Episode 3 Dynamo: Magician Impossible

SIRENS WAIL

HELICOPTER WHIRS

HELICOPTER WHIRS

MUSIC: Breathe (Emalkay Remix) by Delilah

# I am strong when I'm quiet

# I never let you see me stall

# Only play on an open court... #

CAR ALARMS SHRIEK

# I cannot breathe. #

Right now, I'm going to take you on a journey into my world.

-CROWD:

-Whoa!

In this episode, I go on an all-American adventure...

..from the shores of Venice Beach...

No! No!

..to the bright lights of the Vegas Strip.

Watch as I go on a road trip into magic's heartland...

I have never seen that before in my life.

..and bring some amazement to the US of A.

Awesome.

My name's Steven Frayne, but most people call me Dynamo.

MUSIC: For The Love Of Money by The O'Jays

# Money, money, money, money

# Money... #

I hear you're the best, man.

I'm the best.

# Money... #

I'm a master of pantomime mixed with robot.

# Money, money, money, money Money... #

Sick.

That's sick.

# Money... #

-Sick.

-Pleased to meet you.

-All right.

-All right. CHEERING

You showed me your thing -

-I've got to show you one thing, real quick.

-All right.

-So, you made this yourself, right?

-Yes.

-Sick.

-It's got a little style.

-That's a lot of money, right there.

-That's a lot of money.

I'll tell you what, just grab hold of my wrist.

With this hand?

Yeah. Just watch.

# Do things, bad things with it

# Well, you wanna

# Do things Do things

# Do things Do things with it

# Yeah, yeah

# Girl, yeah

# For the love of money... #

You've got to be kidding me, man.

-I'm telling you, this man is ridiculous.

-Uh-oh.

Wow!

Well, he, you know, he could have just asked me for 50 bucks.

MUSIC: Black (ft Norah Jones) by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

Venice Beach, California -

despite its glamorous reputation, this seaside town,

which sits along the North Pacific coastline,

feels more like a meeting point for lost souls.

I had arrived in the States three days earlier,

after spending the past month on the beaches and favelas of Rio,

which had been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.

After my South American trip, I jumped on a flight to the US,

where I wanted to catch a glimpse of this vast country.

# And all that's left is black... #

Route 93, Arizona.

I was heading towards Nevada, and then on to LA,

and was travelling through the Mojave Desert.

This was biker country, so I knew the locals would be hard to impress.

DOGS SNIFF

How are you doing? Are you all right?

-How are you doing?

-Hey, man, cool?

Cool.

-How's it going?

-It's not too bad, man. Not too bad.

Yeah, I don't need these out here.

I'm going to try something a bit fun, yeah?

This could hurt me.

It won't hurt you.

Everyone, just, all of you, just stand up.

Erm, you look quite strong.

You look extremely strapping and...

-I won't mess with you.

-All right.

All of you, get in a line, so, if you stand there...

If you stand behind him and put your hands on his shoulders.

Yeah, stand like that. Yeah, stand like that,

and then you stand behind him and do the same thing -

put your hands on his shoulders.

Yeah. Perfect.

And if you put your hands on my shoulders.

Now, if you alone was just to push me now...

Just give me... Just push me. I'm going to go flying, right?

-You didn't put any effort in, there.

-No.

-I would have fallen over, yeah?

-Right.

I'm going to try and resist all three of you strong guys

-trying to push me over.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-One of two things could happen - I could get crushed...

-Mm-hmm.

..I could die or I could survive

and we could tell this to people in years to come.

OK.

Now, just put your hands on my shoulders.

On the count of three I want you all to push, yeah?

One...

two...

three.

THEY GRUNT AND GROAN

THEY GRUNT

Phew.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

I've never seen anything like that

and, to be this close and see it, I don't have a clue.

I figured we'd all be laying down in a pile on top of the little guy.

I gave it everything I had - everything I had.

Pushed him as hard as I could.

He wasn't budging an inch.

Well, you know the old saying - "Dynamite comes in small packages."

Yeah, we're not far from Vegas -

he should go to Vegas and maybe try that stuff.

I'll back him up.

TYRES SCREECH

As I headed north,

I came across a drifting school in the middle of the desert.

TYRES SCREECH

I love driving, and nothing seemed like more fun than tearing it

around on an abandoned highway.

TYRES SCREECH

I wanted to try something with the drivers, so, during a break,

I managed to grab some time with them.

