The X-Files
Australian Conne-X-ion
Episode Guide
"The Amazing Maleeni"


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Episode 7ABX08

Title: The Amazing Maleeni

First screened in Australia: 10 May, 2000
First screened in the USA: 16 January, 2000

Credits: Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz Starring: Guest Stars: Plot:
When a heckled magician, the Amazing Maleeni, successfully performs the Egyptian Dedi trick - an act of turning ones head completely around on the neck, his headless body is then found after the show. Scully's autopsy reveals that the Amazing Maleeni's head had been carefully sawed off and that his decomposed body had in fact died of a heart attack one-month prior. It's then up to Mulder and Scully to piece together the strange case of the Amazing Maleeni - a dead man walking.
Sofcom
My Rating: 8/10

Another fine episode - season 7 has been very good to date - with some nice special effects, a pretty intriguing plot and some clever detective work from Mulder.

Where Have I Seen That Face Before?
Magician/writer Rick Jay (Maleeni/Pinchbeck) has appeared in movies such as "Mystery Men" and "Boogie Nights". His skills of illusion have been put to use in numerous movies such as "Forrest Gump" and "Sneakers".

Trivia and Research:
Prestidigitation and legerdemain both mean sleight of hand.

Max Malini is one of the most legendary performers of the 20th Century. Born in 1875 in Poland and growing up in New York City, Malini (né Max Katz) began his career performing in saloons and eventually went on to perform for kings, queens and millionaires. Famous for his sleight of hand and puzzling effects, Malini toured the world until his death in 1942. Unlike most globe trotting magicians, he carried almost no equipment, relying on his skill rather than props to astound audiences.

According to magician's lore, the person responsible for the creation of the re-attachment of severed heads illusion is Dedi of Desnefru. This Egyptian conjuror lived during the reign of pharaoh Cheops (circa 2638-2613 BC), well known for constructing the Great Pyramid at Gizeh. At the command performance of the pharaoh, the elderly magician performed the re-attachment of severed heads three times -- first using two birds, and finally a much larger victim, an ox. The last time, he used a large sword to decapitate the ox in front of the baffled king, then after using powerful magic words, he reattached the head, and produced the unharmed bovine to the court. While the king offered to provide a human subject for the purpose of proving it could work on a human, Dedi bowed out with a gracious decline.

Mulder refers to the dust in Maleeni's van as lycopodium powder that the Los Angeles Police Department used to collect fingerprints. The real LAPD uses latent print powder.

There are special fingerprint powders that fluoresce when illuminated by an Alternate Light Source (ALS), as seen in the black light in the bank vault. These powders also can be seen when combined with the fumes of a "superglue" called cyanoacrylate. Developed in recent years, law enforcement technicians use the special print powder, together with the light, to visualize the latent evidence left behind by hapless criminals. This technique helps the forensic team to collect and/or photograph surfaces from which it's difficult to pull evidence.

The American Banking Association does not release to the public its procedure for a federal agent to access electronic transfer funds. The process used by the bank in the episode is fictional.

Billy LaBonge was named after Second Unit Director of Photography Bob LaBonge.



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