– (Rede Globo/Reproduction)
mister M is the name by which the American magician Val Valentino became known in Brazil. In 1996, he was performing in Las Vegas when he was invited by Fox to present Breaking the Magician’s Code, a program that revealed secrets of magicians. The show debuted in 1997, was seen by 24 million people and ended up being sold to many countries.
In Brazil, in 1999, it became a framework of Fantasticfrom TV Globo, and Valentino was named mister M. The picture was controversial and was even taken off the air, as it caused damage to professionals in the field. He missed the voice-overs of Cid Moreira, who called the magician the “black prince of spells”, “lord of all secrets”, “masked paladin of Sunday nights”, etc. In 2000, mister M performed in Brazil. Afterwards, it went through SBT and Record. Today, aged 60, he lives in the US and says he suffers from a “terminal illness”. See some of his tricks.
eraser woman
Number The assistant enters an empty office. There, she has arms, legs and head stretched out like rubber.
Trick Another two assistants are hidden in the back of the cabinet. The hands and feet that the public sees outside are theirs. The head is that of the “rubber woman” herself.
woman sawn in half
Number The magician locks the helper in a box, immobilizes her arms and feet and cuts her in half.
Trick The assistant is not fully immobilized. As soon as the magician closes the box, she lets go of her feet and pulls her legs up over her body. As for the feet that the public sees, they are mechanical, powered by remote control.
pain proof
Number The magician drives nails into his own hand, under a handkerchief, and feels no pain.
Trick When he covers his finger with the handkerchief, he puts a carrot in its place. She is the one who receives the skewers, not the finger.
SOURCES Folha de S.Paulo, O Globo, Daily Mail