More juggling than magic, this DVD offers, no surprise, some 50 ways to open and ignite a Zippo brand lighter. There are various grips, and flashy spins and other moves. While the DVD offers first rate video and instruction, it's got limited appeal for magicians.
According to the liner notes, ever since the Zippo lighter was introduced in 1933, users have applied cool routines to open, light and close it. This DVD stars Norwegian Alex Aarvik who demonstrates and teaches 50 flashy tricks.
For learning purposes, each trick is filmed from two different angles and there's a walkthrough and slow motion segment. To get you started, the DVD explains 24 basic movements and techniques that serve as a foundation to the tricks. There's also a section that talks about maintaining a lighter. Throughout, this DVD offers excellent instruction.
Limited Lighting
In use, this DVD will have limited appeal among magicians. If you use a lighter in your act to, for example, light flash paper, a wiregram or other item, you may find a couple of moves that you can use to open and ignite your lighter in an eye-catching manner.
While Aarvik's digital dexterity is impressive, learning some 50 ways to light or rock a lighter is probably not worth it. For one, the various methods have a tendency to blur together. There's a flash of metal-the lighter is spun, tossed and/or turned-and is then lit. And there's not enough visual variation to create an actual routine, say, on the lines of a card manipulation routine.
I would love to be proven wrong. If you happen to know of a performer who has made an entire routine or act with a Zippo lighter, I would like to hear about it.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