Take out any card.

MUSIC: I Can't Hear You by The Dead Weather

I want you to put your signature on there.

Yeah, on this side, yeah?

All right.

And maybe do a smiley face or something, so it's totally unique.

TYRES SCREECH

Show it to everybody and show it to the camera.

I'll put it about halfway down, all right?

Mix the cards up.

-Which one's your car?

-The blue car.

-Oh, right in front of us. Perfect.

-Yeah.

I want you to, basically, drive towards us relatively quickly.

Yeah, you're going to drive past me, I'm going to stand over there,

and stop, you know, give it a little skid before you kill everybody.

All right.

-Jump in your car.

-All right.

Don't worry, guys, he's a professional.

Good luck, everyone.

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Yeah!

And don't knock me over.

I'll try not to.

# You're stashing money

# There's rubies up your sleeve

# I'm gonna teach you... #

ENGINE ROARS

Are you ready?

Just roll forward a bit.

Stop.

Whoa!

WHISTLING

# Don't work on no-one else

# I'm gonna hear you... #

How does that happen?

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

He told me to drive his...

drive my car at everyone and do a little skid.

He said he was going to do something with my card, but...

somehow he managed to place it on my front tyre.

I don't... I don't even know how that happened.

ENGINE ROARS

I wanted to learn from a professional,

so Eric agreed to take me out for a ride.

TYRES SCREECH

ENGINE ROARS

'After getting some pointers from Eric,

'I wanted to show them what I could do.'

So, first off, I need to borrow a car.

MUSIC: 60 Feet Tall by The Dead Weather

Don't all come at once, you know - don't all throw your keys at me.

You can borrow mine.

Thank you. Which one's yours?

-The red one.

-Nice.

So, the rest of you guys, I want you to jump in your cars

and form a steel ring of cars around me and the car, yeah?

ENGINES PURR

Yeah, if you back up over this way.

ENGINES PURR

If you come further forward...

ENGINES PURR

Then we're getting these in.

Around here, yeah?

Can you... Can we get a bit tighter here?

Stop right there. Quite a big gap there.

Will you bring the truck in, yeah?

# I need constantly... #

All right, cool.

All the cars are ready.

# Hooked up to my motor all day long... #

You guys are cool. Check this out.

ENGINE ROARS

ENGINE ROARS

# I can take the trouble

# Cos I'm 60 feet tall

# I know it ain't easy

# I must tap your evil well

# Cos, boy, do you come roaring

# Like a bat out of hell

# You drive me so reckless

# You'll kill us all

# Hooked up to my motor

# All day long

# We go down to Texas

# Up to Montreal. #

I managed to hitch a lift with some bikers on their way to Vegas.

We headed down Route 93 -

a never-ending highway that cuts through the Arizona Desert

and is known as the loneliest road in America.

I could see why.

Riding through this open wilderness,

it made me realise how much of the celebrity life is just an illusion,

whereas the real world is a far harsher place.

We always hear about America's success stories

but, for everyone who makes it, thousands are left behind.

ENGINE PURRS

As dusk falls, the desert becomes pitch-black,

but, suddenly, a city of fire rises out of the darkness -

Las Vegas.

ENGINE RUMBLES

-Thanks very much, Mark.

-You're welcome.

'The Venetian Hotel features a lifelike replica of Venice,

'complete with canals and gondolas.

'To get a feel for the place,

'I took a ride with two of the hotel guests.'

Can I have a look at your watch?

-Can I take it off?

-Yes.

All right. Let's have a look, yeah.

It's pretty cool. Do you see that?

Do you know if it's waterproof?

-I don't know.

-I have no clue.

Erm...

I guess it's not waterproof.

What?

Right. Is it gone?

Was it expensive?

Kind of.

-Just a touch.

-A little bit.

-A little bit.

Erm...

I'll tell you what - watch this.

Oh, God.

WATER SPLASHES

-Is that your watch?

-That's a good one.

-It is.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

Pretty much, he took my watch off and he threw it in the water.

Erm...

We went about, I don't know, ten seconds,

and he just reached his hand in the water and pulled it out and...

Trying to grab a fish, it seemed like.

-..and the watch was on his hand...

-Yeah.

and I don't...

I can't explain it. It's crazy.

-You are really amazing, dude.

-Pretty awesome.

-Yeah.

-Thank you.

-Like, this is... It was crazy.

-That's crazy.

