By Looking for a good way to scare the living daylights out of unsuspecting trick-or-treaters? May we suggest following this magician's cue, and try a good old fashioned prank.
The magician, Rich Ferguson, took to the streets of San Luis Obispo, California, determined to terrify. He succeeded. Upon seeing his head-drop trick, unsuspecting onlookers screamed, gawked, and, in a few cases, ran away in terror. See, it's funny because it didn't happen to us.
We spoke, via email, to Rich about his methods and the reactions he gets. "My favorite reaction is when people scream and run away, especially when they are tough looking guys." At night, it's almost always more fun. "Nighttime causes much better reactions. It's due to people being a state of vulnerability. However, lighting, hitting, kicking and profanities become serious issues!"
Ferguson is no newbie when it comes to pranks. He's been featured on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" and performs magic around the country. The trick in the video is actually pretty complicated. A magician doesn't reveal his secrets, but Rich pointed out that this isn't like those other head drops, when the prankster just raises his or her shoulders to give the illusion that the head is falling. "This illusion level prank allows your legs and hands to be completely free and you can view it from multiple angles. Sorry to disappoint people, but this is certainly not something you can simply buy or go do."
Still, as Rich says, a good Halloween trick doesn't have to be complicated. "There's nothing more fun and simple than a large spider hanging from a string in a tree! It's more about timing than the simplicity of the spider on a string though! I prefer to drop it near their face as they are about to cross the predetermined area." Or you could just yell "Boo!"
Check out more of his shenanigans on his site.