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.

Welcome to "Masters of Illusion."

I m your host, Dean Cain.

How does color affect our world of illusion?

Can the brain react to design its own colors?

Look at these spirals.

Red against yellow and blue.

Our mind tells us that the hues of red are different.

But when we take away the background,

we realize we have been tricked.

All the red is the same shade.

Rick Thomas uses color to great effect in this

startling, large scale illusion.

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Alana models some jewelry for us.

But watch out -- it may go away before you can say,

'I like that one.'

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Next, Michael Finney strings us along.

DEAN: Michael Finney teaches us to

avoid living at the end of a rope.

MICHAEL:This lady, uh, second row, one,

two, three, four, five in.

You just looked down at your feet.

Yes.

What is your name?

That's a guy.

You're the lady.

ELIZABETH: Lizzie.

MICHAEL: What is it?

ELIZABETH: Lizzie.

MICHAEL:Lizzie.

As the audience applauds, would you please join me on

stage?

(APPLAUSE)

Hi, Lizzie.

How are you?

ELIZABETH: Good. How are you?

MICHAEL:Very nice to meet you.

You can stand right over here if you would.

Lizzie, where are you from?

ELIZABETH: Right here.

MICHAEL: Right here.

This is a nice place you got.

This is great.

MICHAEL: Do you like card tricks?

ELIZABETH: Yes.

MICHAEL: That's great. You and I are going

to be doing a little rope trick here.

ELIZABETH: Oh, okay.

MICHAEL: That's a piece of rope.

I want you to go ahead and examine it.

ELIZABETH: It looks like rope.

MICHAEL: Very thorough, too. That's great.

But don't take a second chance.

That's a pair of scissors. Examine those.

Make sure they work.

Try right here on your sweater.

ELIZABETH: Can I try it on yours instead?

MICHAEL: No, I'm still paying for this suit.

This is a piece of rope.

That's a pair of scissors.

This is the classic of magic.

This is the left end, this is the right end.

Take the scissors, cut the two ends off.

Now we shall begin.

Left end, right end.

If you put the two together, this becomes the...

(WHISPERS) Middle.

ELIZABETH: Middle.

MICHAEL: If you bring the middle up to the top,

what's right here? (WHISPERS) Sides.

ELIZABETH: Sides.

MICHAEL: Correct you are.

Take the scissors and cut the middle loop.

This piece of rope is now cut right in half,

as you can see.

Equal at the top.

And equal down here.

You can see, equal at the top and pretty darn close here at

the bottom.

It's, it's kind of important that they be the same length.

What, what are you, what are you doing?

ELIZABETH: You said they couldn't...

MICHAEL: No, I didn't say it.

I don't remember telling you to cut the rope at all.

ELIZABETH: I don't know what you re talking about.

MICHAEL: All right, we're going to do this a

little different tonight.

You bring the end of A to the top of A.

You bring the end of B to the top of B.

Are you with me so far?

ELIZABETH: Yes.

MICHAEL: You mean the little A side over B side

which is this flat side over D side.

Bring them down playing both two C side,

C off the left wrist into the right hand.

It's kind of confusing, don't you think?

ELIZABETH: A little.

MICHAEL: Let's start again.

This is a piece of rope.

This is the left end here.

This is the right end here. (APPLAUSE)

And down here is the middle. (APPLAUSE)

One more time for me, take the scissors and cut the middle

loop.

This is the end of A so this must be the end of...

ELIZABETH: B.

MICHAEL: All right.

A little confidence builder there, huh?

What do you want to do?

What do you want to do?

You know you want to.

ELIZABETH: Cut it?

MICHAEL: Hold on to them and just trim the two ends so

they're the same length.

I'd just go ahead and just trim the two of them right

there.

ELIZABETH: Right there?

MICHAEL: That'd be perfect.

This is the piece of rope. (APPLAUSE)

This is the left end here. (APPLAUSE)

This is the right end here. (APPLAUSE)

And down here is the middle. (APPLAUSE)

One more time, take the scissors and cut the middle

loop.

This piece of rope is now being cut how many times?

ELIZABETH: I lost count. Three?

MICHAEL: Three times and tied with a knot.

Not that impressive but the lips have continued to move

vigorously.

Cut the loop right next to the knot.

This piece of rope is now being cut once,

twice.

Since two is company, three's a crowd,

and this has been a great crowd,

we'll do this one more time.

Please take the scissors and cut the loop right next to the

knot.

