What The Audience Sees:

“Okay, so I’m still in mass mental meltdown after that trick Jamie showed us on Friday. I mean, he didn’t do any funny moves or gestures, or any abracadabray kind of stuff, or anything! He simply showed us six cards, 3 red & 3 black. And he laid them down, alternating the colour. Red, black, red, black, red, black. Then “poof” they were separated! Red, red, red, black, black, black! It was just so…magical! I don’t know what else to say! It was real, true magic. And he did it three times! and the last time he did it? Get this! He did it face up!!!I’m speechless…”

How It Went:

If you were right beside me, at this moment, watching me type, you’d see the huge smile on my face. I love this trick. Love it! As many of you know, I don’t review bad magic (I can’t really go around showing bad magic, can I?) but there’s some that I review, that I like more than others. And Anthony Owen’s “Ultimate Oil & Water” is now at the top of my list. When it comes to magic that I keep with me, in my wallet, this is probably the first thing I’ll be pulling out in the future.

The thing that I loved about Friday was that it is such a clear effect to explain and describe. Six cards alternating colour magically separate into three and three of each. Period. Visually, it is just as clear. It’s like the audience was watching the magic happening at that moment. When I showed that the colours were grouped together, people got the feeling that it was happening right at that moment.

Combine that with the fact that I can do it three times, with each time escalating in proof and impossibility, and you have a sure-fire winner. I had such great reactions all day that it was an absolute pleasure to have to work, lol. There wasn’t a single “meh” reaction from all the times I performed it, either. Gasps and shock were the orders of the day.

The Difficulty:

This isn’t a hard trick at all but you will need to practise it a bit. It’s important to put the time into this if you want the confidence needed to not worry. 3/5.

Best Lines:

“Where are we?! Are we still in Vancouver?!”

~This is an awesome line, lol.

“Amazing, amazing, amazing.”

~What more can you ask for?.

Angry Bob Rating:

For those of you reading this article for the first time, Angry Bob is a co-worker who has an understanding of some magic because his uncle was a magician. Angry Bob knows that TT’s exist, for example, but he has no desire to become a magician himself. He also has an anger management problem that can be experienced first hand if he can’t figure out how a trick is done. A high rating means he has no idea.

Angry Bob is having a hard time these days. I might have to bust out a TT trick next week to give him a break. I seriously thought he was going to have a heart attack right in front of me. Needless to say- no clue.

“$#%# it. I don’t even want to know.” 4.5/5.

My Rating:

Magic Friday Approved!

A new packet trick- hurrah! I know I’ve been going on and on about my summer project of only doing magic with borrowed decks but I stil allow myself one packet trick to be on me at all times. Ultimate Oil & Water is now that trick!

The JDG Tip:

Watch it here!

The iTricks Idea:

The last phase is by far the most shocking so really give it a pause before the reveal. I try to create as much tension an this moment and wait for the incoming explosion…

Closing Thoughts:

Thanks for reading and watching everyone! If you are reading this in the summer of 2010, I highly suggest you go over to www.Professional-Magician.com and check out the “Send Wonder” campaign. If it’s years later and you’re reading this, I simply hope you enjoy the review.

Have a Great Week Everyone!

Jamie D. Grant

www.cardsinabottle.com

Uncategorized | View Comments

What The Audience Sees:

“This Jamie dude can make stuff, like, teleport, man! He made this card I pick fly across the table and land under a box, and I didn’t see a thing! Check it, I pick a card. He puts it into the deck. BAM! It’s under the card box. He takes it again. He puts in into the deck. BAM! It’s back under the cardbox. He says he’ll do it one more time. It doesn’t work. Why? BAMALAM! Because the whole deck, except my single card, is under the cardbox! AMAZING!”

How It Went:

I think I may have mentioned this before but I often feel like I’m an old miner in the Klondike searching for gold. While sorting through DVDs. Books, tricks, etc, looking for effects for Magic Friday, I get hungry, cold, scared, and worried. Sometimes I cry. And then, while knee deep in the proverbial rivers, I’ll look into my goldpan and find the biggest nugget you could imagine. And it all suddenly becomes worth it.

Box clever is one of those pieces of gold. You can use a borrowed deck. There’s no moves. Brilliantly routined. Everything I look for. Why James Brown didn’t just call me and tell me to look at this is beyond me, lol.

When I performed this all day, it kept getting better and better. I ended it with the deck going to under the box and people couldn’t believe it. It’s just such a shocker. I think they thought that twice was impossible enough, so when you can keep going, it just fries their minds. And the great thing is, that everything can be examined. People would immediately grab the deck and I could just sit back and relax. Fantastic.

The Difficulty:

This isn’t a hard routine in the slightest. You just need to focus and control your surroundings a bit. 2/5.

Best Lines:

“NO IT’S NOT!!!!”
~When I told them the deck had traveled, lol. And yes it had.

“UNGH!”
~This person actually let out a noise like they had been punched in the calf.

Angry Bob Rating:

For those of you reading this article for the first time, Angry Bob is a co-worker who has an understanding of some magic because his uncle was a magician. Angry Bob knows that TT’s exist, for example, but he has no desire to become a magician himself. He also has an anger management problem that can be experienced first hand if he can’t figure out how a trick is done. A high rating means he has no idea.

Ha! There’s nothing more enjoyable than leading Angry Bob down the garden path only to watch him fall into a deep hole at the end. After the first phase he was so smug and demanded to see it again. When I did, he was floored. And when the entire deck went, he was silent, lol. A true testament. 4.5/5.

My Rating:

Magic Friday Approved!

A great find. This is going into my Top 10 tricks that I do with a borrowed deck, for sure.

The JDG Tip:

Watch it here!

The iTricks Idea:

Every time something is examinable, let it be examined if asked. Or, beat them to the punch and simply ask them to shuffle. Often, that can be enough.

Closing Thoughts:

I’m up for future Magic Friday suggestions so, if you have any or if you have anything to say at all, please leave a comment~ I read them all!

Have a Great Week Everyone!

Jamie D. Grant
www.cardsinabottle.com

Uncategorized | View Comments