Trance

Catherine Leoni is a connoisseur of the illusionary arts. She learned her craft from her grandfather, Henry Santorini, a master magician with a disgraced past. Now in search of the fine line between reality and magic, she travels to Death Valley with her gangster husband Robert to meet Taylor Black, a mysterious magician who is about to replicate Santorini’s ruinous past. Adding to the mystery is Wally, who claims he can smell ectoplasm, and Robert’s hit man Bongo. Under Black’s power, Catherine is forced to make a choice…find her own power or succumb to the TRANCE and the seduction of magic. This was the Best Fantasy Feature winner at the New York International Independent Film Festival yet remains obscure.

Directed by Gary Orona, Trance leans on a strong ensemble — Martin Kove, Tane McClure, Bruce Abbott — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about horror titles of 2002.