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

Card Magic, Close Up, DVD, Effect, Restaurant, Standup/Stage, Street Magic, Visual, Worker Material | View Comments

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.  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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Card Magic, Close Up, DVD, Flourishes | View Comments

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:

“Wow, Jamie sure has had a tough time the last few weeks. I mean some of that magic lately was a bit weak- too bad I can’t tell you about it. Anyways, he made up for it this Friday. And it wasn’t anything big either. Check it out, he took out his pen, right? It was a plain old Bic pen, but he could make the cap jump on and off at will! It was crazy! Basically, he would be holding the pen, writing side up and the cap on the bottom and then he would then just twirl it and the cap would be on the writing part. It was nuts! Just by turning it around he could make the cap go from one end to the other. It was so cool! We loved it!”

How It Went:

Lol, sorry about the delay in Magic Friday reports folks but the last couple Fridays haven’t been the most fantastic, lol. Oh well, that’s the point of MF- to try things out. I was quite happy with this Friday, though. Greg’s new effect played way bigger than I thought it would. I think it has something to do with the fact that everybody has used a Bic pen at one point in his or her life. That, and the fact that the illusion just catches people off guard.

I started off the day doing the full routine but, by the end of the day, would just do it twice. I found that the first time was a “What just happened, show me again!” kind of moment and the second was a “Wha? C’mon, one more time!” to which I would respond, “No.” lol. It’s a perfect little opener that is a great introduction. It’s not like you’re walking up to someone and pulling a bird out of their shoe or anything. You’re simply doing something really visual with an object that they’ve used many times in their own life. It went over really well.

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Close Up, DVD, Manipulation, Uncategorized, Visual | View Comments

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

I received Lit back in November, and I’ve since performed it for magicians and lay-folks.

I love that the DVD comes with 14 different gimmicks. Refills are available, which I think this is important because this effect just begs to be given away!

Paper Crane did a very nice job with the video editing and DVD authoring. The teaching on the DVD is clear and concise.

We’re taught handlings for the effect by both Dan Hauss and Dan White. I think both handlings are effective. As a lucky coincidence, I have a one-way forcing deck that matches one of my gimmicks, so I’ve tried a few ideas with that as well.
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Close Up, DVD | View Comments

Corey Martin is a regular contributor to iTricks Raves.

Wayne Houchin has been called “A cross between a con-man and a street-magician. A fascinating live performer!” by Synthesis Magazine. He has created some of the most mind-blowing effects in magic as well as produced and directed some of the biggest magic DVDs of the past few years. His latest project, ‘Art Of Magic’ is a collection of five effects that showcase not only Houchin’s brilliance as a performer, but the beauty of magic in it’s most simple form. What is even more valuable on this DVD are the interviews and advice that is given by Houchin, Dan and Dave Buck, David Regal, an Aaron Fisher. Each tell personal stories about how magic has come into their lives, and what they find the beauty of magic to be. They encourage the viewer to always remember that magic is an experience, it is more about what the audience sees and remembers, and it is your job as the magician to create that experience

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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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Card Magic, DVD | View Comments

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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Card Magic, Close Up, DVD | View Comments

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

Card Magic, DVD | View Comments

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

Card Magic, DVD | View Comments

If you have a product you want to talk about, tell us about it. Here’s how.

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Interested in getting this DVD for yourself? Head over to www.bigblindmedia.com

DVD | View Comments

The Official Spam:

Quote:
One dollar morphs into a one hundred dollar bill! & Change a blank piece of paper into money!

~Visual
~Stunning!
~Easy-To-Do!

Running Time Approximately 50min

Kozmo Magic:

Ted Brainard, also known as Kozmo, has been making a name for himself in the magic community. With his top-selling Reel Magic Magazine, to his wonderfully produced DVDs, he setting a new standard for magic production. He has a knack for finding the top magicians in the industry, people including Eric Jones, Justin Miller, Paul Green, Chris Capehart, Cellini, and MORE. His DVDs don’t cost much, which is a HUGE surprise considering the amazing production work.

The Effect–The Spritz Switch:

The magician shows a one dollar bill, which he took from his coin purse. He shows it cleanly, and opens it fully. He blows on the bill, and it visually morphs into a 100 dollar bill! The 100 dollar bill is put away, with the magician smiling.

The Effect–The Paper Dollar:

The magician cleanly shows a piece of paper the same size as a dollar bill on both sides. His hands are also shown empty. He starts to fold the paper, and when it is open it’s a 100 dollar bill. This bill is shown cleanly on both sides and the hands are again shown empty!

