You know normally I don't allow visitors in my dressing room.
Oh, I am so grateful to you for the opportunity.
Think nothing of it.
So you're really going to let me help you with your act.
I can't think of anyone I'd rather have.
Now, let us toast to the assistance you will provide me.
So, um, what is it I'm gonna have to do?
All in due time, my dear.
All in due time.
For now, let us enjoy the few precious moments remaining.
How many...!
How many times do I have to tell you
Not to bother me before a performance?
They want us to go on early.
The amazing goldfarb called in sick.
Get out of here and stay out of here.
I'll meet you on stage.
Yes, sir!
Farewell my lovely.
Thank you. Thank you.
Now, ladies and gentlemen,
The climax of our extraordinary show.
I, fahteem the magnificent, will perform the impossible.
The death defying cabinet of doom.
You see here nine
Stainless steel blades.
All positioned to plunge into the cabinet.
I have offered $50,000 to anyone who can perform
The cabinet of doom trick successfully and live.
But before you all rush up,
Let me add that two men have died in this cabinet trying.
Human flesh
And muscle are to these blades
What butter is to a hot blade.
Now, a graphic demonstration of what happened
To those who attempted
The cabinet of doom and failed.
Let me out!
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
It's my turn.
Silence please.
Let me out!
This feat requires total concentration.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
Hey, what are you doing here?
I'm packing up.
No, don't touch that!
No! No!
No!
Oh, no, that's terrible.
What is it?
Fahteem the magnificent.
Who? The what?
Fahteem the magnificent.
He was one of the great magicians of the world.
It seems that he died in an accident
Nearly three months ago.
Oh, friend of yours?
No. Not really.
It's just that, ah, those of us who are interested in magic
Were floored by his sudden rise to prominence.
He does one of the greatest
Illusions of all time.
Very few magicians would even try it.
Yeah, what was it?
The cabinet of doom.
Sounds like a laugh a minute.
He used to strap himself into a coffin
And then a dozen steel spikes were driven right into it.
Please. I'm trying to eat.
Oh, no. There was never a mark on him.
He got out without even a scratch.
To this day, nobody knows how he even did it.
A couple of other magicians tried to duplicate it,
But they didn't even live long enough to find out what happened.
Yeah, being a magician's a dangerous job.
I mean, it's not on my list of career possibilities.
Don't you joke about it, ryan.
Look, some of those tricks are very dangerous.
I used to do one that was called the pendulum of death.
Now that really required impeccable timing,
Dexterity and skill.
You were much... Younger then.
Thank you for pointing that out to me.
Oh, whatever happened to fahteem?
Oh, he was putting the cabinet away,
And the armature with all the spikes slipped.
I'm glad you find that amusing.
No, it's just that, um, fahteem the magnificent's
Real name was harvey ringwald of the bronx.
That name sounds awfully familiar.
Yes, it does.
The manifest.
I got it here.
Yeah, here it is.
Item number 37492.
Sold to harvey ringwald,
The houdin box.
He had the "uhdan" box.
Uhdan box, hoodeen box, which one is it?
Ah, it once belonged
To that legendary magician from France, houdin.
He died trying to perfect it.
And you think they're connected?
Maybe. Who knows?
We better get back this houdin box before anybody else dies.
It says here that fahteem had an assistant,
Robert simpson, who now works
For a magic supply house making properties.
Why don't you guys see what you can learn from him.
I'm gonna talk to some friends of mine at the temple of magic.
Fahteem used to hang out there.
Maybe they can tell me something about him.
Meet you there later. Mm-hmm.
Sorry, I really don't know what happened to his things.
I haven't seen them since the accident.
Nor do I care to.
What about a houdin box? Does that ring a bell?
Nope.
Our records show that fahteem bought this box
About two years ago.
So?
Look, it's really important that we get it back.
Why?
For sentimental reasons.
It belonged to our uncle.
We're willing to pay good money for it.
Well, you've come to the wrong person.
I knew nothing about his equipment.
But you worked with him, didn't you?
Nobody worked with fahteem.
You worked for him.
You did as he told you to, that's all.
I was his flunky, if that's what you mean.
So you didn't know how his tricks worked?
Magicians guard their secrets with their lives.
Well that's obviously what fahteem did.
And his secrets died with him.
And good riddance.
So you have no idea where his things are now.
Listen, last I heard they were all auctioned off.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I really don't have time
To participate in your scavenger hunt.
And as far as I'm concerned,
I should have been the headliner and fahteem the flunky.
Hello. Yeah, it's me.
Two collectors just paid me a visit.
They were looking for the box.
Did you tell them anything?
No. No I didn't tell them anything.
