Corey Martin is a regular contributor to iTricks Raves.

Most of us remember when we first saw Sinful. For me, it was on an episode of Criss Angel’s “Mindfreak”. A signed coin visually penetrates a sealed soda can. Magic at one of it’s purest moments. Since that episode it has been hailed as one of the greatest impromptu effects of all time. With all of the classic movies getting a “facelift” these days it is nice to see that some of the great magic effects are getting similar treatment. If you liked the “original” version of Sinful, then you are going to love the new style, tips and handling of the new version. Inside this book not only shows you how to perform an incredible piece of magic, but it also lets you in on just how intense of a process goes into creating something so special. Welcome to Sinful: A Graphic Novel.
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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:

”Today, I saw the impossible, man. It was unbelievable! Check it out, right. Jamie comes bustin’ in and says that he’s done it. I guess these crazy magicians have some things that even they can’t do, and Jamie says that ever since the late 1800s every magician has tried to solve the problem of creating a “Flying Coin” , whatever the ^#^%# that is.

Anyways, he showed us these two huge coins that were American Silver Dollars from the 1920s and described how Houdini himself had tried to take a couple of coins, exactly like the ones he was holding, and make one of them go from one hand to the other. He said that there were lots of ways to do it, but that Houdini had wanted to use real magic, and now Jamie thought he had figured out how to do it. B#&&sh&*, right? Wrong! The absolute truth! Jamie is real magic. He took a coin, one in each hand, and then, *poof!* he turned into a leopard! Okay, not really, but he might have welled (welled?). Because, when he opened up his right hand, the coin was gone, and in his left hand were two. That coin travelled though the Spiritland and went into his other hand. And these coins were big man, there’s no way that Dollar got by me. No, it travelled by magic. Real magic. Leopard $^#% magic. This guy is fo real!

How It Went:

Wow, what a great day Friday was! Blackout took no prisoners! From first thing in the morning right up until the very end, this effect rocked and socked all day long. It’s not too often that I come across something that is so clean and can be repeated so quickly. You want to see it again? No problem. Boom! Coin gone. What’s that? Again? Sure! Boom! Coin’s in the other hand! Pure sweetness.

I basically did the simple handling all day, as well. I gave the whole Flying Coin Houdini presentation but, at the end of the day, I was making one coin go from one hand to the other. That’s it. Now I know there’s a whole bunch of ways we can do this, but Blackout is by far the easiest. I didn’t have to do a sleight all day! I just Blacked Out (that’s my past tense of performing Blackout) all day long. It went so well, that I’ve been setup all weekend, too. It’s a good thing I like black shirts!
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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:

”Man, today was kinda cool. Jamie told us that he has started collecting coins and that he’s pretty pumped about his new collection. When he pulled out his coin holder, however, he only had two coins, lol. Anyways, he puts them both into my hand- there was a Chinese coin and some American coin- and asks me to shake them up. He then reaches into my cupped hands and pulls out the American silver coin and puts it onto the back of my hand. He asks me if I can remember the date, without looking. Of course I can’t, so he asked me if I can tell him how big the hole in the coin is, instead. Well, there isn’t a hole in the American coin, right? But check it out! On my hand was the black Chinese coin and the American coin was in my cupped hands! They had switched places! It was awesome!

How It Went:

I love Wayne Dobson- I think he’s an awesome guy and that his magic rocks. I also really like, not love, but really like, his new effect- Metamorphosis. I’ll be honest- this didn’t change anyone’s life on Friday. Don’t get me wrong, it played well and is super strong. It just isn’t a life changer.

Now here’s the thing- I don’t want all the magic I do to be crazy intense super crazy unbelievable mind blowing stuff. Sometimes I want to just be able to bust something out that says, “Hey, I’m a fun guy and I’d like to show you something that’s cool.” And Metamorphosis does just that. The thing I really like about it is that it’s such a worker. I mean, all day I was ending super clean because of everyone’s focus on the back of there hand. It was just such a no brainer. I also really like the fact that the two coins come out of a small business card wallet and that they are completely examinable.

