Archive for the 'Card Magic' Category

Ramsay’s Review: T2P Shawn Farquhar

Posted by Cameron on December 18th, 2010

Magic Reviews by Cameron Ramsay

Hello readers! Welcome to my new review section. If you are looking for a column where a guy rips into bad magic products than tries to trash the creator than this is not the column for you. My whole idea and goal for the review column is to just highlight good effects and recommend creators that put out great products. Yes the format of the column might change but hang on there guys, this should be a cool trip

T2P

Torn to Pieces

Shawn Farquhar

Manufacturer’s Description

Here’s the killer effect Shawn has kept secret for over a decade. It’s the effect Shawn does when he wants to get a client to book him again and again! A real photograph, signed by the spectator, is torn into four pieces. The photo is really torn. Then in an instant all four pieces join together but in the wrong order leaving the spectator with a mismatched photo with their signature! That’s right their signature is on the odd “almost restored” photo.

Cameron’s Description

Okay it’s not often you see an effect that is a killer on television and that’s also usable for a walk- around performer. Shawn’s effect does all of that and it leaves you with the chance to add your own personality.

Shawn does give many ideas of what photos to use (he also supplies digital images to get started with) and also presents ideas for many age groups. I am not the best with kids so when I saw Shawn explain the version with Humpty Dumpty I knew it would be going into my close – up arsenal. No, not the soccer team.

Cameron’s Favorite Part

This is a personal effect; it can be used to tell your audience exactly who you are. My favorite aspect is that this can be carried in your wallet and it actually makes sense to have it. Bravo Shawn, Bravo!

Thanks for reading my first column, many more reviews to come. If you have any comments, concerns or submissions please email me or contact via this new thing called the World Wide Web.

Cam
MrCameronRamsay@gmail.com
@Cameron401 on Twitter

Ramsay’s Review- Above The Fold

Posted by Cameron on December 18th, 2010

Magic Reviews by Cameron Ramsay

Above the Fold

Rich Aviles

Vanishing Inc Plublishing

Manufacturer’s  Description

Published by Vanishing Inc. Magic, Above the Fold is the debut collection from one of magic’s most exciting new talents: Rich Aviles. In this intelligent, praiseworthy collection of card and close-up material, Aviles details thirteen effects and seven moves, each one explained with equal parts clarity and wit.

Cameron’s Description?

Yes,Yes,Yes, people are still writing books. Andy Gladwin and Joshua Jay are bringing sexy (books) back and I am certainly loving it. This debut collection from Rich Aviles has a lot of great material in it. Highlights for me were Pocket Protector-a clever prediction using an Alex Elmsly move. Asher Twich- Rich’s take on the now classic ace routine by Lee Asher. Now I’m not a guy that thinks any one should be boring their audience with 37 different color changes but I really like 2 Legit as a double color change.

Cameron’s Favorite Part

Again this is a book, what’s even better is that it is a book I can take on the subway (I don’t’ go on subways ever since Spiderman) and easily travel with anywhere with it. It’s not big and that’s what the guys at Vanishing Inc Magic are trying for. They are calling it their “Small But Potent”, just the best material from that one creator.

Now I didn’t want to write about this but there is a secret gem in the book that I am sure a lot of card guys won’t use. It’s the only non card trick/gag in the book. I have been able to put this gem in my comedy club set. To sum it up this is a great card book from a really funny guy that everyone will enjoy.

I really look forward to more books and products coming out of the Vanishing Inc Publishing company.

Cameron 

MrCameronRamsay@Gmail.com

@Cameron401 on twitter

Aaron Fisher ONE-HAND POPOVER

Posted by Corey Martin on February 8th, 2010

popover

Corey Martin is a regular contributor to iTricks Raves.

There are countless DVD’s out on the market that focus on the art of card flourishing. Many are rich in visual “eye candy” but very difficult to master. Then there are the select few that look fantastic but are much simpler to master. hedshot Aaron Fisher’s One-Hand Popover is a beautiful piece of slight of hand that can be used as a visual production, a slight or even just a flourish. It combines elements that many magicians use everyday combined with Aaron’s incredible insight and teaching to create a fantastic piece of magic. The DVD is broken down into sections to focus all the attention on the most important parts of the move.  The Grip, The Popover itself, and then taking the actual move an applying it to effects and routines, both as a visual production and a slight.

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Aaron Fisher SEARCH AND DESTROY FEATURING THE NOWHERE PASS

Posted by Jamie on November 30th, 2009
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Jamie D. Grant is now a regular contributor to iTricks Raves with an enhanced version of his reviews from MagicFriday.blogspot.com.

What The Audience Sees:

skitched-20090928-001123.jpg”Well, it’s good to see Jamie back on track, man. He had a bad stretch there for a while but last week he took us to the bridge with that Coin and Chapstick magic, and this week, %#^#, this week he had us all havin’ the time of our lives with this card trick he pulled off. He took the two Kings out of the deck right, and he had me select a card. I put it back, but with a snap of his hands- BOOM, it was between the two Kings!

