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