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Boris Wild – Sensations – Review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 00:01:07 +0000

Sensations is a double disk DVD in which the incomparable Boris Wild explores effects related to our sensations. It’s been sitting in the review pile for a while but I’m so glad I opened it today… Let’s get in to the tricks.

10 Max – this is a great ice-breaking opener where the spectator gets the chance to win money. The spectator chooses 5 cards for themselves and 5 for the performer but somehow all the ‘money cards’ end up with the performer. A really nice twist on a trick you may already know – but taking it to a completely different place. Easy to do so you can concentrate on the performance. And there’s scope for a lot of fun with the presentation. He also suggests a few variations using other themes – but if you want to explore this in more detail he has published a book of the same name.

Blind – a borrowed deck, shuffled blindfolded card location! Impressive.

Show Off – this is a sort cousin of the venerable Ambitious Card, but instead of a selected card repeatedly jumping to the top, it repeatedly reverses itself in the middle of the deck with no apparent moves. This is repeated several times and in the final phase the whole deck dramatically turns itself over in an instant. A well constructed routine which does indeed make a pleasant change from the (dare I say it?) over-performed ACR. Also provides a great use for a gaff you may well have sitting around. A great routine.

IPOP (Impromptu Perfect Open Prediction) – this does what it says on the tin. The performer makes a prediction and openly displays it at the start of the effect. The cards are shuffled and then the spectator deals through the cards one by one face up stopping whenever they like. The card they stop at is kept face down and the rest of the deck dealt face up. The predicted card is not seen amongst the face up cards. With no funny moves at all the stopped at card is shown to match the prediction. Very clean!

This is an impromptu version of POP which Boris released a few years ago. There is a tiny set up – but easily done on the fly. The method is clever and doesn’t require lots of sleight of hand but you will need to practise the moves which are used. A great take on the Open Prediction.

Symbiosis – is a very clever coincidence effect – where two cards at freely chosen numbers from freely shuffled packs match – and then you have predicted the card in advance. It is very rare for a trick to fool me these days, but this one got me in the sense that I didn’t see the move at all. When I reflected upon what I had watched I could only conceive of one possible method which did pretty much turn out to be the solution. But it is a very clean looking and strong effect. He provides some helpful thoughts on different scenarios and performing the effect in different circumstances. And as he points out, it would make a lovely wedding effect!

PURACAAN – is really a one deck version of Symbiosis which looks more like a traditional ACAAN. This is a nice solution to the classic plot with very few restrictions. Call me set in my ways, but I still think Barrie Richardson’s method is the best impromptu ACAAN I’ve ever seen But this is a very workable alternative.

In addition to the tricks there is a useful 5 minutes tip section on the cull. This is a technique which is used more than once on the DVD and he has some helpful things to say. As a double DVD in some ways I was quite surprised by how few effects are taught. But they are all strong effects and worth the time devoted to them.

Are they all Sensations?

I really enjoyed Sensations. Boris has a quite different performing style from many magicians working today – he often takes his time and slows things down (some of the routines are nearly 10 minutes long in performance) and I appreciate that more gentle pace. The DVD includes plenty of live performances with only one (or two?) studio ones. I always think this gives you a better sense of the ‘feel’ of a trick.

Explanations are clear with plenty of detail and the whole DVD is produced to BBM’s usual high standards.

I’m still not sure that I understand the link to ‘sensations’ – it feels like a concept album where the concept isn’t really there. But the strength of the effects shines through regardless. You may not use all of these, but I can almost guarantee that one or two will find their way into your repertoire. If you appreciate strong, direct card magic then you can’t afford to miss this one. I’m also looking forward to getting stuck into his other recent release on the Boris Wild Marked deck later in the year.

You can pick up your copy of Sensations direct from BBM (who kindly supplied the review copy) for only £26.99

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Atlas Brookings & Raven Gairloch – The Solution – review

Phil Sweeting — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:01:46 +0000

This review of The Solution completes a virtual triptych of books relating to the idea of a memorised deck. Although this is the smallest of the tomes we have reviewed, I hope you won’t despise it on that basis. This is a quality publication which will repay careful study.

It is worth stating at the outset that this is a different kind of concept to your standard memorised deck. Rather than a brute force memory approach, there is a mathematical system taught which will help you to derive the locations of individual cards. And notwithstanding the ‘method’ – the deck itself looks very fairly mixed and will withstand considerable scrutiny.