Then he took it to the next level! He gave the deck to Angry Bob and said that A.B was going to do the magic! He had Big Ted select a card and put it back, and then he gave the deck to A.B. The two Kings were put back in near the ends of the deck but after A.B. said his magic word of “Go ^#&& yourself,” the Kings got closer together! He did it again, and this time the Kings were side by side in the deck with only one card in between them- Big Ted’s!!! It was awesome! Angry Bob dropped the cards in astonished disgust and Big Ted started to rub his knees with his elbow! Me? I just freaked the %$^$ out!!!”

How It Went:

I’m starting over. I’m talking about my Card Magic here. I think I’m done with special decks, custom cards, etc. I just can’t deal with it all anymore. I keep losing track of what does what, lol! So I’m starting over. Every card trick I want to do now needs to be done with a regular deck that I can leave with the specs. That’s my plan. And I want to do strong magic. Really strong magic. Paul Vigil’s Diplopia is on my list definitely (look for that in the next couple of weeks) as is Kostya Kimlat’s Roadrunner Cull. This week though? Aaron Fisher’s SEARCH and DESTROY (featuring the NOWHERE PASS). And it fit the bill to a “T”. A regular deck, with awesome sleight of hand, that can be done for the spectators and left with the spectators- both the memory and the deck itself- that’s what I’m talking about.

MUCH MORE INCLUDING BEST LINES, TIPS ON HANDLING AFTER THE JUMP
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CHAPTER ONE Asi Wind

Posted by Corey Martin on November 23rd, 2009

asi one

Corey Martin is a regular contributor to iTricks Raves.

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Some performers and those close to the art of magic well often say, “The most beautiful magic is done up close.” This of course is all hinged upon which style you like, what you perform (if that is the case) and the vast differences between the different magical styles. Every so often we find a performer who takes their style and makes it elegant and a pleasure to watch. Asi Wind has created ‘Chapter One’, a look into the “evolution of magic” and how he has contributed his ideas to that concept. You get very well put together 35-page book which includes five incredible close up card effects, three essays on various topics related to magic and performing, as well as the DVD which includes performances with or without cometary.
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David Forrest ENCASED

Posted by Editor on September 28th, 2009
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Jamie D. Grant is now a regular contributor to iTricks Raves with an enhanced version of his reviews from MagicFriday.blogspot.com.

skitched-20090928-001123.jpgWhat The Audience Sees:

”Dude, I am loving the card tricks! Anyone who says they don’t like card tricks just needs to come over and see my man here. This guy is good with a capital “G”. This Friday, for example, he had me pick a card, any card, and sign my name across the face. Well, he puts it into the deck and then, BOOM, it’s not in the deck anymore. Nuh-unh. He had some crazy-%## spirits come fly over from Amazing Man Land and steal the card out of the deck somehow, probably eat a few souls on the way back, and dropped my card into an impossible location- the box the cards came from!!! Are you hearing me here? My card went into the deck- I saw it- and then a second later it’s in the ^&$&&$^ box instead!!! Jamie is off the gri-hi-zid with this stuff!!! I love it!

How It Went:

Believe it or not, Card to Box was the first trick I ever learned. No kidding. I was in Grade 3 or something and I have no idea how I learned it. All I remember is that it involved a f*%ce that took about 18 steps and then I would go through the deck, pull out three incorrect cards and state that one of them was their card. While they were looking of the three cards on the table, I would quickly find their card, pull it out, and put it into the box, and walk across the room and throw the box as far away as I could. You wouldn’t believe the number of times it worked….Once! But man, it killed that kid.

Anyways, I always loved that trick and here comes David Forrest with one of the (if not simply the) best solution I’ve ever come across. It’s easy, fast, resettable, and amazing. I dare say it’s perfect.

I don’t think I’ve done one card trick as many times as I did Encased on Friday. I did this trick over and over and over and every single time it fried people. I mean, it’s just so clean. I don’t know even what to tell you, really. There were so many reactions that it’s hard to pinpoint any from the others- they were all great. You know its funny- this is a card to Impossible Location plot but for whatever reason it plays out more than you would think. I mean, Card to Wallet is obviously a wonderful effect but there’s something special about Card to Box. Maybe it’s because it’s a bit more organic and the fact that all the items are in full view the entire time? Or maybe it’s just me. Whatever the encase (ha ha. Get it? Encase? Instead of “whatever the case”, I said, “whatever the en…”ahem..carrying on then), this Friday went down as one of the all time great card days.