Production:

This is one of those DVDs that when I look at it, I smile. Let’s start off with the DVD cover. The DVD cover is clever, and something I’ve never seen done before. What Kozmo and crew did was make each side of the DVD case a separate trick, giving the appearance of two DVDs merged into one. It’s very intiguing! Kozmo also made the DVD case half as thick as normal DVD cases, which is also the case for many of his other releases. When you put this into your DVD player, it’s very well organized. I had no trouble locating anything. There is a live performance, then a studio performance, followed by the explanation for each trick. The credits also include bloopers. I enjoyed the bloopers very much.

My Thoughts–The Spritz Switch

I’ve always liked the Juan Pablo switch. I’ve tried it a few times, but always stuck to different switches. In Lonnie’s first DVD set, Outlaw Magic, he presented a handling for the switch which he called Grandpa’s Dollar. What he has done here is cleaned it up, making it much more effective, and much more efficient. In the switch, he has motivation for every aspect. I’m not going to give it away, but the idea is genius. The switch is also very visual, and spectators will not see it coming. The full bill changes, not just a folded portion. A very good change, easy to do, and looks great!

My Thoughts–The Paper Dollar:

This was originally published in John Lovick’s Switch. It’s a very nice change, but my predilection leans toward The Spritz Switch. It looks great, but does not have the same motivation as the other. It is very practical, and is easy to do. It does require a standard magic item, which most of you will have. If you don’t have one, any good magic shop will have them, and they aren’t to expensive. Overall, it’s good, but not the best.

Overall:

I really enjoyed this DVD, from the production aspect and the magic aspect. For the rating, I am going to give this an 9/10. I really liked The Spritz Switch, but The Paper Dollar was just okay. If you are thinking about buying this DVD but can’t decide, I would say buy it. The Spritz Switch made it money well spent, and The Paper Dollar was a nice added bonus. For $20, you can’t go wrong. Remember, pick it up at Kozmo Magic!

Also while you’re at it, check out all the other products from Lonnie Chevrie and other various artists: http://www.kozmomagic.com

DVD, Money | View Comments

OK. I honestly have to say that this is one of my most favorite penguinmagic produced DVD’s that I have. If you are a stand up performer then this is the way to go. Gary most definitly knows what he is doing. If you are willing to put a little bit of time and daily practice into the stuff that you like on this DVD, Then you will be getting lai-I mean paid a lot more.

DVD case and all graphics: 4/4 This whole DVD looks awesome. One of the best I have seen from penguin in my personal feelings. I Really liked the simplicity in it all. It revolves around the entire plot of the DVD. It is all a dollar bill basically. The graphics and titles in it are basically a bar that comes up and looks like a dollar.

Performances: 3/4 I liked the way he performed it all but he seemed a little bit stiff. It is his performance style but i dont mind. I like the whole idea of his show and the tricks he likes to use. He takes this little close up tricks and puts them on a platform and makes it visual to 2 or 300 people. He performed it all well and the audience liked it so thats really all that counts.

The Teaching: 3/4 I cant really complain about the teaching. He teaches it well but he goes very fast. You always have a god visual aid of what he is really doing and works you through it which is great. There is a 2 angle shot and penguin navigates you through what you are supposed to be doing. He goes fast but you have the DVD so you can watch it whenever you like. I have been watching it almost every day and I have learned everything except the sleeving and the palming.

cigar routine 3/4 I liked this routine. It is one of the simplest to do out of them all. basically you produce 2 cigars from one tiny purse, put one away and it appears back in the hand, shoot one up the nose, produce it from your ear, try lighting it but realize it is all twisted up, untwist it, light it, make the lighter vanish, then try cutting the cigar but your finger gets chopped off. you pick it up and realize it is your finger, you make the gap in your hand jump, then you put the finger back on. I really liked this routine. It is one of my favorites to watch him perform. Takes some practice but it is a great opener.

tower of power 2/4 I honostly did not like this routine. You have them choose a card, replace it, then a pyramid of cards appears at your fingertips, none are there card, you put the deck away and take the 3 cards. You change them all into the spectators card like 10 times and then put them away. I didnt like it. I cant stand watching it because its just so fast and boring and the way he does it just bugs be. there are some weird movements and i dont like it.

On the up and up 3/4 If you have bigger hands then this will be good for you. it is a 3 card rising card deck without the gimmicks. basically it is just a sleight to use. it is a good sleight and when you do it well and you have better motions than gary, you can get a nice piece of magic. I cant do it unfortunately because my hands are too small but I get around it. Im pretty sure that Chris Kenner took this sleight and renamed it and told people it is his own. I dont have the book but I saw the performance and it is basically the same thing except he does it with one card.