Could there be trouble?
Well, if they get in the way, we'll just have to lose them.
It's as simple as that.
Okay, handle it. Okay.
All right, everybody!
All right now, keep this moving.
I want all the tryouts completed as fast as possible.
Now remember, the television cameras tomorrow night
At the competition. See you up there.
You're in very good voice, monte.
Well, jack, how are you?
Good to see you. You're looking good man.
Yeah, you're not so bad for an older man.
Sit down.
Well, what did you want to see me about?
Gee, this is some bash you're putting on.
Television and everything?
Oh, yeah. It's, it's the biggest.
100,000 bucks first prize
And admission to the magic star society.
Magicians from all over are coming out
Of the woodwork to try out.
A chance to get into the inner sanctum.
Mr. Martin, this is for you.
Tommy,
I thought I told you this was a closed set?
Well, they were looking for a runner, so I took the job.
Gotta go.
So, uh, what can I do for you?
You knew fahteem the magnificent?
You mean harvey ringwald the sleazebag?
Yeah. What about him?
What happened to him?
As far as I know, he had an accident. Why?
He had a piece of equipment that I wouldn't mind acquiring.
Ooh, I'm afraid you're a little late for that.
His stuff has been disbursed already.
You're not thinking of doing the cabinet of doom trick are you?
Only a certified lunatic like that tommy would try that one.
Kids.
Jack...
Oh, ah, these are my business partners.
Oh, glad to meet you.
Well, if that's all there is,
I'm afraid I have to go.
I wish I could invite you to stay.
This is strictly a closed set.
You know how temperamental magicians are.
Ah, look, why don't you come back
Tomorrow night for the show?
Be my guests.
I'll let you in for half price.
Oh, just kidding.
It's on the house.
Excuse me.
Thanks. We just might.
What were you guys able to find out?
Well, fahteem and his assistant
Weren't exactly drinking buddies.
Yeah, do not invite to the same party.
You will do as I say!
Please, father...
And no more back talk.
Who's running this show, you or me?
Ever since your mother died,
You've been nothing but a problem!
Wow, that poor girl.
Her father seems to take his act
A little too seriously.
I think they really want us out of here. Come on, let's go.
Excuse me.
I'm afraid this place is off-limits
To all except magicians.
But of course.
I am the great montarro
And I have come to grace your contest.
I've never heard of ya.
You will.
What's your specialty?
A death-defying act that will stagger the imagination.
I call it the coffin of blood.
Whoever has the houdin box
Has the power to be the best magician in the world.
It's my guess they're going
To try and prove it in monte's competition.
Marvelous.
So all we have to do is figure,
Out of a hundred magicians,
Which one just might possibly have it.
Well, it's not hopeless.
The manifest said the box is pretty big.
That eliminates quite a few acts, right?
Most of them I would think.
Don't forget, we're looking for something spectacular
And death-defying.
Or someone who would be willing to use a cursed object.
Someone like montarro.
Did you see the way he treated his daughter?
It was awful.
Now this is all under the assumption that we're able
To get back into the temple of magic
Long enough to have a look around, which we can't.
Ah, don't be too sure.
You heard it yourself.
The guy said the place is closed.
Except to magicians and their assistants.
Ah, yes.
You sure this is a good idea?
Can you think of a better way of getting in there?
When was the last time you did
The, uh, burning rope escape trick?
You mean the pendulum of death!
Ah, it's like riding a bicycle; you never forget.
Good. Good.
It's the old "pendulum of death," monte.
The pendulum of death?
No way!
Oh, come on now. Monte, look...
No!
You and I, we've forgotten more
Than these young people have ever known. No!
Please? Old time's sake.
Oh, all right. All right.
But you'll have to audition like anyone else.
But of course.
I'll try and squeeze you in late this afternoon.
Only the top five acts get into the televised finals tonight.
Understood.
Come on! Come on, miranda.
I'll be down to take a look at your act in five minutes.
Get it together!
You guys can go on after the prodigious panzini.
Good.
Good luck. Thank you, monte.
Well, we got a lot to do and we haven't much time to do it,
So come on. Let's get going.
Well, I've got to unload all your gear.
Why don't I check out the prop room while I'm down there?
That's a good idea.
¶ ¶
Ready, set...
Go!
Now the secret pocket for the key.
Ta-da!
How long did you say it takes for that rope to burn through?
Oh, lots of time, almost a minute.
It took you 85 seconds.
Well, it's faster upside down.
I'm a little rusty.
I found something...
In the prop room.
The houdin box.
I don't know. It looks like that trick fahteem did.
It's got the holes in it with the big knives,
But get this.
It belongs to montarro.
