Review of INFLATED ODDS by Darryl Rose

Reviewed by: John Teo

INFLATED ODDS by Darryl Rose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for an entertaining effect that has laughter, mystery and drama, and plays between 5 to 10 minutes (depending on your presentation), Inflated Odds by Darryl Rose will meet all your requirements.

A toy pistol is shown and called a Balloon Zapper because it has a plastic ring at the tip of its barrel where the bullet is supposed to come out.  The plastic ring is to hold an inflated balloon, either of the long or round variety.  If it is of the long sausage type, the balloon is folded over and held inside the ring.

As in the deadly game called Russian Roulette, the performer explains that only one of its 6 bullet chambers will fire a sharp pin that will burst the balloon.  He demonstrates this with a balloon to the audience.

Now the fun begins.  A prediction envelope is placed in a conspicuous place.  Members of the audience are asked to participate.  One of 6 different colour balloons is chosen.  It is inflated and placed inside the zapper ring.  As in Russian Roulette, the bullet chamber is rotated.  Nobody now knows which chamber will fire the pin.

The zapper is placed near to the performer’s face or ear and the trigger pulled.  Nothing happens.  This goes on for the next 2 times.  On the fourth trial, the performer requests that the zapper is placed away from his face.  The trigger is pulled and the balloon in the zapper burst!  The prediction is taken from the envelope and it describes the actual colour of the balloon used and exactly when the balloon will burst!

The prediction is easy to do and is quite practical.

You receive everything: the balloon zapper, stand, balloons, the prediction and envelope, and a set of printed instructions, so that you can perform the effect right away.

A magic trick with a pistol as a prop is usually not recommended for children.  However, included in the instructions is a special routine suitable for children.  In this routine, you do not put the balloon zapper near to anyone’s face or ear.

Inflated Odds plays big, yet packs small, and is suitable for both adult and children audiences.  (5/5 stars rating)

 

 

Review of THE APPRENTICE by Darryl Rose

Reviewed by: John Teo

This is a presentation of an ACAAN effect for a corporate show.

It is based on the popular TV reality show “The Apprentice”.  The entire audience is asked to stand up.  They represent the apprentices.  The Boss is called on stage and a deck of cards is shown to be shuffled and mixed up.  It is slipped back into the card case and the cased deck is placed into the Boss’ pocket.  A prediction envelope is placed conspicuously to one side.

The Boss then starts to “fire” the apprentices in an amusing manner.  “All who wear brown shoes are fired!”  Those with brown shoes are asked to sit down.  More criteria are stated and more apprentices fired!  Eventually, only one person remains standing.  The Boss has found his Apprentice!  Everyone has to agree this is a most random way of finding an assistant.  This Apprentice is asked to name any number from 1 to 52.

The cased deck is retrieved from the Boss’ pocket.  The Boss himself counts down to the named number.  The card at this number magically matches the prediction in the envelope!  The deck can be shown to be mixed up with different cards both before and after the selection of the named card.

The presentation is topical for corporate shows.  Even if you do not do shows for companies, this method of choosing an assistant seems fair, amusing, and involves a lot of audience participations.  Simply do not refer to the audience as apprentices.

The ACAAN is one that is most direct and clean.  The spectator himself counts to the number.  The cards can be shown to be different and mixed both before and after the selection.

You are supplied with a special deck that enables you to perform the ACAAN, and a booklet of instructions and presentation ideas.  (5/5 stars rating).

Review of FURTHER EDUCATION by John Archer

Reviewed by: John Teo

John Archer is well known as a comedy magician.  There are 10 effects in this set of DVDs.  All the 10 tricks are of mental magic in nature.  John Archer has a comical way of interacting with his audience in each of these tricks.

It is not easy to combine comedy with mentalism.  John did it very well.  This is because John Archer is John Archer – he could get away with all the jokes and actions in the DVDs.  It is important that you do not try to emulate all that he did to the audience.  For example, in one of the tricks where he failed to get back the spectator’s burnt bill, he kept sending the spectator back to his seat, only to call him back again after the spectator took a few steps to go away from the stage.  He did this many times throughout the routine, like a running gag.  If you cannot manage this well, it will appear irritating and annoying not only to the spectator who helps you, but to the entire audience as well.  Use those jokes and actions that suit your performing personality.