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Ben Harris
THE CROSSROADS DECK

Posted by Editor on September 6th, 2009

Preview

Jamie D. Grant is now a regular contributor to iTricks Raves with an enhanced version of his reviews from MagicFriday.blogspot.com.

skitched-857What The Audience Sees:

”Yo, you want to know what I saw, right? Yeah? You sure? Because I saw the devil, man! Or maybe not! Maybe he’s a miracle worker! Who the %#^# knows what the heck Jamie is! He probably doesn’t even know!!! Check it- he puts a deck of cards on the table, right. He NEVER touches them again; I swear to you it’s true. He doesn’t touch the things. Instead he has me and Big Ted come up with a card. We chose the 2 of Clubs. BOOM! It’s gone, he says. We count the cards. There’s only 51. Big Ted starts to giggle. I start to get nervous. He tells us to turn the cards face up and find the 2 of Clubs. Well, guess what? Yeah, I know you know! The 2 of Clubs isn’t in the deck and the %^$^^$%^^$ pulls it out of his shoe! I couldn’t believe it! Big Ted started doing jumping jacks! Me? I just got the heck out of there before the Seven Horsemen showed up. It was awesome!!!”

How It Went:

I’ve reviewed a Ben Harris effect in the past and gave it a great Rating (Enlightenment) and I’m about to do it again. You know, the thing I liked about Enlightenment was that it was something that I wouldn’t use all the time- it’s something unique that I can break out on special occasions. The Crossroads deck, however, doesn’t fall into that category because I will be using this all the time. I mean, it was almost made for Magic Friday- self working and instantly resettable = awesome.

Everyone loved it, as well. The thing that makes this so impossible is the fact that I never touched the cards. It’s just so surreal. And I didn’t play it like, “I knew you were going to pick the [card]”. Instead, I played it like, “Voila. I just made your card vanish from the deck.” And it killed. Over and over again.

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David Stone WINDOW

Posted by Editor on August 11th, 2009

Paul Roffman is special to iTricks Raves. Want to writes a Rave? Email Reviews@iTricks.com

David Stone is fronting a new effect called Window which is actually created by Mickael Chatelain. The package contains a gimmick and DVD, with 5 complete routines. The jolly nice people at Ellusionist have sent me a copy for review for iTricks.

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‘Panic’ Reviewed by Corey Martin

Posted by Corey Martin on July 1st, 2009

Panic

I would like to welcome you to my first Review here at iTricks. I hope that I will be able to give all the readers out there an in-depth look into some really cool magic, as well as adding a bit of personal spin to things. Up first, ‘Panic’ by Mr. Aaron Fisher. Lets get to it.

The Performance

The DVD opens with a performance of ‘Panic’. Right away you see how Aaron Fisher really takes pride in presenting this effect. Which sets you up for a lot of the advice that is given in the importance of presentation later in the teaching. The effect itself is one that before this, I had never seen before. Everything is done right out in the open, there are no “funny moves”, no un-natural slights, every move you make is simple, and natural which takes away any thought the spectator may have of you trying to do something sneaky. The results, needless to say, are nothing short of spectacular. It is clear, just from the reactions on the DVD that this effect KILLS. (Not literally, that would be bad…very bad)

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‘Killer Gaft Magic’ Reviewed by Jeff Prace

Posted by Editor on June 8th, 2009

The Official Spam:

“You are nuts! You could have sold (these effects) one by one separately! Very good my friend… The material is excellent!” – Aldo Colombini

Cameron Francis (star of The Omega Mutation, Rehab, Red Hot Prediction, Twists & Turns, Fresh Mint etc) is BACK! And this time he is armed with GAFF CARDS!

You want easy magic that will make your spectators eyes pop out… well, Killer Gaft HAS IT IN SPADES! (And Clubs, Hearts and Diamonds too!).

Eleven routines, SIXTEEN Gaff cards (printed by the USPCC), over TWO HOURS of content.

Pipeline – Oil and Water meets the Travelers in this devastating effect!

What The Blank – Four blank cards print three selections one at a time. As for the fourth card… A surprise ending that you’re spectators won ‘t see coming!

The Flying Four – A no-palm, four signed cards to one pocket that you will use!

Tele-Print – A card, say the ten of diamonds, jumps back and forth between two packets of blank cards, then disappears, then all of the cards turn into the ten!

Side By Side – A blank card slowly prints a selection. A new twist on a classic trick!

Washout - Small packet Triumph with a kicker ending!

Boxy - Super easy signed card to card case!

Switch Jack – Four jacks, two selections and a whole lot of magic!

The Following – An off beat, two phase assembly!

Halfusion – A torn and… not quite restored card that leaves your spectator holding a truly impossible object!

Paan – A prediction written on the back of a card is discovered at ANY number!

Do The Wave – B’Wave with a twist!

But there’s more – included free on Killer Gaft is ‘Sleight School’. Cameron takes you through EIGHTEEN different magical sleights. This is like ninja school (if magic was martial arts and Cameron was a ninja, which it isn’t and he isn’t – but you know what we mean).

