Houdini NEWS

NEW Man From Beyond restoration

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:44:41 -0700

Bruce Cardozo, who last year released a restored The Man From Beyond DVD as part of his “Super Restoration Series,” is back with a NEW restoration that improves on his original and offers the best quality and the most complete print of this movie ever presented.

Starting with a print that is more complete and superior to the recent Kino release, Bruce utilized better clean up software and stabilized each scene using more advanced techniques. But the most revolutionary difference is the use of an amazing new speed adjustment software which not only returns silent movies to their proper speed, but the final result is fluid like it was shot yesterday! Motion in the new restoration looks natural, and with the speed adjustment, this new version clocks in at a 80 minutes, beating out all other versions out there.

In addition to the previous Bonus material offered on the DVD, this new version adds the almost complete screenplay of The Master Mystery, scanned from an original with notes on it! As with the first release, this DVD also includes complete and uncut footage of Houdini escaping from a straight jacket in Dayton, Ohio (which is not featured on the new Kino Box Set).

For those lucky enough to be attending the big charity party at the Houdini Estate tomorrow (August 23), you’ll be happy to know that Bruce has donated some 50 copies of this new DVD to the event to be distributed in random gift bags and several will go up for auction. The movie will also be screened in the Houdini house during the party, so you can see the spectacular restoration for yourself!

The NEW Man From Beyond Restoration Series DVD can be purchased at Restored Serials, Amazon.com, or via Bruce’s eBay store.

Houdini’s Magic Coloring Book

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:01:00 -0700

Here’s a fun Houdini tie-in produced and sold exclusively at Houdini’s Magic Shop, the magic Houdini’s Coloring Book.

The first time the magician flips through the book, the pages are all normal coloring book type pages. The second flip through the book and all of the pictures have become brightly colored. The third flip through the book and the pages are blank! The final flip returns the book to its normal condition. A great effect, and the illustrations of Houdini are pretty nice in themselves!

CLICK HERE to purchase Houdini’s Coloring Book from Houdini’s Magic shop online.

Special ticket rate for Houdini Estate party

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:07:03 -0700

The big charity party at the “Houdini Estate” in Hollywood is only a week away, and readers of Houdini Lives (meaning anyone who’s reading this now) can buy tickets at a special rate.

General Admission tickets normally cost $150 for women and $200 for men, but since Houdini Lives has offered to be a Host for the evening, people we invite get a $50 discount ($100 for women & $150 for men) and VIP status for the event (includes early and priority entrance to the party and preferential access to the VIP area on the grounds).

The party is billed as “A Night of Fantasy & Illusion at the Houdni Estate” and will feature dancing, fire performers, illusionists, casino games, a premium open bar and catered food. Also, we’ve just learned a NEW version of Bruce Cordozo’s restored The Man From Beyond DVD will be made available to guests.

To purchase tickets at the discount rate, call the Guardians office at 310-479-2468 and mention my name (John Cox) or Houdini Lives. You can also purchase tickets and get more information by CLICKING HERE.

All proceeds raised from this event will go directly to The Jewish Home for the Aging, which is home to nearly 1000 elderly residents with an average age of 90 years old.

Death Defying Acts opens in UK

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 05:46:01 -0700

Death Defying Acts, starring Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic, opens today in the UK.

DDA played a VERY limited engagement in New York and Los Angles last month. I’m not sure how wide this UK release will be, but it is currently playing cinemas of the Odeon chain.

Charity event at Houdini Estate, Aug 23

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 11:34:49 -0700

The fabled “Houdini Estate” in Laurel Canyon CA will be the sight of what sounds like a pretty magical charity event on August 23.

The Guardians Young Divisions invite you to enjoy “A Night of Fantasy and Illusion at the Houdini Estate; an unforgettable night of astonishing live entertainment --including fire performances and illusionists -- as well as an open bar, fine cuisine, dancing, Poker and gaming, and more!!”

The event will take place on August 23, 2008 from 8pm to 1am, and will benefit the residents of the Jewish Home for the Aging.

Click here to purchase tickets (I just got mine). Hope to see you there!

Death Defying Acts on DVD Oct 28

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:39:07 -0700

Well that didn’t take long. Amazon.com is now listing the DVD for Death Defying Acts with a release date of October 28, 2008. Interestingly, the film appears to have undergone a title change to Houdini’s Death Defying Acts.

The tag-line has also seen modification. The movie poster read “Love is inescapable” while the DVD now reads “Magic is inescapable.”

Using Houdini to sell a movie about Houdini... What a concept!

Houdini’s Death Defying Acts is being released under The Weinstein Company “classics” label, The Miriam Collection.

Now you see him, now you don’t

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:04:17 -0700

It looks like Death Defying Acts “limited engagement” was very limited indeed. The film played on only two screens in New York and LA for only one week.

It’s a shame The Weinstein Company didn’t give this film more support because I really enjoyed it.

For those who missed it, never fear. I expect Death Defying Acts will make an amazing reappearance on DVD. When we get news of exactly when that might be, we will let you know.

Houdini Lives on Facebook

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:21:05 -0700

Houdini Lives is now on Facebook. Stop on by and join our group where you’ll find links to our news stories, keeping you up-to-date with all the latest Harry happenings.

And for those of you exclusively on mySpace...don’t worry, we have a mySpace page as well!

Houdini Unlocking the Mystery DVD on Amazon

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:03:33 -0700

The History Channel documentary Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery (not to be confused with A&E’s Houdini: Unlocking the Secrets) is now available for purchase on DVD from Amazon.com.

Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery first aired on Halloween 2005. Produced by New Wave Entertainment and hosted by Lance Burton, the doc highlight footage from the 2004 Las Vegas auction where David Copperfield bought the Water Torture Cell for $350,000.

A DVD copy had been available direct from The History Channel website. I’m not sure if this new DVD -- which shows a July 17, 2008 release date -- features new original cover art.

Death Defying Acts image gallery

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:46:07 -0700

Houdini Lives now has a dedicated Death Defying Acts image gallery featuring poster art, promotional material, movie stills, and premiere pics from the new Houdini movie. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.

Death Defying Acts stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic. It’s currently playing limited engagements in New York and Los Angeles.

Death Defying Acts opens in NY & LA

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:19:04 -0700

Death Defying Acts, which stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic, opens today in limited engagements in New York and Los Angeles.

In New York the film is playing at the Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema, 139-143 East Houston Street, East Village. In LA it’s playing at the Manns Chinese Theater 6 (multiplex attached to the famous Graumans Chinese theater) at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 777-3456.

LA showtimes for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are: 12:10pm, 2:40pm, 5:10pm, 7:40pm, & 10:20pm.

If you want to see this in a theater, my advice would be to move quick. These limited engagements may only last a week or less.

Thanks to Adam Steinfeld of Adam Steinfeld Magic Live for the newspaper advert image

Harry Houdini for President

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:20:25 -0700

Magician Adam Steinfeld of Adam Steinfeld Magic Live fame sends us this political commercial for, yes, a “Harry Houdini for President” campaign.

Not sure what more I can say about this except...watch it and decide for yourself.

Thank you, Adam!

Houdini: The Handcuff King in paperback

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 21:07:07 -0700

Houdini:The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi is released today in paperback and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

This very well-done graphic novel for ages 9-12 was first released in hardcover in March 2007.

Death Defying Acts novelization

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:31:10 -0700

A novelization of the new movie Death Defying Acts will be released on July 15 according to Amazon.com. The book is a paperback published by Pocket and written by Greg Cox.

Death Defying Acts stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic out to claim the magician’s $10,000 prize for genuine communication with the dead. The film is due for release in New York and Los Angeles on July 11.

UPDATE: Despite Amazon showing a July 15 release date, the book is shipping now.

Death Defying Acts soundtrack released

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:17:56 -0700

The original soundtrack to the new movie Death Defying Acts has been released on CD and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Death Defying Acts stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic out to claim the magician’s $10,000 prize for genuine communication with the dead. The film is due for release in New York and Los Angeles on July 11.

New DVD: The Houdini Code

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:37:49 -0700

The Houdini Code, a Canadian documentary produced in 2007, focus exclusively on Houdini’s relationship to spiritualism and the controversy surrounding the coded message delivered to Bessie by the Rev. Arthur Ford after Houdini’s death. Don’t let the DVD cover art fool you, this is a very well-done professional documentary with quality interviews and some nice rare photos, particularly of Bessie.

One thing that’s interesting is the documentary states without qualification that Ed Saint was Bessie’s “new husband.”

Leading Houdini collector Arthur Moses has acquired DVD copies The Houdini Code for sale in the U.S. To purchase, contact Arthur via email.

Houdini...the corkscrew

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:01:12 -0700

We have another clip for you today -- this time it’s a TV commercial for the amazing Houdini Corkscrew by Metrokane.

And just in case you don’t approve of Houdini’s good name being used for such crass commercialism, gaze below at a newspaper ad from 1899. Houdini was a pioneer in tie-in marketing, and I expect he would be thrilled that his name still “sells” in 2008.

Image from Houdini A Pictorial Life
by Milbourne Christopher

Death Defying Acts U.S. release date...finally!

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:52:36 -0700

According to Cinematical, Death Defying Acts, which stars Guy Pearce as Houdini and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Scottish psychic, will be released in New York and Los Angeles on July 11.

The site is also claiming an “exclusive” on the poster...but it appears to be the same poster that was revealed back in May 2007.

The Houdini - Indiana Jones connection

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:46:18 -0700

Houdini and Indiana Jones? You heard me right. Play the above clip from The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones and see for yourself.

Of course, Indy (played here by Sean Patrick Flanery in an episode called “Daredevils of the Desert”) is referring to Houdini’s short-lived career as a pioneer aviator when he became the first man to fly a plane in Australia in 1910. Apparently, he did so with Indiana Jones by his side!

It’s likely this is more than just a throwaway line of dialogue. When it first aired on CBS from 1992 to 1993, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (as it was originally called) alternated episodes set during two different periods of young Indy’s life -- him as a teen (played by Flanery), and a pre-teen boy (played by Corey Carrier). This appears to be a reference to an episode that was planned for for the pre-teen Indy at some point in the future. Unfortunately, the series did not last that long.

Interestingly, there is a second Houdini connection in this particular episode. A young Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars. Zeta-Jones stars in the recent Houdini film, Death Defying Acts.

“Daredevils of the Desert” was recently released on DVD as part of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Vol 2 box set.

Where’s Indy?

Houdini Laid Bare on Amazon

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:45:40 -0700

The special two-volume edition of The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman is now available on Amazon.com.

Packaged in a slipcase, the two-set collection contains a first edition of The Secret Life of Houdini with a new colored frontispiece signed by both authors, and The Secret Life of Houdini Laid Bare, a companion volume that compiles all the authors unpublished notes, material that was edited out of the biography, and more than seventy rare photographs.

Each book is numbered and only 1,000 sets have been produced.

The two-volume set was previously only available from specialty magic publisher Mike Caveney.