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Mark Tirone has had his review selected for iTricks Raves. Would you like to see your review here? Email Reviews@iTricks.com

Marion Boykin (MB), has been releasing solid offerings to the magic community both in text and video form for…years(?). I have had the great pleasure to watch him succeed almost every step of the way and have a few inside looks as to what he will be knocking us down with again in the future. With just a quick Google search to his name, you will be able to find all of the information you will ever need regarding The Crimp Change, or The Crimp Move.
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Eric Ross’ Infinity Bend allows you to perform the most visual coin bends ever seen. Eric came up with the solution to the problem that most coin bends face, the ability to make bends visually without cover or the use of expensive gimmicks. What makes the Infinity Bend different from any other coin bend, well, the Infinity Bend takes coin bending away from the more traditional “psychological” bend and delivers a visual treat that allows spectators to see their borrowed coin bend at the fingertips. Effect: Borrow a coin from a spectator and visually bend it in full view at your finger tips. Video and Quality: The video is very well edited, put together and produced. It covers everything really indept; quality was great, no problems hearing or seeing what was being said or done. Teaching: Eric’s leaves no rock unturned. His teaching is is taught with the upmost precision, very detailed; with all tips, tricks and subtleties. Very understandable and easy to follow along and superb. Method: The methods are very devious and deceptive, yet ingenious. Infinity Bend uses a simple concept, which other products are there have used, but what makes this different is the extra little things (tips, tricks and subtleties) that Eric has added. Gimmick: Eric teaches how you can construct a gimmick to create a gimmick for the newer or older coins. Very easy to construct and you make make an infinite number of gimmicks in a very short time…very workable and incredible. Handlings: Eric teaches 2 handlings of these bend, one where the coin is held at the fingertips, at stomach level and as he shakes it, it starts to bend. The other handling is more of an advanced handling of the first. Both are very visual and workable. I perfer the advanced handling of Eric’s. But my favorite version would have to be Brandon Williams, who teaches his handling of the bend. Here the coin is done at eye level and is visually squeezed, such a visual, nice piece. Angles: The angles can be a problem for some, but with the right confidence and management you can easily control them to make it comfortable for you. The different handlings taught play well for any 1-on-1 situation or a group. For instance, Eric’s Handling is best suited for a 1-on-1 or 3 people group, while Brandon’s is better for 4-? people group and 1-on-1 as it is held at eye level for all to see. Practicality: Very, all you need to do is carry the needed items and you have some very visual effects in your hands. Bonus: As a bonus Eric teaches his handling of the coin matrix: Silent Matrix which is mad visual, silent and doesn’t need the use of a magician’s mat. The same method taught for the bend is adapted here. Very sleight set-up, but well worth it. Overall: Mad visual effects taught in here, Eric has put some very creative thinking in these effects and Papercrane outdid themselves with this one. I HIGHLY suggest picking up a copy, or at least checking it out. http://papercranemagic.com/infinitybend.htm

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Here ye, Here ye, Here comes Charlie Justicy or something like that. Charlie was nice enough to send me a copy of his DVD Covert Coins to help me out with a routine I was playing with for a 3 coins only 3 fly. I LOVED it. Charlie and everybody in the “Studio” did a fantastic job on this project and I want to thank them all for their hard time work and effort. The honest to god best 53 minutes of my life (Well I watched it 3 times so thats… TOO MUCH GREAT MATERIAL)

THE IDEA/FILM 5/5 I loved the whole idea of this DVD. It is not one of those boring DVDs that has absolutely no point. This actually draws you in because it is movie style. It has a story behind it which I really adore. Long story short, Charlie is an escape delinquint from Alcatraz on the lam where he gets cought up in an Italian job esque position. I don’t want to ruin anything but the film keeps on the subject while still having lots of good magic involved. I don’t want to ruin anything for you.

THE TEACHING 5/5 Charlie did one of the best jobs teaching out of all the DVD’s I have watched. He just about matched up to Joshua Jay’s DVD companion for his book (See review) It was THAT good. He went into detail on every sleight and subtlety. If you have any kind of expanded shell set or expanded shell, This DVD is going to knock you up (or rock your world, Which ever you prefer) I loved how almost all of these can be adapted to your style whether or not you use a shell or don’t use a shell. You can still do almost all of these. And if you own Homer Liwag’s “Coin One” then this DVD is going to be a very cost covering investment on your part. I loved how he used a chopstick in some parts to show where the shell and the coin meet. It really helped me a whole lot.

