Magic Trick Reviews
 

On this page, I will give an honest review of magic tricks and effects that I have obtained (mostly bought, but some come from friends and can even be picked up in public libraries - books on tricks, that is, not friends!).

If anyone wants to submit tricks for review, email me first. But remember - it's going to be an honest review; if I don't like the product, I'll say so.

SMART ASS
by Bill Abbott

Review Date: 27th July 2008

Supplied by; Magictricks.co.uk

Price (as at 17/07/2008) £42.99

URL: Smart Ass

A great effect; hard hitting and easy to do. Smart Ass is a well thought out effect which can be played as straight Card Magic or Mentalism, depending on your style.

A member of the audience is selected and brought on stage (it can also be performed in table-hopping or close-up), a Jumbo card is placed face down on a chair which the subject then sits on. The subject is given a pack of cards which are shown to be all different and well mixed. The subject can shuffle them if required. The subject then cuts the deck and freely decides which half to discard. the remaining half is cut and again the subject again freely chooses which half to discard. The magician then takes back the remaining cards, fans them out face down and invites the subject to select one by touching it and keeping his/her finger on the card. The card is then given to the subject who stands and retrieves the jumbo card he was sitting on and shows it and the selected card which prove to be the same.

PROs:

• A well thought out effect. There is no obvious force; the subject genuinely seems to have free choice! This trick is almost self-working and 4 scripts are supplied to cater for different audiences.

• The subject does most of the work - the effect happens in his/her own hands - very powerful.

• All the props can be carried in one pocket.

• The supplied video gives clear, easy to follow instructions and tips on the effect.

• A gaffed deck is supplied along with a jumbo card, all Bicycle.

• Technically, this calls for sleight of hand for the reveal - but it is only slight sleight, if you see what I mean - very easy even for an arthritic old duffer like me!

CONs:

• High priced! A single trick, a gaffed deck and a jumbo card, for a price that could buy you 2 DVDs containing a dozen or more tricks each. Professionals will appreciate the power of the effect and know that it is worth the money to add to their own routines, but hobbyists and amateurs may feel cheated.

• The gaffed deck supplied to me was not well thought out - it only contained even value cards. Immediately obvious to most laymen as soon as you fan the cards and say "... look - all different". I will be constructing my own gaffed decks to correct this fault.

• The gaffed deck can only give one result - the same one each time you use it. You will need to make yourself a couple more decks so that you can vary the result at each performance, then repeat customers don't see the same thing every time ... which would make them suspicious to say the least!

• The deck cannot be examined before or after without giving away the secret.

4FUN score: 80%

This is a powerful effect and well worth the cost to a full-time professional but overpriced for hobbyists and amateurs. Also the gaffed deck was not particularly good.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
by Luke Jermay

Review Date 27th July 2008

Supplied by; Penguin Magic

Price: (as at 15/07/08) $29.99  (about £15.65 at that time)

URL: Emotional Intelligence

A 3 phase mind reading routine that is technically very simple - the method is not new but the handling is excellent. This could be used as the basis of an entire show if you work a cold reading act around it - Luke gives the method for this in the 'Bonus' material.

From a stack of 7 cards (can be business cards) with an 'emotion' written on the back, a member of the audience selects one -  a genuinely free choice - and the magician reads their mind to reveal the card.

A second member of the audience is temporarily given the power and successfully determines the card.

Again a  member of the audience selects a card and the performer gives personal details of the occasion which the subject is thinking of; when the emotion was felt, who they were with at the time, etc.

Using the methods given, the performer can then go on to give a cold reading of the subject.

PROs:

• No force is involved. Can be performed with any cards or even paper napkins off the table.

• No gaffs or special equipment used.

• The explanations are clear and easy to follow.

• The 3 phases give 5 guaranteed 'hits' and provide a situation where cold reading can be practiced to give an even bigger hit.

• The DVD contains over an hour of live performance plus the explanations and 'Bonus Material'

CONs:

• Nothing new in the methods, but an excellent 'handling', and good ideas for expanding the act.

• Only one basic trick given, and 3 variations.

4FUN SCORE: 85%

Very effective, reasonably priced, easy to do.

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Tricks reviewed on this page have been used by me and the report given is my honest opinion and not influenced by any thought of payment directly or indirectly from the publisher or reseller.

Andy Canning

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