The Magic of David Copperfield XI: The Explosive Encounter (1989)

This is the 11th CBS Copperfield TV special, introduced by the host Emma Samms, who talks about the building from which David Copperfield will attempt to escape during the last illusion, before the implosion of the building itself. This is the first special in which he signs his own co-direction as "David Kotkin" and his own writing as "Seth Kotkin". For the first time in a special he makes his appearance on the stage on a Harley Davidson, through the first illusion. The illusions performed are: "Shadow Box" (aka "Appearance On Motorcycle In Shadow Box"), "Dancing Ties", "Telementalist", "Origami" (aka "Origami Box"), "Telekinesis", "Pole Levitation", "Twister", "$100 Bill Switch", "Crazy Man's Handcuffs" (these two illusions are both close-up magics, and, to allow the vision of both to all the live audience, for the first time Copperfield introduces a monitor on the stage), and then "Building Implosion". This is an escape filmed in long take on Sunday, November 6th, 1988, and the building is the Hotel Charlotte, in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, chosen because it was scheduled to be demolished regardless of Copperfield's feat, and this is explained in a video commented by Emma Samms which also includes archive footage of the Hotel history. At the start Copperfield is handcuffed and sealed inside a safe on the 4th floor of this building, set to be imploded 150 seconds after the activation of the detonator, and his challenge is to free himself and reach a steel plate placed tens of meters away from the hotel. This is one of the few escapes no more repeated. During the closing credits, a fixed panoramic shot shows the moment of the implosion viewed from above.