The Perfect Coin Pail

I have been a huge fan of the miser's dream for a long time. Particularly the original ending with the vanish of all the coins. Unfortunately that has fallen out of vogue today and the concentration is entirely on the large quantity of coins produced. Perhaps a correlation can be found between the North American consumerism mentality and the desire to produce endless quantities of money. Or perhaps it can be attributed to the lack of plot or climax with most Miser's Dream routines. In any case, it should come as no surprise that to perform a usual Miser's dream you require some sort of receptacle. Many gaudy coin ladders and unusual contraptions that highlight the coins' sounds and shine have been built but it is hard to compete with the good old fashioned champagne bucket.

I have had the good fortune of handling some of the finest and poorest quality buckets made for the Miser's Dream. At first glance Mr. Sum's bucket appears to be very basic from a production stand point. On the other hand it does appear to be a very real champagne bucket. Unlike the many buckets with unusual handles and far to shallow or deep bottoms on the market today. The coin droppers in the handles are notorious for looking like pieces of metal garbage. Mr. Sum has produced a bucket similar to a favorite bucket of mine. It is similar to the Bertram Coin Pail once produced by Ross Bertram. It has rings on either side but lacks the ability to use them as per the Bertram pail, having the bucket rest on your fingers and your thumb in a ring. The Bertram pail also allowed invisible coin steals.

The Perfect Coin Pail is built to last. This thing could get kicked down a flight of stairs and not get the least bit dented. A very commercial prop for any performer. It produces a nice sound, one that you'd expect dropping a coin in a bucket (too many coin pails today ring like a chime and sound artificial). There is not strange designs or engraving. It is a plain, quality, well made bucket. No frills and no gimmicks built into it.

For the sleight of hand purist and the professional performer I would highly recommend this bucket. While the price tag is slightly higher than some similar buckets at 70 USD without shipping it certainly exemplifies an ordinary champagne bucket with a nice sound, a great feel and remarkable durability. The durability issue being the usual downside coin pails available today.

It is available from JC Sum's website for $70 USD plus shipping.

Following are a few thoughts on the Miser's dream:

In today's standard Miser's dream routines the audience is left wondering where did all those coins come from. It's a mere puzzle despite jazzing it up with endless presentation. The audience still follows the same mindset; "Magician produces a pile of coins, I don't know where they come from, I'm fooled. He tells jokes, I laugh, and feel stupid... What's he going to do with all those coins. If he can really pull money out of the air why is he at my birthday party."
With the Houdin climax of the coins vanishing the spectator gets a fun journey. "Where are all those coins coming from, I'm fooled. Why doesn't he just do this all day. Oh my... where did all the coins go?" While still a puzzle it has a climax to an otherwise monotonous trick.

Illusionary Departures

JC Sum has done something no other big time illusionist has done before. He has openly described his most cherished secrets in great detail and with building information. What makes this so special is that he is still using the material from these books! Many magicians retire and then publish there work, but JC Sum has published his working material. His only personal request is that it not be distributed in his country (Singapore) and therefore he will not sell or ship any of these books within Singapore. To ensure that these books stay out of Singapore, JC has chosen to be the only distributor of his books.


Illusionary Departures is a collection of ideas and illusions by JC Sum. Some are very original while others are oddly familiar with slight variations. But all of them are suited to the professional illusionist. As you can imagine, Mr. Sum's style and your own may very well clash but the illusions can be dressed however you like.

This book is not just a pile of illusions, there is particular emphasis on a variety of things, base design, black art concepts, stage tricks, presentations for old effects, etc. JC makes it very clear that this book was his first attempt at an illusion book. This book isn't written for the beginning illusionist, or seasoned pro, part time stage performer, etc. This book lacks focus which might prove to be it's downfall. With a price tag of 100 USD you'd expect a lot. Consider the great illusions in so many of Jim Steinmeyer's books!

I'm a fan of the material in this book. For the illusionist with a desire to be the best, this book will provide you with cutting edge ideas and applications. If you are looking for a new illusion to add to the show then read on and hear about the books contents. I'd recommend this book for the right performer. There are tricks for everyone in this book but if they don't ring true with you then it might not be worth the investment.

The book is 126 pages 8.5 by 11. The first illusion presented is called A Walk Through The Winery, and to me this is a brilliant piece of magic. Many magicians try to remain very classical and it is often difficult to find illusions that fit the theme and style of a classic performer. A Walk Through The Winery is a penetration effect in essence. An open front and back wine cabinet is shown, bottles standing upright and light shining through. A bottle of wine chosen by a spectator is removed from the cabinet and a glass poured for the illusionist. The bottle is replaced and the wine consumed (who doesn't need a drink on stage right?). a wooden frame with paper is placed over the front of the cabinet. The magician goes behind the cabinet and dramatically plunges through the front, breaking the paper and slowly emerging entirely. The front cover is taken away and the bottles and shelves are seen to be in perfect condition!

I'm a huge fan of this illusion, it's a classy penetration effect. It's exactly the type of illusion I think many magicians with a classic style would like in their show. I'm personally working on having this one built myself. This is a very practical effect, and one that I think could be dressed up or down however you like. Mr Sum is very proud of this illusion and I would be too!

The next illusion is Visual Displacement, another penetration effect. This time 4 steel bars are placed by spectators running top to bottom in a holder. The illusionist enters behind the 4 bars and holds a curtain around both sides of the bars. The curtain goes up and comes down, the illusionist is now seen to be standing in front of the 4 bars. This is a very practical illusion, other than the length of the poles. Very easy to break down, and construct, I'd say this is possibly the most practical illusion in the book. This illusion is far from original though, JC Sum mentions that it is based on Andrew Mayne's "A-Frame" from his book Solo-X. The benefit to Mr Sum's version is that the performer is visible for all but the penetration. This is certainly a cost effective illusion and one that I think would be a very good first illusion. The downside is the length of time this illusion takes to perform. With a good presentation you could pull a few minutes out of this and in a typical 20-30 minute show this would be great.

The Time Machine is not so much an illusion as it is a stage piece. In short, a clock is taken out of a chest and shown, it is then placed in a futuristic looking box. the doors are closed and when reopened the time has changed on the clock. The doors are closed once more and upon reopening the clock has vanished. The illusionist explains it hasn't gone far back in time and upon opening the original chest the clock is found. The work involved in producing this effect is not nearly worth the effect. Of course this is personal opinion and if you do like this type of effect then it might be worth exploring further. If you are a fan of this type of magic Alan Wakeling wrote a number of wonderful articles in Genii Magazine in the 1950s. Fortunately for all of us without those originals Jim Steinmeyer annotated them and had them republished in a somewhat recent issue of Genii magazine (September 2007). You would do well to buy this back issue of Genii for great stand up routines.

Curtain Call is two original presentation ideas for the Sub Trunk. One being similar to The Assistants Revenge and the other as an escape. The escape isn't so new as it is old. The trick was originally an escape not a transposition. Harry Houdini made it a transposition. This section is good but like The Time Machine, not a good reason to purchase this book. If you are very interested in the Sub Trunk and the other material isn't quite enough to make you buy it then this section should push you that extra inch.

Creation of Life, a very bold title for a stage piece. This trick is pretty much Kevin James' floating rose routine with a flower petal to egg to canary. Fine routining but not much originality here.

Black Art Table Slide, I am not going to go into too much detail as this is one of those secrets that big illusionist likely depend on but this utility illusion idea allows you to have black art while still placing lighting in front of the black art area. Very cool if you have a large enough show to make it work.

Deceptive Base Work, there are not a whole lot of books on the subject of building deceptive bases for illusions. Each builder has a particular preference for certain designs and building methods. JC Sum presents you with his theory and techniques for building bases. Rand Woobdbury has wonderful work on bases in his Base Book, Volume 1 of his Illusionworks videos and Illusionworks Volume 1 book. JC Sum has added some personal choices in illusion base design. If you were ever curious as to how to build a base or you wanted to expand your horizons for base building ideas this section is great. JC addresses a wonderful problem which is reducing thickness of the doors which often saps as much as 3/4" of valuable space! There is also a retractable 1/2" or so that JC utilizes effectively.

