FullReviews Index - page 4
Trick Review: Smashed by Jay Sankey
If you could borrow a quarter and then punch a pencil through the coin, it would look just like Jay Sankey's "Smashed." Like classic "Karate Coin," the pencil appears to completely penetrate the coin, and as in some versions, you can see the jagged and ragged edges of the coin where the pencil was forced through. This trick is a re-release of Sankey's like-named effect that was published in the 1980's.
Trick Review: 10 Below Zero by Andrew Normansell
Andrew Normansell always offers solid material on his DVDs. On this one, the cold theme relates more to the set than to the tricks. But he delivers a range of commercial close-up effects, many with cards, which have lots of impact.
DVD Review: 23rd FISM World Championships of Magic 2006 - Stockholm
Every three years, the magic community comes together to compete in its version of the Olympics. This excellent DVD presents an entertaining look back at the 23rd FISM World Championships of Magic 2006 that was held in Stockholm.
Review: Freaky Body Illusions by Kevin James
An amazing and comprehensive collection of "freaky body illusions," this latest from Kevin James and Marvin's Magic offers a zany series of magic tricks that use body parts. Many are well known standards and the kit comes with quality props as well as a professional DVD that explains the techniques and use of the props. Study the moves and you can almost appear to be a flexible and malleable cartoon character.
DVD Review: Bill Abbott Performs Magic For Kids
This Deluxe Edition DVD set re-releases excellent material from Bill Abbott that includes re-shot and re-edited performances and explanations for routines from his "Bill Abbott Performs Close-Up For Kids" and "Bill Abbott Performs Stand-Up For Kids." Throughout, Abbott offers outstanding, commercial routines and comprehensive instruction and the two-disc set is a great value.
DVD Review: Magic Circus by Mark Wilson
Before Criss Angel, David Copperfield and Doug Henning, Mark Wilson pioneered the presentation of magic on television. His Magic Circus shows from the early seventies have aged well, are historically significant and an absolute blast to watch. This is great magic entertainment for any era.
DVD Review: Impromptu Miracles of Bob Read "The Lost Footage"
What a treat to discover this DVD that features the work of Bob Read, a funny and commercial magic entertainer. The theme, "impromptu," is apparent in the powerful and entertaining routines, many of which can be performed with borrowed props. I particularly liked the bottle production and glass transposition effects and Read takes the time to thoroughly explain each effect so you have all the tools to adapt them to your personality and act and perform them.
Trick Review: Bling by Adam Topham
An entertaining card revelation where individual jewels end up spelling the name of the spectator's card, Bling has lots of possibilities. Perhaps most notable for its hip and clever name, the effect can handily entertain close-up audiences and fits well into a theme of extravagance and luxury.
Trick Review: Sponge Eyeballs by Alan Wong and Steve Marshall
It's a brilliant idea. Create a set of sponge balls that look like eyeballs and the possibilities are seemingly endless. While the sponge eyeballs look great, I'm not sure how durable they'll be under constant use. And while the eyeballs come with a full comedy presentation, the routine is almost painful to read.
Review: Past Midnight (3 DVD Set) by Benjamin Earl
This three-disc DVD set was a pleasant surprise. I had never before heard of Benjamin Earl, but he's an accomplished card worker with impressive techniques and routines. There's lots to like about this DVD set which will appeal to those who love advanced card techniques and sleights.
Review: The Royal Scam - John Bannon
A great packet card effect, John Bannon's The Royal Scam offers two powerful phases and leaves you clean at the end. If you're adept with basic card sleights, you have the skills to perform this winner.
Review: Falling For You by Andrew Gerard
As card tricks go, "Falling For You" is a decent effect with a different revelation, but the ad copy deliberately misleads. The effect is a card revelation where you drop cards, one by one, onto the floor, and the spectator's selected card takes a decidedly different path to indicate that it's the chosen one.
