Anyone see the Netflix movie that just came out Gerald's Game? The Stephen King book it was based on was written years ago, and King himself made the comment it will probably be a movie one day. Well, now it is.

Basic premise (no spoiler really) Hubby has a heart attack and dies during a sex game, leaving his helpless wife chained to the bed.

I thought the story was great. (I love King after all)
I thought the adaptation was well done for a less than two hour movie
The acting was great, and better still believable.
After seeing the movie, the plan I have long had for how she might have escaped (remember I am an escape artist) seems less plausible.
Overall I enjoyed it.

I was left with the same question that I had after reading the book. How often does something like that happen for real? Every now and then you read about some bondage mishap in which the person restrained dies accidentally, but I've never read about the other person dying and leaving the restrained partner stuck to fend for themselves.

I do remember an audio file that was out on YouTube a while back of a panicked priest calling 911 to his church as he had handcuffed himself and was trapped.

If you are referring to the Father Donovan case, I do not think he had handcuffed himself. Because he also had on a leather bondage mask with a metal bar in his mouth.

The Church said events were due to a "psychological condition that manifests itself in self-bondage as a response to stress":

https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog......ministry

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28......109.html

I don't know if that was Father Donovan or someone else. I didn't pay too much attention to it as I don't find such matters funny. I use handcuffs for other purposes. (to entertain my audiences)

Still I think Gerald's Game makes a fine puzzle for an escape artist to ponder. How would I have escaped if I was stuck like that. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I would not have ended the story the way she did, that is for sure.

Escape artists are funny. They fantasize about being tied up for real and have superhero ideas of being able to escape.

But to answer your question about how often this happens the answer is in a city of any notable size far more often than you think. Oddball death circumstances are just not as uncommon as we like to think. Death comes for us all and with those numbers it is hard to find unique circumstances.

Valar Morghulis

Don't know if that is true for ALL, but it is a point that I won't argue.

A question I get asked all the time is "If you were arrested by the police, could you get out of the handcuffs?" My answer is,

"Yes, I could, but I would not. Trying to escape from police custody is a shootable offence."

Yea it is those answers that people just don't take seriously.

It is always a little sad to me when magicians start to believe their own lies.

And you're right it is definitely not ALL. But then again I suppose I should qualify it.