(theme music playing)
NARRATOR: Man lives in the sunlit world
of what he believes to be reality.
But... there is,
unseen by most, an underworld.
A place that is just as real
but not as brightly lit.
A dark side.
Good car trip, man.
75 miles, it better be good.
Oh come on, Ernie, wait and see.
This guy is one of the greatest.
As good as Houdini.
Yeah, well... who's Houdini?
Oh, geez, man, come on.
Houdini was the greatest of them all.
He knew the secret of wireless levitation.
The only other guy who ever did it was Kharma.
Yeah, well, listen, if this dude is so good,
what is he doing here?
I mean, look at this.
(sighs) Dude.
I mean, man, this place is a dump.
A sheer dump!
Come on, step right up, kids.
Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead and step right in.
Go ahead, kids-- that's it.
You're gonna enjoy the show.
Now, looky, looky, looky,
I've got something for you, kid.
Step right up here, and I'm gonna show you things
you never saw in your life. Two.
Thanks.
Thank you.
You know, maybe...
maybe he's here for a reason.
His name does mean "fate," "destiny."
But what are you talking about, man?
Maybe he's looking for someone
to pass his secrets to.
You?
Come on, man, you been smoking dope?
I mean, this hocus-pocus.
Man, I'm out of here, man.
This is... Come on, Ernie, just wait.
Trust me, man.
Wait and see.
Kharma is one of the greatest, really.
His magic is real.
BARKER: Looky, looky, looky. Come on.
There's a couple of smart-looking kids.
Step up right up here, and I'll tell you
what we got inside.
We've got Laurel the Dancing Dwarf,
and we have the Great Kharma,
one of the best magicians in the world.
And, inside, you will see this young lady
without this skirt,
so why don't you guys just step right in.
Go right ahead, have fun.
Go ahead, kids, that's it.
Strange creatures called
nature's most unfortunate children.
Welcome, one and all.
See the mysteries and wonders
of far, exotic lands.
WOMAN: Ladies and gentlemen,
for your education,
for your amusement and your
amazement, and most of all, for your enlightenment...
the Great Kharma, master of the secrets
of time and destiny, is here to show you
the wonders of the world
beyond the here and now, the mysterious
realm of the supernatural.
Ladies and gentlemen,
prepare yourselves for the Great Kharma.
(applause, drum roll)
(cymbals crashing)
(jaunty organ music playing)
(coughing in audience)
(drum roll)
(cymbals crashing)
(applause, cheering)
The Great Kharma, huh?
Come on, just give him a chance.
(woman coughing)
(cymbals crashing)
(mild applause)
(drumroll)
(cymbals crashing)
(sparse applause)
(man coughing)
(yawning)
(cymbals crashing)
(sparse applause)
Kid stuff.
This is kid stuff.
Any hack can do this.
(audience murmuring)
(audience murmurs and groans)
(drumroll)
(cymbals crashing)
(applause)
(small explosion)
Boy, what a waste.
I can't believe it.
I got to find out what happened.
(sultry howl): Ow!
The Great Kharma, huh?
I can't believe it.
He didn't do any of the stuff he's famous for.
The Moroccan Cabinet or the Whirlwind Illusion.
Just cheap toy store stuff.
Well, come on, man, let's get out here then.
No, no, I got to see him-- there's something wrong.
All right, listen, I saw a big tent
over here, man, with freaks and everything.
I mean, maybe there's something neat over there
like a hermaphrodite or something. No.
I got to... I got to talk to him.
What is all this gonna prove?
(murmuring)
E-Excuse me.
Yeah, what do you want?
I-I-I'd like to see Kharma, please.
Kharma doesn't see anyone-- go away.
No, I have to see him.
Listen, kid, Kharma doesn't see anyone.
Could he make an exception, just once?
Hey, kid, give us a break, will ya?
We do four of these shows a night.
We're tired.
This is our dinner hour.
Explain to your friend,
will ya? Just one minute.
That's all I need. Come on, Frank.
Let's just go, all right? Don't pull me.
Kharma?
Didn't Flora tell you? I don't do interviews.
I'm sorry, Jake. He got pass me.
Come on, kid. Just one minute, that's all I want.
Please, sir, just one minute.
Mr. Kharma, please, why didn't you do
the Whirlwind or the Moroccan Cabinet?
Or the Wireless Levitation?
The secret of wireless levitation died with Houdini.
No, it didn't.
You did in 1960 in London.
I read about it.
There were four performances.
You even did it
for the Queen of England. Can't you stop him?
It's just an illusion.
I never met Houdini.
He died when I was a baby.
And Houdini never
passed on his secrets to anyone.
That's not what it said in the London Times.
I saw the clippings.
You said Houdini spoke to you
from the other side.
