UK: ILLUSIONIST DAVID BLAINE PREPARES TO SPEND 44 DAYS SUSPENDED IN CLEAR PLASTIC BOX WITHOUT FOOD.

Record ID: 190208

  • Title: UK: ILLUSIONIST DAVID BLAINE PREPARES TO SPEND 44 DAYS SUSPENDED IN CLEAR PLASTIC BOX WITHOUT FOOD.
  • Date: 6th September 2003
  • Summary: (W6) LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 5, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. DAVID BLAINE CLIMBING UP LADDER TO INSPECT GLASS BOX HE WILL BE SITTING IN FOR 44 DAYS 2. VIEW FROM ABOVE INTO GLASS BOX 3. BLAINE TALKING TO PRODUCTION TEAM ABOUT LAST ARRANGEMENTS 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BLAINE, SAYING: "Can we have somebody listening to me at all times in case something goes wrong? And looking? OK, alright, good." 5. CUTAWAY MEMBERS OF PRODUCTION TEAM SPEAKING TO HIM 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BLAINE, SAYING: "The scary part that I just found out is, when your body really depleted everything, when you rip through all your fatstores and muscle tissue that you need, you begin to get hungry again, the hunger comes back into your body again, the body's way of warning you that you're in danger and that idea is a little bit scary to me." 7. CRANE MOVING TOP OF GLASS BOX ONTO BOX 8. PEOPLE WATCHING 9. TOP BEING PLACED ONTO BOX 10. CLOSEUP MAN PLACING TOP ONTO BOX 11. MAN INSIDE BOX 12. WIDE OF MEN WORKING LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS ON BOX 13. BLAINE WALKING PAST CAMERA 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BLAINE, SAYING: "I'm also worried about the greenhouse effect especially because it's so hot. That's something that's really on my mind because when you sweat a lot your body loses all the electrolytes quicker than it should." 15. PEOPLE WATCHING THROUGH FENCE 16. BLAINE SIGNING AUTOGRAPH FOR LITTLE GIRL 17. BLAINE TALKING TO PEOPLE/ SIGNING MORE AUTOGRAPHS 18. CLOSEUP BLAINE SIGNING AUTOGRAPH/ PAN TO HIS FACE 19. PEOPLE APPLAUDING AND SAYING GOOD BYE 20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VOX POP, SAYING: "I think it's quite something special you know I mean, since Houdini there is no one to touch him, we've watched him on the television and he's a bit mind boggling, he keeps us guessing." 21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BLAINE, SAYING: "Like I said I'm not really worried about this until week 3. The first 3 weeks of this I'm pretty sure I can handle, it's the last 3 that are going to be insane." 22. CLOSEUP BLAINE'S FEET WALKING 23. BLAINE WALKING TOWARDS GLASS BOX 24. BLAINE TALKING TO ONE OF PRODUCTION MANAGERS 25. GIRLS WATCHING 26. BLAINE TALKING TO GROUP OF PEOPLE 27. CLOSEUP BLAINE'S FACE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st September 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA2NKXYRQIGVMWI4PQEW9KYWAJ9
  • Story Text: Showman David Blaine was today preparing to embark
    on his toughest challenge yet - spending 44 days suspended
    in a clear plastic box without food.



    With only a few hours to go to his most demanding
    stunt - hanging in a glass box by the River Thames for 44
    days of starvation and solitary confinement - showman David
    Blaine carried out last minute checks on the box that will
    be his home for six weeks to come.

    At 1930GMT on Friday (September 5) Blaine will enter
    the glass box on Potter's Field by the River Thames. He
    will then be lifted up by a crane and remain suspended in
    front of Tower Bridge for the duration of 44 days.

    During an exclusive interview with Reuters Television,
    Blaine said "the scary part that I just found out is, when
    your body really depleted everything, when you rip through
    all your fatstores and muscle tissue that you need, you
    begin to get hungry again, the hunger comes back into your
    body again, the body's way of warning you that you're in
    danger and that idea is a little bit scary to me."
    The weather in London has been changeable over the past
    few weeks, with temperatures on Friday reaching 26 degrees
    Celsius again, after many days of cooler temperatures. Hot
    temperatures are an increased risk to Blaine's health in
    the glass box, since higher body temperatures mean
    increased loss of vital vitamins and electrolytes.

    "I'm also worried about the greenhouse effect
    especially because it's so hot. That's something that's
    really on my mind because when you sweat a lot your body
    loses all the electrolytes quicker than it should."
    This does however not prompt Blaine to change his
    liquid diet of pure water to adding glucose or similar
    nutrients. He stands firm on drinking nothing but pure
    water for the duration of 44 days.

    Blaine became a star performing at parties for the
    likes of Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson and became friends
    with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Since then, he
    has dazzled fans by levitating off the pavement, biting a
    piece out of a coin, resurrecting a fly and getting a
    crumpled dollar bill to float in the air.

    Tonight's event will be broadcast live.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register