hop on!"

No, Laura, you're just going to do your best Vanna White

and the crowd'll go nuts.

Do a little Vanna White action,

crowd'll go nuts.

Oh, good!

Very nice.

Best one all night!

First, I will bounce through a giant vat of glue.

After that, I will bounce through the giant bin of

cards.

Hopefully, Laura's card will stick.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, for most audiences this would be

enough, but I can tell you want more.

I can hear you screaming "More, more!"

AUDIENCE: More!

ERIC: More?

Alright, for this audience, and for this audience only I

will add one more element to this already crazy trick.

I will also bounce across 240 air filled landmines.

I'll set one off to demonstrate.

Take my coat off for this one.

Men, hold on to your ladies.

Okay, you won't need to.

That's fine.

Reminds me of high school.

Alright, to recap: mine field, glue,

cards.

Wish me luck!

Here we go!

I'll take that, you hold onto the pogo stick,

perfect.

Perfect.

Stay right there.

Almost done, doing great!

I'm thirty-eight years old.

Stay in school, kids.

Woah!

Ack!

I almost owned a studio.

Hello.

Hello.

Wheee!

No hands, people!

Yeee-haw! (APPLAUSE)

Yipee-hoo.

Muah.

It's okay, thanks for catching me.

LAURA: I'm sorry!

ERIC: It's good stuff, you want some?

No?

Okay.

It's okay.

Alright, big finish.

Here we go.

Ee!

Ah!

Ooh!

Here we go.

Woah.

Is that the card?

Is that it?

Cool!

Come take a bow.

Yes! (APPLAUSE)

Give it up for Laura!

DEAN: Next, the maestro of magic,

Arthur Trace.

And later, Rob Lake performs an old school illusion with a

mind-blowing new twist.

DEAN: Can Arthur Trace string you along?

Or are you a frayed knot?

ARTHUR: Tonight, I'm going to perform for you

something that's a little strange.

Brace yourselves.

♪ MUSIC ♪

Okay, so it's very strange.

And, now, for the hard part.

Watch as the middle of the rope,

and the ends-- as they jump from one side-- to the other.

Hold on, hold on.

You know this isn't real magic,

right?

Otherwise you would have applauded.

(APPLAUSE)

What puzzles me is how the scissors appear on the rope.

What scissors?

These scissors?

Yeah. (APPLAUSE)

I like the people who vocally react (GASPS).

Yeah, you know who you are.

And I'll tell you what, this trick is a lot more

impressive.

It's a lot more impressive, if I were to tie the ends of the

rope together, right here.

And I make the knot, right here,

slide from one side to the other.

I love that part.

But, you know what?

It gets even, even better.

And all you have to do is just watch,

and listen.

♪ MUSIC ♪

Watch as I melt the ends, right here,

off the rope.

Leaving me with just the middle.

I can't believe this worked!

Timing, it's everything.

Whatever you do, do not blink.

This goes for everybody.

Watch as the ends, as the ends melt back onto the rope.

This is my favorite part.

Wooh! (APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Now here's a challenge.

How much room is there in a box?

David Zirbel proves that even a full box can be empty,

in the world of illusion.

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

DAVID:You know what, give me one more.

There she is.

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

Big box.

Number two.

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Next, Rob Lake will perform one of magic's most

astonishing feats, right before your eyes.

DEAN: To Rob Lake illusion is neither

fact, nor fiction-- but both.

What do you think?

ROB: I'm going to need some volunteers.

Put those hands up high.

Uh, the gentleman in the jacket there,

and the green shirt as well.

Gentleman here on the end, if you'll join us,

and the lovely lady right here.

And let's give them all a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

Right now, my assistants are taking these boxes off this

table.

If the two of you would please examine the inside of this

box: check it out, bang on it, make sure it is solid.

And if you, sir, would check out this here is the same.

How does it check out?

Good?

Perfect.

Check out alright?

Please welcome my lovely assistant,

Allie, to the stage.

Gentlemen, if you would, please come forward.

I want you to lock her ankles in place.

If you please come forward, I want you to secure her ankles

in place.

Christiana, if you would, please,

come to the front.

Lift this collar up, put it around her neck.

Walk to the front, here, perfect.

And tie her in place as tight as you can,

but please don't choke her.

I've got to have her for another show tomorrow.

I want them to be the ones who lock her in place so you don't

think I do something that allows her to cheat or escape

somehow.

As tight as you can, perfect.

My assistants are going to put these coffins back over her

body.

Do not let go of your leash.

Do not let go of your leash.

Even though she is momentarily covered,

you will be able to view her body through the windows in

the front, like so.

Now, gentlemen-- Steve, was it,

right?

Every time this window opens and close,

I want you to come forward, I want you to come forward.

I want you to reach in, and feel her leg-- make sure she's

still there, and let the audience know with two thumbs

up.

Mike, if you would come forward-- Reach in there,

make sure they're real.

Oh yeah.

There's one more thing everybody needs to examine.

This is the blade we will be using.

Please bang on it, watch for the edge,

it is sharp.

Gentlemen, if you would, please,

look inside of your windows.

I want you to watch as the blade enters the box.

You'll see the blade enters the box.

The blade completely fills the box,

side to side, top to bottom.

Rests on her middle, there's nowhere else she can go,

nowhere else the blade can go -- is that right?

MAN: Yes.

ROB: Excellent. Take a step back, guys.

Take a step back. Do not let go.

Do not let go.

We now will put solid matter through solid matter.

Gentlemen, look below the box.

Make sure you can see the blade passes completely

side-to-side, completely filling the box.

Come forward, check her windows out.

Make sure she's still there, still locked in place.

(APPLAUSE)

Don't let go.

Don't let go.

We're going to take this one step further.

Uh, Christiana, I think your side has shifted a little bit.

On the count of three, give it a tug.

One, two, three-- tug.

(APPLAUSE)

Do not let go.

Do not let go.

We now have a woman, divided.

(APPLAUSE)

Let's put her back.

Gentlemen, check out your windows.

Make sure she's still there, still secure,

still locked in place.

Do not let go.

My assistants are taking these coffins off,

hold your leashes very tight.

And please, give Allie some applause for her bravery.

(APPLAUSE)

Christiana, if you would come to the front,

let her up.

Come to the front, let her up.

She's going to sit up.

Sit up.

And if you would let her out.

Gentlemen, let her out of the straps you yourselves put her

in and please, give her a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Well, there it is.

A lady split in half in front of a live audience,

in front of up-close witnesses,

and right in front of your eyes.

Do you know how he did it?

I don't.

Remember who we're dealing with.

These are the best in the world.

These are the Masters of Illusion.

Until next time, I'm Dean Cane.