VIDEO QUALITY 4/5 I’m sorry Charlie, But the video was kind of fuzzy and grainy. Well I can’t really judge since the entire thing was apparently filmed in 1954 lol but even if not, It was still a little bit fuzzy and that annoyed me in the beginning but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for you. Another thing is the lighting quality. The entire time almost, It looks like they were shining a very bright light right in his face and he was squinting a little bit and his face at some parts were almost ghost white. But that shouldnt be much of a problem either since they didn’t light up the coins to the point where you can’t tell the coins apart. But otherwise it was fine. Nothing getting in the way of learning.

STEALTH DUMP 5/5 SHELL. If you own Homer Liwag’s routine (mentioned above) then this will be your closer. Replace the regular ending with this one. this is one that doesent happen off the table. So instead of providing a table for just one little phase, drop all the coins into your spectator’s hand and procede from there. Talk about a versatile sleight. It is invisible and you are NEVER going to be caught on this. go ahead and do it exposed view for the camera and nobody is going to ever see ANYTHING.

FINGERTIP DE-SHELL AND SHELLSWITCH 5/5 SHELL (der) This move is something that I’m sure a lot of shell workers use a lot. But the difference between this one and the classic version, Instead of using sticky fingers, You use nothing but muscle. I am talking about the fingertip de-shell btw. A very simple but effective little sleight to use in your arsenal (talk about a weird word) of shell routines. Shellswitch on the other hand, Is utilizing the fingertip de-shell yet applies it in a different manner, Being a shuttle pass/false take action while still switching one coin for another and using a shell in the works. Both are really good sleights.

TRANSWITCH 5/5 This is my favorite sleight on this entire DVD. It is a knacky one but you will eventually get it down. I got it in almost 3 hours but it still needs practice. This is made for when you want to show both hands undeniably EMPTY before and after a shuttle pass. To tell you the truth, If you watch this DVD and you do not drop the shuttle pass after watching this portion, You are a dumb dumb. Well, Not really but you get my point. It is THAT deceptive. I cracked up when I saw it performed because I could not come to any possibly explanation.

Fly out production (FLOP) 4/5 This is an incredibly difficult move to acquire perfectly. Actually, To be honest with you, It almost cannot be performed without being perfected. The idea is to look like you just touch your fingers together and a coin just appears from nowhere. He got this idea from David Roth’s Pop out production but this is done at eye/chest level and without a table which makes it much harder.

Toss over shuttle switch (TOSS) 4/5 SHELL. Another semi difficult move to accomplish but this one is somewhat easier to execute better. It is made to look like a shuttle pass but to de-activate the shell and hold it back so the coin can for whatever reason be examined. Charlie has some good ideas with this one and once I get my shell I will begin to practice this move.

Drop out shuttle switch (DOSS) 5/5 SHELL. If you cannot for whatever reason get the TOSS move down, You would have a better time going from that to this instead. This one is a bit more fidgety but it is one of those moves which is really natural (as natural as the regular shuttle pass) and the actions do not get in the way of the move. It looks like you just point your hand palm down and the coin just goes to the fingertips and then into the other hand. Awesome move.

PURSUBTLETY 5/5 Close your eyes and imagine a parallel paradox. Another world. A world where a gazillion coins are produced one by one from an entirely empty coin purse one by one by showing it empty every step of the way and then a coin just popping into view. This is more of a subtlety though than a move. It executes another move by the name which shall not be named and uses his subtlety to make a purse empty, then have a coin appear, then empty again. This made number 2 (Haha) in my list of favorite things from the DVD.

MUSCLE PASS PITCH 5/5 This is not that hard of a move to perfect but it will need a little more attention than a few other things from this video. It allows you to take a coin from the fingertips and hold another coin back. I don’t want to ruin anything more but this is what Charlie sent me this DVD for and I am very gracious of him since this is an awesome move and can be an awesome ending for your fingertips coins across routine with just 3 coins mind you.

FINGERS OPEN GRIP (FOG)5/5 Yet another abreviated name for an abreviated curse word sleight. If that was a little too advanced for you, Your spectators brains will implode and cause them a slow and painful deception. Imagine the mutobe and thumb palm smooshed together but at the same time having the hands perfectly natural and in almost any position while still palming a coin. This is a runner up and I predict that almost everybody will use this once they are blowed away by it. It is a sleight and an awesome subtlety combined to make one truly deceptive trick so even if the trick you are performing sucks, This will shoot it to that 10 you are looking for.