Crystal Striptease is our first real "box trick" in this book. It's a bit of a mix of effects. The box is horizontal like a crystal casket, but the strip tease nature isn't quite true, it's more of an undressing. The magician reaches in and pulls out clothing. She vanishes then an outfit is thrown in and she appears with the new outfit on. Wakeling's Costume Trunk and Calvert's Striptease are both referenced by Mr Sum. Personally I'm more a fan of the Calvert illusion. There is something very "caged animal" about this effect. The assistant's inability to stand up straight kills the potential seductive nature of this effect.

New Age Spirit Cabinet is an interesting application for a slightly modified crystal casket. Turning a crystal casket into a spirit cabinet complete with partial appearance of a ghost. I'd suggest you look into Karl Germain's One Man Spirit Cabinet in Germain The Wizard. While JC's spirit cabinet is interesting, it lacks elegance in method. It's exactly what you might expect. That being said Mr Sum does dress it up nicely.

Sweepstakes is a stage trick combining a torn and restored paper with a vanishing radio. While the effects are combined to produce a semi-logical effect I personally can't quite visualize the effectiveness of this routine. A radio is on stage and the lottery numbers are given, the magicians numbers are incorrect and he tears up the ticket. The announcer on the radio then corrects himself stating those were last weeks numbers and that the winning numbers this week are... the magician's numbers! The magician vanishes the radio and restores his now winning ticket!

Back Door Appearance allows you to produce a person/Special Guest, etc. The downside to this is the set up and cost associated with producing this one effect is rather significant. If you have a big company ready to shell out a lot of cash to produce their CEO then you should consider this illusion. The effect is this, a top a skeletal platform with floodlights shining through a square canopy is raised and lowered to reveal the appearance of the special guest. This illusion has it's place, but for us commoners it is most likely not in our shows.

Graffiti Girl. This effect is quite nice. Through this book it's clear that JC Sum like the idea of using doors, as frames for production, means of vanishing people, etc. I suppose the inherent coming and going theme of a door and open/closed implications lend themselves well. Graffiti Girl has a spectator come on stage and with a black can of spray paint, roughly paint his dream girl! Next a paint colour is chosen and her dress is painted in with the chosen colour. The door is closed and immediately opened to reveal the rough painting now resembles a much more detailed painting in full colour! The door is closed once again and upon reopening it there stands a beautiful woman complete with coloured dress! This illusion is strong. I was once told by a very prominent illusion builder that there are 3 types of illusions, Appearances, Vanishes, and To Dos. Something appears, disappears or the box is used To Do something. This illusion is essentially a very involved appearance but with a lot to do. For all practical purposes this could be a fantastic way to introduce your assistant and in a fun way. There is no base involved, which is great. The cost to build this would be very low as well. The only thing that might be a burden is constantly replacing the original canvas that gets painted. JC provides notes at the end of each illusion/trick but unfortunately there is no solution given for replacing the painted canvas.

Motion Delayed Vanish/Appearance presents a handling of a spirit cloth that would allow you to vanish a person or make a person appear instantly! I really enjoyed this idea. It's practical, performable and very easy to produce a potential miracle, lightning fast vanishes/appearances, despite the misleading title.

Modern Flight Case Table, is the detailed plans for any worker. If you do lots of shows and need a great table this design is fantastic! In JC's words, "This is an original suitcase-style table design that is easy to set-up, lightweight and highly configurable to suit your needs. It is a medium suitcase-size ATA flight case that transforms into a central main table with receptacle bin and shelves as well as a side table." A very practical design! The drawing is a bit difficult to work out the details of the table but when you do it's very nice!

Branded is the appearance of a company logo on a previously blank placard in a flash of fire. It's good. Not much to explain. If you require this for a performance or corporate show this will fit the bill!

The Ghost Cabinet and 12 Person Production cabinet are for LARGE shows, very large shows with casts. Anyone who does have this type of large number of people at their disposal should buy this book immediately. It will help the show tremendously in conception and construction.

Illusionary Departures is a wonderful book. It shows a clear evolution of JC Sum and his illusions and magic. The illusions vary from fantastic to okay. The size of the them varies from huge to stand up. Is this book right for you? Yes, I'm very confident you will find a perfect piece of magic for your stage show. There are illusions in here for any stage of illusionist. Starting out to headlining grand illusionist. The biggest downfall to this book is the price tag. It is not a cheap book, but the price is worth it especially if you use anything from it! You can buy this book directly from JC Sum for $100 plus shipping.

Good to be Online Again

Well folks, I am happy to say I have a new computer now and things are going well. I don't think many of you care about the details but in short I had all my bank accounts frozen because of some fraudulent activity done by someone who cloned my cards. Any who! I am up and running again and there is no better way to get back into the groove of things than with a book review!

Computer Problems

Hi everyone. My computer crashed and decided to implode. In short I am working on a new computer being built but reviews will be held back in the mean time. I apologize for the delay.

Beyond The Stage

After taking a quick peek at JC Sum's website http://www.illusionbooks.com/ you will quickly realize that most of these books are for the serious magician/illusionist and they have a price tag to reflect that. Fortunately, JC has written a set of lecture notes that is packed with great information and with a relatively low price tag.

These notes are 37 pages long and the broken up as follows:

Forward by John Teo, IBM Ring 115 President.

Introduction

About JC Sum

Magic's Greatest Secret Revealed

Building a Professional Stage Show

Performing Magic for Money

Producing Magic for TV

Annex: Applause Devices

Our forward is a single page with glowing praise, as is expected in any forward. I look forward to the day when a forward is not complimentary, perhaps if it were written by Simon Lovell? Any who, often the forward allows you to see just how high up one's friends are. The president of Singapore's IBM Ring doesn't seem very significant but that is a North American perspective.

Our introduction is also a single page detailing Mr. Sum's intentions. To allow magicians to produce higher quality magic and shows, an admirable goal.

About JC Sum is like reading the dust jacket of a hardbound book, I understand why it is here, but in a short set of notes, unnecessary.

JC now presents magic's greatest secret, which isn't quite correct. It should say magic's greatest secrets, because there is no single secret, rather many many tips to improving your performance. The main point/secret is communication, and Mr. Sum spends the next 10 pages listing and explaining verbal and non verbal ways to improve your communication with your audience. Broken down into three distinct segments, Creating the Magic Experience, Controlling the Audience, and Captivating (Entertaining) The Audience. A great deal of this information presented follows the lines of good theatre. You could learn much from learning about playwriting and screen writing. The only part of this section that seems out of place is the example. Mr. Sum's example is a close up trick (The Ambitious Card) which seems wrong given he is Singapore's foremost illusionist.

Mr. Sum briefly mentions the need for perfection in execution of technique, and I couldn't agree more. It is imperative that your technique on stage be flawless, otherwise the illusion is destroyed for the audience. Unfortunately, again, Mr. Sum presents close up examples, while they are common and familiar to any magician, they are coming from a world famous illusionist, not Guy Hollingworth.

Other points in this section include the importance of scripting and how to improve with scripts. Distance from the audience and connecting, enthusiasm, sincerity, etc. A lot of great stuff!

The next section of these notes covers Building a Professional Stage Show. This section is short considering the topic and the depth is not what you might hope for. That being said, the information presented is very practical. JC immediately recommends a set of lecture notes by Denny Haney of Denny and Lee's. You can see a review of those notes here.

JC highlights 3 steps in building a stage show:

1. Construction

2. Development

3. Evolution

A variety of tips are given on choosing material, and considerations that need to be kept in mind. This is information only a seasoned pro can really give you. We also get other factors that make a trick better or worse for a stage show than another. Your favorite trick is not always a good trick for your show.

The classics are referenced and a short but strong list of classics is given and as JC mentions, a full show of classics can be put together for under $500 bucks, they can all be done surrounded, and they pack small and play big!

Formatting the Show

This is where these notes shine! JC present his way of stringing his tricks together to create the strongest performance possible. This includes which tricks to choose first, which tricks have to take a back seat, where to put what tricks, etc. All of this information justified the price of the notes. It's rare to find truly career enhancing information and I think this might be just that information. If you believe your show formatting is the best it can be then ignore this.

JC has very specific goals for each segment of the show. Opener, closer, personality piece, etc. Following JC's explanations are an example stage show program. You get to see the work in action.