It immediately reminded me of a memory deck system invented by Lewis Jones which I first read about in his book Cardiograms – published by Repro Magic in the 90s (and I think more recently re-released under the title the Prism Deck by Wayne Goodman). However, when I consulted that brilliant volume to refresh my memory the two systems whilst possibly being distant cousins are in fact completely different beasts. Jones’ system is far simpler but has a number of limitations which The Solution doesn’t have. All magic is about compromises…

Anyway, back to The Solution. I suspect, that after a period of using it, the calculations will become largely redundant as you will memorize the locations anyway. But it does mean that the initial learning process is relatively quick and can be ‘refreshed’ very easily compared to the alternative. It should be said that some memorization is still needed – but considerably less than a whole deck.

Having looked at a lot of memorised deck material recently (see our reviews of Temporarily Out of Order and Memorandum) it is worth making another distinction between this method/concept and more traditional memorised decks. Built into the Redford or Aragon or Tamariz or Aronson stacks are a number of set ups for specific magic effects (e.g. spelling effects, poker effects, etc.). The Solution is not like that. It is literally a method for knowing the position of any given card in the deck and vice versa. Since the creators are both mentalists, it is fair to say that this solution is geared towards mentalism type effects rather than some of the other classic memorised deck magic. Again, this is worth bearing mind in weighing up whether this is for you or not.

The book

I received this as an ebook, which I subsequently printed, so I have no idea what the perfect bound copy is like if you order it. But after an amusing introduction, there are 31 pages explaining the development of the system. An understanding of this process makes more sense of the shortcuts you’ll actually use when you get going with it. It is also fascinating to walk through the creative process with them and see how they have got around various challenges on the way.

The system is simple – in the sense that it can be explained easily. But it will require a bit of work to get used to the process involved. The maths isn’t particularly difficult (though I am one of those weird people who likes maths – so perhaps you should ask a second opinion of someone who doesn’t!) and I think you’ll soon get the hang of it.

One of the routines taught provides you with an easy out to use while you are still learning the deck. Which takes us on to the routines…

The routines

8 routines are taught – which range from a very simple ‘reading the spectator’s mind’ effect, via an incredibly cheeky ACAAN, to an incredible revelation of two cards which a spectator has merely thought of in a spread.

In my opinion they are all extremely strong effects, but best of all, they are all clearly effects which the authors have performed. And the details of the routines are loaded with helpful tips, wording and psychology which make them killers.

There are also some interesting perspectives on wider performance questions – for example whether ACAAN Is actually a good trick for a lay audience at all! Several of the routines would easily lend themselves to working with other memorized decks and so I would recommend a look even if you already have a different stack you use.

Is it really the solution?

I hope you are getting the impression that I really enjoyed reading this booklet. I am the sort of person that does like to try to read widely around particular effects or types of routine that I am researching, but even if I wasn’t this would come highly recommended. It is a brilliant way to go about memorising a deck of cards with a relatively small investment of time/energy. But will enable you to perform some truly astonishing effects once you’ve got your head around it.

The Solution is available from the Merchant of Magic for £32.50 (at the time of writing).

(I’m grateful to Atlas Brookings who kindly provided the review copy.)

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John Bannon – Move Zero Vol 4 – review (TOTM – Oct 2017)

Phil Sweeting — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 23:01:19 +0000

Trick of the month is a review again – not of a trick but of the excellent Move Zero Vol 4 – which is due out any day now…

We have loved the Move Zero series and couldn’t wait to get our hands on Volume 4. But there’s always that fear that the quality will drop – or the sequel won’t be as good. Well [spoiler alert] we weren’t disappointed. I guess you really want to know about the tricks first of all, so here’s our review…

Proximity – This is a clever presentational twist on an old principle. The spectator thinks of a card and you make two predictions you think will be ‘close’. When the spectator’s thought of card is located (in a freely shuffled deck), the cards either side are found to match your two ‘predictions’! This is a brilliant way to open the DVD and I love the entertaining twist on a principle you may well already know. And on a very few occasions you’ll get a different but possibly even stronger outcome! This one’s going straight into my impromptu repertoire!

Second Reckoning – this is a remix of Dead Reckoning (from Move Zero Vol 1 or Dear Mr Fantasy). The spectator shuffles the cards and then chooses a bunch. They remember a card at the number they have chosen and the mentally spell out the name of that card. Amazingly without anyone saying anything out loud, the performer stops dealing at the end of their spelling and has stopped on their very card. Very fooling effect – though it doesn’t use a whole deck – which may put some people off. Baffling for the spectator and easy to do. No reset. Brilliant.

Power of Poker – this is a routine which has appeared on at least one other DVD we’ve seen (and also in Dear Mr Fantasy) – but apart from anything else I really liked the jumbo cards he used in this version! Essentially, in spite of the the fairness of all the spectator’s choices, they manage to deal you a royal flush which beats their full house.