Then, if montarro is using the old cabinet of doom box,
That means he has got his hands on some of fahteem's equipment
That was up for auction.
I better check that out.
You two keep an eye on montarro and lyla, hmm?
Well, great. Maybe we'll get lucky.
You won't have to do your trick after all.
What?! And miss the return of the great mad marshak?!
Come on. Let's go.
I've spent too many years scrounging on this
To be stopped by a little blackmailer.
Why would anyone want to blackmail us?
Who knows? Jealousy. Greed.
There are a lot of sick, demented people out there, lyla.
But what if you don't listen?
Oh, stay out of this!
This is my business, so let me handle it.
This is my chance, lyla, and I will not be denied.
Please, father, don't! Shut up!
Let us not have talk about such nonsense!
I'm gonna tail him, make sure he doesn't barge in on jack.
You want to keep an eye on lyla?
¶ ¶
You okay?
Hi. My name's micki.
I'm lyla.
I really appreciate this.
Most people aren't so friendly.
I know.
Well, maybe when this is all over we can get together.
If my father lets me.
He's very strict.
Well,
Don't let him get you too down.
I try not to.
I really do love him.
Well, you'll just have to come to the store.
We'll have some fun.
You don't do this all the time?
This? Magic?
Hell, no.
You're lucky.
I've been on the road with my father since I was 16.
Your, um, father does this trick...
The coffin of blood?
I guess so.
I don't know too much about it.
What about you?
Why are you doing this?
Well, to tell you the truth,
We're looking...
To see if we can't win $100,000.
I know what you mean.
Oh. Hello, mr. Montarro.
What are you doing here?
Uh... Same thing you are.
Just checking our equipment.
You're following me.
Well, a-as a matter of fact, I am.
You do not belong here.
Mr. Montarro!
Can I have your autograph?
You can just make it out to ryan.
I was a big fan of fahteem the magnificent.
Did you know him?
He had an act a lot like yours.
No, I never met him.
That's too bad. He was quite a guy.
You will leave now.
No one is allowed
To watch me prepare the coffin of blood.
Oh, yeah, sure.
I'm sorry to have bothered you.
Uh... Good luck at the contest.
Jack, I didn't know you were in the prop room.
Well, I very nearly wasn't, thanks to you, huh?
Look. I'm sorry.
Why didn't you say something?
I was too scared.
Besides, I didn't want montarro to know.
Don't you think that's a little brave? I think
It's a little stupid, but I'm here anyway, aren't I?
Now, let's get on with it.
Yeah, what have we learned?
Well, for starters,
Lyla doesn't have a clue.
In fact, she's terrified of him.
Yeah, who wouldn't be? Montarro?
And that coffin of blood.
That, that rig is really just that.
There's no way out of that thing.
There's gotta be something else.
Those blades would carve a turkey.
Has to be the houdin box.
I can't see it can be anything else.
That would explain montarro's paranoia.
Now all we've gotta do is find that thing.
After you've done your trick.
Well, that first. Come on.
Listen, I can only
Wait ten minutes.
We've gotta get set up for the finals tonight.
Don't worry. He'll be here.
Where do you think he is?
God, I hope he hasn't had second thoughts.
I don't know.
I'll check the john.
I'll check his dressing room.
Jack.
Jack?
He wasn't in the john. I checked the prop room.
He wasn't even in the wine cellar.
Ryan, I checked his dressing room. I...
Jack. Jack!
Let's get this show on the road.
You're holding up everything.
Okay, okay, okay.
Come help me with this.
Ladies and gentlemen.
What you are about to witness
Is one of the most dangerous escapes
Ever attempted by a magician-- the pendulum of death.
As you have seen, the magnificent marshak's hands
Have been completely immobilized
By the straightjacket he is wearing.
To further render him helpless,
Stainless steel chains have been wrapped around his body
And tied to this belt by those two padlocks.
Impossible as this feat may appear to be already,
The magnificent marshak has raised the stakes
By attempting to free himself while suspended by his legs over
This bed of spikes.
There is one more little complication.
The rope from which he is suspended, shall be burning.
He will have 60 seconds to extricate himself
Before the rope burns completely through,
Sending him plunging onto the bed of spikes.
Magnificent marshak, are you ready?
Begin!
Hoist him up!
Ryan.
Hurry up, jack.
Jack!
He can't get out!
Do something!
Take him down!
Jack!
Call an ambulance.
Somebody get an ambulance.
Oh, my god!
Easy. Easy with him.
Call an ambulance.
I should never have let him do this.
I've seen it all before.
Shut up!
Someone do something.
I don't understand.
Where's jack?
I don't know!