Stupid publicity from the London Times.
There is no such thing as secrets.
It's all an illusion.
It's done with mirrors, pulleys, levers,
sleight of hand-- you should know that.
Don't say that.
You know real magic.
It's all trickery.
I point up here and you look up here.
But you never really see what's going on...
down here.
It's called "misdirection."
You just never know where to look.
FRANK: Mr. Kharma, you're supposed to be
one of the best who ever lived.
Put that down.
Sorry about that.
We drove 75 miles to see you tonight.
You're the last of the true magicians.
Don't tell me there aren't any secrets.
All right, son.
I'll tell you the secret.
There is... no secret.
And that's the secret.
And Houdini never spoke to me from beyond the grave.
You're the great Kharma.
Master of time and destiny.
You can't be a liar.
You can't, I believe in you.
Sometimes...
Sometimes you can believe in something too much.
You can make the truth out of a lie.
Like the great Houdini, he said he could defy death,
he could speak to us from the other side.
Now, you don't believe in spirits, do you?
What about levitation?
People saw you do it.
You did it four times.
Three times.
I did the levitation three times.
The fourth time...
All right, you've seen enough.
Now out.
No, wait, wait, wait... wait.
Listen to me.
There are things we... we didn't know how to control.
Forces that go
beyond knowledge.
We became arrogant, proud.
And I tell you...
wireless levitation is too dangerous.
It requires and uses too much energy.
I want to learn.
(chuckles)
If you want to learn, go to school.
Learn something useful.
Get a job.
Don't fool around with illusions.
Just...
get out of here, the both of you.
I'm tired.
I thought you were going to be special.
I thought you were going to be the greatest thing
that I'd ever seen.
But you're nothing.
You're nothing.
FLORA: Please leave us alone now.
FRANK: The guy's a bum. A fraud.
FLORA: He was one of the greatest who ever lived.
Greater than Houdini.
FRANK: Yeah, and like a fool I believed it.
FLORA: You don't understand.
He was the only man who ever did a wireless levitation.
FRANK: Get off.
ERNIE: Then why doesn't he do it?
Because the last time...
the last time, he tried it on his own daughter.
Now, please leave us alone.
FLORA: The great Kharma, master of the secrets of time and destiny,
is here to show you the wonders of the world
beyond the here and now... Come on, dude, what's this going to prove?
...the mysterious realm of the supernatural.
Ladies and gentlemen,
prepare yourselves for the Great Kharma.
(scattered applause)
(cymbals crashing)
(calliope playing brisk, jaunty tune)
Now watch.
He pulls the flowers from his cape.
(scattered applause)
Trick handkerchief.
The flowers are hidden in there. SPECTATOR: Shh!
A cheap toy store trick.
What are you doing, man?
Why don't you show the other rope up your sleeve?
Aw, I don't believe it.
This is the Chinese Linking Rings.
The trick is
the rings slide through each other.
Hey, while your at it, why don't you show us a phony guillotine, huh?
Huh?
(audience members whispering, murmuring)
Come on!
Are you, uh...
...enjoying yourself?
I want the Wireless Levitation.
Jake, don't.
Done.
Oh, man, Frank, man.
Don't do it, man. Something's not right.
On your head, be it.
What?
Has your courage deserted you?
No.
I'm not afraid.
Do it.
Close your eyes.
Sleep.
Relax.
Look deep inside now, boy.
In that secret place...
that only you know how to find.
Sleep.
Relax.
Remember how it felt to fly in your dreams.
Sleep.
Relax.
Let your weight drop from your flesh.
Sleep.
Relax.
Drift.
Let the threads of gravity drop away.
Sleep.
Relax.
Sleep.
Relax.
Drift.
Float.
Sleep.
You belong to me now.
You will obey me.
You will fly.
Ladies and gentlemen, what you are about to see
has not been attempted on any stage in over 25 years.
(gasps)
Oh, Jake.
(audience gasping)
Rise.
Rise, I command you to rise.
Rise.
Rise. Rise!
I command you to rise!
Oh, my God. Frank!
WOMAN: Look! He's levitating!
He is!
(audience gasps, murmurs)
I command you to rise!
I command you to rise. I command you to rise.
I command you to rise.
I command you to rise!
I give you levitation.
Rise!
I command you to rise!
Rise!
Ri...
R...
Jake!
Rise!
Ri... Ri...
No!
Jake!
Frank...
Frank, come back.
Frank, no! Do something!
Somebody's gotta do something.
Frank!
No! No, Frank, please, come back!
Somebody, please, do something!
Frank! No!
Frank, come back!
Please!
No, Frank! Frank, come back!
Please!
NARRATOR: The dark side is always there.
Waiting for us to enter.
Waiting to enter us.
Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.