Standing triumph variation/the travelers 2/4 3/4 I was a bit confused when I first got this because the travelers isnt even recognized in the DVD. It is a part of the standing triumph variation but it isnt named. oh well. I hated the triumph. but the good thing is that you really put the cards face up into face down but if you are trying to do this stand up or platform, it wont work. It is basically 3 chosen cards, the deck is shuffled then shuffled face up/face down, cut some more, then the cards rise, then you cut the deck some more, the cards are replaced, the deck turns face up except one card, that card tells you where the other 4 cards are and now you are into the travelers which is basically a really nice card to pocket idea.

Fickle card 2/4 I gotta say that this effect is actually a bit boring. 2 cards are chosen and shuffled in undoubtfully. a card is turned over from the top of the deck and it shown to be not theirs. but it mysteriously changes into one of the cards. then you chance it into the other card ect. If you want to do a simple trick then this is good but you need to know a rather hard sleight to do it. I cant do it because hand size. gary’s hands were probablly ceated by brian tudor cuz they are huge.

spellbound 4/4My most favorite thing from this entire DVD. It is a simple spellbound routine. a coin changes from silver to copper back to silver again and BAM! you slam your finger strait through the coin. the spectator pulls it off and you can take it from there. I love watching this. His presentation for the karate coin is fantastic and I think that if you take the time to learn this then it is a great addition to any close up show. you do need to sleeve a coin for this but dont get turned off. you can additionally hold out with the coin in the end. But the good thing is it uses a rarely used sleight that replaces the basic spellbound routine. and it all mixes into each other. each phase has a meaning of being there which I love.

top stock false shuffle 4/4 This was originally created by steve forte but gary got permission to use it in this DVD and I believe in his previous dvd, Four play. It is a great way to retain multiple sets of cards inside the deck in a not so fancy but classy and professional way of shuffling the deck. I will be using this in my table card tricks.

S.W elevator 1/4 This is basically another way of performing Chris Kenners effect from his book. The card sticking out in the middle visually rises. Gary does a terrible job explaining it but his presentation makes up for it. I cant even do the trick yet because he spends like 10 seconds showing you the grip from the side angle which basically doesent even show you the grip. He then tells you that is the card is sticking out enough then the whole trick is virtually self working. I got this trick almost down but with a diferent way of doing it.

Impromptu invisible deck 1/4 The only thing that makes this a new trick is that he throws in like 10 extra sleights that are all entirelly unnecessary. I believe gary has you peek at a card then shuffle the deck and he does all these bizzare sleights that you dont even need to do. There has been a lot of work put into the impromptu invisible deck that is all way better than this. but if you like to work tough and practice than feel free to use this. But I feel like it is a waste of time.

Overall I give this a 3/4 volume 1.

Here is part two of my review of tricks that will get you paid by gary norsigian. I would say that this dvd is somewhat better than the first one. it has a couple of great tricks in it

Snap back card 3/4 Gary is obviously very good at his sleights and can perform fluently without issue. He puts great detail and a lot of work into sound in this particular effect. He performs this in the penguin studio as well as in his stand up show in vegas for a live audience (What, we arnt live?)the effect is basically a card replaced in the deck, then it invisibly (or very fast mind you) the card jumps out of the deck and into your hands a few times. there are times when the card is wrong but you change the card. then the last time the card does not come out and your hands come alive and it shoots out, spinning to your hands. receives a standing ovation. one of his repuation makers. The method is very difficult. it requires palming a LOT of cards so if you can get around that then it is great. I changed this routine to fit me and my needs and I do it all the time. Great trick!

Invisible plalm meets phoenex aces 3/4 Again, This is a very hard thing to do and requires a lot of palming and sleeving. basically the effect is done by producing 4 aces then they change to queens, then they vanish one by one in the invisible palm manner and then you produce them again, the last time looks almost like lee ashers thunderbird but better. This is a fun one to watch and he gets people really freaking out over this one. It is basically the invisible palm but without the table which I think is really nice.

Chop cup 2/4 He admits that this isnt even his routine in the DVD. I didnt like it though. it is really short and boring. “ok I put the ball in my pocket, ok its under the cup. ball in pocket, under cup, ball in pocket, under cup blah blah blah blah blah”. Thats basically what it is. Then he gives this ridiculous explanation of it which was pretty stupid. and for the finale a baseball appears under the cup which they dont seem surprised at. I didnt like it.