Development

The second stage of the show building process is development, once you have a show it is far from over. Although the initital show is the most demanding process, the show is like a living thing, it continues to grow or shrink and becomes something different. I grows with you as a performer. Development is when you polish up your material, record bits of businss and get really tight on the scripting. The focus shifts from the physical tricks to the specific presentations. This is also when you being to discard your weaker material for stronger material. Some of your original choices will not work out. That's as it should be. JC continues to help you refine your work and make it professional grade material.

Evolution

This is when you can start taking input from other people, performers, magicians, etc. This process never ends. The chapter ends with a timeline of how long these 3 stages should take.

Performing Magic for Money

I'm a bit disappointed with this section. Specifically because it has been dilluted over a number of areas instead of concentrating on a handful of effective sources. While JC addresses a number of common magic problems he doesn't target any one market well enough for an aspiring full time magician to really get his feet wet. A lot of emphasis is given on how to sell a service, an intangible product, like magic!

JC gives some basic promotional tools that every performer should have. Nothing revolutionary, Business cards, website, promo video, and show information (Brochure, flyer, etc.). Some great information is given on how to write up your show for marketing materials.

This section ends with some ways to get started marketing yourself. The first one being Referrals. It's a bit difficult to get work through referrals if you are just starting out, afterall who is going to refer you? Charity work is great for getting those referrals and meeting good people to hire you. JC does give advice on harnessing your social circles for referrals.

Direct Marketing, cold calls, targeted mailings, etc. This requires a very specific market/list of people to approach and market to. This can get very costly as well. If you have the money to back a marketing strategy like this it could prove to be the best money you spend!

The last source is agencies. A google search will uncover many reasons you should and should not work with agents. But the most important one in my mind is that this is work that you otherwise would not get.

The last sections of the notes is Producing Magic for TV. I understand that this is good information but in a book that plans to move you from amateur to professional it seems a little out of place. That being said let's take a look at the worthwhile nature of this chapter. JC has clearly been on TV A LOT. All of that experience is clearly demonstrated in this chapter. How to prepare for a television appearance, what sort of material is good and bad for TV, having your creative voice heard even! All very important information that would be hard to learn elsewhere. Fortunately there is another set of lecture notes available from the Camirand Academy that was written by the late Gary Ouellet on this exact topic! You can take a look at those here. If anyone is interested in those notes and would like to see a review, please email me and I will post one.

Following this chapter is Annex: Applause Devices

Once again this is very theatrical information. More emphasis on theatrical training than magic here but nonetheless some great information. JC presents his techniques for garnering applause and his personal opinions on applause cues. First we are presented with the 3 mistakes magicians make with regards to applause. Next we are given verbal and visual cues to prompt applause. Last, we are given a run down of the different types of applause, from polite applause all the way to standing ovation.

This set of notes is a bit pricey at 30 bucks. I would expect a 20 dollars price tag on something like this. That being said the information presented is very good for the performer very new to performing professionally. If you read the above review and feel these notes are the proper stepping stone in your career, buy them! If you are curious about the demands of performing professionally, buy these notes. If you are looking for information that is very specific, such as magic on TV, perhaps you would do better with the notes from The Camirand Academy of Magic.

These notes are certainly helpful to a me as a professional and I think that any professional magician wouldn't hesitate to throw 30 bucks at the possibility of a tip, trick, or bit of advice that could lead to even just one more booking.

I recommend these notes available from JC directly at Illusionbooks.com for 30 dollars, shipping included.

Update: JC Sum Week

I apologize for the delay. Many of you have asked for more books so I am working hard to review all the books JC Sum has available on his site Illusionbooks.com. As you can imagine, books take a while to read and review. Once some of these books are done we will be having our first TMR Contest! One luck winner is getting a free copy of JC Sum's book The Event Illusionist!

Details will be posted at The Magic Review Facebook group page.

New contests will follow!

Lunch Is Served

Paul Romhany and TC Tahoe have put together a book that should have happened long ago! The Out To Lunch principle is a fantastic one. The routines you can do with this rather simple concept are remarkable and fortunately there is a book dedicated to the subject. As per usual I will begin with a general verdict then follow with a more in depth review.

This book is quite good if you are looking to play with the Out To Lunch principle OR if you are a professional looking to add an effect to your repertoire. Due to the preparation associated with OTL tricks it is very difficult to carry more than one or two tricks on you at a given time. If you are an amateur/hobbyist who wants to try magic with a different type of "prop" then this might be just the thing for you. You don't need personal business cards, you can always get blanks from a stationary/office supplies store. For those wanting to try new tricks this book will keep you happy and busy. For the working professional trying to diversify their repertoire, you will find something in this book to add to your line up. The book is available from Paul directly, about half way down this page.
The tricks in this book vary from fantastic to garbage. I say garbage because some tricks are the same as the one before with a slight aesthetic change. A trick where a key bends and then later on a trick where a spoon bends are the same trick in my mind. It doesn't take a creative genius to realize other visual representations of objects can be visually bent. We are also treated to a section on trick by TC Tahoe, another section on tricks by Paul Romhany, and a final section on tricks by everyone else who contributed. While I appreciate the creative talents of all people involved it would have been nice the tricks separated by subject. For example, tricks involving: time, mind reading, transpositions, etc. If tricks were separated by effect this book could be used much more effectively as a desired effect section could be flipped to and a suitable trick found. Because it is sorted by creator you are left with a hodge podge of magic to go through with no defined organization. This works in a library, not so much a magic book covering a single principle in depth.



Since this book covers so many tricks I will highlight the best and most unique tricks, in my opinion. I'd also like to point out something slightly awkward about this book. Paul Romhany wrote his section, and TC Tahoe wrote his section, but the styles of writing are so different that the book lacks continuity.

The beauty of a book with so many contributors is that the creativity flows freely! A number of tricks in this book are just spectacular, some are diabolically clever, and others are basic attempts to use the principle and seem to be in here strictly for political friendship reasons.

Here are a number of my favorite tricks and the accompanying effect as seen by the audience:

Fortune Cookie: This specific routine caught my eye because of the size of the effect. It is meant for a parlor situation. The effect is this, a spectator signs the bottom of a large postcard with a fortune cookie on it, from the folds of the cookie is a large blank fortune paper. The card is removed and set down. The spectator chooses a random fortune from a large plastic bag and the audience gives the magician 3 numbers. Those numbers are added up to determine a fortune number. The postcard signed earlier is turned over to reveal that the fortune and lucky number match. I particularly enjoy the prediction feel and the ability to play large. The graphics required to make your own postcards is included in a CD provided with the book with a number of graphics for other tricks as well.

Signature Transpo: This is a fantastic effect and the reactions will prove that when you try it. A card signed by the magician and one by the spectators switch places in their hands. Then a second card is taken and signed by another spectator. The second card is placed in the second spectator's hand. Passing a flame by the magician's signature it vanishes and is found on the second spectator's card. I don't think I need any commentary here. It's an amazing effect!

Burnt Bill to Anywhere: This is a fantastic application of the OTL principle to steal an item in plain view AND have it signed for verification at the same time. This is a brilliant application and I suggest you take a look at it. Page 39 for those who plan on buying this.

The 8 Ball: While I am not usually a fan of this type of magic, as it doesn't suit my performance style, I know many magicians whom this trick would be perfect for! You draw a circle on the back of your business card. They sign the bottom and you finish making it look like an 8 ball and write "8 ball" above the drawing. The card is removed and given a shake, a large black 8 ball falls into their cupped hands and the card is shown to have "8 ball" written but no drawing.

Look Ma No Bands: Although not really a trick this is a cool concept to use on the fly. TC Tahoe has come up with a way to use the OTL principle without and bands or clips. Pretty cool!

Secret Writing Techniques and the OTL Principle by Christopher Taylor: This is a very unique section of the book. Mr. Taylor takes us through a number of ways to produce secret writings as well as how to conceal various things throughout. A slightly bizarre feel to the effects but wonderful nonetheless. I enjoyed this article. Also an old method of producing smoke from your fingers is given at the end of the article.

Newspaper Prediction: BRILLIANT! This trick blew me away. It's a great solution for producing a headline prediction. Utilizing a balloon and the OTL principle you can predict any headline... A blown up balloon with a prediction inside is seen. Some from the audience chooses a word or headline or what have you an this is written down. The card with writing is handed to the spectator with the rest of the cards. The balloon is taken and popped. Aside from balloon bits is a piece of paper. On this is the correctly predicted word. Although these ideas have been explored in other sources, this trick by Gerard brought it together well.