All the mental tricks have a powerful effect to the audience.  John provides some clever “twists and turns” to classic mental tricks.

“Soundbox” is a performance of 7 Keys To Baldpate.  John asked the helper to take a random key and struck it gently against the side of a champagne glass.  From the sound generated, he could discern the correct key.  All the wrong keys were dropped into a slot at the top of a metal locked box that contained John’s wallet and other valuables – those keys could not be recalled back into play.  An interesting and dramatic presentation.

In “Stick With It”, the total of a series of freely generated numbers turned out to be the telephone number of a restaurant!

“One Lucky Number” is a burnt borrowed bill to wallet routine where the burnt bill was found inside an envelope inside a wallet.  The envelope has the magician’s lucky number written on it which turned out to be the bill’s serial number!  Note that the bill is a borrowed bill from the audience and is not switched for another bill.

The best effect in the DVDs is “Blank Night”, a clever and hilarious presentation for “Bank Night”.  This effect fooled Penn & Teller in their TV show “Fool Us”.  The audience tries to win the performer’s money by choosing from 5 envelopes.  The envelopes have words written on them such as “Something”, “Nothing”, “Yours”, “Mine” and “Sex”.  You can imagine how much fun you can have when a spectator tries to choose one of these envelopes!

“Just For You” is a nice presentation for a rough-and-smooth application of a double blank deck.  “52 Leaver” provides an interesting and intriguing climax to the “52 on one card” gag.  These 2 effects are found in the bonus section and are meant for close-up or walk-around performances.  The other 8 tricks are meant to be performed on stage.

If you are into mental magic, you can find some useful techniques such as: a practical deck switch, a useful switch for “add up the numbers” effect, and an almost angle-free method for “Bank Night”.

Two of the 10 effects are not explained.  This is because they are commercially available from the magic dealers.  You need a “Superlock”, “Correct Key” or similar for “Soundbox” and a special set of gimmicked street directories for “Streetwise”.

The set of DVDs contains 2 discs.  The first DVD gives the performances, and the second DVD the explanations.  Some may find it inconvenient to switch DVDs if they wish to watch first the performance and then the explanation of a particular trick.  This does not affect the quality of the contents of the DVDs.  (4.5/5 stars rating)

 

Review of Sly News Tear by Tony Clark – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

There are many newspaper tear available in the market. Some of them can be shown on both sides while some can’t. Some of them look very visual while some of them needed some fidgeting. Tony Clark’s version is visual and easy to do, you don’t need special gimmicks but you do have to construct the gimmick yourself. It’ll probably take you like 5-10 minutes to make a set. You can’t use broadsheet size newspaper for this version, only tabloid size.

The gimmick can be re-used but it will eventually succumb to wear and tear but you can always make another one.  In the bonus section, Tony Clark has included several versions to do the newspaper tear; some of them are really cool too.

Sly News Tear is as good as any expensive version in the market. If you always wanted to do a newspaper tear, you should probably consider this version as it cost very little to make a set. Recommended. Rating 4/5

 

Review of Monty the Spiv by Matthew Garrett – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

This is a story telling deck which is not new. Most of us will know about Bill Malone’s Sam the Bellhop. Matthew Garrett’s version is essentially the same except that the story and the way the deck is stacked is different.

Matthew Garrett has added many flourishes into the advanced routine. I don’t really like these flourishes as some of them are more for stage performances. To do the advance version as what Matthew Garrett did, the modus operandi may be exposed if done surrounded. He performed it in a wedding setting (I assumed), the guests sitting on the table behind him can see what he is doing when he is producing cards from the air.

I don’t enjoy the performance of this routine as much as I enjoyed Bill Malone’s. However, this DVD is packed full of flourishes. If you want to learn some stage card manipulations, this may be the DVD for you. I don’t really care about the main routine, I think the card manipulation is worth learning though. .Rating 2.5/5.