Learn –

DL
Elmsley Count
Touch Force
Tilt
Jordan Count
Hammon Count
Vernon Substitute Transfer
Flushtration Count
Mercury Card Fold
Diminishing Lift
Diminishing Count
Braue Reversal
Thru The Fist Flourish
Erdnase Colour Change
Atfus
Twirl Change
Paddle Move
Alignment Move

The Quality:

Like all other Big Blind Media productions, the quality on this DVD is excellent. It was filmed with multiple cameras and they are very high quality. Also, the menus are set up nicely, and unlike some DVDs, there is a ‘Play All’ button that everyone loves. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better production job.

The Teaching:

Judging from all the other Cameron Francis products I own, I knew the teaching on this DVD was going to be excellent. And I was right. Cameron goes over everything multiple times and really gives you detail. Everything is explained clearly. You should not have any questions when you finish watching this DVD.

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The Content:

Pipeline- A magician shows eight cards, four red spot cards and four black spot cards. They are in alternating color. The magician places four of the cards inside the box, leaving him with two red and two black. With no moves, he is holding four black cards. The only logical place is that the red cards are in the box. The box is opened and the red cards have seemed to disappear. The magician, with empty hands, reaches into four different pockets and removes all of the red cards.

This is sweet. I really like the moment when they see you holding two red and two black, and then only black. There is no possible explanation. The cards are shown front and back and the magician’s hands are empty. I also really like the surprise ending. I think having the red cards appear in the box would be too expected; the audience would know where the red cards were before you told them. Also, this is super easy to do. You should have this down in no time. A great effect.

Tele-Print- The magicians shows five cards: four blue backed, blank faced cards, and one blue backed ten. The ten is pushed in between two of the face down blanked faced cards. The ten disappears from the small packet. It then reappears between the other two blanked faced cards that were resting on the table. The magician offers to do that again, this time a little differently. This time, the ten is inserted in between the blank cards the opposite way. This time, it doesn’t appear inside the other cards. You now have four blank cards, and no ten! The packet is squeezed, and the ten comes back. Then, all four cards change into tens.

That’s a long description, but this is a killer effect. This is by far my favorite effect on the whole DVD. It’s just so magical. One of the greatest points is that after the ten vanishes you are super clean. You have pretty much nothing to hide. And then the ending is killer. The blank cards are seen throughout the effect, and then with no switches they are all tens! When I first saw this I thought there was no way. It was like the next NFW. This is killer!

Boxy- A magician is about to start his card trick when he sees the Joke. UH OH! He states that the Joker always ruins his card tricks. He puts the Joker into the card box. Any card is selected and signed on the face. The magician then signs the back of the card. The card is lost into the middle of the pack. When you spread the cards, one card is reversed. It turns out to be the Joker. The card box is opened and they see a face down card with the signature on it. It is turned over and it’s the signed, selected card.

This is definitely my second favorite effect on the DVD. I might perform this more than Tele-Print because this is not a packet trick. When I first saw this I thought great, this is like every other card to box routine I’ve seen. But I was wrong. I love this. The addit ions Cameron has added make this a wonderful routine. I really like this because they clearly see the Joker go into the box, with no signature on its back. Also, any card really can be selected, there is no force. This has an easy reset and a very quick one. I encourage everyone to check this out.

Side by Side- A card is selected and signed on the back. It is then lost into the middle of the pack. The magician has a blank cards, and starts to gather an image from the spectator’s mind. It would be impressive if the blank card says their card. And it does, written on the card is ‘Your Card.’ How lame. The magician rubs the blank card, and it changes into their card. But, the writing ‘Your Card’ is still on the card! The signature is not on the back, though. With a snap and a wave, the card really turns into their card!

This is more confusing to describe than it is to watch. It really is a great trick. The most magical moment is when the blank card morphs into their own. The killer part here is that what you wrote on the blank card transfers over to their selected card. And did I mention there was no force? I love tricks in which a gag turns into a magic trick. That’s exactly what this does. It turns a lame gag into a miracle. This is great.

Switch Jack- Four kings are shown. The two black ones are separated from the two red ones. A card is selected, and then another card is selected. Both are memorized. They are both lost in different parts of the deck. The black kings are placed underneath the card box. The red cards are placed face down onto the deck, and the magician snaps his fingers. When he spreads over the cards, one of the selected cards is in between them. The kings are then turned face up. With another snap, they trap two cards. This time they are the two black kings. Under the card box is the other card they selected.

This is a great effect. It reminded me of the Luke Dancy effect, and he is credited. I really like sandwich routines like this one. Ones in which there are no moves, and cards appear in between them. You literally put the cards on the deck, and a card just appears. It looks so magical. And then you have a great kicker ending in which no one would ever expect. This is pretty easy to do, but will require some practice. A great part is that the black kings are clearly seen going under the card box, and then they change into a selected card. It’s just so magical.