R248 The Stars: Remember to Forget the Stars: In an apparent feat of mind control/manipulation you cause a spectator to forget one of a few symbols presented to them. This is a trick by Banachek and I must say it is a very clever effect to be done with the OTL principle.

The Exploding Light Bulb: Steve Hocevar performed this effect for a trade show. A light bulb is seen on a card. The bottom of the card is signed, and the card removed from the stack. It is held signature and light bulb face down. A large flash and puff of smoke is seen. The card is turned over to reveal the bulb has exploded! By combining a number of special effects with this simple application, Mr. Hocevar has come up with an effect that people are surely going to talk about! Finally something you CAN use the FISM flash for...

There are many other tricks in this book that will please any style of magician. Due to the setup required for any OTL effect, the tricks in this books will be hard to all use at once. Adding one or two to your existing repertoire will work wonders! Pun intended...

The book ends with an article by Paul Romhany with Tips on Business cards. For the magician new to having business cards these tips will be invaluable.

Although a very niche book, if you are doing close up and do not have an OTL trick in your repertoire perhaps this will change things. I'd recommend this book for the diversity of effects and the wonderful stage applications. Available from Paul Romhany for 24.95.

The Magic Review on Facebook!

I am happy to say The Magic Review is now on Facebook.

For those looking to join the group and get the low down on upcoming contests.

The Magic Review

JC Sum and I are in the midst of putting together a great contest. Where one of you readers is going to win a copy of The Event Illusionist! An 85 Dollar book available from http://www.illusionbooks.com/ only!

A review of this book will be posted in the weeks to come.

Update: JC SUM WEEK

JC Sum is one hell of a guy! He's also a brilliant mind and fantastic illusionist. When I mentioned to him that people voting on the site said they'd like to see more books reviewed he immediately sent over a copy of every book on his site all the way from Singapore and he sent his Perfect Coin Pail. I just received the package this weekend and I am very excited.

I was planning a JC Sum week but with this much stuff it is going to be longer than a week! Right now I think it is going to take a minimum of two weeks, and likely longer to review all this stuff!

JC and I have also agreed to a holding a little contest! More details will follow soon, the prize will be a copy of his book The Event Illusionist valued at 85 dollars!

Here is a list of all the books to be reviewed:

Illusionary Departures
The Event Illusionist
Urban Illusions
Beyond the Stage
Equilateral

Business Cardiographic

Continuing with our Out To Lunch Marathon is one of my new favorite things. I am a huge fan of Martin Lewis and his magic. Cardiographic is a staple in my stage show and when I first heard about this smaller business card rising card I was very skeptical. When I saw the DVD only I again was skeptical. Having watched the made the gimmick, I am very happy! The gimmick is a one time build and it will last for a long time if you are a decent arts and crafts person.

You will need to watch the DVD then take a trip to an office supply store. The DVD supports one practice which I don't agree with. Printing your own business cards. NEVER print your own cards. You likely don't fix your own car, deliver your own children or do your own dental work, well don't stop the trend, let professionals, professional print your business cards because that's what professional printers do best. Besides you can get cards printed for as little as 15 dollars for 1000 colour cards front and back. Zooprinting, sign up, its free and they don't bombard you with garbage.

Once you have constructed your gimmick you can use it with any business cards that have white on the back of them. Now part of the DVD explains to have a lot of business cards printed with the card already risen. For anyone who has their own cards already I suggest you do what I did. Go have 2 rubber stamps made for you. They are very small and very inexpensive. I had one for the deck to match the gimmick and one for the risen card. The risen card is red, the rest black, hence the two stamps. Now you an sit down for a few minutes and literally produce a stack of cards. If you are having cards printed for this great! Get the backs printed with the card already risen out of the deck.

The instruction on the DVD is fantastic, including HUGE examples of the components you require to construct your gimmick. There are digital files on the DVD for Winographic and Business Card-iographic. There is always a catch though. As this does require an Out to Lunch cover you need a big ugly Broccoli rubber band or a beautiful Out To Dinner Clip as is mentioned in my review on the Out to Dinner Clip. I highly recommend you purchase this clip for this effect. It's only 15 dollars and will last for years. My biggest problem with this business card rising card, is that the action of the card rising is not done with the cards held stationary, it is done with the cards being held some what awkwardly and moving in a circular direction.

You can see from the above video that the cards are held in a strange way and the motion used by Brian. You can also see the Out to Dinner Clip in action. I do think if you played with some finer points -like the thickness of stock used for the gimmick- you could make a gimmick that would require no motion to cover anything. I enjoy smaller effects that also I do in my larger shows, the main reason being that while in a close up setting I can perform something which is in my stage show and it leads into a very easy conversation about my stage show and how it can work well with the potential client's event.

Oh, and I almost forgot! The reactions are ridiculous! The downside is that everyone will want you to perform it over and over again to get a "magic" business card. Highly recommended from Magikraft for 30 dollars or for 40 dollars which includes Doc's Out to Dinner Clip.

Out To Dinner

Doc Eason has created a very simple, very efficient and very brilliant little utility device. It is a very strong and sturdy metal clip meant to be used to hold business cards and serve as a classy alternative to an elastic band for the Out To Lunch Principle. It is very rare that I have a hard time coming up with proper criticism for a product. This was the problem I faced with Doc's Out to Dinner Clip. This is a MUST have item for anyone considering Out To Lunch effects. Since this week is all about Out To Lunch, you would do well to purchase this item immediately!

The clip is very well made and very strong. It looks fantastic and it works quite well. There are a few downfalls though. First the metal can leave grey/silver marks on white cards -not a huge problem, it only leaves marks if you over stuff the clip. Second because the clip is so well made the clip will NOT bend. Meaning your cards need to be cut very accurately to fit in the clip. Other than those two small thoughts, I can't find much to improve with this device! It works great. It looks great and it classes up a previously unsophisticated idea in magic!

I only wish it were available in Brass or black enamel as well.

If you plan on doing any Out To Lunch magic (and I can't recommend it enough!) you will want one or two of these clips ready to produce classy miracles. Or you could pull your business cards out and hand a card out from that purple broccoli rubber band... A great impression before presenting your business information.

Highly Recommended. Available from Doc Eason directly. Check out Doc's Shop for 15 dollars... that's it, 15 bucks! It also comes with two tricks to do with it but I'd certainly put more emphasis on the beautiful clip. This week will be full of Out To Lunch products that you will want to have this clip for!

Pendragon's DVD Volume 4

The fourth and final volume of the Pendragon's DVD set. For those new to the site, I will first give a recommendation then follow with a more in depth review of the material on the DVD.

While the first 3 DVDs have provided some wonderful information and effects to add to one's repertoire there are also some that are simply out of most people's financial league. Fortunately volume 4 has a good selection of techniques and illusions for the wealthy and more modest performer. The illusions explored include, The Broom Suspension, 360 degree levitation, The Impalement, and The Election which is a Blammo production followed by a no trap person switch (Leg Drop Switch). There is also some discussion on Interlude, Steinmeyer's famous illusion seen on the cover of volume 4. If you plan on doing illusions this is be all means a wonderful volume to own. If you on the other hand do not plan on doing illusions I would suggest saving your dollars and cents for something else. That being said if you are looking to buy the other 3, it is worth getting the 4th DVD to complete the set and for the discount available from L and L publishing.

First we are presented with the Broom Suspension. A very difficult illusion to do well, it's easy to perform this poorly but to make it look like there isn't mechanical junk strapped all over the place is much more difficult. Again, this illusion is a million times better due to Charlotte and her fantastic athletic and gymnastic abilities. This will be a running theme for these illusions with strong emphasis on the person being levitated, suspended, impaled, etc.

The performance segment is quite good, and you will see why when Jonathan explains his workings. The mechanics of the Pendragon's suspensions are great! If you can get it made like that, wonderful! Jonathan takes us through a brief history of the illusion and where the name came from etc.

