The Touch –  Robbie Moreland
Murphy’s Magic.. $30.00

I’m glad to see a DVD published from time to time for true workers. I’ll tell you up front.. this is not for beginners. It’s not strictly for experts either. It IS for intermediate performers who enjoy a challenge, learning a few new skills, and upping their performance level a notch or two. Don’t let my words scare you…

The Promo:
“There are only a handful of magicians in the world whose magic is truly extraordinary. Robbie Moreland is amongst those rare few.

Elegant, astounding and effortless. Robbie embodies everything that magic should be and on this DVD, you will learn his three signature routines, all taken directly from his working repertoire. Watching this will not only make you a better magician but it will also make you a better creator and a better performer.”

Contents:

Vibes – A sensational card routine which is packed full of unbelievable magic. The deck visibly disappears in order to find a freely named card at a randomly chosen location!

Bullet Proof – One by one, coins effortlessly melt through a solid table. The ending of this routine will get gasps!

The Burst – Robbie’s most well known routine, this incredible demonstration of ‘skill’ is addictive to watch as the aces are lost and found in an instant!“

Yes, there are ‘only’ three effects/routines on this two and a half hour DVD. But, each is divided into a number of smaller sleights that make the whole possible. Robbie’s routines are not seven or eight minute monstrosities that ramble on… They are two to four minute routines that he uses to, as he puts it,  put food on the table… and has for a number of years.  

Robbie, for those of you who aren’t familiar with his magic, makes his living as a performer.. and not a developer per se. He is about the technical and practicality, and certainly the ‘real world’ aspect of his magic. He doesn’t feel compelled to re-invent the wheel when developing a killer routine. What you get in this DVD is his personal handling of his pet routines, replete with sleights developed and perfected by the giants of magic. He can walk up to a table in a restaurant and, using these multi-faceted routines, floor the customers.. even if they happen to be magicians.  

VIBES is my personal favorite of the three.. perhaps because it’s the one I’m most apt to learn. The basic premise is this… The magician ask the spectator to cut off a packet of cards, place the packet behind their back, and count the cards. The cards are replaced in the remaining pack. A second spectator, or the first, is asked to freely select a card from the spread deck. This card is lost in the deck as the magician asks a few questions. One moment the magician is holding a full deck… and the next he is holding a packet of cards visibly shrinking. When the cards are counted, they match the number of cards originally removed from the deck, and the last card in the packet is the selected card. It’s almost a ‘selected card at a selected location’ and a hybrid ACAAN… Watching Robert perform it is quite a pleasure..  

You’ll be provided with in-depth instruction on all the necessary moves.. including a back jog, establishing and holding a break, the HaLo cut, the inflated deck and how to effortlessly ditch a portion of the deck.  

BULLET PROOF is not my favorite simply because I don’t have the ‘tools’ to perform it.. With the proper props, I’d have a big ‘ol time. This is an extremely visual routine involving three coins and a glass. I’m not wanting to give too much away, so I’ll just say the magician places all three coins in the glass.. one openly vanishes, then the second openly vanishes.. and finally, well… something else vanishes.. and all is well in Magicland. If you are into coins, and Robert is one of the best, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this routine.  

THE BURST is definitely the most technically difficult of the three, but the most visually rewarding. There are a number of aspects to The Burst, and although it is a four Ace production.. calling it a four Ace production is like calling a Lamborghini Veneno just another sports car..  

There is an interesting prequel to The Burst, aptly named by Mick Ayres, involving twos and fours, which through a series of pinky counts, pinky pull-downs, JK Hartman’s pop out move and Richard Kaufman’s radical change, evolves into the actual ‘Burst’ of four Aces. I’m not going to try to describe it.. just buy the DVD and see for yourself.  

But.. once the Aces are produced, Robbie goes into phase two, called Mirage, where he makes the Aces vanish, then reappear reversed in the middle of the deck. Again, a couple of very nice sleights, Balhazar Fuentes’ Color Change and Steve Beam’s Flop Change, move the effect along to it’s unexpected conclusion. As with all the other moves, Robert teaches each move in detail. You are never left hanging.  

Vanishing Inc. describes THE TOUCH affectionately…  
"This is one of the most in-depth DVDs we have ever produced. The reason – because in order to be the best, you have to spend time with the best. Over almost two and a half hours, you will receive the closest thing to a masterclass that is possible from someone who we believe to be one of the most sophisticated magicians in the world.”

I whole-heartedly agree. On a personal note.. I was in the audience at SCAM in Columbia SC the afternoon Robert gave his very first lecture. Honestly, I don’t remember the year, but it was around 2005/2006. He was excited and nervous, but ready… Everyone there that day knew Robert Moreland was a special talent, including the world class magicians in the audience.  

I’m glad to share my thoughts about THE TOUCH with you, and I hope nothing I’ve said discourage you in any way from purchasing it. Yes, it’s not for the beginner, although advanced beginners would certainly be encouraged by it, and intermediates will be inspired to up their skills and their repertoire.                     Very Recommended…        

Rick Carruth

THE TOUCH is available at all dealers carrying Murphy’s Magic products…. $30.00
http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=59093