Remington and the Curse of the Living Corpses In the small town of Ravenwood, rumors had been circulating for centuries about a curse that plagued the town. The curse spoke of an ancient burial ground hidden deep within the woods that was said to bring the dead back to life. Many dismissed these tales as mere superstition or urban legend, but for the town's historian, Professor Remington, it was a mystery he couldn't resist. Remington had spent years researching and documenting the town's history, and he had come across numerous accounts of unexplained events and disappearances throughout the years. Intrigued by these stories, he decided to delve deeper into the legend of the curse. His research led him to the local library, where he uncovered a collection of hidden documents, detailing the experiences of those who had encountered the living corpses.
Lithe and glib, mentalist Alex McAleer is showstopping with his astonishing acts of mind reading. Here's one to ponder: shopping receipts from an audience member are placed in a glass bowl. Another audience member is asked to think of a name. A third member is up on stage and asked to draw a picture on a chalk board and write down a number up to twenty and another number past fifty. McAleer's patter tells the tale of an old magician who used “whispering imps” in his act, which McAleer just happens to have in the casket to help him out. The invisible imp whispers to the girl on stage as she idly draws and writes down the numbers. The reveal stupefies. In a random drawing, one of the receipts is removed from the bowl. Uncrumpled, it reads out the exact number the girl had written down under the influence of the imp; while the name on the receipt is the name the other audience member wrote down. As a final bedazzlement, McAleer holds the imp in his cupped hands up to the video camera. A tiny scaly red hand peeks out before jumping away in a flash. Brilliant.
Mexican-American illusionist Fernando Velasco, influenced by master magician Harry Houdini, duplicates the great one s water torture trick where he s bound in a straitjacket, feet shackled to a locked board, and lowered upside down into a glass case filled with water. There are pyrotechnics not seen since a Super Bowl halftime, enough fog for a midnight tryst in London, and a finale of a confetti cannon that suffocates the front rows.
His research led him to the local library, where he uncovered a collection of hidden documents, detailing the experiences of those who had encountered the living corpses. These accounts described a dark and eerie presence, as the corpses wandered the streets at night, terrorizing the townspeople. Undeterred by the macabre tales, Remington set out to find the burial ground himself.
Nothing Up Their Sleeves at Champions of Magic
There's not an “Abracadabra” to be heard inside Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall during the dazzling display of magic on hand – many hands, many deft hands – from the Champions of Magic, wowing everyone until February 17 on its American tour.
Neither is there an “Open Sesame” from The Thief of Baghdad nor “From the land beyond beyond. ” the incantation to summon the genie in The 7 th Voyage of Sinbad. But there are genies in abundance, elves near the shadows, and “whispering imps” darting to and fro which account for the fantastic illusions and sleights of hand which bedazzle and amaze. How else to explain those marvels that happen right before your eyes that defy the laws of physics, to say nothing of the natural order of the universe. If it's not pixies up their sleeves, then it must be magic. Utter sheer magic.
The prestidigitation is spectacular. Five magicians, joined by two assistants later in the evening, work wonders that leave you breathless. Young and Strange, an English Penn and Teller, although neither one is mute, perform classic illusions like the lady sawed in two, or the disappearing body in a box to be instantly replaced by someone else, or the vanishing tiger á la Siegfried and Roy. They're a comic duo, trying to outdo each other. Young's Red Light, Green Light routine (I think it was Young) with flashing and vanishing little lights on the tips of his fingers is repeated to the delight of everyone.
Hollie England is a comely magician with the lithe body of a dancer who swallows pins from a tea cup and a piece of thread from her teddy bear and pulls the string out from her mouth with all needles neatly strung. Then she'll do a bit of silhouette art, burn it up, and it suddenly morphs into what the audience member asked for in secret. Amazing. She's pretty and dangerous.
Mexican-American illusionist Fernando Velasco, influenced by master magician Harry Houdini, duplicates the great one's water torture trick where he's bound in a straitjacket, feet shackled to a locked board, and lowered upside down into a glass case filled with water. His heart monitor is amplified for dramatic effect, and a sheet is pulled over the box as the precious seconds tick away. When the sheet is ripped off with dramatic flourish, the box is empty, and Velasco appears at the back of the theater, dripping wet and surrounded by banks of fog. It's quite the show.
Another feat rhapsodizes his father who loved astronomy. Dad would tear up pieces of aluminum foil and scatter them in front of the boy's telescope when the stars were hidden by clouds. Velasco idly tears up a piece of foil and cools his hand with a Japanese paper fan. Suddenly, foil pieces stream from his hand. Seeming millions of them. They inundate the stage. It's a radiant effect, magical in the extreme.
Lithe and glib, mentalist Alex McAleer is showstopping with his astonishing acts of mind reading. Here's one to ponder: shopping receipts from an audience member are placed in a glass bowl. Another audience member is asked to think of a name. A third member is up on stage and asked to draw a picture on a chalk board and write down a number up to twenty and another number past fifty. McAleer's patter tells the tale of an old magician who used “whispering imps” in his act, which McAleer just happens to have in the casket to help him out. The invisible imp whispers to the girl on stage as she idly draws and writes down the numbers. The reveal stupefies. In a random drawing, one of the receipts is removed from the bowl. Uncrumpled, it reads out the exact number the girl had written down under the influence of the imp; while the name on the receipt is the name the other audience member wrote down. As a final bedazzlement, McAleer holds the imp in his cupped hands up to the video camera. A tiny scaly red hand peeks out before jumping away in a flash. Brilliant.