The best part of this is the harness explanation and the learning curve/process that Jonathan describes. While it's fun to get illusions and to play without planning to perform them it is much more difficult to recognize and realize what needs to be concentrated on and the most efficient way to go about learning the crucial steps to presenting a good illusion. Jonathan emphasizes a lot of wonderful points that need to be addressed but are often overlooked. For example, if you use a ratchet type, you will have a problem when you try to get the assistant "in place" if it moves at all you will start with a semi-suspension which shouldn't take place. Jonathan also discusses some beautiful thoughts regarding suspension vs. levitation and the strengths of both. There are many great attributes that a suspension has which a levitation does not. Presentationally speaking you need to emphasize different things in a levitation vs a suspension. This will likely be one of the most valuable sections on this DVD. If you want to do a suspension you will need a couple things, this DVD and the special design to Jonathan's harness which is fantastic! Don't get this built by an illusion builder unless they truly understand the Pendragon design. I'm not sure if you need permission from Jonathan to build this, I assume not given the depth in method and specificity of mechanics. If I am incorrect and somebody knows this for a fact please email me and I will adjust this accordingly (erdnasestudent@gmail.com).

I truly hope that more people adopt Jonathan's mechanics as I can't stand that "Click click click" we all know and love in bad broom/sword suspensions. If you perform this effect already you must own this and change your set up. It's worth the money.

Following the suspension, so fittingly, is the 360 levitation. As we have heard many times already, Jonathan consistently refers back to Richiardi and his performance of levitation effects. I have to emphasize once again, it is very important to have a dedicated Charlotte Pendragon as part of the show, otherwise you will never reach full potential. Also Charlotte is more important in these illusions than the magician posing and "acting" as though he matters. Of course he matters but your assistant will be doing the real work and is literally the living illusion. A great history of the levitation is given including a little bit about Alan Wakeling's hand playing a part. I'm a huge Alan Wakeling fan, and if you aren't familiar with him or his work I highly recommend you get his book, The Magic of Alan Wakeling.

When Jonathan explains the workings of things there is a lot of emphasis on presentation as there is in all of these DVDs I would highly recommend taking this advice to heart! Jonathan takes you through the different steps of the prop. For example, bringing the assistant to the prop, Charlotte then kicks in and starts to guide your assistant. It would be a good idea to purchase the illusions on this set and then watch these DVDs with prop beside you and work through it with your assistant.

Next Jonathan discusses the hoops and the variety of hoops you can use. A particular mention to Blaney's hoop is given. Which if you've see or used this hoop before, you know why! Jonathan teaches an original hoop pass using a solid hoop. One of my favorite parts of this DVD set is that many of the things I have only read about become very real. We see a real gooseneck and Richiardi's original hoop passing technique which is fortunately not lost to history as Jonathan feared. Jonathan recommends not stealing Richiardi's hoop pass. I would agree, but it is certainly somewhere to start learning. Try to make it your own and get a feel for the philosophy behind it.

Next we have The Impaled illusion, as I've mentioned already, it requires a very special assistant to make this illusion look as good as the Pendragon's make it look. You can love or hate the illusion itself but you would be hard pressed to say they don't do it remarkably well! It would be nice to have a performances only section instead of the lecture format, where a trick is shown then explained, performed then explained, etc. Jonathan provides a lot advice regarding the graphic nature of the impalement and the fact that it is NOT a good first illusion. Jonathan gets very artist on us here. A little over the top but his advice is sound. Wait 5-10 years before tackling this type of illusion. You require a lot of experience and as you can imagine being impaled on a stick while rotating is very scary for any assistant or magician. I'd relay my personal experience having performed it as the assistant but really that's not needed. Do NOT try this one without some experience under your belt. Being up there on that stick is very scary, it would be much better to concentrate on a broom suspension as explained earlier.

Jonathan explains some wonderful moments in the Impalement and explains that the magic moment is not the impalement it's the resurrection effect. If you dropped a melon on a knife blade and it got penetrated that's not magic, it's magic when you take the melon off and show it to be unharmed. A very good point that so many bad illusionists neglect. The effect is intense and you will appreciate it that way as done by the Pendragons. Jonathan continues to emphasize the requirements, sound acting ability, physically top shape, good flexibility, etc. You can tell this is an illusion that the Pendragon's are very passionate about.

Next we are treated to the technical aspects of the Impalement and a demonstration as well as a bit of Impalement origins. During the demonstration there is a very funny part when Charlotte releases her sword tip and you can't help but laugh at the remarkably phallic implications and the awkward camera close up. Jonathan and Charlotte admire this large phallic symbol and it's ability to wobble. Priceless! The harness will shock many of you and quite honestly your assistant needs to have very strong back and leg muscles to perform this illusion convincingly. You don't realize how much strength Charlotte has until after you get a chance to see the minimalist mindset that has gone into the body support for this and other illusions.

Nearing the end of this DVD we get to hear and then see the Blammo box, a Pendragon original based on the smaller dove to rabbit illusionette. It's truly remarkable to hear how much influence the Pendragon's have had on modern illusions as we know them today! Their music is a little dated in many of these illusions this one especially. They call this trick The Election, which is a production of a big fluffy puppy dog from a Blammo, and a switch of Charlotte and Jonathan. The switch is quite good although the audience reaction and Jonathan's "Oh come on!" would make you think it's less than grand. It feels like the timing is off a bit on revealing Charlotte. Too much time between the switch, the "come on" and the awkward call to Charlotte. Perhaps not the best clip of this but the components are wonderful.

The Blammo isn't anything new to illusionists. Jonathan doesn't explain the illusion quite yet, first, we get an explanation of where he gets his dogs and what kind of dogs they are. Thorough! The effect is that a large fluffy boa (neck scarf thing) turns into a large fluffy dog. A wonderful demonstration follows and some very valuable tips. How to handle the top and which way to move, pull the top, etc. Of course this dog production is meant to be a lead into the switch they use which involves a cape to switch Charlotte and Jonathan. They were trying to get away from that huge cloaked figure switch that always happens and telegraphs a switch and appearance of the magician. This is a very good switch in workings but you need to justify the cape. Very easy for the renaissance style of the Pendragons. A bit more difficult for you or I, but not impossible. The beauty of the switch to me is that there is no need for a stage trap, certainly a significant improvement from other switches like this. Lance Burton is another interesting switch to take note of in his now famous sword fighting vignette.

We get a good look at the Pendragons and how much fun they have so many years into being professionals. There are many people who might question the value of these DVDs but I personally have yet to find anything more in depth and up to date on the effects presented by the Pendragons. I highly recommend this DVD and the other 3. Purchase the set. If you are just working on 1 or 2 illusions then you would be silly to not purchase the corresponding DVD. While these won't be huge sellers in terms of Magic DVD sales due to their niche market, the lucky people who do choose to purchase these AND use the material in them will be light years ahead of the many hacks trying to reinvent it all and make all the mistakes along the way.

If you plan on doing a levitation or suspension, buy volume 4, if you are a hobbyist dabbling, save your money for something more fun and less practical. If you enjoy illusions and history these are invaluable. It's hard to justify NOT spending the 35 bucks on this and the other DVDs in the set. It's a measly 35 bucks! Buy it Here!

The Magic of the Pendragons Volume 3

Volume Three can safely be called the DVD on Classic Stage Magic vs. Illusions. We are introduced to The Linking Rings, Sands of Egypt (Sands of the Desert), The Kellar Rope Tie, Head Twister, The World's Greatest Feet of Magic, and of course an interview with Jonathan.

As usual, I will give my recommendation followed by a more thorough review. Volume Three is on stage magic, while the Pendragon's are remarkable at Grand Illusion, the Stage Magic I saw left something to be desired. I would recommend this DVD for specific purposes. If you want to learn Sands of the Desert, buy this immediately! Jonathan will fool you with it and it is a great method. If you aren't familiar with The Kellar Rope Tie, buy this DVD set. There is no doubt the material is commercial and works for real audiences, it is scripted and carefully choreographed.

Bottom line, while these might not be great effects for you there are lessons to be learned. Of the set, I would say this is certainly not my favorite DVD. If you do or plan to do paying shows, it would be in your best interest to see a few commercial stage pieces despite the fact that they might not be for you exactly. As for the close up trick... I'm sorry that was included.

