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Description:
"Dangerous tricks are performed by fools," says Teller (of the magic duo Penn and Teller) in Death-Defying Feats, an episode of the Learning Channel's Mysteries of Magic series. In this program we are witness to many shocking and seemingly foolhardy treats. A healthy dose of Penn and Teller highlights this disc, including their Magnum-enhanced modern version of the bullet-catch trick. There is also plenty of historical footage and narrative, including Houdini's Water Torture Cell (an escape that, it is reported, only 12 people in the world have been able to figure out) and many manners of sawing a woman in two. We are presented with multiple versions of the latter, from the cute, quick, and very plain to Richiardi's quite gruesome and morbid presentation. The final half (no pun intended) of this presentation is devoted to magicians obsessions with firearms, in particular the many variations of the aforementioned bullet catch. Insight is given into the fate of the many magicians who have perished while performing the trick, and particular detail is given to the death of Chung Ling Soo, whose tricks were not the only things he kept a secret. While the extras on the disc are little more than digital fodder, this episode of the series captures the viewer's attention for its entirety and goes out with a bang. --Zachary Lively
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