I have never seen that before in my life.

MUSIC: Watching The Detectives by Elvis Costello

The next afternoon,

I headed out on the 300-mile journey to LA -

this time by car.

After a few hours of driving in the intense heat,

I took a break at a local diner just off the highway.

# Nice girls not one with a defect

# Cellophane shrink-wrapped... # BELL RINGS

-Hey.

-Here you go, our world-famous...

-Thank you.

-..fabulous, amazing burger.

-Thank you very much.

-OK? Outstanding.

# She looks so good that he gets down and begs

HE SLURPS # She is watching the detectives

# Ooh, he's so cute... #

Hey! How was everything?

You said it would be the best burger ever.

Did I did not tell you? World-famous burger.

-The best burger I've ever had.

-I hear it all the time.

Thank you. Well, I'm glad you liked it.

-Do you want to sit down for a second?

-Sure.

-No complaints, right?

-No.

-OK.

-No complaints.

-OK, that's good.

Oh, no. You've been working hard

-so you have to, you know...

-Oh, thank you. Yes.

..sit down for a second.

I want to try something.

Do you have any, erm, like, any dollar bills on you?

Oh, let's see.

-I have a five.

-A five will be perfect.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah.

-OK.

So, all I need is just to take it and,

yeah, if you could fold it in half?

OK. I think I can do that.

-And then just fold it half again.

-This way?

-Yeah. Yeah, that's perfect.

-OK.

-And then fold in half one more time.

-Yeah, it's fine.

-OK, this side, OK.

-Yeah.

-Sure.

-Perfect.

Then, also, this glass, check this glass out.

So we've got your five, right? Right there.

Do you want to cover it with the glass?

-Like, just, cover it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-So you can see your five right there, yeah?

-True. Yeah.

-You can't do anything with it?

-Nope.

# Oh, he's so cute... #

Watch.

-Just keep your eye on the five.

-OK.

Oh, my God!

-Check it out, that's for you.

-That's my tip?

-Yeah.

Oh, perfect.

Oh, my God. That is hilarious.

-How...? Amazing.

-Put it in your pocket before it changes back.

Oh, yeah, yeah, right.

Don't change it back. I like it. Thank you. I'll take it.

MUSIC: Cali Sunshine by The Game ft Bilal

-# California sunshine

-Good morning, Los Angeles

# It's a scorching day in our Southland

-# California sunshine

-Hey, yo, Bilal, what's up? #

I'd arrived in Los Angeles.

Every year, thousands of people come to Hollywood with the promise

of a better life.

It's a place where dreams are made and broken,

waitresses become movie stars, and vice versa.

Hollywood seems to bring out that childlike wonder in people -

a touch of magic where anything is possible.

-Hello. What's your name?

-Ladeinne.

-Ladeinne.

-Yeah. That's good.

-And you are?

-Kemeia.

-Kemeia. Nice to meet you.

I'm Dynamo.

Hi, Dynamo.

Erm...

You've got some sweets there.

-Yeah.

-Can I have one?

-OK.

-All right?

For the man...

-Oh, you've only got two left, though, are you sure?

-Mm-hmm.

-Are you sure I can have them?

-Yeah.

Are you sure you don't want...? It's your last ones. Are you sure?

All right.

Yep.

They really are all gone.

Yeah.

Do me a favour. Can you cup your hands together?

Like that. Yeah, open out like this, yeah?

Perfect. Watch this.

Oh, my goodness.

Awesome.

Can have one?

To see if it's real.

It is real.

-Pretty cool.

-WOMAN LAUGHS

It was my last day in LA, so I headed down to Venice Beach,

a seaside town to the west of Hollywood.

-What's your name?

-Erica.

-Erica. Nice to meet you, Erica.

-Nice to meet you.

I'm Dynamo.

Nice to meet you, Dynamo.

-I want to try something, yeah, with you?

-OK.

Erm... You've got a bag there, right?

Yes.

What's in there? Have you got, like... Have you got keys?

Can I see some of your belongings?

-Like, nothing personal, just, like...

-OK.

What have you got in there?

-You've got your phone, you've got your cream...

-So, my phone.

-Yeah, camera.

-..and what's in this middle part here?

What's in this middle part?

Erm...

-Oh, you've got some mints.

-Mm-hmm.

-Can I use those?

-Sure.

Perfect. Get one out. Do you want to take one out first?

-OK.