Banco – a spectator makes all the choices and yet you end up with all the envelopes full of cash! This is a nice example of taking a principle from one effect and moving it to another area. This is undeniably clever, but for me seems slightly less fooling than its playing card equivalent. On the other hand, effects with cash always pique a spectator’s interest and so it may be that the hook makes up for any possible shortcomings in the trick. To use the presentation Bannon uses you will need to purchase a few special bank notes which you can probably pick up online.

Depth Charge – this is a very clever ACAAN type of effect. One spectator chooses a small packet of cards to create a number. The second spectator creates a random card out of two that have been randomly shuffled to. This is a great example of how ‘layering’ really obscures the method. It looks so fair and the result is devastating. There is a very simple ‘move’ involved – but it is so easy it doesn’t disqualify it from the Move Zero label! One of the sneakiest ACAANs I have seen – and definitely a worker.

Lost in Translation – this is a fun prediction effect where three playing cards stand in for three words – which you can reveal. And then there’s a nice cheesy kicker (!) at the end. It’s a whimsical little effect which doesn’t have the feel of a card trick even though in one sense it is. If the gag appeals to you then it will be an easy addition to your repertoire. But I suspect not everyone will want to use the gag! You could easily take the idea and weave your own version around it.

View to a skill – this is a clever take on the classic Miraskill (which can be found, amongst other places, in The Encyclopedia of Card Tricks) which removes all the sleight of hand (instead utilising some sleight of mouth!) and turns the thing into more of a game. Typically lateral Bannon thinking here to make a fun effect. I love the way it is structured to cancel out methods in the spectator’s mind. The dealing procedure makes this a fairly long effect – so you will need the right context to perform – but it is a great one to have in your bag.

GoFiguration – after a very fair looking series of shuffles and decision by the spectator, you have managed to arrive at four of a kind. This is a masterclass in layering methods and subtle manoeuvers. Another really strong effect for very little effort.

Triplicity – the spectator cuts to a random number of cards, then remembers a card at that number in the deck. First you read their mind, then you reveal what number their card sits at (once the deck has been cut) and finally you reveal that you predicted both things in advance. This is another great routine which very much works itself but would be utterly baffling to a layperson.

What do we think?

This is the fourth volume in an excellent series. It has been some time since I looked at the earlier volumes which makes comparisons hard, but my sense this time is that this material is more consistently strong than the earlier disks. And they were excellent so that gives you some indication of the quality here.

There are several effects here which are well worth having up your sleeve when you’re out and about – they need no real preparation and are easy to do. Although this series is aimed at those who are new to card magic I think that even an old hand will learn a thing or two here.

In addition to the strong magic, there are insightful gems to be found in the interview segments which intersperse the magic. Like the earlier volumes there are also ‘Trick Bag’ sections which takes a look at some of the principles used in the effects in some more detail – which may help you utilise them in your own ideas. The final interview section has some pointers for ‘next steps’ for the magician who is just starting out. These could be really useful if you’re just finding your way with sleight of hand.

As always, everything is well attributed/credited. As you’ll notice, some of the effects have been published in recent years – so if you’re the sort of person that likes learning from books, you could do a lot worse than looking up his recent books.

Move Zero Volume 4 is unreservedly recommended and you can pick it up from MagicShop.co.uk – just as soon as it is released – for £26.99.

(Review copy kindly supplied by BBM)

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Conscious Magic – Episode 3 – review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 13:25:12 +0000

Conscious Magic is a collaboration between Andrew Gerard and Ran Pink. Although this is volume 3 it is the first I’ve seen so far. They promise not to just teach the effects, but also to explore some of the thought processes behind them. Let’s take a look at the routines first.

Accuracy – by Andrew Gerard (previously published in a pamphlet) – a coin in spun and two notes are hidden in different locations – all while the performers eyes are hidden. You can then reveal the locations and whether the coin is heads or toils and where the notes are – all without asking any questions.

A small amount of preparation is needed to perform this miracle, but it relies on subtlety not skill so is very easy to do. A nice, gentle, presentation is given which really sells this. In the UK, you will need to choose which bank notes you use carefully…

STFU – This is a really clever use of an old principle. In performance, the spectator chooses a card and remembers it. Then another spectator takes a photo of the first spectator holding their card. The card is returned to the deck – but when the spectator spreads through the cards – their card is missing. They then look at the photo and discover they’re thinking of the wrong card! The card they originally thought of is in your back pocket!

This is just one possible presentation using the clever gimmick provided. I really like this one and can see loads of applications for this principle which essentially allows you to make a card vanish from the deck very cleanly. An extra segment on the DVD explores other ideas for the gimmick. The use of the gimmick gives such freedom to the presentation and makes it dead easy to do. Love it.

