01x19 - Levitation

[bunniefuu]

[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.


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]

[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 expl*si*n]

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.

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.

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.

Sleep.

You belong to me now.

You will obey me.

You will fly.

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.