Book Review: Scripting Magic by Pete McCabe
Scripting works well in theater, television and movie production, so why not in magic? Pete McCabe drives this home in his excellent "Scripting Magic," a thorough 450-page book that offers scripts for well known effects by skilled magicians and insightful interviews and essays. With "Scripting Magic," McCabe has created a must-read book that will inspire you and help script and burnish your magic routines.
Trick Review: Kanpai by Ginjiro
In Japanese, Kanpai means "cheers." And Ginjiro brings a glass and liquid production that is worth cheering about. The holdout provides the means to effectively produce a glass with liquid that you can immediate drink or pour out-the glass is not gimmicked. This kit comes with the glass and everything that you need. If you’ve always wanted to make a glass of wine appear out of seemingly nowhere, Kanpai is worth a look.
Trick Review: Mutanz by Bob Farmer
Yet another packet effect, Mutanz starts with the usual cards that turn face-up and face-down. The difference comes in the trick's ending when the cards mutate into mixed-up cards: two face-to-face and two back-to-back cards. Reset is fast and this one is great for strolling situations.
Trick Review: iKnow by Jason Palter
With the popularity of iPods and MP3 players, it's a natural to perform magic with these ever present devices. With iKnow, Jason Palter has created a solid mentalism effect that allows you to determine the exact song that a spectator has selected at random and is listening to, without looking at the iPod.
Review: Funny Business - Niagara Comedy Magic Seminar 2007
If you're an aspiring comedy magician or want to learn how the pros perform comedy magic, this DVD offers helpful interviews, informative panel discussions and hilarious performances from the Niagara Comedy Magic Seminar in January 2007.
Review: Szechuan Sampler 2.0 by Larry Becker and Lee Earle
A baffling bit of mentalism with a Chinese restaurant theme, Szechuan Sampler allows for completely free choices on the part of four participants and ends with a powerful prediction. The effect is self-working and straight-forward to learn and perform.
DVD Review: Heiny 500 by Karl Hein
If you could really perform real magic, it would look like that in Heiny 500. You count and hold five one dollar bills in your hands and then simply fold them in half. Right in front of spectators' eyes, the ones have turned into $100 bills, which you show and count. Fold the bills again and they turn back into one dollar bills.
DVD Review: Time and Space by Justin Miller
How about a card trick that alters time and space? Such is the premise in this excellent Justin Miller effect. It's something of a powerful card sandwich routine that's been combined with the merging of several cards into a souvenir that spectators can take with them. It's got the Miller touch because it adds a significant kicker that occurs after spectators think that the effect is effectively over.
DVD Review: X Marks The Spot by Justin Miller
When Justin Miller marks a spot with an "X," he's not messing around. This effect is a stunning baffler where a spectator's signed card changes from a red-backed card into a blue-backed card, and the entire deck suddenly sports "Xs" on the back of each card. Miller brilliantly creates two stunning phases that amaze audiences.
Review: Bone Saw by Michelangelo
Part geek magic and part card trick, Bone Saw never really succeeds as either. The "geek" aspect is an illusion where a card appears to pass through your finger and the card part simply offers the setup for the penetration. While the effect appears fairly convincing, I find the combination of the card effect with a penetration to be a mixed and confusing approach. And the spectators in the demonstration portion of the DVD don't seem all that freaked out or even impressed.
DVD Review: Loops Vol. 1/2 by Yigal Mesika & Finn Jon
On Loops Volume 1 and 2, Yigal Mesika and Finn Jon share some of their thread-based effects. For anyone who wants to animate and suspend objects in air, this DVD set offers useful information, but this set should have probably been sold with Mesika's Reflections DVD.
DVD Review: Reflections by Yigal Mesika & Finn Jon
If you want to perform animations and levitations with thread, Yigal Mesika and Finn Jon are two experts that you want to learn from. This DVD has some useful information and intriguing effects, but it should have probably been sold with Mesika's Loops DVD set.
Review: Pop Card by Steven and Michael Pignataro
The motivation to perform ever-more impossible "card to impossible location" drives us this effect. As the name implies, In Pop Card, you produce a spectator's signed card from inside of a gooey Pop-Tart.