Review of The Invisible Pass by Chris Dugdale JB Magic – DVD

Reviewed by: Bernard Sim

This rather short video on the Invisible Pass. The total length of the DVD is 21.57mins. Slightly more than half of it, 12.50 mins to be exact is on the explanation. The rest of the DVD is some live performance of Chris Dugdale.  Of the 12.50 mins of “explanations” it was filled with “fillers’ such as Chris Dugdale drinking a coconut, Chris Dugdale dancing etc. I know he is trying to add humor to the DVD but I think it’s not funny at all. The video is filmed in three different locations but to me, it seems that they are on holiday and decided to make a DVD at the same time.

To be fair to Chris Dugdale, he does a very good invisible pass, the explanations are pretty clear too. In this DVD he teaches the Invisible pass and the Turnover Pass. He also demonstrated the Riffle Pass. You would probably be able to learn the Invisible Pass from this DVD. At a retail price of US$30, I’d rather pay slightly more and get Richard Kaufmann’s On The Pass.

Rating 2.5/5

 

Review of The Meridian Technique by Mark Elsdon – Book

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

If you have read the ad description of this book, like me, you’d probably expect some special method or techniques to achieve a lasting impression.

The method has already been described on the ad copy. When I first read the front few pages, everything seems to be so vague, I actually had to read it 3 times to see what I missed. I thought I was being ripped off! Upon reading further into the book, I realized this book is such a gem! The principle is very simple, it’s like watching TV magic. The star magician will have trailers during their show to entice viewers to stay on to the program and watch the finale at the end.

Mark Elsdon has taken this method and included 10 routines in which you are able to use. There are certain items which you will need to buy from your magic dealers and some of them don’t come cheap. Mark Elsdon has also included information/ links as to where to get the items needed.  The routines in the book are not really difficult, it is being constructed in such a way where you can build the effect up and make your spectators want to stay on just to watch your ending.

If you’re performing in pubs, this book is a must for you. Highly Recommended. Rating 4/5

 

Review of The Invisible Pass by Chris Dugdale JB Magic – DVD

This rather short video on the Invisible Pass. The total length of the DVD is 21.57mins. Slightly more than half of it, 12.50 mins to be exact is on the explanation. The rest of the DVD is some live performance of Chris Dugdale.  Of the 12.50 mins of “explanations” it was filled with “fillers’ such as Chris Dugdale drinking a coconut, Chris Dugdale dancing etc. I know he is trying to add humor to the DVD but I think it’s not funny at all. The video is filmed in three different locations but to me, it seems that they are on holiday and decided to make a DVD at the same time.

To be fair to Chris Dugdale, he does a very good invisible pass, the explanations are pretty clear too. In this DVD he teaches the Invisible pass and the Turnover Pass. He also demonstrated the Riffle Pass. You would probably be able to learn the Invisible Pass from this DVD. At a retail price of US$30, I’d rather pay slightly more and get Richard Kaufmann’s On The Pass.

Rating 2.5/5

Review of The Way Of Shinobi by Emran Riaz Featuring Tony Chang – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

Is this move as cool as the name “Shinobi”? Well, I took a look and it does merit putting some effort into learning it.

This move is a card control as well as a force. You will be able to control a selected card to the top of the deck. There are many controls out there that do what the Shinobi move does, what makes this different is that the move is done in a very casual way. Everything is done in the hands and you won’t need a table to do this move. The Shinobi force is similar to the Shinobi move, the moves are reversed and you’d be able to force a card. However, this force is not the same as most force. When you use Shinobi force to force a card, the forced card is turned face up. This force would not be suitable for routines in which the magician should not know the identity of the card.

Three routines are included in the DVD which uses these utility moves. A Anniversary Waltz type of routine, a card transpo routine and a sandwich routine. The routines are ok but I find the Transpo routine rather repetitive. The sandwich routine is a tough one, not impossible but tough.

This is an interesting way to control/ force a card. If you look at it, there are discrepancies on the cards when you do the move, but I guess nobody really cares about that. Rating 3.5/5

 

Review of Crafty Power (Magnetic Coin Routines – No Coins Included) by Kreis Magic – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

After watching this DVD, I thought to myself “why didn’t I think of such routines?”. I guess the answer to that is probably due to the strength of my magnetic coin. I have a couple of magnetic coins which I use for some routines, mostly for vanishes. Most of us will have a “standard” magnetic coin which will not be able to accomplish the routines in this DVD.

The routines in this DVD requires at least two magnetic coins, one of the routines even requires three magnetic coins. The DVD did not state the strength of the magnetic coins required. Kreis magic has three types of magnetic coins in the market: Economy, Normal and Super Strong. I’d assume that you should need at least one super strong and one normal to perform the routines in the DVD.

The routines are rather practical and they are relatively easy to do. From the demo, you can tell that these routine looks good. There is even a mental routine included (explanations not on DVD but on printed instruction sheet). The explanations are non-verbal, English text are shown on screen during the explanations. One of the routine “Coins Across With Glass” has the same method as David Regal’s “Clink”.