The Formula – Here is a strange variation on the ACAAN plot. The spectator creates a number to represent a card. They then deal down to that number in a freely shuffled deck. Their card is at the number and then all the other cards are seen to be blank! Then, even their chosen card becomes blank. This is outrageously cheeky and requires a little bit of chutzpa to pull it off. I would like to road test this with some real people since the method was very obvious to me – but I suspect it would fly past a muggle! I like the sneaky or lateral thinking here. In lots of ways this effect takes place entirely in the mind of the spectator – and as we all know that is where all the most impressive magic takes place.

The White Room – in this effect the spectator creates a card entirely in their mind, and you are able to tell them the name of the card they are just thinking of. This is a very engaging presentation which for the right spectator will captivate their imagination. The presentation can also be applied to a simple force/peak and add a level of emotion to the reveal which can easily be missed in this kind of routine.

The completely hands off/mental version is linguistically limited – and so you will require some confidence with this kind of mentalism scripting and fishing. But I love the presentational hook and think this could be a really powerful routine. The DVD also includes a couple of pdfs – which include lots of extra thoughts and alternative variations – well worth a look if you like the concept.

I enjoyed the relaxed yet thoughtful feel of the explanations. The DVD also includes plenty of live performances to give you a sense of the strength of the routines – though I remain convinced that American audiences have greater reactions than Brits!

I’m very impressed by the quality of the effects and really enjoy the way they discuss the development and application of the various ideas. Although I’ve not yet seen episodes 1 and 2 – on the strength of episode 3 I will certainly take a look at them when I get the chance.

CM3 is available from Magicshop.co.uk for £32.50 (at the time of writing)

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Ryan Schlutz – Only Slightly Sleighty – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 23:01:38 +0000

As the name suggests, Only Slightly Sleighty attempts to position itself just a little away from the completely self-working area which BBM are so well known for. That being said, there are really very few moves involved in any of the effects on this DVD, instead relying on a degree of cunning and subtlety to do most of the work for you. The ‘theme’ for the DVD is exploring the idea of appearing to give massive degrees of freedom/control to the spectator – and to the uninitiated some of them really do seem so fair that it is hard to imagine any explanation for the effect.

Let’s get into the effects

Future Card – this is an incredibly fair looking effect where the spectator appears to make all the choices, and yet a card freely set aside at the beginning matches a card created by all the spectator’s free choices. I’m rarely baffled by an effect, but all but one element in this one flew past me first time. Requires some set up but is very easy to perform because of that. Very clever.

Shuffles Therapy – from a shuffled deck, the spectator chooses a card which is lost in the deck very fairly – including a two-way shuffle! Then the performer is able to reveal the chosen card. Another very fooling routine which can be done with a borrowed, shuffled deck – though is even easier with your own slightly prepared deck! There are lots of really clever things about the way this has been constructed, including a really cheeky peek! Great stuff.

Long Way Out – the title here is a tribute to Chad Long who’s excellent Shuffling Lesson (you can find it on the Ultimate Self-Working Card Tricks DVD) of which this routine is a distant relative. Two spectators touch the back of three cards which are set aside. Then each spectator chooses random bunches of cards and after a very fair-looking procedure they deal them into three piles. Despite all the freedom of choices, each person has three matching cards on the top of their piles. And the three cards set aside at the beginning complete each four of a kind. This is quite ‘long’! There is a fair amount of procedure – but if you keep it moving it is a baffling effect. Ryan teaches his own switch which is very cool and will have other applications.

Any Card Any Sum – this is a sort of ACAAN type effect. Briefly, a card is selected, then from a randomised process involving some other randomly chosen cards, a number is created. And the chosen card turns up at that number. There’s some clever thinking here, though I didn’t really care much for his presentation. But utterly baffling to anyone not in the know.

Magic Camp – let’s say at the start – this has quite a convoluted journey to the effect – the performance took 8 minutes. It is slightly hard to describe but to a fairly engaging presentation based on the idea of a ‘magic camp’ – amidst bewildering amount of shuffles and choices and exchanges you and two spectators all manage to find your chosen cards. This is largely self-working (if you can remember the procedure) but does rely on a certain amount of set up. The explanation is split into multiple sections which helps. I love some of clever ideas – some of which you could adapt for other effects. Ryan manages to build in some entertaining byplay to a long routine – don’t’ attempt it unless you could do the same!