Let's go in chronological order. The linking rings routine work for Jonathan. It's something he does often and enjoys. The best part to me was not the routine but the explanation. You would be hard pressed to be able to perform this routine as described and performed. Vernon's Symphony of the Rings would be a much better investment to learn a routine from, or the famous Jack Miller Routine. Whit Haydn's comedy ring routine would be another highly recommended source. If you are looking for how a routine like the linking rings can be choreographed to music then this will certainly be beneficial. The routine is very Jonathan Pendragon. As usual the explanation is thorough and Jonathan explains it very well. The scripting in the routine is well done too. The routine as a whole is a bit much for me. You'll have to see it for yourself. Not the best thing on the DVD, not the worst. There is no question that the safety aspects covered are great and Jonathan is full of stories. In the safety segment the height requirements and tips on how to throw and catch rings without killing yourself are all covered.

The second trick is the Sands of Egypt. This has got to be my favorite version of this trick to date. I am familiar with a variety of methods but this one in particular fooled me and appealed to me on a commercial level. Jonathan makes this an audience participation trick.... How you ask? A little girl comes on stage and pours the sands in her self! What a brilliant take on this trick! Each colour is poured in of course and as you all know Jonathan reaches in and pulls out each colour, dry. There area couple of changes from the usual routine. The blackening chemicals are added openly, and the water is not cleared up at the end. I find the clearing of the water at the end to be unnecessary. Similar logic to Vernon's Traveler's where 4 aces travel to 4 different pockets. There is no need to pull the last ace from an envelope in your inside pocket. That changes the effect. I think this same thinking can be applied here. There is no need to clear the water. The effect is removing dry sands, clearing up the water (which never truly clears up) is too much. Just my opinion mind you.

The explanation for this as I already mentioned is brilliant in method. Jonathan explains the trick very well. You can make the sand yourself but I would suggest a couple of google searches to find the sand you need. You DO NOT have to buy the expensive sand from magic shops. You can get similar types of sands from children's science stores. Jonathan also details the chemicals used to darken the water and how to clear it up again if you like. The explanation is very thorough and insightful, obviously the result of hundreds of shows. There is a lot to learn. Constructing the prop you need for this might be difficult to make at times. If you have purchased the DVD and want a bit of assistance please feel free to email me and I will let you know what to do. I would purchase this DVD for this trick alone, but that's because I will be adding it to my show.

Jonathan now performs the Kellar Rope Tie. There is a lot to learn from this piece. The audience member selection process, the careful words to ensure props spectators, etc. The fun they have on stage, the lines, etc. This is a great routine to learn from. Jonathan does forget their names but I'm not sure if that's on purpose, so it's covered well. The audience interaction is wonderful and the routine is good. Not what I'd expect from Jonathan, but certainly a well received trick. Real audience laughter, great moments, a good routine! Jonathan's routine is a prime example of how to make this routine play on a huge stage. If you are interested in doing this in a small setting, parlor perhaps, I highly recommend The Magic of Alan Wakeling and the Handcuff Escape. Otherwise this is a great trick for a large stage. I'd say it's a toss up between this and the Sands of Egypt for best trick on the DVD. Jonathan explains the trick well, but quite honestly there isn't too much too explain. You will learn more from the performance than from the explanation.

The Head Twister is on here, and I'm not quite sure why to be honest. It seems out of place compared to the other tricks presented. The explanation seems longer than you need. Jonathan truly explains how the effect plays in the stage show. It's a weak effect at best. A bit of apparent miscommunication leads into "Jonathan's head not being on straight" so they adjust him with the twister. It really looks like Jonathan just wanted this to be in there cause he likes the trick. The performance is accompanied by some useful advice but this was thrown in for the performers not the viewers.

The last thing on this DVD is quite frankly, terrible. Jonathan's seated performing a card trick. The greatest feet of magic is Jonathan catching a selected card in his toes. Why is this on here? His technique is sloppy, the trick is weak in his hands. That being said, it is an amusing trick to see live with magician friends. Johnny Benzais' book has a better method for obtaining the card as needed. The effect could be good just not in Jonathan's hands or feet for that matter.

While these DVDs have highs and lows the highs certainly outweigh the lows. Unfortunately the DVD ends on a low. The highs being the Sands of Egypt and Kellar Rope Tie. The lows being the Head Twister and Greatest Feet of Magic, The Linking Rings is the wild card. Might work for some, and not for others.

All in all, this DVD is good the to have if you plan on performing Sands of Egypt or Kellar Rope Tie. Certainly don't buy it for the other tricks. As always Jonathan's insight is interesting and the dialogue is entertaining to listen to. For 35 dollars, I'd suggest you pick it up, but not for the close up magic. Available here. From L and L Publishing.

Pendragons DVD Vol 2. The Sub Trunk / Metamorphosis

Volume 2 of the Pendragon's DVD set is quite honestly the DVD all illusionists thinking of tackling the Sub Trunk should own. It goes without saying that few in the world come anywhere near the speed to visual illusion that the Pendragon's accomplish.

(Side note: One who did have remarkable speed at one time was Criss Angel surprisingly enough, performing the switch with no curtain but a line of flash pots and the cover from the pyro alone. What happened Criss?)

As per usual I am going to give a straight answer as to whether or not this DVD is worth it then we will go through the DVD contents, commenting on the good and the bad as we go. As always I will post a lengthier recommendation at the end.

Alright! Here we go, first off I can't recommend this DVD set enough. To have the two most practiced magician's on the subtrunk, performing and teaching their specialty INCLUDING the amazing curtain throws and removals is priceless. For the measly 35 dollars this DVD is worth it's weight in gold.

We start off with a performance of the illusion it self in the midst of a larger stage show. It is very clear that the Pendragon's close with this piece. The performance is good although they did seem a little bit slower than usual. Since Charlotte has recently had knee surgery, I will assume that is why. Fortunately you will see the switch a number of times through out and they certainly do it with amazing speed! If you want a lesson and motivated actions take a look at their performance and notice how everything is in it's place. I particularly mean the rope for tying the bag, the lock, sword, etc. It's been meticulously worked out.

We follow this with a general discussion on the history of the illusion with Jonathan, nothing too new here. Houdini, being the first to make it a transposition, the assistants he used, anecdotes, Houdini's method, using a tent in the original versions, etc. If you really don't care for these stories and bits of information (I love them myself) then you could skip ahead.

Next we get into the trunk props. It would have been nice to start with the switch. Quite frankly that's exactly what people are looking for and that's what people want to see. We are made to wait for this unfortunately. Jonathan talks about an initial idea to have the curtain thrown up and switching before the curtain hits the ground, which worked! A brilliant beginning which caused some stir in the magic community! The method for this is revealed and how it worked exactly. We hear about the sub trunk they are known for with the beautiful rich burgundy. This was built specially by John Gaughan for the Pendragons!

With the trunk props section, the beautiful Charlotte takes us through the bag they use and problems you will face, how to set up all the props as they do. This includes space management in the trunk, costumes if you do a costume change, AND fabric, this is one of the most important parts of an illusion. Charlotte covers what ways to test fabric, how to find the right cloth etc. Later Jonathan will talk about the foulard they use and the fabric type the specifically use, etc.

As per the first DVD the sound has good and bad moments but for the most part the sound is good. Charlotte is full of great tips that you could only really come across through years of performance. You could stop the DVD here and get your money's worth. They continue of course and Charlotte even covers tying the top of the bag and how to get out of it and have it in place for a perfect switch.

Next, we get to see the famous Pendragon Foulard and how it works, what keeps it together, the type of fabric etc. A very important aspect being how Charlotte folds the foulard up and what to use as a top support for the switching parties to hold on to. You might be surprised! Charlotte goes into such depth as to explain how to hold the curtain and have it drape properly, the psychology they use behind where the curtain goes and why it's better to not have it covering the whole bottom of the trunk the whole time. Charlotte also covers the size of the trunk and how it changes based on the size of your trunk. Also your arm span and the size of your curtain.

Next Jonathan takes us through the trunks. The styles of trunks, the different ways to gimmick them etc. My one complaint would be the god awful trunk they use! L and L has significant sales, the DVD shoots are all catered, etc. Can't they put the couple hundred bucks together and get a decent trunk for the shoot! Perhaps something with a plexi glass cut away going around the trunk. This would make it very easy for anyone watching to see the action simultaneously going on within the box and on stage.