This sumptuous touring show rivals anything in Vegas, using video cameras to rove through the audience or to reveal up-close and personal the elegant trick as a deck of cards is produced out of thin air and just as deftly disappears. The lighting, the design, the sound are all precise and timed just right. (Unfortunately, there's no Playbill so the backstage magicians must go uncredited.)
There are pyrotechnics not seen since a Super Bowl halftime, enough fog for a midnight tryst in London, and a finale of a confetti cannon that suffocates the front rows. Even when the hapless assistant in a raggedy tiger's costume gets impaled by flaming spikes and then, instantaneously, swapped out for the glamorous leggy assistant, who does acrobatic double duty on the hanging silks, the show bubbles with non-stop fun. The last fifteen minutes are mind-blowing, as one superb trick after another tops the preceding one. The five stellar magicians pump us up with cries of “You want one more?” Of course, we do. And another, and another.
Theater is full of magic and make-believe. Children of all ages will be thrilled by what they think they see and what they actually see and don't see. Champions of Magic is make-believe raised to mesmerizing high art and giddy entertainment. Now, how in hell did they do that astonishing dollar bill trick with a pencil, or that one with the watch, or.
Champions of Magic. Through February 17. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 1 p.m. Sundays. Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-2525 or visit thehobbycenter.org. or championsofmagic.co.uk. $39 - $89.
KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE. Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
D.L. Groover has contributed to countless reputable publications including the Houston Press since 2003. His theater criticism has earned him a national award from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) as well as three statewide Lone Star Press Awards for the same. He's co-author of the irreverent appreciation, Skeletons from the Opera Closet (St. Martin's Press), now in its fourth printing.
Another feat rhapsodizes his father who loved astronomy. Dad would tear up pieces of aluminum foil and scatter them in front of the boy's telescope when the stars were hidden by clouds. Velasco idly tears up a piece of foil and cools his hand with a Japanese paper fan. Suddenly, foil pieces stream from his hand. Seeming millions of them. They inundate the stage. It's a radiant effect, magical in the extreme.
Armed with a map and a sense of adventure, he ventured into the dense woods, unaware of the dangers he would soon face. After hours of wandering through tangled branches and overgrown paths, Remington stumbled upon a hidden clearing. In the center of the clearing stood an old, decrepit mausoleum, the entrance barely visible beneath layers of moss and ivy. Remington's heart raced with excitement as he realized he had found the burial ground. With trembling hands, he pushed open the heavy iron doors and peered into the abyss. The musty scent of decay filled the air as he descended into the underground chamber, his footsteps echoing eerily off the stone walls. What Remington discovered inside was beyond his wildest imagination. The chamber was filled with row upon row of ornate coffins, their lids ajar and revealing the ghastly sight of lifeless bodies. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and Remington couldn't tear his gaze away. As he explored the chamber further, he came across an ancient scroll tucked away in a hidden compartment. On it were instructions on how to break the curse and put an end to the torment of the living corpses. Determined to help his town and finally uncover the truth, Remington followed the instructions meticulously. He performed the necessary rituals and incantations, not knowing if they would have any effect. Days turned into weeks, and Remington anxiously awaited the outcome of his efforts. And then, one night, as the moon cast its pale glow upon the town, the living corpses returned to their eternal slumber. Ravenwood was finally free from the curse that had haunted it for centuries. Remington's bravery and determination had not only saved his town but also unveiled the hidden truth behind the curse. The legend of the curse of the living corpses would forever be etched into the annals of Ravenwood's history, and Remington would be remembered as the brave historian who solved the mystery and brought peace to his town..
Reviews for "Remington's Encounter with the Living Dead: A Tale of Redemption"
1. Jessica - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to watch "Remington and the curse of the living corpses" based on the trailer and the interesting concept. However, I was extremely disappointed with the execution. The story was convoluted and hard to follow, with too many subplots that didn't add anything to the overall narrative. The acting was also subpar, with wooden performances by the main cast. The special effects were cheap and poorly done, taking away from the suspense and atmosphere the movie tried to create. Overall, it felt like a wasted opportunity with a promising premise.
2. Mike - 1/5 stars - "Remington and the curse of the living corpses" was an absolute disaster. The plot was confusing and poorly developed, leaving viewers confused and uninterested. The characters lacked depth and were unrelatable, making it difficult to invest in their fate. The pacing was incredibly slow, with scenes that dragged on unnecessarily, adding to the tedium. The visuals and special effects were laughably bad, making it hard to take the movie seriously. I was left feeling like I wasted my time and money on this film.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Remington and the curse of the living corpses," but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The story had potential, but the execution was amateurish, with poor writing and weak dialogue. The pacing was all over the place, making it difficult to stay engaged with the film. The performances by the actors were lackluster, lacking the necessary emotion and believability. The movie also lacked any real scares or tension, making it a forgettable experience. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this film unless you're a die-hard fan of the genre.