THE SKINNY4/5 SHELL. The coins across routine that Charlie performs all the time. Produce 3 coins in 3 seconds flat and then one by one make the coins travel visibly from one hand to the other and placing them on the table. He goes over this with all the sleights included in the DVD almost and then a few added tips and subtleties. It isn’t a full explanation for the effect but you can still follow along if you have the coin set. I think Charlie made this DVD for this routine. I would say that he made this routine and then taught each of the sleights seperately and in detail so you can learn this coins across more easily provided that you have a shell and matching coins. (expanded) as soon as I get my shell I am going to start practicing this routine right away.

“For liberty and Justice for all!”

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 Pandoras Box Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan [2:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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<strong>Highlights from the Podcast Review:</strong>
- Making and installing the gimmick is fairly easy and shouldn’t take more than a minute or two
- DVD comes with enough supplies to gimmick two boxes. Additional gimmick supplies shouldn’t be hard to find.
- The effect has real world potential
- You can fit the whole deck of cards inside the case, even when the gimmick is in place.
- You have TONS of flexibility to make customized effects with this gimmicked setup
- The effects are quite easy to do.
- Also taught on the DVD is a two-ring transposition that is made insanely easy for how clean it looks thanks to the workings of the Pandora’s Box set up. It was a personal highlight on the DVD.

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

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 Night and Day - Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan [2:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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You know that feeling when you’re on an roller coaster and you reach the top. You look over the edge, you hold your breath and clench your chest. That’s the feeling I got when I saw Alan Rorrison’s ‘Dark as Night’ effect on the ‘Night and Day’ DVD. Rorrison created a beautiful, surreal magical moment. Very cleanly, I saw Rorrison balance a coin on his finger tip and slowly rub it against the bottom of a clear drink glass. A moment later, he moved his hand away and tilted the glass back and forth – the coin slid around as if it were swimming through the solid base of the glass. That was the moment of anticipation, when he moved his finger out from under the coin and I could see it apparently rising up through the glass; the release, the moment of going over the crest of the roller coaster came when he shook the glass and the coin was bouncing around inside, trapped within by his other hand covering the mouth of the glass.

‘Clear as Day’ is almost equally as stunning. If you’ve seen Mariano Goni’s Melting Point, you have a good idea of what this coin through glass table top looks like. I prefer Goni’s effect, but ‘Clear as Day’ uses less gimmicks.

Both effects have very workable angle constrictions. ‘Dark as Night’ is a little more prone to bad angles, but you are taught several ways to minimize them. Overall, the two effects (and accompanying bonus effects) are taught in great detail and will have you well on your way to some productive practice secessions.

Whether you’re looking for a practical and visually stunning ‘through glass’ effect for your performing repertoire or when you’re out on a social engagement, I’m going to recommend you check out Night and Day.

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.

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 World's Greatest Magic: Close Up Magic (No Card Tricks!) - Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan [3:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Someone at L&L Publishing must have read my mind. Seriously. This particular 3-disk set in the WGM series is all about non-card close up magic. Why would I be so excited about something like this? I love variety and don’t like books and DVDs that call themselves close up magic resources when in fact they should really be called card magic products: 19 card tricks and a coin trick isn’t the same as a book that teaches you 2-3 card tricks, a few coin tricks, effects with dollar bills, sugar cubes, dead mice, mayonnaise, etc… The latter is what this set presents the viewer: variety (minus the dead mice and mayonnaise).

I found it quite enjoyable watching this mashup of professional magicians, both modern and from the days of old performing some of their best close up effects; the tricks that were different. Of course, each is fairly adept at teaching their respective effects from their own professional repertoires.

Here’s the reason I love the variety: you’re bound to learn something or about something you never knew before (Example: I had never seen what a ball and tube gimmick looked like before I saw this DVD and also learned there is so much more you could do with those two objects than just put the ball through the tube).

Bottom Line:
If value, professional magic from magicians with ‘worker’ reputations, and (my favorite) variety, are things you look for in a learning resource, then this set may be for you.

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.

Close Up, Coin, DVD, Money, Restaurant | View Comments

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 F*CK Street Magic Vol. 1 - Reviewed by Bill Toth [3:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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If you are interested in picking up this product, you can check out Black’s Magic Group.

