View Full Version : Help: What is a "Lazarus Wheel?"
JLGeo
09-20-2004, 07:06 PM
An early 20th Century play, Dracula, mentions it in connection to hypnotic trance induction, and the Tech Director would like to find a description or illustration.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks--
Terry (existing)
09-21-2004, 12:37 PM
An early 20th Century play, Dracula, mentions it in connection to hypnotic trance induction, and the Tech Director would like to find a description or illustration.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks--
WHY? Who would know the difference if you used a hypnodisc?
Shuriken
09-21-2004, 02:10 PM
WHY? Who would know the difference if you used a hypnodisc?
You've obviously never met a fanboy for anything.
I can point out where all the composite tape is in the original Star Wars. I can also tell you how most of the sounds were created. When the news ones came out, I could tell that some of the sounds had been changed, and I can now spot most of the CGI defects.
Unregistered
09-23-2004, 06:37 PM
WHY? Who would know the difference if you used a hypnodisc?
I would know, my son would know, and the director would know. My suspicion that the hypnodisc is the Lazarus Wheel, But we've Googled it, searched the OED, etc., and find no reference to it. Curious and I have too much time on my hands. Thank you.
Dear Guest,
Im curious.
How would you know?
Just because something was introduced to you as a hypnodisc, doesnt mean it has not had another incarnation as a lazrus wheel.
I dont know if it is, or not, BUT ...
I suspect that we could intelligently surmise that the Lazrus wheel, as mentioned in context, would be something circular, that might ot might not spin, that is used to fixate attention visually.
Thats a pretty accurate description of a hypnodisc.
And hypnodiscs come in various designs, er visual effects.
So while I wish you all the luck in finding out what a Lazrus wheel 'actually' is, I suspect a hypnodisc is really very similar, if not the same.
AND you cannot rule out the possibility that "Lazrus wheel" is actually an 'invention' of the author whose work you are referencing. It wouldnt be the first time an author took some liberty for the sake of embellishing the story.
my two cents,
skip
Simple Guy
09-24-2004, 11:44 AM
"AND you cannot rule out the possibility that "Lazrus wheel" is actually an 'invention' of the author whose work you are referencing. It wouldnt be the first time an author took some liberty for the sake of embellishing the story.
my two cents,
skip[/QUOTE]"
If Bram Stoker, or whoever wrote the play version, did invent the term it's a
good one in the context of the story. There is a complex equivalence, for
some that are familiar with the New Testament's Lazarus character. It is
said that he was disentombed and raised from the dead. Kind of a grisly
picture. Cross contextualizing the macabre isn't a bad thing for a story
as eerie as that of Dracula.
Gosh, all this scary stuff and Halloween is coming up next month :eek:
...my two cents, as well.
And before the Biblical story there is the story of the Egyptian Osiris who dies and is brought back to life. He raises a dead man to life in the town of El Asar.
El Asar...Lazar (made Latin with the "us" ending) becomes Lazarus. (The Chinese sage Kung Fu Tsu also became Latinized by runing the names together and adding the "us" ending: Confucious.)
BananaFruitcake
04-29-2006, 11:41 AM
A Lazarus Wheel is very similar to a hypnodisc, but it has swirls of color rather than just black and white. Also, the disc is semi-translucent like stained glass with a light behind it. When in operation, the Wheel is the only object illuminated in the room, allowing it to draw more focus, and therefore be more effective.
Connie
04-29-2006, 12:07 PM
A Lazarus Wheel is very similar to a hypnodisc, but it has swirls of color rather than just black and white. Also, the disc is semi-translucent like stained glass with a light behind it. When in operation, the Wheel is the only object illuminated in the room, allowing it to draw more focus, and therefore be more effective.
Sounds cool, would make a wonderful art object for my living room. :)
Maybe this is an updated version. http://www.starmagic.com/store.cgi?Aaliens+145397+1B2C003
Poodle
04-29-2006, 07:05 PM
Sounds like what we had for lighting on an aluminum Christmas tree when I was a kid. Sure was not trancy tho.
Simple Guy
04-30-2006, 08:32 AM
Poodle,
Sounds also like one of those disco-ball things they used on dancefloors
and clubs.
BananaFuitcake,
What is your source for this information?
AnthonyM83
04-30-2006, 09:37 PM
There's nothing wrong with trying to make props as accurate as possible...maybe not everyone one, but if one has interest in it...
Terry (existing)
05-01-2006, 07:48 AM
There's nothing wrong with trying to make props as accurate as possible...maybe not everyone one, but if one has interest in it... And you would make the Lazarus wheel how?
AnthonyM83
05-01-2006, 04:39 PM
I don't know...I'm neither familiar with the wheel nor a prop master.
But if I were and a particular prop interested me or the director enough, I might seek out the answer on the internet. Nothing wrong with trying to make it as accurate as one can (even if it's still far off from the original).