A reader sent to me the following e-mail concerning my recent review of Bob Sheets’ Hang ‘Em High DVD:
“I love the service you supply but your reviews frighten me in terms of that they seem so laudatory about items that I think are stinko. The tape is poor quality-it looks like a hand-held private camera shot in a club somewhere.... In essence, one is buying for about twenty dollars or more, a single effect. People will trust your reviews; they will spend their hard earned money because you have recommended something and they deserve a much more critical eye from you. The only other alternative seems to be Jamy Ian Swiss in Genii, sometimes Mike Close...”
The reader brings up some valid points and has made me think about my approach to writing reviews here at Magic & Illusion. With almost 50 reviews in my wake, I have some definite thoughts on the process. What follows are my responses to some of the points in the e-mail and more.
A Single Effect
“In essence, one is buying for about twenty dollars or more, a single effect.”
I feel that “Hang ‘Em High” is a strong effect. I admit that I highly respect Bob Sheets as a magician, comedian and performer. But I vividly recall the first time I saw Sheets perform the effect live and was blown away by it.
Every good reviewer tries to be objective, but in the end, brings his or her own bias to the job. When I review magic, I always try to approach new products with an open mind and judge them based on the strength of the effect and the quality of the teaching materials. In my reviews, I also try to give an indication of where an effect may work (strolling, walkaround, stand-up...etc...), angles, who may be interested in the effect and how difficult the effect is to perform.
Whenever possible, I work-up the effect and perform it. In the case of “Hang ‘Em High,” I used the trick for a few months. In my experience, the effect played well, and I hope that I effectively expressed this in my review.
DVDs are Pricey
I realize that magic DVDs are expensive, but if a DVD with only a single effect gives a magician a first rate trick that he can regularly use in his shows, the price of the DVD is worth it. There have been some other single-trick and even single-move DVDs that I’ve given high marks:
Bob Sheets’ Killer Kitson Miracle, Daryl’s 3FlyIII, Ellusionist’s Shapeshifter and Tim Ellis’ Runaround Sue, to name a few.
On the other hand, there are DVDs and books that I reviewed that are packed with solid effects: Tim Ellis’ Ellis in Wonderland (this DVD actually raised the bar for my DVD ratings), Ellusionist's Xtreme Beginnerz and Bill Goodwin’s Larry Jennings: Up in Smoke come to mind.
It’s difficult to compare a DVD with one great effect against another that is filled with several excellent effects, but again, I believe that it’s the power of the effect that counts. It’s harder for me to judge an effect that I probably wouldn’t perform. But here, I try to put myself in the shoes of a performer who can use the effect.