-You take one and I'll take one.

Do you still need my bag?

-No, no, we can pop these back in there.

-OK.

So, I've got one and you've got one.

-You see that?

-Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

Watch closely, all right?

Watch.

Look at that.

-This is Hollywood. What's up, Dynamo?

-Dynamo...

'As I continued along the promenade, I came across a group of guys

'selling mix tapes to passing tourists.'

It's the Venice Beach Rock Choir.

It's sick. All of you have different styles?

-Yeah, everybody...

-We're all independent, bro.

-I'll tell you what.

-We want some of your creativity.

Let me work out the best way to do this, so...

Can you hold this thing, there?

Can you come over this side?

-Yeah, back up, some.

-Back up, some.

-Back up, some.

-Yeah?

Yeah.

If you back up a little bit, yeah?

Now, this...

Erm...

-Do me a favour.

-Yeah.

-Grab me those scissors.

Oh, crazy.

Oh!

Oh, my God...

Y'all have to watch!

Damn, he broke the wire and everything.

-Oh, that's real.

-Real.

We're not working no more today.

He better have some paper there.

I don't like this.

Back up a little bit.

Pull it a little bit taut - a little bit taut.

Oh, God, this is crazy.

-No way.

-No way, no way.

ALL: Whoa!

-Oh! Oh!

-Man, man...

Aw, man... How did you do that?

Wow, dawg. How'd you do that, bro?

-Are you going to tell us?

-That's how I do it, man.

Hey, I've seen a lot of magicians and that's crazy, bro.

He cut the headphone all the way in half and he put it back together.

The wires came out of it.

Check and see if it still works, man. That's crazy.

MUSIC: Under Your Spell by Desire

It was my last day in the US

and, although I'd only seen a small part of this vast country,

I felt like I'd uncovered

some of the magic behind the American dream -

the ordinary people who shape its landscape.

THEY GRUNT AND GROAN

You know the old saying - "Dynamite comes in small packages."

TYRES SCREECH

How does that happen?

# I don't eat I don't sleep

# I do nothing but think of you

# You keep me under your spell

# You keep me under your spell

# You keep me under your spell

# You keep me under your spell

# You keep me under your spell

-# You keep me under your spell... #

-Awesome.

That's sick.

# Na-na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na-na... #

Later that evening,

I headed downtown to the Spring Street district,

which is home to the LA Times.

The area used to be the financial centre of Los Angeles,

but, during the 1980s, the district plummeted to become a neighbourhood

with a reputation for high unemployment and derelict buildings.

It reminded me of the streets I grew up in,

and how its reputation meant we were cut off from the outside world,

so, before I left, I wanted to give Spring Street a lasting memory -

something that would live with the area for ever.

MUSIC: Bombs Away by BoB

SIRENS WAIL

-What is he doing?

-I don't know.

Is he jumping?

Is someone...? Is he going to jump?

SIRENS WAIL

Shouldn't someone, like, help him?

Is he going to jump?

Should we help him?

GASPING AND SCREAMING

SHE GASPS

Oh, my... Oh, my God.

-This is crazy.

-Yeah.

Oh, my God.

He's taking a stroll.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

HELICOPTER WHIRS

This is crazy.

Oh, God.

Oh, my God.

-That was crazy.

-SOMEONE COUGHS

-He walked right down there.

-That was totally crazy, right?

# I used to dream of success Now success is inadequate

# It seems the bigger I get

# It's the more they get mad at me... #

Next time on Magician Impossible,

I head back to the UK and straight into a media frenzy.

# So fly, no gravity

# So high, Mount Everest... # SCREAMING

# And the show must go on, yes

# But I don't have to act in it

# And they don't make a television

# That handles the frequencies of my channel

# And there ain't no computer that can hack it

# It just don't have the capacity

# Hell, no, that ain't happening You hustle?

# Well, we are Grand Hustle and we mastered it

# Y'all workin' on your bachelor's

# We ball like the athletes

# Drink wine out of chalices on Sunday like we Catholics... #

I don't know. It's freaky.

# Official, no artificial preservatives or additives

# I love it all but I ain't attached to it

# Whenever I wake up I get this feeling

# That I can't wait up Cos time is ticking

# Bombs away

# Bombs away-ay-ay-ay

# Whenever I wake up I get this feeling

# That I can't wait up Cos time is ticking

# Bombs away

# Bombs away-ay-ay-ay... #