MMoCA screening Cremaster 2 this Friday and Saturday

Norman Mailer as Houdini

As part of the special programing for Houdini: Art and Magic, The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art will screen Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 2 on Friday, March 23 at 7–8:30 pm and Saturday, March 24 at 2–3:30 pm.

This second film Barney’s The Cremaster Cycle features Norman Mailer as Houdini and Barney himself as murderer Gary Gilmore. Gilmore, the subject of Mailer’s bestselling book, The Executioner’s Song, claimed he was related to Houdini.

Cremaster 2 has never been released on DVD (as far as I know), so this is rare chance to see one of the more obscure (and bizarre) Houdini films.

The screening is free for MMoCA members and $7 for nonmembers.

For a full list of special related events, visit the Houdini Art and Magic page at the MMoCA website.

Cremaster 2 at Cinema 21 in Portland

Matthew Barney’s experimental five-film series, The Cremaster Cycle, will be showing at Cinema 21 in Portland from Sept. 24-30.

Of course, Houdini buffs will be interested in the second film of the series, Cremaster 2, as it features Norman Mailer (left) as Houdini as Barney himself as murderer Gary Gilmore. Gilmore, the subject of Mailer’s bestselling book, The Executioner’s Song, claimed he was related to Houdini.

Cremaster 2 has never been released on DVD (as far as I know), so this is rare chance to see one of the more obscure (and bizarre) Houdini films.

Tickets can be purchased online at the Cinema 21 website.

Houdini haunts Famous Monsters of Filmland #276

The November/December issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland (#276) contains an article by Neil McNally looking at the films made of Houdini's life. Neil covers them all -- from Curtis to Brody -- and does a really nice job. He even notes the more obscure films, such as A Night At The Magic Castle and Cremaster 2. He also kindly gives WAH a credit at the end. (Thanks, Neil.)

The issue comes in two variant covers. One features Big Trouble in Little China and the other Wolves. I grabbed a Wolves cover from the awesome Creature Features in Burbank, who also sell on eBay. You can also buy from Captain Company.

This marks Houdini's second appearance in this classic monster mag. The first was an article about the Final Houdini Seance in issue #214 back in 1996.

Norman Mailer dies

Pulitzer Prize winning author, actor, director and personality Normal Mailer has died at age 84 from kidney failure.

Mailer’s many works and accomplishments are well known, but less known is the fact that Mailer played Harry Houdini in the avant guard film Cremaster 2 (1999).

Mailer also wrote the bestseller The Executioners Song, the story of murderer Gary Gilmore who claimed he was an illegitimate descendant of Harry Houdini. Much was made of the Gilmore-Houdini connection when the book was first released in 1979.