What the Blank- The cards are shuffled by the spectator. Four blank cards are placed onto the table. Four cards are selected from the center of the deck. The blank cards are shown to be blank on both sides. One of the cards that was selected is then printed onto one blank cards. It is done again with a second card. You now have a duplicate of two different cards. This is done again. With the last card, the four of the cards are rubbed and change into the selected card.

I must have done a terrible job explaining what that looks like. Once again, it’s hard to describe, but looks great. Within the first part, it looks like every other printing effect. The kicker ending makes this effect great. It really is a highly unexpected ending. I never liked printing effects, so I won’t be performing this much, but I know others will. A great part is that the blank cards are shown front and back, and then they print one by one. Even though it’s not for me, I think everyone should give this good one a chance.

The Following- You ask what Jack is the most powerful. It turns out to be the Jack of Diamonds. The other Jacks will do anything to be with the other Jack. The Jack of Diamonds is placed into the card case. The three Jacks are shown, and one vanishes. The next Jack vanishes as well, and then the last one does. Inside the card box is four cards, the four Jacks. It is done again. The Jack of Diamonds is placed face up inside the deck. The three Jacks disappear as well. The spectator doesn’t think you’re telling the truth, because you’re holding them! The Jacks really did go, you’re holding four blank cards. Inside the middle of the pack are four face up Jacks.

I really like this one again. Once you think the effect is over, it gets better. The vanish of the three Jacks is great. It’s kind of like a sucker effect; the spectator thinks they know what’s going on when they have no idea. Also, the appearance inside the card box looks great. When I first watched it I was fooled very badly. This also has a great story line. One Jack is the most popular and powerful that all of the other Jacks want to follow him. That makes sense of the fact they the travel with him into the box and the middle of the pack. A fantastic effect.

Washout- Six cards are taken from the back. They are random colored spot cards. One of the cards is touched and memorized. It’s lost inside the middle of the packet and the packet is mixed. Three cards are turned face up and mixed into the face down. With a shake, all the cards are face down except for their card. The odd thing is, all of the other five cards are blank! They picked the only printed card.

When I first saw the first half of the trick, I thought it was okay. When I saw the kicker ending, I thought it was terrific. They see other printed cards when they are turned face up, and then the turn blank. A highlight of this effect is that there are no funny moves. There are no funny moves to get the cards all facing the same way, and there are no funny moves to get the cards to turn blank. Another great effect from this DVD.

PAAN- A prediction has been made on the back of one card that is in the middle of the deck. The deck is shuffled and the spectator cuts the cards. The card the spectator cut is looked at and memorized. The spectator names any number between 1 and 52. The magician counts down to that number and shows the card. It’s not the one the spectator selected. On the back of that card is the written prediction. The prediction is the card they selected. The deck is shown to have no other writing on the back.

This is a great effect. Right when the spectator names a number, they think they know what is going to happen. Boy, are they wrong. The prediction on the back of a card is a great addition to the ACAAN plot. I really like this and have performed it a few times already. It has gotten great reactions every time. Everyone should check this effect out.

Do the Wave- A small packet of cards is shown. You pretend that they are the four Jacks. The spectator removes one of the imaginary colors. Then they eliminate one of the cards, leaving them with the selection. Inside the packet, there are four cards. The Jack they selected is face up. People think this is sleight of hand. To prove that it’s not, and the magician really did know this in advance, the other three cards are shown to be blanked faced. And written on them is ‘Jack of Clubs.’

Finally! Someone made sense of why the cards are b lank at the end of B’Wave. I’ve always loved the classic Goldstein effect, but I never understood why the cards are blank at the end. It just never made sense to me. Finally, Cameron has made sense of it. And I applaud him for that. This is a super duper great effect and everyone should add this ending to their B’Wave routine. This is simply fantastic. My third favorite on the DVD.

Halfusion- A card is selected and folded in half. It is then ripped along the crease. The two half pieces are placed face to face. To restore the card, the magician puts a staple holding the two pieces together. The pieces are placed inside the box. When opened, the pieces have reversed. The two halves are now back to back, still stapled together. With a little squeeze, the pieces fuse together. They are one solid half card!

I can’t really describe what is given away here at the end. It’s kind of like a mis-made card but only a half card. It’s a very good souvenir. I love T&R tricks. I have some of my own and some created by others. But, this is a great addition to the T&R plot. When I first saw it I got very interested. It has a great method and it’s easy to do. I can’t wait to try this out. It’s simply fantastic. I think it’s great because it leaves the spectator with a souvenir to remember what you did, not just a card that has creases in it.

Flying Four- The four Queens are shown. Four double blank cards are shown as well. Four stickers are marked with the spectator’s initials, and one is placed on the back of each Queen. The four blanks are placed underneath the card box. One by one, the Queens turn into the four blank cards. The blanks are shown front and back. Underneath the card box is one blank card. On the back of the blank card is says to check the magician’s back pocket. In the back pocket are the four initialed Queens.