Combined – this is a sort of ACAAN effect using a clever variation on an old number force which is well disguised. Briefly – a set of cards is mixed by one spectator to determine a number; another spectator chooses a card – which is then lost in the deck which is then freely shuffled. Yet still the chosen card is at the selected number. This is a neat little idea with some nice subtleties which make this a great routine. (An extra ‘convincer’ is taught where the deck is shuffled before the final phase – but I’m not sure it’s really necessary.)

We do as we do – this is a very fair kind of variation on ‘do as I do.’ After an extremely fair sequence of selecting, shuffling etc, the spectator manages to stop you on two chosen cards. It is a bit like a trick which is often performed with a marked deck, but this relies instead on a bit of set up. The handling seems incredibly fair and open and the small set up means you are so far ahead that the thing is very easy to do. It feels more direct than some of the more procedure-heavy routines on the dvd and is very fooling.

What do we think?

It is an interesting selection of effects – and they all seem to offer a very high degree of freedom to the spectator. An understated casualness is what sells these effects – and they suit Ryan’s personality very well. For someone with a different performance style a little bit of thinking would need to be done to sell the procedural aspect of some of the effects.

I suspect that most people would find a few effects they would use here – and even if they didn’t, then some of the clever principles could be incorporated into your existing routines to add extra layers of deception. Ryan relies quite heavily on a particular technique – and the DVD includes a short section providing some tips for using this.

Only slightly niggly niggles

I was pleased that Liam was there since on a number of occasions he ‘rescues’ Ryan’s explanations. Ryan is a great enthusiast but doesn’t always have the clarity which seems to come so naturally to Liam – but a prompt here and there makes sure everything is clear.

One feature which would have been useful (given the ‘procedural’ nature of many of the routines) – would have been some ‘rehearsal’ versions of the teaching – which step you through the procedures without all the extra detail.

However, overall I enjoyed the DVD. Ryan brings a different angle on his card magic which I appreciate and his enthusiasm is infectious. Another very worthwhile release from BBM.

You can pick up Only Slightly Sleighty from the Merchant of Magic for £25.50 (at the time of writing).

(With thanks to BBM who very kindly supplied the review copy.)

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John Carey – Sublime Self Working Card Tricks – review

Phil Sweeting — Thu, 25 May 2017 23:01:20 +0000

BBM have an impressive reputation for putting out DVDs of high quality self-working magic, so does this latest release from John Carey carry on the tradition? Read our Sublime Self Working Card Tricks review to find out more.

John Carey is a real understated gentleman of magic and we have looked at and enjoyed many other of his releases before. This latest release promises “10 incredible routines that require no sleight of hand”. Let’s get straight into the routines.

Opening Time – you name a card – they choose a number – and they match! The performance of this was amazing. In performance you won’t always get quite such a strong result. But with any outcome you still have an extremely strong and all but self-working effect. Some lovely subtlety built into this simple routine.

Think as I think – to a nice premise about learning how to handle playing cards the spectator makes all the choices as they shuffle and cut their cards and choose one. Yet amazingly you end up thinking of the same card. This is disarmingly fair and incredibly simple. (first published in crafted with carey – and if you like his work this is well worth a look)

One hand one pocket – this is very clever. The spectator mixes some cards up and chooses one. The performer takes the cards in one hand (the other hand has been in his pocket since before the trick began) and deals them out – and the spectator’s card is seen to have disappeared. When the performer removes his hand from the pocket it contains the missing card! A simple little gimmick makes this one self-working. I love the plot and the simplicity. Great routine.

Yes you caan – this is a great simple card at any number variant. The spectator thinks of a number and further randomizes it. Then looks at the card against that number on a ’52 on 1’ card from your pocket. This is found to match the card already predicted in an envelope at the beginning. This uses a clever mathematical force and a bit of subtlety to make a strong routine. Instant reset and minimal pocket space. What’s not to like? You will need to print a special 52-on-1 card for this – pdf supplied on dvd.

Scattered – This is a sort of ‘invisible deck’ kind of feeling routine where the spectator makes lots of choices and yet the outcome of their choices is shown to be predicted. There’s a little bit of set up but most of the work is done with clever wording. I’m a bit ambivalent about this – I generally enjoy this kind of effect but am so familiar with the various techniques that it felt like there was little new here. But if you’ve not performed this kind of thing before this is an easy introduction.

A la goldman – this is a ‘do as I do’ kind of effect which starts with both you and the spectator shuffling the cards very fairly – and yet after a super clean looking procedure you have both chosen the same card. This is a great easy to do effect with no set up required. Wonderful.

Dice Caan – a card is chosen based on the roll of three dice. This is found to be the card predicted at the beginning. This may be to do with my mathematical bias or my mis-spent use – but I would hazard that the principle on which this is based is very well known – even amongst non-magicians. This made this one of the weaker items on the DVD for me.