Ryan, micki!
Jack! Thank god!
Oh, my god.
Where've you been?
The kid wanted his chance so badly,
He locked me in the closet.
Jack, look at that for chance.
The key's broken.
That wasn't broken-- that was filed.
Are you saying this wasn't an accident?
I'm saying somebody wanted me dead. Why?
Why would they want you dead?
Because we're getting too close.
Well, if they kill jack,
They get rid of all three of us.
Exactly.
Montarro!
Montarro could have done this,
But he's a little too obvious.
Now, who else is there?
Miranda. What about miranda?
She's been watching us like a hawk.
Yes, I think it's time we paid her
A little visit and had a chat.
It's robert!
Robert?
Fahteem's assistant? But...
Miranda was robert?
Wait a minute. W-where, where's the suicide note?
Ryan, it-it may not even be suicide.
Somebody was trying to get rid of me, and now robert.
Why? What's the connection.
Why does there have to be a connection?
I'll bet there is a connection.
Maybe it's just a random killer.
Th-this is his act.
Oh, boy. Sorry.
Wait a minute. What's this?
Looks like sawdust.
What would sawdust be doing in his hair?
Hey, robert,
Check this...
Oh, my god! Hey, hold it!
no, please.
I don't know anything.
It was all bobby's idea. J-just don't hurt me.
What was bobby's idea?
N-nothing...
shall we try that again?
I didn't want any part of blackmailing montarro.
Blackmailing montarro?
Why would anyone want to blackmail montarro?
Ryan, let me talk to him.
Now, listen you.
Whoever did this to bobby could easily do it to you.
Bobby knew something, didn't he?
Something about a box?
How did you know?
Just tell me!
All right.
There was this box that fahteem used
To do the cabinet of doom trick.
Now, robert tried to find out everything he could about it,
But fahteem wouldn't let him know the first thing.
Fahteem died.
The box vanished.
He was probably killed for the box.
Montarro.
So you came here to search for it.
Bobby said that if we found out who had the box,
We could write our own ticket.
So we came and we turned the place upside down and...
And robert found it.
Where?
Where is it?
He didn't tell me that.
But what he did tell me was, he sent a note to montarro
To arrange terms,
That we'd be the headliners
In exchange for our silence.
Well, he got robert's silence, didn't he?
Now, you'll be next unless you help us.
Now, tell us about the box.
How does it work?
I don't know that
And I don't want to know.
What I do know is that whenever fahteem performed
The cabinet of doom trick,
Somebody had to be inside the box.
The curse.
What?
Nothing.
The victims get locked in the houdin box.
There's no illusion, there's no sleight of hand.
It's just cold-blooded murder.
The show goes on in half an hour.
We've got to stop it.
I can go and see monte and try and get him to postpone it,
Or at least stop that, that coffin of blood thing.
All right. I'll go speak to lyla.
The poor thing probably has no idea what her father's up to,
But if I can persuade her not to perform this evening,
There's no way he can possibly go on.
I'll go look for montarro.
He's probably lining up another victim.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
Well, uh, why don't you come with me
And we'll take care of it?
Lyla, I've gotta talk to you.
Um, sure. Um, you look worried.
Is your friend okay?
He's fine. It's you I'm worried about.
Me? Yeah.
Don't worry about me. I'm fine.
Father and I are getting along pretty good now.
Lyla, I'm gonna ask you to trust me.
I do. What are you getting at?
If you didn't help your father
Do the coffin of blood trick this evening,
What would happen?
Are you kidding? Everything.
He can't do it alone.
Well, then that's what I'm gonna ask you to do. What?
This means the world to him.
He's given his whole life to this.
Lyla, he's given more than his life. This is magic.
Real magic.
Oh, come on.
There's no such thing as magic.
That's what I used to believe.
You're serious, aren't you?
Dead serious.
Look, lyla,
There's something called the houdin box.
I think your father has it.
So that's what he's been so secretive about.
You've seen it?
He's kept it hidden.
Where? Can I see it?
Sure. I'll show you.
Where is it?
It's over here.
Is this what you're talking about?
Yeah, I think it is.
Let me have a look.
Oh. It's caked with blood.
Lyla!
What's that, micki?
I can't understand a word you're saying.
Just help me, lyla.
You thought my father was the great montarro.
I'm the great montarro.
All he can do is boss me around.
But without me, he's nothing.
I'm the one who made him what he is.
Not the other way around.
What do you mean? He doesn't even know what's going on.
Lyla! Please...!
Please!
And nobody, nobody is going to get in my way.
Not fahteem,
Not robert,
Not even you.
I was beginning to like you.
I really want to thank you for helping me with the act.