This is a very good coin DVD. The only downside is that apart from investing in this DVD, you’d also need to invest in the magnetic coins. The magnetic coins are not cheap, Super Strong is US$48 and Normal is US$38. But I guess the price will not stop hardcore coin magicians from getting it. I think I’m going to get the magnetic coins anyway. Recommended.  Rating 4/5

 

Review of Thought of Card in Balloon by Luca Volpe – DVD

Thought of Card in Balloon by Luca Volpe – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

Not only will you learn how to do “Thought of Card in Balloon”, you will also learn how to do “Confaballonation” – a variation of Confabulation whereby the prediction is inside the balloon before the start of the performance. As a bonus effect, Luca also included “Extra Sensory Balloonation” – a ESP prediction effect similar to Thought of Card.

The main method is not new but it’s still a very good method. Confaballonation can be performed anywhere and setup is very easy.  Thought of card is not as portable as Confaballonation, if you follow his method, you’d need to carry a briefcase to perform Thought of Card, however, you can still perform it with some modifications to the method and do away with the briefcase.  You will need to make your own gimmick to perform Extra Sensory Balloonation. All these effect can be perform in all conditions but Thought of Card and Balloonation works better in a stage/ parlor setting while Confaballonation works really well in a close-up setting.

There are a few variations of the card in balloon included in the bonus section which I think are nice ideas but not necessary. The main effect is enough for you to impress your spectators.

Recommended. Rating 3.75/5

Review of Xtension (DVD and Gimmick) by Alex Kolle – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

Xtension is very similar to Hawk which Alex Kolle released last year. Besides the DVD, you will get all the necessary stuff to construct your own gimmick. The gimmick is quite tedious to make but it can last you a while. There is an alternate method to construct the gimmick but you will need to purchase an additional item which I’m not sure if it is available locally. While making the gimmick you might want to make a few more as backups.

Kolle has included several ideas and routines to make full use of this gimmick. All of the routines are very visual and eye popping. With this gimmick, you can make a color changing deck, the appearance of a bill etc and a lot more. This is so much better than the previous released Hawk.

I like Xtension and I think most of you will like it too. Recommended. 4/5

 

Strike6 by Matthew Dowden – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

A compilation of six card effects taken from a 2 DVD set released three years ago. These effects are easy to do and are worth learning it.

Compatibility Test is simple and requires no set-up. The only downside is that you will need 2 decks of cards to perform it but it’s all worth if when you see the reaction and hugs Dowden gets.

Listen Ear is another which I like, requires a small set-up and the effect is rather baffling. A card is selected and then cut into the deck; the deck is then cut several times by the spectator. The performer is able to tell the position of the selected card in the deck. No sleights and self working.

Match.com, nothing new here, similar to Lennart Green’s Stolen Cards but missing the kicker ending.

Poker Puzzle involves a little bit of  Mathematics, effects ends with a royal flush kicker.

Sole Survivor, selected card vanishes and appears inside the performer’s shoe. The downside of this is, each time you perform it, you will have to take out your shoe, probably isn’t ideal for a restaurant setting. However, you can take the idea and make the card appear somewhere else.

The last one is a good one and my favorite, Ultimate Phone Prediction. This is a combination of Listen Ear and an effect taken from the book “Magic For Dummies”. You will require extra help for this effect and this one is a strong one.

This DVD is value for money, suitable for magicians of all level. Recommended. 4/5

 

Infinity V2 (Invisible Elastic Thread 200 feet) by Infinity Productions – Trick

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

I remembered when the Infinity Thread just came out, they had this big reel in which you can strip the thread into single strands. It was a very good IET. Now with V2, it’s even better!

First of all, you don’t have to strip, I mean the thread not you. Unlike other threads which are just wound around a playing card, V2 is in a neat dispenser, just like a dental floss.  You pull what you need to use and that’s it. Best of all, apart from the written instructions, you will also be given a link with a code for you to watch video instructions.

The hook-up taught is amazing! It’s all on your body and there is no need to anchor it to a table or whatsoever. You can have it set up the whole day and it won’t hinder you. The floating bill is easy to do, and there are 3 versions taught.  The hook-up can even be use to float finger rings.

There are many floating effects out there; this is one of the best I’ve seen. The method is easy, the quality of the IET is very good and best of all, it’s versatile! If you have been doing thread work, its time to take a look at this. Highly recommended! Rating 4.5/5

 

Speed (DVD and BLUE Bicycle Card) by Mickael Chatelain – DVD

Speed (DVD and BLUE Bicycle Card) by Mickael Chatelain – DVD

Reviewed by Bernard Sim

What you get is a set of customizable gimmicks, DVD and a sheet of photocopied instructions. When I first open the DVD box, I saw the gimmick and a sheet of instructions in English and French. I read the English part several times and I don’t understand what it was trying to tell me. After watching the DVD, the paper instructions are really not that important. The DVD is not factory printed. It is a copied DVD-R with a printed paper stuck to the DVD.

There are 2 languages in the DVD, both languages are just subtitles on the screen, no dialogues. The effect is visual and it can be customized to use your credit card, driver’s license instead of a playing card to do the change. However, to customize it, you will need to stick a magnet on your credit card (or any other cards) and keep it in your wallet. I doubt many people would want to put a magnet in their wallet.

Though the effect is visual, I feel that you can achieve a similar effect using sleight of hand. Having said that, with Speed, it can make your job easier. At a retail price of US$45, I feel that the overall packaging should be better. Rating 2.5/5