Sync – a spectator ‘creates’ a card by combining a suit they’re only thinking of with a value they have cut to from a shuffled deck – and yet you are able to show you’ve thought of the closest match. There are some nice subtleties in this which give you a lot of bang for your buck!

Make believe – (the only) non-card effect on the DVD. The spectator examines three imaginary coins and makes some choices about who is going to hold what. And yet the coin only thought of appears in the performer’s hand. A nice use of an old gaff which makes a pleasing little routine. I think I would have done a little more ‘verbal work’ and given the spectator a further degree of freedom – but if you’re starting out with this kind of routine, this would be a very easy starting point.

Redford unplugged – based on an effect by Patrick Redford – from a shuffled deck, three cards are chosen for three spectators and based on some random decisions they are distributed in different ways while the performers back is turned. Yet you are able to reveal who carried out which actions and the chosen card. This is a whole lot of window dressing for a very simple force. With a bit of presentational skill this could be a very entertaining routine.

Is it sublime?

As John himself says, these are not magician-foolers but are designed for performance in the real world. That being said, the most frequent word in my review is probably ‘simple’ – and sometimes these felt almost too simple. I think there are 2 or 3 routines that would play very strongly, but several that slightly underwhelm.

The possible caveat here is that John himself has a very understated performing style – and it is possible that with your own performance style these could fly a little more. This would be a superb DVD for someone who was very new to card magic, and a good DVD for someone who has been around a bit more and is looking for one or two more impromptu effects to have in his repertoire.

Sublime self working card tricks is available from the Merchant of Magic for £25.50 (at the time of writing).

(With thanks to BBM who kindly provided the review copy)

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Matt Johnson – The Journey – Review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 00:01:12 +0000

The Journey is the second ACAAN release from Matt Johnson – but it’s the first I’ve seen to review. It turns out that doesn’t matter since the original is one of five versions of this plot that is taught on this this roughly one-and-a-half-hour long DVD. For an ACAAN-aholic like me this is a wonderful thing!

In case there is anyone reading this who doesn’t know what ACAAN is – it stands for Any Card At Any Number. In the purest form of this plot, a spectator simply names any card and then any number (up to 52) and the deck is dealt to show that their card is located at their freely chosen number.

If you give the idea any thought, you will see that is a miracle. For magicians – it has achieved the status of something like a holy grail, and I have lost track of the number of versions I have seen over the years. I still have a standing question about the impact on laypeople – but like most magic, presented well it will be astounding.

A Journey of five versions

On this release, Johnson teaches five versions. They are all related to one another – but some use more sleight of hand than others. The main sleight used is the JB Card Cop – or longitudinal palm. Matt’s handling of the sleight is superb and he explains the move clearly– but it will take most of us a significant amount of practise to get it looking this good.

Version one can be done with a borrowed and shuffled deck – which is astonishing! It is an elegant and direct solution but is technically CAAN – since the card is selected before the deck is fully ready to go. But as you will see all versions of ACAAN make different compromises to reach their solution – and choosing an ACAAN often comes down to what set of compromises you can live with. This version does require mastery of the palm but you will have a cracking effect if you can get this down smoothly.

The second version utilises the same sleight but brings in some clever sleight of mouth from Joshua Jay, and some specially prepared cards to make some things easier. There’s a detailed explanation for how to make/prepare the special cards (though you could buy these if you prefer). This is better than version one (in that the cards are fully ready to go from the outset) but the compromise here (which the spectator should never notice) is that in fact you are working with a limited range of cards. You also need the specially prepared deck rather than being able to work with a borrowed shuffled one.

Versions 3 through 5 don’t require use of the sleight – which also means the spectator can (with care) do all the dealing. They take the Joshua Jay subtlety and the specially prepared cards and produce a very clean looking handling. Once you have removed the cards from the deck, the spectator can do all the dealing. These three variations are very closely related – simply involving different numbers of decks depending on the levels of freedom you want to give the spectator in their choices. Johnson teaches a great little ‘subtlety’ for re-setting in plain sight – though those who criticize the whole concept of ACAAN on the basis of all the dealing involved may not like it!

These last three versions particularly appeal to me – since sleight of mouth is one of my special gifts and I can be a bit lazy when it comes to practising sleights! You will need to be confident in your spectator handling to allow them to do the dealing, but you probably shouldn’t be performing any kind of ACAAN if you’ve not got some level of confidence there. Although you are well covered for all the most likely outcomes, a couple of the scenarios ‘at the extremities’ are necessarily going to be slightly less clean to my mind.