Now may I have the scissors back in case you don't like

the rest of the trick?

Magicians are not only noted for having magic hands but

also magic breath as my lovely assistant will now

demonstrate.

Step right over here and face the audience.

Now what I'm going to do is bring the ropes up around the

front.

At the count of three, you will blow each one of the

knots off of the ropes, okay?

ELIZABETH: Okay.

MICHAEL: All right, here we go.

Now at the count of three, blow each one of the knots off

of the ropes.

Ready?

One, two, three. (APPLAUSE)

Take this end of the rope, hold it firmly.

From right there, blow the middle knot right off.

All the way.

Uh...

if I was a knot, I'd have been gone.

Here, try it right there.

Better yet, just take this home and practice.

Please give her a big, big round of applause.

You did great. (APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Masterful magician Christopher Hart will

manipulate your mind.

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

(BREAKING GLASS)

(CAR ALARM SOUND)

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Next, pull up a chair with Danny Cole.

DEAN: Danny Cole has a chair with a

mind of its own.

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

♪ MUSIC ♪

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: And now a trick that Farrell Dillon calls slight of

mouth.

FARRELL: Hello.

Well, no magic show would be complete without a card trick

and I wanted to do my favorite card trick for you guys

tonight but I need some help from somebody out of the

audience.

Uh, this guy right here in the blue,

what's your name?

BERT: Uh, Bert.

FARRELL: Bert. Nice to meet you, Bert.

Let's give Bert a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE) Nice to meet you, Bert.

BERT: Nice to meet you, too.

FARRELL: My name's Farrell.

Um, Bert, we are going to be doing a card trick.

BERT: All right.

FARRELL: Uh, but I don't want you to think it's like a

trick magicians, deck of cards,

or anything like that.

So I will show you that all the cards are completely

different.

Take a look.

BERT: Ooh.

FARRELL: Here, it's pretty awesome.

I'll show you guys what this looks like.

Here, check it out. Watch.

BERT: Ooh.

Yeah.

FARRELL: That's pretty awesome.

Now, Bert, uh, now that we know that all the cards are

different, I can begin the trick for you.

Go ahead, take out any card you want.

Look at it.

Don't let me see it.

Show everybody what it is.

Great, and Bert, to make sure that no other card in the

world looks exactly like that card,

I want you to take this marker.

I want you to write your name or some sort of symbol on the

face of the card.

Perfect, I will take the pen back from you when you're done

with that.

And, if you would, show the camera what the card looks

like now with your signature on it.

All right, now, Bert, here's what's going to happen.

I'm going to through the cards like this.

You just stop for me, somewhere in the middle.

BERT: Stop.

FARRELL: Perfect. Put your card back there.

Ah, face down. Good choice.

Yeah, you laugh but sometimes people put it face up and then

the trick's really stupid.

So I m glad you put it face down.

All right, now, Bert, here's what's going to happen,

okay?

What you, you ve seen so far in the show has been slight of

hand, okay?

Uh, but this time, I m not going to do sleight of hand.

What I am going to do is called sleight of mouth.

I'm going to take the cards, I'm going to cram them in my

mouth, and I m going to find your card with my tongue.

BERT: Do it.

FARRELL: (MUMBLES WITH CARDS IN MOUTH)

I'm going to find your card okay?

BERT: Okay.

FARRELL: Bert, you have a job.

This is a stick.

BERT: Okay.

FARRELL: Okay.

I want you to take the stick and you re going to whack the

cards out of my mouth.

BERT: As hard as I want?

FARRELL: I'll tell you...

yeah, whack the cards out of my mouth.

Okay? You understand?

BERT: Yeah.

FARRELL: Okay, don't hit my face.

BERT: I won't.

FARRELL: All right, hold on.

Okay, that's it.

Ready.

One.

Two.

Three.

Whack the cards.

BERT (LAUGHS)

FARRELL: Ooh. Ooh. You got to hit it hard.

You got to whack the cards out of my mouth.

BERT: All right.

FARRELL: Not my face.

Okay, here we go.

One.

Two.

Three.

Okay, one more time.

One more time.

Whack the cards.

One.

Two.

Three.

(APPLAUSE)

(LAUGHS)

FARRELL: Bert, I found one card using only my tongue.

I even folded it into quarters which,

you have to admit, even if this isn't your card,

it's really impressive.

BERT: Uh huh.

FARRELL: But lucky for me,

Bert, it's a wet card.