This is very, very good. It’s a great card to pocket routine. When I first saw it, I thought there must be some duplicate signatures. There aren’t. I really like the change from the Queens to the blanks. It’s so clean. All the blanks are shown front and back after the change. I have performed this a few times already and it KILLS. This is something everyone should try out.

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Overall:

This is a fantastic DVD. Usually, I find things on a multiple trick DVD that I think are bad. I didn’t find any here. Everything presented on this DVD is great. Aldo said it right, these could have been sold separately. This is a must have DVD. A solid 9.5/10. 10/10s are rewarded for real magic.

Jeff Prace

‘Election’ Reviewed by V

Posted by Editor on June 8th, 2009

Intro: Eric Ross has created a gem of a card trick.

Trick: Election

Created By: Eric Ross

Effect: Listen up… Two spectators are each given a deck of cards and instructed to pick a card behind their backs.

When revealed the spectators have chosen the same card with a special twist at the end that will leave your audience speechless.

Notes: A new, crushing enhancement to the ‘You do as I do’ routine
or a shocking stand-alone effect with any deck
Spectators freely choose thier own cards while holding the deck behind their back
Completely examinable

Cost: $9.95

Genre: Card/Mentalism Magic

Demo: http://papercranemagic.com/election.htm

Format: Instant Download

Video and Quality:

Video- The video is also very well edited, put together, and produced.

Quality- The quality of this video is pretty good. There were definitely no problems hearing or seeing what was being said or done. The audio is good; everything is clear and easy to watch.

Teaching: Eric’s teaching was good. The teaching was neither too complicated or any overkill, since it is a simple effect. It’s very easy to follow along and very easy to learn from. No confusion, problems or questions when the video was over.

Method: The method is so simple and ingenious. Simply without a doubt this is a fooler, you’ll fool yourself when performing and setting it up.

Needed Material: You probably have the needed materials already at home, if not they are very common and easy to come by. The material can last you a pretty long time.

Gimmick and Impromptu:

Gimmick- This effect doesn’t require a gimmick, but it’s more of a set-up.

Impromptu- Once set-up, the effect is pretty much” impromptu”.

Set-Up: Takes no more than a minute, and that’s if you’re slow.

Dirtiness and Clean-Up:

Dirtiness- You do not really end that dirty.

Clean-Up- You also really don’t have to clean-up since the effect doesn’t cause any suspicion at all.

Reset: Reset can be accomplished only taking a few seconds.

Difficulty: On a scale of 1-10 (Ten being the hardest), I say it’s about a
2. This effect is ingeniously simple and practical. And the spectator is the one doing all the work and it’s basically self-working.

Overall: A very spectatular and simple effect that you can add into your routine. It is something that I will use and perform. For the price and effect you get in this effect is a great deal, I suggest you pick it up and try it out. I like the aspect of it being a prediction/mentalism trick and the kicker ending.

Score: 8/10

Bonus Effects: Twisted- A great routine by itself but a better closer. Instead of a standard effect where a finger ring disappears, you make your finger disappear. It gets better… in a flash your vanished finger visually penetrates a solid finger ring.

This works great as a closer to any effect involving a ring. This effect is also very visual, there is a gimmicked involved as well, but the end result is just very nice and super visual.

Sucker- Visual, visual, visual. Bitten and restored sucker. You’ll love the method to this one. It will be your favorite part of the effect.

This is such a visual piece. This is my favorite of the bonus effects included. There is a sleight gimmick involved, but it should take no longer than 5 minutes and should last a few good performances.

Distorted- Eric’s take on the card through bill illusion. This one is visual and impromptu.

What can I say, another visual piece by Eric. A signed card goes through a borrowed bill. This one will take practice, but it’s highly visual and it’s impromptu. The spectator sees the card in the bill, yet the magician saws through the bill with the signed selection. Very simple.

I highly suggest picking this up or at least checking it out.

‘Moment’s Notice’ Reviewed by Jeff Prace

Posted by Editor on May 26th, 2009

The Official Spam:

Cameron Francis presents five devastating, completely impromptu card effects that you WILL add to your repertoire right away! This is commercial, easy card magic at its best. No set-ups and no extra props. All you need is a deck, two hands, an interested spectator and you are set to amaze!

Here’s what you’ll find beyond the cover:

Elevation: Four phases of sandwich/elevator/twisting/transpo madness that will make you look like a sleight of hand God. But it’s all oh, so easy to do!

Spin Cycle: Twisting the Aces meets Hofsinzer with a powerful in-the-spectator’s-hands ending!

Emergency!: A super convincing in the hands Triumph that’s easy to do!

Simply Amazing: A fantastic Ace Assembly for those who don’t like Ace Assemblies!

