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Month: September 2019

The Surprise – Think Nguyen – A Review

The Surprise – Think Nguyen – A Review

The Surprise – Think Nguyen – A Review

Exciting new variation of CAAN from Think Nguyen. This is the ad copy:

Every once in a while, a magician comes up with a trick so good, they refuse to share it with anyone but themselves. Enter Think Nguyen’s masterpiece, The Surprise. After months of our begging and pleading that this needed to be shared with the magic community, Think has finally allowed us to publish his most closely guarded secret.

Using a borrowed and freely shuffled deck, this is the most impossible Card At Any Number we’ve ever seen. Describing it in ad copy just doesn’t do it justice, so we’re not even going to try.
Seriously, go watch the trailer.

What you get:
No gimmicks
No magnets
No difficult sleight of hand to learn
No arts and crafts
No stack or memory work
Nothing to add or take away
And definitely NO MAGNETS

If you’re the type of magician that relies on self-working gimmicks as a crutch, this effect is definitely not for you. Yes, Think reveals all the secrets to performing The Surprise, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

When you combine Think’s methods with traditional sleights, congratulations, you’ve just discovered the formula for creating genuine magician foolers.

The most hands-off Card At Any Number, this is The Surprise.

My Thoughts..

This is one of the more unusual effects I’ve reviewed in the past year or so. I must admit the ad copy is correct.. There are NO gaffs, magnets, or difficult sleight of hand involved.. and that’s the truth.

There IS a certain method to the madness. I may be the wrong guy to review The Surprise because I knew the secret the moment I read the ad copy. I knew the secret because I use the same method to perform an ACAAN I created several years ago. Like Think, I’ve guarded it like the Queen Jewels.. not wanting to share it, but knowing once the secret was revealed there’s no do-over.

This is ALL method and jazz magic. If you’re worried about complicated sleights.. don’t. If you’re concerned you won’t be able to do it.. don’t worry. And if you’re anxious to learn a new method that will give you a new super power.. do buy it.

Watching the video will show you the true look of the effect. There’s nothing left out, nothing hidden, and nothing that needs to be done other than what you see. That said, there IS a moment when the magic is done you are not aware of on the video. It is so quick and, usually easy, no one knows what you did… although ‘did’ is almost a misnomer. Buy the video and you’ll understand my cryptic message.

For those of you looking for an instant miracle.. keep looking. There is a little ‘work’ involved in making this complete. Think of it more like forcing a card using a classic force. There is a point where you need to make the effect work, as opposed to it working out itself.

Although my effect differs very much, performance wise, from Thinks.. I hate to see the method made available. But, all is fair in love and war, and the magic community deserves The Surprise. There are so many great magicians out there, I see this being re-worked by fertile minds and transformed into something greater and more startling.

I would be foolish to not recommend The Surprise, as it is, in fact, a Surprise… a new secret, that will leave you alone in your bed at night.. thinking of the possibilities and confounding your friends over and over. Although this is quite the stunner for the public.. it is also a true magician’s fooler.

The Surprise is an instant download. The running time is almost 50 minutes and the video itself is typical Murphy’s Magic quality sound-wise and video-wise.

$14.95 At Murphy’s Magic and their magic associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=65236

EVANESCE – By Eric Jones.. A Review

EVANESCE – By Eric Jones.. A Review

EVANESCE – By Eric Jones – A Review

Eric has created a stand-alone sleight for coin workers that looks like true magic. This is the ad copy:

“Master of Coin Eric Jones offers an amazing new IMPROMPTU coin vanish that is as insane as it is beautiful. Imagine causing a coin to vanish at the fingertips in the most incredible way possible. You can even do this one naked!!! Based on the work for Shoot Ogawa and Apollo Robbins, Eric teaches and novel and unique technique that is just as much fun to practice as it is to perform. This 13 minute download is chock full of excellent technique, professional performing tips that you can add to your arsenal immediately.”

You will learn:

JW Grip
Coin Selection
JW Grip Muscle Pass
Evanesce: The basic technique
Professional performance tips

My Thoughts..

Eric has put his own twist on a popular vanish first created by Shoot Ogawa and Apollo Robbins. He has taken the basic move, improved it, added a unique carry-away, and created something very visually appealing.

Eric readily admits this is not for the faint of heart. He tells us up front that it will take practice to master.. but.. afterwards, you will have something very unique.

Based on a simple false transfer, Evanesce retains the coin in the original hand in a position that is slightly angle sensitive, but not from the front, and will definitely fool anyone other than someone to the extreme side or rear.

He uses a unique muscle pass to move the coin from the concealed position to a position totally invisible to the spectator… either the opposite elbow joint or your shirt pocket. This is one of those sleights you will crave to learn.. and can learn with practice.

If you want a move that will fool not only your audience, but fellow magicians as well, EVANESCE is the perfect instant download. Inexpensive and very well filmed, Eric Jones has created a couple of moves to add something very different to your routine. I truly wish my fingers were twenty years younger… I’d be all over this..!

As usual, I highly recommend visiting Murphy’s site and watching the video. There’s nothing like the visual treatment to give you an appreciation for the techniques.

$6.95 From Murphy’s Magic and their many associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=54276

Review by Rick Carruth
https://MagicRoadshow.com