 

Review of THE NO WAY BOTTLE PRODUCTION by Iñaki Zabaletta

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

There are 2 demo videos for this item on the net. If you have seen the first one, it may immediately spoil your interest in this item. This demo only showed scenes of the bottle AFTER it was produced. The second video showed the full production of the bottle on stage. I pretty sure many people are intrigued by this second demo.

The first thing that came to our mind was, how did he produce that bottle without wearing a jacket? How is he able to produce the bottle wearing body hugging shirt? Well, with the gimmick and the method, you can actually do what he did on the video.

There are probably many ways to produce a bottle available in the market. The closest item to this would probably be “Splash Bottle” by Damien Vappereau. You will however need to wear a jacket when using Splash Bottle. Inaki’s method doesn’t require you to wear a jacket, however, you will need to do some modification to your clothing, just minor stuff.  There is also some clothing restrictions, that’s all I can say without giving away the secret.

The reset is very easy and fast but you have to do it out of spectator’s sight. It can be performed on the street or for table hopping but I guess the reset might be a problem for some as you need to be out of sight. It works great on stage as you can combine it with other stuffs like appearing candle (as shown in the DVD) or you can even use it with “Airborne” , i.e. pouring a drink into a floating glass.

What you get is the gimmick and the DVD, you will need to have your own silks and of course the bottle. Highly recommended for stage acts.

Rating 4/5.

 

Review of The Real Man’s Wallet VS JOL Bill Fold Wallet

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

First of all, the price, Real Man’s Wallet (RMW) retails at US$39.95 while the JOL’s Billfold Wallet (BFW) retails at US$75. There is a huge price difference but for good reason, JOL has been known as the “Rolls Royce” of wallets. The workmanship for JOL’s wallet is top notch. RMW though cheaper, the quality is not as good as the BFW.

In terms of effect, both are similar but at the same time different.

For RMW, you will need to use a card as a guide to load, BFW doesn’t need a guide.

RMW’s loading is from the inside of the wallet while BFW is from the outside.

RMW’s appearance of the signed card is in the clear ID space.

BFW’s appearance of the signed card is in the zipper compartment.

A side by side comparison.

Each wallet has its own pros and cons.

Real Man Wallet

Pros

I like the size of this wallet, not too big, not too small. The appearance of the card at the clear space seems impossible.

Cons

What I don’t like about this wallet is that there are very little slots for your cards. When you want to use this for your card to wallet, you will need to set-up the guide first. The quality of the wallet can be a little better.

Bill Fold Wallet

Pros

This wallet has plenty of slots for you cards. The appearance of the card from the zipper compartment makes the effect seems impossible.  There is no get ready for the wallet. As you don’t need a guide for the loading, you can perform this anytime without prior set-up. Build quality is top notch.

Cons

What I don’t like about this wallet is the size is slightly bulky for my taste. It doesn’t have a separator in the bill compartment.

In the end, I chose the RMW as my everyday wallet due to the size as well as the additional separator in the bill compartment. These are important points in making my decision. However, my decision doesn’t mean that RMW is a better wallet. In terms of effect, I still prefer BFW, being easier to load and no set-up required. Most of you know that I seldom do card magic, so why do I buy a card to wallet? Well, my primary use is for a signed coin or ring to wallet. Yes, these wallets can be used for rings and coins too.  I figured that my current wallet is time for a replacement, why not have a wallet that can be used for magic?

So, which wallet is for you? You’ll have to decide this yourself, I wish there is a wallet with the size of the RMW but the functions of a BFW. There are many wallets out there; I shall continue my quest for the perfect wallet.

Rating for both wallets  = 80%

 

Review of LOOK NO HANDS by Wayne Dobson

Reviewed by: John Teo

This is a well produced booklet containing some 40 pages describing 10 effects by Wayne Dobson.

With his physical performing limitations, Wayne Dobson has set upon himself that all the 10 effects shall be “hands off”.  That is to say, the tricks shall be performed by the audience as far as possible, the performer has very little handling of them.  This means the tricks are all practically self-working.  He is then quick to add that this does not mean no skill is required of the performer.  In fact, the performer needs to be able to manage his spectators well so that the spectators are seen to be doing the magic in the same way that the performer would have done it himself.