Other thoughts

Matt Johnson has a Great beard/tache! I know that shouldn’t make a difference, but it is rather fine. Versions 2-5 will take some set up time and may require you to buy some extra decks of cards – unless, like me, you have several boxes lying around permanently.

The advertising talks about “Custom gimmicks” – these are essentially nicely printed stickers which contain various cribs to help you perform the effect – cunningly designed to look at a glance like a Bicycle Cards box.

One of the things I enjoyed most about The Journey was the insight it gives into the creative process. As you see how the different versions have evolved (as the name implies). Explanations are very clear and the performances are ‘live’ which is always a bonus. Sleights and inspirations are well attributed (including Marc Paul’s Affected by Berglas – which kicked the whole thing off for Johnson).
The Journey is a great release for anyone with an interest in performing this reputation making effect. The variations mean it should be within reach of any level of performer with a little practise.

Available from MagicShop.co.uk for £39.50 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Peter Turner – The Experience – Review

Phil Sweeting — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 23:01:48 +0000

The Experience is the third review in our LADS 2015 series – this time highlighting the powerful mentalism of Peter Turner.

It is difficult to write a review of this lecture in the conventional way since this is far from a series of “tricks”. Yes, there are a number of effects on the DVD, many of which are extremely powerful, but to coin Peter’s phrase, it is the journey that counts.

On the way through the performances and explanations you get an incredible insight into Peter’s own philosophy of performance and magic – what it is and what makes it powerful. It is the kind of DVD which I got to the end of and felt like I needed to watch again – to take more in and to deeply understand some of the truth buried in here.

Most of the effects are ‘propless’ – so you can perform there anywhere anytime within reason. There is a Pin Code divination (so cheeky – and yet powerful) combined with a star sign revelation (this one isn’t really explained – but is fully explained in Isabella Star 2). There’s an ACAAN type effect and a ‘Psychic Lift’ where you appear to be able to control a spectator’s movements without touching them.

But there also lots of shorter effects on the way – and additions to these effects which make them stronger. Although much of the magic is ‘propless’ Turner isn’t afraid of setting things up in advance for a stronger impact – you’ll be amazed at how bold yet effective some of these methods are.

There is a clever utilisation of language and ‘dual reality’ in some of the effects – this is a mentalism master-class. And there’s a brilliant answer to the classic mind-reader’s question – “What am I thinking of right now?” – and I’m not going to spoil it by giving it away here!

The nature of the material makes it very difficult to say what level of skill you need to perform these effects. Much of it is about confidence rather than ‘skill’ per se – but if you are at all interested in mentalism you will know that this is very often the case.

Turner himself is an unassuming and self-deprecating man – a joy to listen to, tangents included. His passion for magic and his sincerity about producing beautiful moments for his spectators is inspiring.

If you don’t know Turner’s work (and he has published quite a bit) you will find some similarity to Luke Jermay (you can read our review of his recent DVD set here) – I even though they look a little similar when you see the photo on the front of The Experience. But they sound very different in performance!

All in all, with my leanings in the direction of mentalism, I really enjoyed this DVD. The experience is well named since the message of the lecture is it is the experience that counts. Well worth a look if you perform any kind of mentalism.

The Experience is available direct from Merchant of Magic for £28.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Hudson Taylor – Implausibilities – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:59:13 +0000

We’ll say right at the outset, Implausibilities is not a beginner’s DVD. The routines require a number of more advanced skills e.g. perfect Faro. But before that puts you off, there’s a significant teaching section (about 15 mins) on how to Faro. There’s some good detail here – including tips and technique and developing muscle memory – but it’s still going to take you some work if you can’t already do this. I have never spent the time mastering a perfect Faro, but I have to admit that even after this short teaching spell I was achieving better results – 80%+ accurately weaved – so I think with some time this is within reach of all of us.

Before I make a few more general comments, let’s get in to the review of the effects.

Get Into It

This is a nice effect where spectator apparently reads another spectator’s mind – managing to stop dealing at a card that the other spectator has only thought of. It looks very fair but for me involved quite a drawn out process – which suits his laid back style but might not suit yours. The explanation is slightly disjointed, but part of the method does require a bit of ‘jazzing’ so I suppose some of us will need some help with understanding that. Very clever multiple methods going on here. It doesn’t require advanced card handling but it does really need a table. He teaches both a set up and an impromptu version. Worth a look.

Finnell’s Finders

A very clever ‘finders’ routine where 3 chosen cards are located in a squeaky clean way despite having been lost in freely shuffled and cut sections of the deck. This is one of the routines which requires a perfect faro and is enough to encourage you to learn it – it’s a very subtle and clever piece of magic and the presentation works well.