Flying Colors: A transposition of red cards and black cards with a knockout second phase in which everything happens in the spectator’s hands!


The Tricks:
Elevation: In this effect, two ‘special’ cards are pulled from the deck and placed to the side. A spectator chooses any two cards. The two cards are lost in the center of the deck. The two special cards are shown to be the two black Jacks. With just a shake, the face up Jacks trap a face down card. That card is one of their selections! You explain the Jacks do much, much more. The selection is constantly placed in between the Jacks, and magically rises to the top. Also, the selection magically flips face up and face down in between the Jacks multiple times. The selection is then placed on the table. With just a snap, it turns into the other selection. The deck is spread and the other selection is found face up in the middle.
I’ve always liked the plot in which one selection changes to another, and then the first one somehow appears far away from where it once was. It’s very magical in my mund, the two card transposition. I know a lot of transpositions, but this has turned out to be a very good one. Something I like about this is that the transposition seems to be an afterthought. The other magical events are the main trick. This way, I feel, the transposition is more magical. The method here is pretty easy to do. It will require basic knowledge of card sleights. This is a fantastic routine.
Spin Cycle: “The four Aces are removed from the pack and placed aside. A card is selected, say the Two of Hearts, and lost in the pack. The magician explains that the Aces will be able to identify the card through a strange procedure. One by one, the face down Ace turn face up. The last Ace to turn face up is the Ace of Hearts. This, the magician explains, means that the selected card was a Heart. The Ace of Hearts is placed aside. The spectator cuts the remaining face down Aces into the pack. The deck is cased and the spectator gives the box a spin. The cards are removed from the box and the deck is spread. The Aces are seen face up in the middle with one face down card between them: the Two of Hearts.”
I love the Hofzinser Ace Problem. Love it, love it, love it. I have created my own method, which I love to use. Although I am bias to that method, this one is also very good. I like the idea of using the box. It seems like you’re making the trick sleight-of-hand proof, as you can’t touch the cards. The magic happens on it’s own. This way, you don’t seem to just be someone who is handy with a pack of paste boards, but rather a real magician who can do real magic. That’s an important idea to remember in all of my magic. So, this fits the bill. It’s super cool and super magical. Once again, it’s also pretty easy to do. I recommend you try this out, as it’s a great solution to the Hofzinser Ace Problem.
Emergency!: “A card is selected and lost in the deck. To make his job of finding the card even more difficult, the magician turns half the deck face up and shuffles it into the face down half. Failing twice to find the card, the magician claims that all decks now come equipped with an Emergency button. The button is pressed, the deck is straightened and a previously indifferent card is now discovered to have transformed into the selection.”
Another favorite of mine, Triumph. I cannot think of a better card plot with such a great patter. I really like the additions to the patter Cameron added. It’s not the basic “a young kid shuffled my deck wrong” but it’s a comical solution. The idea of an ‘Emergency button’ reminds me a lot of the ‘Reset button’ in the standard Reset routine. I liked how he applied that to this effect. Onto the method. This is simply FREAKING AMAZINGLY AWESOME. I’ve performed a lot of Triumphs in my magic years, but this is one of the best I’ve seen. The secret move is brilliant. Although it’s stated to be “bold” no one will ever catch it. The display is very clean; they really see half face up and half face down. Simply brilliant. This will be the last Triumph routine I perform. I love this.
Simply Amazing: “The four Aces are removed from the pack and placed to the magician’s left. The spectator cuts the deck into four face down piles and then points to any one of them. The top four cards are removed from the freely chosen pile, shown to be indifferent and are placed face down on the spectator’s hand. The Aces are fairly inserted face down into each pile. The piles are stacked one on top of the other and the deck is then turned face up. The deck in placed on top of the four face down indifferent cards which the spectator has been holding onto. The magician snaps his fingers and spreads through the deck. The Aces are nowhere to be found. The four face down cards at the back of the deck are turned over. They are now the four Aces!”
It sound more confusing than it really is. I actually really like this as well. I think the ending is a great, visually moment. There are also some great subtleties in this effect which really sell it. I think it’s great because the spectator feels there is no possible way the magician could’ve switches the cards that they were holding, because there really isn’t. Well there is… Anyway, this is super clean. The handling is easy, but again, will require basic card handling knowledge. I assume most of you guys already know this stuff. Another winner.
Flying Colors: In this effect, the magician removes four black cards, and four red cards. The two packets are separated. With a snap, the two packet of cards magically and invisibly change places. The spectator removes one card from each packet. With a snap, those two selected cards change places as well.
This is just not for me. I’m sure it’s going to be for a lot of others, but not me. It’s is a nice trick, and I can’t really explain why it doesn’t suit me. Because of that, I will jump into the method and handling. Everything, again, is easy to do. The method is very clean and clever. Some of the magic happens in the spectator’s hands. Another nice part, the cards are not always handled by the magician, eliminating some possible solutions in the spectator’s mind. A nice trick overall.
The Teaching:
Everything is very well taught. There are step-by-step instructions. Also, there are 11 clear photographs that really help. Nothing to complain about.
Overall:
There’s not really much to say. The e-book is nicely made, all components of it. All of these effects are impromptu, hence the title, so they are very practical. All of the effects are amazing. A solid 9.5/10.
Jeff Prace