He also said that since the tricks are carried out by the spectators instead of the performer, this can make the effects even stronger.  This is only partially true.  Some of the tricks depend too much on the handling by the spectators (eg McDobson’s Aces).  This can make the tricks appear to be boring and monotonous.  Unless you can manage the spectators well, they can mess up the tricks, too.  Since most of us do not suffer any performing disability, we do not need to comply fully with the “hands off” restriction.  Some of the handlings are better off carried out by the performer in order to ensure smoother and better control.

All of the 10 effects are card tricks.  Many of them can be adopted for platform performances.  Several are based on old classics but they have been reworked to satisfy the “no hands” condition.  A couple of the routines have been in print previously, but they also have been updated and are worth another look.

My favourites are:

• Invisible – a different and bold method of the “invisible deck” trick where an invisibly chosen card matches the prediction inside an envelope.
• Second Chance – a coincidence trick using 2 decks in which a wrong card eventually reveals the correct selected card in an usual manner.
• Birthday Card – a commercial effect based on his marketed trick.  Performer uses his birthday card to find the spectator’s birthday card, and then makes the birthday wishes.
• Tossed Deck – this version enhances the effect that the performer is able to name each of 3 spectators’ peeked at card.
• Echo – a “spectator becomes the magician” routine with an offbeat ending.

If you enjoy strong commercial card tricks that are self-working, this booklet is a good investment.  It is well written by Stephen Tucker, but the cover illustration is rather ribald.  (4.5/5 stars rating)

 

Review of Pack Flat Illusions for Kids & Family Shows – Book

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

If you were to read Dan Wolfe’s Foreword at the beginning of this book, you won’t need to read this review. I had the honor of reviewing this book before the book was released and I’m glad I had the chance to read this book.

I’ll be frank, I don’t have much experience in illusions and I guess most people who buy this book may not have experience with illusions and are thinking of adding illusions to their gigs. This book’s designs are meant to be easy to grasp and understand so it won’t pose a problem.

There are a total of eight illusions explained in this book. Drawings with dimensions are included to help you visualize the illusions. The size of the illusions ranges from small – production of a stuffed toy to big – production of a child. Some designs are simple and you may even build them yourself.”The Gift Box” is one such illusion. This box allows you to produce anything that is small and light, for eg. a teddy bear which you can give away after the production. The box is easy to construct and you can even use a shoe box for this effect.

Other illusions included can be used to produce the birthday cake or even a birthday child! I can imagine how proud the child would be when other kids asked how did he materialize from the empty box.

Some of the props require a carpenter to fabricate if you don’t have the necessary tools and materials. The carpenter doesn’t need to be experienced in fabricating magic props as J C has included all the necessary drawings and dimensions. The only requirement is for the carpenter to be precise in the measurements as it is important for the illusion to look deceptive.

An assistant is not a must for all these illusions. J C has included performance ideas in this book. He has even included patters in some illusions. Like all his releases, J C has always included the proper credits and history behind each design.

I guess close-up workers will not bother for this book. If you are actively doing kids/ birthday parties shows, it’s about time to upgrade your show with illusions. Your clients will definitely be impressed if you can include illusions in your shows.

Not recommended for the close-up worker but highly recommended for the rest.

Rating 4.5/5

Review of Jumbo Backstage Monte by Devin Knight

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

This effect is the classic Monte effect which has a sucker ending. What you get is a gimmicked jumbo card plus some regular jumbo cards as well as a set of very detailed written instructions.

The basic effect is to perform the Three Card Monte using the old method with the flap card; you will then tell your spectator how it was done by revealing the flap card. Thereafter, in the midst of “revealing “the method”, the middle card is changed into another card that was not seen before during the performance. The gimmicked card is pretty well made and you can make them yourself should they wear out one day.

I feel that this is an “ok” effect, not earth shattering but you may still fool some of those “in the know” .

Rating 3.5/5