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 iVanish - Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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There’s always going to be a new way to vanish a coin – and of all the new fancy modern creations, iVanish is by far the most original, but is not without a few minor drawbacks.

The general principle is quite easy to follow and pickup, but performing the vanish so the coin appears to be absorbed into the eye (and nothing else is happening) is where you’re practice will be focused.

Of all the vanishes, variations and routines taught on the DVD, the standard iVanish vanish is nearly angle proof and is quite easy to manage any possible weak viewing areas.

Unlike most modern vanishes however, there are a few *minor* drawbacks to this vanish:
- The coin that vanishes can be borrowed, but you’re probably going to want to use your own. There’s no preparation or anything done to the coin, but trust me when I say this, most folks are probably going to be performing this with one of their own coins.
- If I were going to vanish a signed coin and have it appear somewhere else, this probably wouldn’t be the vanish I would use, although, like above, if you really wanted to, you could.

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.

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 iVanish - Reviewed by Bizzaro [1:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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There has been a strange trend in coin magic in the last many years that involve some very right angle thinking in accomplishing the vanish of flat round metal money. The ivanish is no exception.

On this video you get three methods for vanishing a coin. Ah but wait, there’s more!! You place the coin into your eye (Like an opaque monocle) and then appear to rub/shove/press the coin into your eye. From there you can carry on or remove it from your eye in a few interesting ways.

One such uses the old “Fork in the eye” gag, if you want to go to extremes. For your more subtle effect you can appear to put it in one eye and press it across your face to the other one, and then remove it. Personally I would never perform this, (And I can’t tell you why because it would expose the method), but it is good to see and know in case the need ever arose to vanish a coin into the orbit of your skull.

In today’s world of magic geared for the street and kids with more skill than personality, this might be right for you. I’d say just wait for the download to show up on the torrent sites, but that would be un-ethical. Instead convince your friend to buy it and then borrow it from them, as we don’t exactly have dollar theaters for magic videos now do we?

Close Up, Coin, DVD | View Comments

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 Slight of Hand with Coins - Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan [1:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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I think Jay Sankey’s Slight of Hand with Coins DVD would be a great successor for magicians who picked up Penguin Magic’s “In the Beginning, There Were Coins.” I really felt like In the Beginning is a solid starting point where slights are really covered in depth and Sankey’s new DVD compliments it nicely by using many of these slights and teaching some more robust effects and routines. Slights are covered on this DVD, but again, I felt ITBTWC did a better job of teaching them in depth with all the right close up shots.

This DVD is of the typical Sankey quality, great video, good sound, and a questionably insane instructor.

Bonus sections included cover coin flourishes, which may find favor with poker players interested in chip shuffles, and a segment dedicated to the ‘Secret Art of Lapping’ – one of my personal favorite moves in magic.

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.

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 Fingers of Fury Vol. 1&2 - Reviewed by Derek Merdinyan [1:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Fingers of Fury, the two disk set has some pretty interesting and original magical effects on it – including card magic (oh my!).

Volume One contains all the ‘other’ magic effects, like Deep Impression where a selected card slices through your arm like on of those knife-through-arm effects; however, it’s not really an entire routine, I’d classify it as a quick throw-away effect. Hells Bend is a coin bend which uses a fairly simple invisible switch that can be a real fooler when you show the only thing in your hand at the end to be the bent coin; what’s the downside, you ask? The switch requires a table. Of all the effects on this DVD, the favorite by far, however is the borrowed coin through cellphone screen (Relentless). It’s fairly easy, pretty darn visual, and can be done with most modern camera phones. Course, there’s more on this DVD…

Volume Two is where cardicians can get their fix – and no, I wasn’t feeling the pain when watching this one. In continuation with the clever thinking on Vol. 1, we get some equally interesting card effects. My favorites include: PolterDeck – an impromptu haunted deck; Whiteside & Penman – an effect where two halves of two different cards fused back into a single mismatched card (this one requires a special card that is not included. Also of note, this effect won’t be too useful in walk around situations unless the performer has two of the right one-way decks that match the special card); and Linker – a linking card effect with multiple variations – steady hands are required to perform this visual linking sequence.

Between the two, I’d imagine you could find enough likable material to justify the price of buying these two volumes together.

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.

Card Magic, Close Up, Coin, DVD, Money, Street Magic, Visual | View Comments