Sigillum Diaboli Reviewed by Jamie Daws

Posted by DerekMerdinyan on February 13th, 2009

Magic Review: Alan Rorrison’s SIGILLUM DIABOLI| www.bigblindmedia.com

Well everyone remembers the original “card warp effect” by Roy Walton and it is one that will stay in magic for a very long time. There have been many versions of the “card Warp” over the years, some successful and some not. I have in fact grabbed hold of most versions of the effect. From the original Roy Walton Classic at Davenports magic shop, to David Jenkins’s “Warp one”. Then came along a Wee Scotsman, Alan Rorrison vs. Owen Packard’s Big Blind Media Production. With Alan’s witty personality and BBM’s classy Production, I knew I had to get it.

So let’s get into the nitty and gritty. Firstly, as an owner of so many of Alan effects, I have to say honestly, this is got to be one of the best DVD’s of his I own. At first glance many will look at the performance video and believe they know how it’s done. I can tell you after watching the DVD, there is sooo much more then you could ever imagine. The workings of this are in fact so marvellously thought out; it makes it a pure joy to perform. Alan begins by taking us in depth into the set up of the effect. He shows a couple of different handling to get into the set up and leads us on our way toward the beginning of the trick. Again, he shows everything so in depth. I actually asked Alan why he had done the DVD so incredibly in depth when in fact, he could have given us a lot let information and we would still have what we needed to which his reply was, “I would prefer to give you too much information then to give you to little”. This is Alan Through and through and really shines a light behind his effects and him as a magic creator.

Throughout the DVD, Alan and BBM have made sure to give full credits to all those other versions of the card warp out there and also to any moves or ideas. The teaching on the DVD (as with all BBM products) is fantastically filmed, edited and overall quality is just staggering. They always go to that extra mile to make sure the DVD is top quality for us to watch. Everything is very in depth and well taught. When we get into the trick, we are shown everything slowly. Although one or two parts of the trick are a little bit nacky, Alan makes sure we can make it as easy as possible and has fully realised our needs. He addresses any problems we may have very openly (which are nearly none) and tells us how to easily solve them. The visualness of this versions is just amazing! It exceeds any of its predecessors in every way. It is never covers, the method is incredibly clever and the reactions from your audience are pure shock. Alan also supplies a few ideas for patter but the one he teaches with is just fantastic. Using a story about the sign of the Devil and how the “mark of the devil” will alter the state of something that is hidden and evil can rear its ugly head at any time. There are so many possibilities to suit your own working style.

What I also love about this is that you’re practically set up automatically for the next performance, set up takes about 5-10 seconds and all happens while you’re addressing your audience. Everything has been fantastically put together and every aspect of the effect has been thought about and addressed. I mentioned at the beginning of the review that I own most versions of Card Warp. As of now they have taken pride in my working routine. But now, as of the moment I fell in love with Alan’s version, Sigillum Diaboli has taken pride of place in my routine and it will amaze my audience forever more.

It doesn’t just stop there. You know there is always going to be some hidden fun when it comes to BBM. Alan has also included a fantastic transposition effect. It’s basically a copper/silver routine but with cards and completely visual. Using the Sigillum Diaboli technique to create a stunning piece by piece transposition. This is just another fantastic use for the trick and one I think, in the right setting, will blow people away. I’m actually very tempted to turn this into a parlour routine because I genuinely think it can play to a large audience and still be a winner for everyone.

Lastly, were given a great little money trick. This is just fantastic. So original in story and method. The idea’s of making money is everywhere. So how about next time your spectators say “So can’t you just make money out of thin air?” you can pull this little gem out of your wallet and show them a literal way to make money. Just a genius effect and a fantastic way of thinking.

Again, everything in this DVD is stunningly put together. The content is the best as usually from Alan Rorrison and lastly it’s something everyone will use. The handling is just superb. This one is a real winner and one that can go into any working act.

Another great product from Alan Rorrison and Big Blind Media!

Available at www.bigblindmedia.com

Jamie Daws

Karnival Deck Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan

Posted by DerekMerdinyan on February 9th, 2009

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If you are a magic dealer and are interested in carrying this product, you can contact Murphy’s Magic Supplies at 916 853 9292 or visit them on the web at www.murphysmagicsupplies.com

Spin Doctor Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan

Posted by DerekMerdinyan on December 8th, 2008

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Interested in picking up this product for yourself? Head over to FunInc.com