A.C.A.NTeloupe

I’ll admit it – this fooled me badly when I watched it the first time. It is a very clean and fair looking ACAAN routine based on an ingenious Alex Elmsley principle. It’s not quite a pure ACAAN – one spectator removes an unknown quantity of cards and then a card chosen by another spectator and shuffled into the deck is found at that number. This is probably technically a ‘mathematical’ card trick – but it doesn’t have that feel at all and is brilliantly constructed. And this trick alone would be enough to encourage me to learn my perfect Faro. I really like this. And the genius thing is you don’t even know what the card or the number is before the climax! A minor variation is taught which makes you even more ‘hands off’ but also reduces the success rate!

12 Degrees of Empathy

Building on ideas of Leipzig, Rusdeck and Bannon this is a lovely matching cards/do as I do routine. The strongest element of this, for me, is the beautiful presentational hook which really turns this into a meaningful piece of magic rather than just a trick. Some setup is required and, you guessed it, a perfect faro. But a pleasing little effect.

Sleights

A bonus section of almost an hour teaching some useful sleights and controls. The sleights are well explained and some extra wrinkles taught too. I’ll just outline briefly what they achieve.

Dropshift – 1 handed control from centre to bottom in action of spreading cards on the table. A useful, sneaky and not too difficult move.
Shovel Control – this time you control a card as you’re dribbling the pack to the table (an in the hands variation is also taught).
Center Shift – shifting a card from the centre of the deck to the top as it is apparently pushed in to the middle. Quite tricky!
Parifax Change – a variation on the Erdnase colour change.
Mechanical Popout – based on an Ed Marlo move, enables you to pop a chosen card out of the deck one-handed.

The verdict

Hudson Taylor comes across as a very nice guy and is very thoughtful about what he does and how he does it. He is very articulate and is excellent at crediting sources which I always appreciate. It is very apparent that he uses these routines himself and has thought carefully about why he does what he does and how to connect and communicate with it.

Explanations are thorough – in some cases I almost felt like there was too much detail. None of the routines require anything other than an ordinary deck of cards, and most are impromptu. The sleights he teaches would have many applications and are worth studying.

In short, if you like your cards and are prepared to put in some practise then I would highly recommend Implausibilities. The routines are extremely powerful – and once you’ve mastered the techniques, not too difficult to do.

Available direct from Merchant of Magic for £22.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Michael Murray – Recreation – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 00:01:33 +0000

Recreation is the latest ebook release from the creative mind of Michael Murray. We’re a big fan of Michael’s work – he is a clever and original thinker – and so we were very interested to read his latest take on the ACAAN plot. This, as regular readers will know, is something of a pet subject for me.

The headline effect, Recreation, comes at the whole idea of ACAAN from a different angle. Rather than a freely chosen card being at a freely chosen number, the effect is rather the revelation of a card and number remembered by the spectator from a freely shuffled deck.

It’s an interesting direction to come at the effect from, and the structure of the (original) routine requires that it take place in the context of a longer series of entertainments – with a delay between the choice and the revelation. Some variations on the method are given which would, in theory, allow greater freedom about this. Although the premise of the routine actually provides a logical reason for the gap which the method requires.

I enjoy the way Michael writes and this booklet is no exception. As he describes Recreation you get to the point where the routine is completed and the method still not revealed. The method I created in my mind at that point turned out to be one of the variations described later – and I have to say that, for me, this method (and the freedom it gives) is preferable to the original idea.

It is difficult to say more without risking exposure. Suffice to say that Michael’s idea is very sneaky, but for me I just couldn’t see myself performing it that way in the real world. But as always with Mr Murray you get several pages of extra ideas and variations – and in these are some wonderful gems.

There are also 3 extra ‘ACAAN’ routines. First up is TACAAN (A table top ACAAN). You will need a little confidence to perform this one and it is not certain but it is a strong effect. The spectator remembers a card at a number, then the pack is shuffled (freely) and their card ends up in the same place.

MIRACAAN is a variation on TACAAN but is more of a revelation of a freely thought of card and number. PSYCAAN takes this idea a step further but is probably more suitable for using with magicians rather than laypeople.

Michael is very widely read and one of the wonderful things about reading his work is the way you benefit from his gleanings amongst the ideas of others – so there’s a really useful ‘fishing’ sequence in one of the routines and a beaut of a linguistic deception in another.

For me, then, the best thing about this release is that it stimulates some ideas and adds some more weapons to the armoury. I don’t think I would actually perform any of these as they are in the real world. But another performer might slot them straight in, and either way you will benefit from and enjoy reading this excellent little (23pages) booklet.

At only £5.99 direct from MindFX (who kindly provided the review copy) it is well worth a look.

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