In the past I have had good reactions to Peter Marucci's 'The Ripper Strikes'.

The working of it is simple enough to let you really concentrate on your presentation. But the atmosphere is paramount to getting the reaction you want.

As long as WR is talking about the haunted key and Rich T is talking about Peter, check out his beautifully eerie presentation of the haunted key, "The Key to the Borley Rectory," at http://www.online-visions.com.

Necromancer,

Okay, I could use a few pointers. Exactly where in Online Visions can that routine be found?

- Rob

Rob,
The Key to Borley Rectory is in my Bizarre Bazaar column in Visions.

Any good "Jack the Ripper" routine will do the trick. Docc Hilford has a good one (BTW, have you thought about a toe-switching automated cell phone to do the dirty work?), as does Keith Lack/Arlen Studio (the Dear Boss letter).

I use a great routine around Halloween time. The old "Dead and Alive" test. I go a little further as the piece of paper that has the deceased persons name on it actually moves! You can accomplish this a few ways. First is with an invisible thread reel, the thread on these things is near invisible. Another seldom seen method is with a "mexican jumping bean". You will find these sometimes on display at novelty shops, etc. Secretly drop the bean into the deceased persons paper square, tightly crunch it up and drop on the table with the others, this "drop" should wake up the little fellow in the bean, he will make the paper move slightly. Try it, it is great!!!

After much trial and error, I have to say that needle thru arm works great. I personally do it through my throat. That really makes the specs nervous. I added some voodoo patter about the dead feeling no pain. Try the ashes on the hand anyway, even if you have to keep a stash of ashes with you. Then write the name of a deceased character (from your story, maybe) on a small piece of flash paper and have it burn in your hand, then have the spec open their hand.

The threaded razor blades or needles is a doozy too. While "threading" the blades in your mouth act like you nicked yourself inside and the either spit out a little blood or let it run out of the corner of your mouth and then whipe it away. They always squirm at this.

I'm trying to work on a bit where I nail the specs card to my forehead. A little blood wouldn't hurt there either.

Also, check out Andrew Mayne's Shock FX. That stuff is full of creepiness!

Good luck!

Thrice Drawn Circle (my routine in Invocation, vol 2, or in the Complete version) works VERY well for me.

Basically a CT, I use it to reveal the name of a person who the volunteer wishes would stay away from them, forever, in the context of creating a spell that will protect them FROM that person.

Plays quite well, if I do say so myself.


I used to do another one using a bit of stage blood, a small chunk of red Jell-O and a TT to produce a blood clot, but I had too many people get sick or faint to keep using it! Not to mention, it was a pain to carry from table to table in restaurants!

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

The effect that really scares me !...

The linking ring...

I'm horrified when I begin to hear :Kling ! Kling ! And now, Kling ! And then Kling !
... sorry

But I agree with C. Chelman : His routine "The Immortal" in Urban Legend is very well made and can be very scary if the spectator begins to identify himself to the protagonist of the story.

But generaly speaking, when you really succeed in getting your spectators involved in your story (to make them a little more "actor" than "spectators"), you can scare them.

I agree with chrismatt. Docc Hilford's stuff is full of creepiness

Funny how none said in this post The Web by Jim Pace. This trick literally gave my mum a heart attack when I first showed it to her. This is the effect I use to really scare people.

Yeah. I saw Copperfield do this to Cindy Crawford on her short-lived show. She screamed and almost belted him in the chops.

Too many people have phobias about spiders (I used to have one myself, but I got help) for this to be in the "fun-scary" category.

Not to mention that you almost invariably have to go chacing the little spider all over the room when the victim flings it into the air!

Try the Potsherd Trick (lately done as ashes in the palm) using Heba Haba Al's idea of using a sugar cube that you mark with a soft eyebrow pencil for the source.

Similar effect, more personal, especially as you can use an occult symbol. And no one will be going catatonic on you if they ARE phobic (which is the extreme reaction - and one which I have seen happen twice to people performing this effect).

Just my 2 cent's worth.

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

The most frightening experience you could ever give your client; the most horrific experience is to.......

Show them their bill.

Sorry, it seemed like this thread somehow needed an anti-climax.....
Great thread! I can't wait to read Pete's article!

Because I do effects for many children as well as many adults who are afraid of spiders, I am replacing my "The Web" effect with "Caterpillar Love". I have not recieved my "Caterpillar Love" yet but I will still Exercise caution when I perform it for children. I don't do scary Magic much so I am not fully informed as to what is the scariest effects.
Iven

Well, at least you're not just another pretty fez!

Couldn't resist...

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

May I suggest selling your spectators soul to the devil? VERY scary...

Check out Mark of the Devil at Bizarremagick.com

Liam.

Doing effects that temporarily 'grant' paranormal powers to the spectator can be disquieting to them as well.

I read Mark of the Devil (I have performed shriek of the mutilated for many years and I still love it) and it got me thinking.

How about accidentally selling the spectator's soul? There's a mix up, the wrong piece of paper gets used, it has their name on it.

The spectator suddenly finds they can cut to the aces in a deck, roll a six on a dice every time... etc.

I also had an idea that could make someone's blood run cold. On display you have a painting, something classical of souls in torment, people behind bars with the devil as the gaoler, that sort of thing. You refer to it in your story to set the scene. They have the 'accident' and realise that they are now lucky.

"Erm, how upset would you be if I told you that you had appeared in the painting...?"
Subtly, in the background, in one of the cells.

You'd need to play this very seriously to make it work. I think if you had one of those exceptionally scary satyr's skulls that http://www.fiendishcuriosities.com advertise, you could begin to make someone doubt their accepted beliefs before you scare them witless.

I hope you like it, I call it. Faustian Facsimile.

I'll be performing walk-around at a "Spooktacular event this month and will be performing Peter Marucci's Key to Borley Manor, Salem's Lot,Vampire Bat, and Finger of Fate.
( Great stuff Peter!!) Also Voodoo Doll, Gadabout coins (with a Gypsy story line)and Glorby.
Paul

The idea of the jmping beans as a method reminds of another scary and offbeat method/effect. That of the 'crawling bill'. Where a dollar seems to crawl accross the table on its own. The method used was a bug waxed to the bottom!

Chad