BERT: Ooh.

FARRELL: It's a slimy card.

And it's your card.

The five of spades with Bert written on it.

Let's give Bert a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you so much for your help.

BERT: Thank you.

FARRELL: Watch your step on the way down the stairs

and, Bert, don't forget your souvenir.

BERT: Here, just put it...

FARRELL: I'm just kidding.

Hey, oh, that's disgusting. All right, cool.

You can have it if you want to.

Everybody, give it up one more time for Bert.

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Next, Jeff McBride.

Now that's, uh, some spicy magic.

DEAN: Jeff McBride is a renaissance

man who is intrigued with the past.

JEFF: Well, thank you very much.

It's time to step back in time to renaissance Italy.

My audience volunteers are examining the tools of the

street machine.

Take a look, good look at the bowl and the magic wand.

Everything, fine.

And this is a commedia dell'arte mask.

I have a passion for masks so I collect them from all over.

This one's from Italy.

And his name is Bravo.

I say Bravo, you say...

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: Bravo?

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: Bravo?

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: You know your part. Ear.

Now he's a little naughty. He's a little body.

And he kind of takes over.

So I'm going to disappear for a while.

He's going to take over as we step back in time a few

hundred years ago for some commedia dell'arte street

magic.

Bravo.

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: Bravo.

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: Aye, we have some nice people here this evening.

Do you like-a magic?

JEFF (as SUSAN): Yes.

JEFF: Oh, very good. Is everything good?

JEFF (as SUSAN): Yes.

JEFF: Is any, is anything wrong?

JEFF (as SUSAN): No.

JEFF: Okay.

Very good.

And what is your name?

JEFF (as SUSAN): Susan.

JEFF: Very good. Very good.

Do you like Susan?

JEFF (as FEMALE): Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

JEFF: Do you like magic?

JEFF (as FEMALE): Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

JEFF: And you like-a my bowl?

JEFF (as FEMALE): Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

JEFF:Oh, very good. Very good.

I have some very fresh magic.

Very fresh magic tonight for you right here.

Let me get.

Let me get.

(SQUEAKS) Uh oh.

(SQUEAKS) Uh oh.

It's-a fresh.

It's-a fresh.

It's my ball.

Yeah.

Place out your hand.

Like-a that.

Don't squeeze my ball.

JEFF (as SUSAN): Okay.

JEFF: All right. You like-a my ball?

JEFF (as FEMALE): Oh, yeah.

JEFF: Okay.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Watch.

Nothing.

Watch.

(SQUEAKS BALL) Hey.

Bravo.

AUDIENCE: Bravo. (APPLAUSE)

JEFF: Bravo.

AUDIENCE: Bravo.

JEFF: (SPEAKS ITALIAN) Watch.

I take the ball.

You like?

JEFF (as SUSAN): Oh, yeah.

JEFF: Okay. Watch the ball.

(SQUEAKS BALL) Hey.

Impossible, huh?

Two balls.

Don't squeeze-a my balls.

You can squeeze-a my ball.

Okay.

Watch.

Watch.

(SQUEAKS BALL) One ball.

(SQUEEZE BALL) One ball.

Two hands.

Two hands.

Two hands.

Two hands.

(SQUEAKS BALL) Don't move.

One hand.

(SQUEAKS BALL) Two hands.

Don't move.

JEFF (as FEMALE): All right.

JEFF: Don't move.

Watch-a the ball.

(SQUEAKS BALL) Slowly open.

Open.

Open.

Impossible, huh? (APPLAUSE)

Amazing.

JEFF (as FEMALE): Oh, yeah,

yeah, yeah.

JEFF: Slowly open.

Hey, two balls.

Hey. (APPLAUSE)

Bravo.

Now hold the, hold the balls.

Hold the balls.

Watch the finale.

Watch the finale.

One ball.

(SQUEAKS BALL) And second one, different one.

(SQUEAKS BALL) One, two, three.

Three balls.

Yes, three balls.

One, two, three.

It's nice, huh?

I have three balls.

My mother said I was-a special.

All right.

Bye bye.

Bye bye.

Oh, problem.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Mmmm...

Everybody.

Drum roll.

One, two, three.

Hey.

Big-a fruit.

Watch.

Hey, bravo. (APPLAUSE)

Muah! (APPLAUSE)

I'm back.

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: Well, there you have it.

A master class in the art of sleight of hand.

Did you catch them in the act?

I didn'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 Cain.