Uncle Timmy Zombie's How-Tos

Exorcism Levitation

As a tribute to one of the most intense horror films of all times, we included a scene from the movie in the Haunted House. We recreated the levitation scene with a mannequin, a sawhorse, a pair of curtains, a pole, and a few sandbags.

Start by setting up a bed with a mannequin lying on it with a curtain behind the whole thing. The sawhorse is also set up just behind the curtain. The pole, which could also be just a 2x4 is balanced onto the sawhorse. Two sandbags (you might just need one) are attached to this pole and used as counterweight. All of this arrangement is hidden by the curtain.

The mannequin is then made to float by lowering the counterweights like a seesaw effect. You might try to experiment and use weights other than the sandbags.

A fan blowing the dress of the mannequin could add to the atmosphere. To make this thing easier to float you might want to consider using an inflatable female doll. I would have no idea where to buy one of these (ahem!), but you might try an adult toy store (if you know what I mean). It might be called ''Inflate-a-Date'' or something to that effect. If you do use this though, be sure to cover it up well with a costume and mask. This might have the people laughing more than screaming.

If you light it darkly, with the bed shaking, lights flashing, fog rolling, and the exorcist standing behind her, they won't be able to see the rigging. Be sure to paint the pole black, or cover it with black felt. I would also recommend the curtains be dark, and seem to be in front of some french windows that extend to the ground.

It is possible to do this levitation with wires if you are using a light enough dummy. Use heavy fishing line that has been sanded with sand paper to take the shine off of it. Run the wires to the ceiling through eyelets, over and down behind the curtain for the assistant to pull. In the world of magic almost nothing is original. Although we rigged this trick up almost twenty years ago, I later saw a similar trick in ''Illusion Show Know-how'' by Ken Griffin. This is a great book and I recommend you buy it. I am lucky to have known Ken and Roberta.

My friend, the late Al DeLage, one of the finest magicians of our time, told me a funny story about some black thread. He needed it for a trick and thread just out of the pack was too shiny. So he tied the thread to a clothesline in his backyard, and proceeded to paint it with a big paintbrush (This must have been before the advent of canned spray paint). For all practical purposes, all his neighbors could see was Al and the paintbrush. They could not see the string nor were they even aware of it's existence. For all they knew, that crazy magician DeLage had lost his mind and was painting an invisible house.

The above "How-To" is an excerpt from Tim Harkleroad's "The Complete Haunted House Book" for more information about this and other great haunted house reference books go to MoonLighting Publication's website "Haunted House Books On-Line" at www.hauntedhousebooks.com. You can e-mail Tim at moonpub@aol.com