That being said we do get Jonathan's inside work on the box, custom modifications he has made to make the box the best it can be for him. Jonathan talks a bit about lighting the trunk and being able to drop the trap with people in a balcony and them not seeing anything due to his improvement. Unfortunately I have heard from people who were at a Pendragon show that they saw what they shouldn't have despite Jonathan's statements. I'd suggest not adopting the balcony drop cover. We get a great run down of the different trunks and after seeing the Pendragon's in action you will no doubt use their method for just about everything! The Pendragon trap is the most efficient, intelligent, and well thought out method I've every come across. You will also be disappointed in seeing their locking mechanism. Which goes to show how simple you can get. This is a great section of the DVD but I would have loved to see the gorgeous Gaughan trunk in the DVD explanation section. Jonathan talks about the big old fashioned pad lock at this point and gives a great resource for finding them. If you are looking for those big old heavy locks I highly recommend you take a look here.

Jonathan takes us through the inspection process and the different magician's choices, Doug Henning chose to do a very slow, Robert-Harbin-original-zig-zag presentation where everything is very open and examined. The Pendragon's opt to not examine the box as it just takes too much time for an effect that they are famous for being so fast at! The Moment of Magic is covered very well. Including speed and how it impacts the audience perception of the moment of magic. An escape, a penetration, a transportation, and idealy a transposition. While Jonathan leads into what you assume will be the switch section and the human mechanics, instead we have Charlotte doing the the costume change section.

I'm not complaining (by now I'm sure my Charlotte Pendragon crush is publicly known). The costume change segment contains some good information and some obvious information. for example, don't change from a black skirt to a black cocktail dress. You have to have good contrast between costumes. Now an important point is covered which is your audience. Audience and the costume changed into or out of share a direct relationship. Conservative audience = conservative costume change. Charlotte now demonstrates how she changes costumes out in the open. Which is wonderful and certainly good for any assistant or magician looking for a costume change. This is one of those moments where the sound gets rough. It would be nice to see L and L purchase a professional microphone that are used in movie shoots, the big fuzzy one's on sticks instead of all Lav microphones. Since the sound varies severely from their performance to the actual L and L footage you might have the volume cranked up high to hear better then get blasted with the loud sound of rummaging, or fabric going over the microphone. Won't leave you deaf but it would be nice to not have to constantly consider adjusting sound. This costume change segment seems more like an after the main event section instead of an introduction or precursor.

For some strange reason we have an entire segment dedicated to getting in and out of the bag. I'm not sure it needed this much attention but the information is certainly pertinent. Jonathan takes use through this tips and subtleties about being in the bag and Charlotte on tying it up etc.

Earlier Charlotte showed us the bag now we have Jonathan and Charlotte. Quite frankly, this is superfluous. Although this information is better than previously given one of the two segments should have been cut.

After ALL THAT the moment you've been waiting for! The Trunk Switch! Jonathan shows his part first without any foulard covering. Charlotte gets on top and pantomimes having a cloth. We now see Jonathan's exact hand/foot placement and timing. This is the slow thorough teaching. It would have been nice to see it done full speed leading into the explanation as we have seen so much "extra" stuff so far. The only thing we don't see is Charlotte drop. We also find out Charlotte jumped on Jonathan's head, just as a dangerous quip! It is slightly awkward watching Charlotte standing through the top and Jonathan on top as they chat. There is very good contact and communication through out the switch and the actions are explained progressively with immense detail. As this is clearly the section the majority of people are curious about, hoping to learn from, etc. You will be very happy. Following the explanation we see a behind the scenes view of a full speed switch being done on what I can only assume is the L and L building balcony? This is followed by a front on clip of the switch in full speed on the balcony.

Now the fun begins with the curtain and the reveals. We are all familiar with the toss up and switch. Jonathan gives us the good on his "hour glass" reveal. Appropriately named as the curtain forms an hourglass shape before it is whisked away! There is a lot of danger involved with this reveal and we discover how to determine who should be the one getting in the box or getting locked up and getting out of the box. This is also where Charlotte covers the drop! It's truly spectacular to see! She's just gone. It takes but a second and she's done! Amazing. We get immense detail throughout the entirety of this DVD including where Charlotte rolls her bottom when she gets in the box. The drop Charlotte performs is VERY dangerous and VERY advanced so you are shown a number of progressive actions and training exercises that will get you slowly more comfortable with "The Drop." We also get some great advice on the illusion of one person being super imposed and bringing the effect to it's greatest heights. Only now do we actually go through the Hourglass reveal. The actions seem very simple but it is quite clear how easily someone could get very hurt. Please be careful if you do attempt this reveal. The beauty of this 35 dollar DVD is that with it you have assumed rights for the information FULLY taught. (Clearly Impossible, for example is protected, as it is Jonathan's idea.) We now see the action and the step by step teaching of the curtain throw. It looks great but it's not for everyone!

Next we have the Split Switch. This is the switch that everyone loves so much! Jonathan takes you through the evolution of this split switch and all the research and development that went into something as seemingly simple as a curtain the splits. The detailed explanation is great! We also get a run down of what to do in a fabric store for all magic foulards, once again with more things to consider from Jonathan. The construction details are very thorough and should you want to do this reveal you should have very little difficulty understanding the concepts and applying them to your own split cloth. Again the detail in this split reveal is fantastic. To some this might be a little too much detail. Personally the more information the better. Often the explanation is repeated 2-3 times with various ways of explaining. Redundant? Perhaps, but sometimes you need to hear something a specific way to truly understand and comprehend what is happening.

The last section is on safety. This is also full of safe tips for your box and how to be as safe as possible in all your subtrunk endeavours.

Overall this is the greatest DVD on Illusion I have ever seen to date. It is a seminal work on the subtrunk and ANYONE even considering doing it should own this. The honest truth? 35 dollars for this DVD is ridiculously low. I would have priced the DVD at 100 dollars for the SINGLE DVD. You are receiving all the secrets the Pendragons have collected over the years for under 40 bucks. Stop reading and go buy this DVD.... Here

Update: Magikraft Marathon!

With the Pendragon DVDs nearly complete I am VERY happy to announce that Magikraft has sent along some beautiful stuff! Once the OTL Marathon is done we will be exploring a week of Magickraft products!

In the meantime check there stuff out at Magikraft

Update: The Magic of Fred Robinson

Martin Breese has just informed me that a copy of this big book is on it's way for review! When this arrives I will make another post and reviews to follow of course!

Update: More reviews to come!

I am happy to inform you all that Fantasio is sending along Chameleon Pen, Electronickel and The Miracle Lighter for review.

Of course they will be posted as I get items in stock.

In the mean time, you can look forward to review on Out to Dinner, Lunch is Served, Business Cardiographic, Examining The Thumbtip, and of course the rest of the Pendragon DVDs that are currently being reviewed.

Update: Pendragons DVDs Volume 2 Delay

I'm currently working on Vol. 2 of the Pendragon's DVD set, which is dedicated entirely to the Sub Trunk! Remarkable!

For those who don't know how my review process works, I am sent items and try to post a review within 1-2 weeks of receiving them. The review process varies for Books, Tricks and DVDs, for example, if a DVD is very involved, I watch the DVD 4 times, sometimes more depending on the subject. The first time I watch, the second time with comments on my laptop and the third time I revise and include bits I might have missed. Additional viewings vary depending on the subject and the depth of information.

Since this Sub Trunk DVD is legendary I am not rushing it and have viewed the DVD more times than I wish to admit but you guys are in for a treat!

Might even have a couple surprises in store!

Update: The Trade Show Magician's Handbook

Seth Kramer has just been in touch and informed me that a copy of this book will be in the mail tomorrow following our President's Day holiday.

The polls are showing a desire for more book so I will do my best to get book reviews up!

Update: J C Sum Items

J C Sum has just confirmed a shipment of books and a beautiful looking Coin Pail. I am going to be getting these guys in a couple weeks and reviewing them early March. The Event Illusionist, Urban Illusions and The Perfect Coin Pail.

You can take a peek at all of these items at http://www.illusionbooks.com/ with a few other books and props!

Pendragons DVD Volume 1

L and L publishing has just released a 4 DVD set by none other than the Pendragons! Aside from this being a milestone in magic history, this is being taught for the first time by world famous and respected illusionists. The only video set that is on the same subject (roughly) is the 2nd volume of Rand Woodbury's Illusionworks videos from yesteryear.

Alright, Volume 1, what do we get? I am going to explain what is on the DVDs followed by my recommendation then a more thorough review.

Contents:
The Hindu Basket
Intro, History and Concepts, Why not to use fire, Sword choice and Safety, Basic Swordsmanship, The Foulard, How to get into the basket, Placing the swords in the basket.