Coins through the table 3/4 his performance was very stiff durring it. He teaches it very well though. but when he does each of the moves he kind of grunts like hes having trouble doing it. It is a very pretty trick though and I really enjoyed it. one of my favorite coin throught able effects. in the beggining he produces 4 coins which really doesent look good at all though. he produces the first two then he shakes them, nothing happens, and then the coins are there. I would rather omit that in my performance. but what was funny was that durring the performance he had a gun on the table haha. you will understand in a minute. so good effect over all.

revised evapor-ace-tion 2/4 I liked the idea but it seemed like he put it in here to just fill up the dvd some more. you need a card box and you need to know some pretty heavy sleights which can be very difficult for a lot of people. basically he takes the 4 aces and then one by one makes them vanish. with a cut of the cards he produces 2 of the black aces, then he catches you off guard and changes them to red aces, then a card goes to the box which was examiend at the beggining, then the last ace comes flying out of the deck. durring the performance he was very stiff with this last phase. he grunted a bit and couldnt complete the cut or the fly out.

The gun trick 4/4 oh boy. this was my favorite routine out of the whole 2 dvd set. I think it was more of a joke but he gives a lot of inspirations behind the effect. basically he tells a story of him being at an airport and he pulls out this little gun, does a bad finger palm vanish, makes it vanish, and appear up the sleeve,makes it go through the body, then makes it vanish and appear in the other hand. then he says that once he has policemen running at him with M16s, he says “WAIT A MINUTE! its not a gun, ITS A KNIFE!” and produces a knife from his bare hands. it was a very good trick but if I were to do it I would do it with maybe a coin or something. you can even put this into your snap back card routine but with the one card for a warmup. good routine. what was funny was that he gives a big detailed explanation on the kinds of guns to use haha. good trick!

4 ace productions 3/4 I believe I have seen something similar to this routine before. I cant remember when. It kind of reminds me of the spring change from generation extreme. basically it is shuffled and cut by a spactator, then you spring the cards and an ace is visually produced from the spring. you do it 3 more times. then you can go into revised evaporacion or the invisible palm also tought on this dvd.

not my fault 4/4 there is one thing I dont like about his performance of it. int he studio performance, he uses 4 cards from a regular deck. basically he puts one card away in his pocket after a spectator mentally thought of one. they name the card and u pull out from your pocket, there card. this is done a few more times. Then he goes into the propped version of the trick. This was not a great idea. He says somehting like “on these cards I have excuses durring a court hearing. I have childhood poverty, high on dugs, shot somebody, god told me to do it”. I would never do this because god forbid my spectator actually was one of these they might get offended by it. but he says that you can use other things. I have been playing with it latelly. it uses a very hard move I cant do but I omit that and replaced it. very nice trick. the teaching is fast but watch it over and over again a few times and you will realize how easy it is and you will most likelly get it.

Uncle Gary’s virus 2/4 My rating is a bit unfair. this is nothing more than a quick 5 minute manipulation act with cards but without the backpalming. dont learn this effect until everything from the dvd is mastered! this uses pretty much every sleight learned in the dvds all together. there is palming, tenkaiing, sleeving, copping ect. basically you produce a bunch of cards. Im not into this effect because i cant palm or sleeve due to my jacket size. and im not into manipulations.

Ok so that is my review for the DVD’s. You can buy these for physical dvd or dvd download here at penguin. I think that they both have an equal balance of close up tricks, restaurant tricks, and platform tricks. if you like prop tricks and dont like to carry a big big case with you and would like to carry a show in just your pcokets, then get volume 2. if you like card tricks and would like to spend a reasonable amount of time practicing, then get volume 1. If you like the classics in magic and would like to support a great magician, get them both

Card Magic, Close Up, DVD | View Comments

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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

Close Up, Coin, DVD, Restaurant, Utility Device, Worker Material | View Comments

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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.

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

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 Got A Light Reviewed - by Derek Merdinyan [2:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Matt Wayne’s ‘Got a Light’ is the easiest and most customizable three-shell-type routine I’ve ever seen. No moves, no slights, no bull.

Included with the DVD are four LED lights and a magic wand, er… battery. Only three LEDs are required for the routines, you have the option to incorporate the fourth LED or save it as a spare in case you loose one.

Matt kicks off the DVD with several performance segments and then dives into the explanation of his routine. Following the basic explanation, you are shown several extra tips, ideas, and concepts for the included LEDs and batteries.

Matt uses three shot glasses in his routine to represent the ‘shells’ in the theme of his routine. On one hand, they give the effect a different feel, but carrying around three shot glasses in your jacket pocket may not be practical for everyone – using them is just an option.

Trust me, this effect is drop dead easy to perform (so nail your presentation!), totally angle proof, and allows for remarkable levels of flexibility to create a truly unique routine; just be careful transporting the little LEDs!

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, DVD, Effect, Restaurant, Street Magic | View Comments