I would have had to find myself a victim anyway.
But you've saved me the trouble.
Lyla, please. I'm sorry you won't be able to see us win.
But you'll be there in spirit.
Oh, help me, somebody.
Help me, please!
Somebody, help me!
Montarro's up next.
Monte, you've got to listen to me.
You've got to postpone the montarro's performance.
What, what, come on, jack.
Look, look, I'm deadly serious.
This is important!
A little professional jealousy.
Too bad about that little trick of yours.
You know me better than that. I thought I did.
Now please excuse me. No, no, no, no. Don't you know what's going on?
Can't you see?
Now look, all I can see is that I've got a show to produce,
Which somebody is trying to sabotage.
What are you talking about?
The murders. What murders?
Tommy. Tommy? Ah, tommy was a foolish kid.
He died trying to do something he shouldn't a been doing.
Monte, it should have been me landing on those spikes.
Oh, what are you contemplating, don't flatter yourself.
Who'd want to kill you?
What, then robert. Robert?
You mean miranda, the guy with the identity crisis,
And a few screws loose in his belfry.
He committed suicide which isn't hard to understand.
That's just what the killer wanted you to believe.
Jack, I haven't time for all of this.
We're on the air. Now, please...
I can't get through to monte, he's not going to stop the show.
Montarro's on next.
Yes, I know. I know.
Look, have you seen micki?
No, no.
Wait a minute, if micki went to talk to lyla
And lyla's here. Where's micki?
No mistakes now.
This is our big chance.
Hi. Have you seen micki?
Uh, not for awhile.
We have to go on.
Lyla has sawdust on her back.
Didn't robert have sawdust in his wig?
Maybe they get it from that dummy
They use in their coffin trick.
No, no. They haven't even done the act yet.
Besides, I saw sawdust around here somewhere else.
What? In the prop room?
No, no, in the wine cellar.
When I was going down to look in the prop room,
I saw sawdust in the wine cellar.
What would lyla be doing in the wine cellar?
Recently, too.
While she has her costume on.
Micki!
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
We hope you enjoyed the fabulous rossini.
Judges, cast your ballots.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, in a few moments,
The next contestant for your consideration,
A newcomer-- the great montarro.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
The great montarro will perform
His death-defying act of skill and courage,
The famed and infamous coffin of blood.
There are nine stainless steel blades.
Each one positioned to plunge through the lid
And impale the magician within.
Like the late fahteem the magnificent,
I have offered $50,000 to anyone
Who can successfully perform the coffin of blood.
And by that I mean, anyone who survives it.
Micki!
Where the hell could she be?
Micki!
Let's try there.
Help!
I heard something!
Help!
Micki?
Imagine, if this had been human flesh.
A graphic description
Of the impossibility of escaping the coffin of blood.
this is the best I've ever seen you.
They love it.
Help.
Help, ryan!
I've never seen anything like it.
There's no door.
Well, there's got to be a trigger or something. Come on.
I don't know. I don't know.
I see her, I see her.
Micki! Micki! Hold on! I'll get you out!
Jack!
And now, the great montarro will attempt the impossible.
Jack, what are you doing?
This crystal might be the lock.
If I can just pry it out,
Help.
Jack!
Ryan, pass me the flashlight.
Dim the lights, please.
Are you ready?
The great montarro is ready.
Hurry!
Father!
No!
Father!
No, no, no!
Oh, no!
No! No! No! No!
¶ don't chain me down, little darlin' ¶
¶ I long to be free ¶
¶ don't chain me down, little darlin' ¶
¶ and please, ma-ma... Me. ¶
There we go.
Isn't that weird.
A girl like lyla could turn out to be such a psycho.
Never judge a book by its cover.
Or a man by the jacket that he's wearing.
Yeah, but you never know, jack.
Micki could turn out to be a real schizo.
I'd have to be to work with you, wouldn't I?
Have you got anything in a 40 regular?
Oh, this is you, my boy. This is just you.
As a matter of fact, maybe we can find you pants
And a ball and chain to match.
Micki, would you make this tighter, please?
Oh, my pleasure,
Sure you can handle it?
Sure, I'm sure.
This is gonna be as easy as lying down between silk sheets.
That certainly ought to wrap it up.
Good.
Micki... Yeah.
...You got the stopwatch?
Yeah, you want me to time you?
I'm ready, I'm ready, let's go.
Ready. Okay, whenever you are.
Set...
Go.
Jack, would you like another cup of coffee?
I don't mind if I do.
Here, let me put this right where you can see it.
Oh, but it only runs up to an hour.
Um...
Guys!
Hey!
Guys, this isn't funny anymore.