Color of Emotion
Introduction, and Concepts, Materials, Preparation and Presentation.

The Shadow Box
The Work

Clearly Impossible
History and Discussion

Bonus Interview with Jonathan Pendragon by Patrick Martin

Alright, upon initially watching this DVD I was turned off, not because it was done poorly but because I could NEVER perform these illusions with the same presentational flare as the Pendragons. Honestly, while watching I was embarrassed for Jonathan at many of the poses and choreographed sequences him and Charlotte perform. Two minutes later, I realized that it wasn't awkward in performance, it was only awkward because a small segment of a much larger show with no proper video introduction to the Pendragons is presented.

Despite the lack of a full show in this DVD I have to say the information is truly priceless, To say that this DVD is thorough is the understatement of the year. Every aspect you could imagine is covered. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who is planning on doing illusions. If you are not planning to do illusions and only want to see the Pendragons perform, these might not be your cup of tea. That being said, any interest in illusions would justify purchasing this DVD.

Alright step by step, We start with the Hindu basket, and while I find it to be a particularly weak effect, Jonathan does mention that it is a perfect first illusion and proceeds to list many reasons why. If you look at this DVD from that perspective it is an amazing introduction to illusions. It is very clear and often superfluous with information. There are great pieces of advice imparted and it makes it very difficult to review these DVDs without leaving a few of those along. A great one of course is the section on not using fire, why to not use fire and why it costs so much more to get insurance with pyro in your show.

The only thing that stuck out as strange was the lengthy explanation on swords and sword combat. That being said, anyone using any swords in a show would be stupid to not buy, watch, re watch, and take to heart all advice Jonathan has put in this section. A prime example would be, "Never point a sword towards the audience" if your hand is sweaty or the sword isn't high enough quality you might end up with a blade flying into the audience and a lovely lawsuit on your hands!

The explanation on foulards was particularly information rich, mentioning specific fabric types and what you are looking for in a proper foulard and where to find fabrics for this sort of thing. How it should flow and what type of movement you want. You also get something invaluable, insight into the mind of Jonathan Pendragon, a brilliant thinker in illusions. He mentions the logic and thought process behind the lengthy of a cloth relative to certain illusions and what you must keep in mind for successful presentations.

How to get into the basket was a difficult segment as you can imagine, Charlotte, aside from being remarkably attractive, is also very limber and able to pop in and out with little trouble. The difficulty in this section is the sound, and this is a recurring problem throughout the whole DVD set, there tends to be a lack of consistent volume levels. I'm not sure if this could have been easily rectified but it would have been nice to not have to crank up and crack down the volume from time to time.

Placing swords in the basket might sound like an unneeded section but the wisdom imparted is amazing, especially the solution they used to put flaming torches through despite the current disdain towards pyro.


Color of Emotion
This is a great trick, designed by Jonathan for Charlotte, in short, an emotion is thought of by a spectator and Charlotte paints the emotion on a canvas then writes the emotion though of on the top of the easel. A great trick if you have an assistant to perform this type of effect. This also uses a marketed item by another magician John Cornelius' Thought Transmitter. If you are alright buying it or finding another way to accomplish this, great! Otherwise you might be a bit upset as they don't provide a friendly on the spot alternative. The painting once finished is given away to the audience member. Now you have to appreciate that this is not like close up magic, the tricks are described with more information than you could ever imagine, I suppose like sitting down with Channing Pollock and him explaining the fine touches of dove work, just brilliant!
Information like, how to keep paints from drying up, how to keep your palette fresh, using gloves unpowdered, all the information you might come across if you performed this stuff for years. Truly amazing the amount of "extra" information that you are given. By extra I mean information that you don't need to perform but that makes it much easier, more complete, and more practical for the working performer.

The Shadow Box is another great illusion for the first time illusionist, it can be said that Volume 1 is a great introduction to illusions and the illusions for the most part are great for the beginner!
Jonathan explains how he made his own, perhaps a high school student student looking to build something bigger would look towards this illusion. The Work section is lacking, a lot, there is just a discussion with Jonathan and Charlotte but no prop to examine, no demonstration without paper up, nothing... I was a bit shocked at this and thought there would be more, they also reference that you can find working of a shadow box in Tarbell or Greater Magic. I took a quick look through some books and found the following for plans for the trick:

Tarbell Vol, 4 pg 413 The Girl From The Light
The Oriental Magic of The Bambergs Pg 215 The Girl From The Light
Illusion Builder to Fu Manchu Pg 58 The Girl from the Light
Great Illusions of Magic Pg. 259 Lady from Light

Clearly Impossible is The Pendragon's see through sawing in half and it is tremendous, it fooled me terribly and upon reviewing just the performance fooled me again! Only after the explanation did I have a chance in hell of seeing what was going on. Now that being said, owners of the DVD DO NOT have permission to construct their own. This seems odd to me, and I'll explain why. If you are going to product a DVD set with many of your original things on them surely since they are explaining the effects owners feel there is some entitlement to perform them as shown. That being said, it could be argued that you are purchasing The Pendragon's work on these illusions and tricks and therefore you are only privy to the information, tips, and routines presented to you by them. I tend to sway towards the latter but understand the thought of building what you see. Which is why I don't quite understand why this was put on the DVD. We have 3 wonderful tricks, The Hindu Basket and Shadow Box, for beginner illusionists and Color of Emotion for a stage or parlor piece, why would you go ahead and explain a much more sophisticated, complex, and secretive illusion on what appears to be a very beginner to illusions friendly DVD? While I don't understand or agree with it being on here I think the trick is magnificent and I am sure you will too!

The interview with Jonathan is a fun look back at starting out, meeting Charlotte, etc. Nothing too magic heavy in here.

In terms of cons, the sound could have been improved in a number of places, it would have been nice to have a full performance by the Pendragons, even if it meant taking up half a DVD. While the two intro illusions are great perhaps Clearly Impossible could have been switched out with something more beginner friendly. An actual demonstration of the Shadow box would have been great.

Despite all this I still found the DVD very helpful and worthwhile. Available from L and L Publishing for $34.95.

Update: Out to Lunch Marathon!

Thanks to wonderful people like Doc Eason, Magikraft, and Paul Romhany I will have a number of Out To Lunch based products. Lunch is Served, Doc Eason's Out to Lunch Clip, and Business Card-iographic DVD. They will all be reviewed as soon as I get all of them and have time to put them in to action.

How to Produce Your Own Theatre Show by John Pyka

How to Produce your Own theatre show is a very good example of self publishing. For 25 US Dollars you will receive a PDF emailed to your inbox immediately! This PDF is 27 pages of information written by Mr. Pyka and an additional 6 pages of Press Releases, Contracts, Riders, etc. Followed by 3 pages of ads for Mr. Pyka's other books and booking opportunities.

Reading this PDF I was very excited to get to know some of the real gritty details of working a theatre show, but I didn't receive any of those. Instead I got a lot of common knowledge to any theatre enthusiast. This book lacks the type of depth and clarity I would love to see in a book on producing theatre shows. Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of wonderful insights in this PDF but surely the price and the information could have been a bit more balanced. This 'Book' is shorter than many sets of lecture notes. Those lecture notes might cost between 10-20 dollars tops. Also we are greeted with a lot of spelling and grammatical errors. For 25 dollars, and 26 pages of information, there shouldn't be any errors, spelling or otherwise.

Much of the book is made up of definitions, explanations for some common theatre terms, stages types, etc.

What a black box theatre is like, how a thrust stage changes your performance and choice of material. All information that could be readily obtained with a few google searches or a coffee with an actor. Quite honestly, I am disappointed. Very disappointed. While I don't question Mr Pyka's ability to put on a spectacular show, lecture, etc. I do question his ability to release a PDF with such a high price tag for the information you would be receiving.

I can not recommend this book, but I can point you towards another. For more information regarding touring with a show and the agent/producer/talent buyer relationship please see this book: Booking Performance Tours: Marketing and Acquiring Live Arts and Entertainment it is under 20 dollars and many more pages than 26 with a very extensive appendix section containing riders, contracts, and other forms for all stages of the booking process. Also for those new to theatre, take a look at This Book for under 15 dollars.

For those who would like to read Mr Pyka's book you can find it here for 25 dollars. You've been warned!