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Author: Rick Carruth

The Vault – Juxtaposition by Devonte – A Review

The Vault – Juxtaposition by Devonte – A Review

The Vault – Juxtaposition by Devonte – A Review
Instant Download

This is the Ad Copy:

The spectator is asked to choose between a red deck and a blue deck of cards. Let’s pretend they chose the blue deck. The blue deck is placed inside their pocket (or handed to a friend to hold) until later. Great for walk around, as a different “thought of card” is possible every time.

The red deck is slowly spread between your fingers as the spectator is asked to merely think of any card they see. Keep in mind this is a 100% completely free choice!
Without ANY funny moves the card completely vanishes!

Next you ask them to remove the blue deck from their pocket, they are surprised to see that inside is one red card, the mentally chosen card. Strong enough for any Professional act, Easy enough for a Beginner.
Instant reset! (Really!)
NO Forcing Card Selections
NO Rough and Smooth
NO Misprinted Cards
NO Switching Decks
NO Sleight of Hand
NO Memorizing
NO Gimmicks of ANY kind and NOTHING is ever written down.
Use ANY style deck.
Instantly Resettable and Ready to Go, Could be a Different thought of card every time PERFECT for WALK AROUND.

My Thoughts:

I enjoy card effects that pack quite the surprise.. but require very little effort on the part of the performer. Now.. there’s a LOT I could say about JUXTAPOSITION, aside from the ad copy, but there’s not much I can say without giving away too many secrets.

The ad copy is correct…

You would think, based on my statement, there’s a little hyperbole going on.. but there’s not. What happens is this…

You’re armed with two decks.. a red back and a blue back. You politely insure the spectator gets the red back deck and a second spectator holds the blue back deck. You open and remove the cards from the red deck, face up.. and ask the spectator to secretly note a card as you begin to fan through the deck. You now perform the only ‘move’, if you want to call it that, during the entire effect. It’s not a sleight.. only a move.. performed right under the spectator’s nose. A little small talk.. and you show the spectator her card has most likely vanished from the red deck. They’re convinced.

The performer takes the blue deck, removes the card, and after the proper patter.. begins to fan through the deck, showing the backs. About half way through everyone see’s a red backed card among the blue backs. The magi asks the spectator the identity of her card.. and sometimes flips this card to reveal a match. Other times he creates ‘drama’ by turning the cards face up, asking her to remove her card, and allows her to flip her card face down.. revealing the red back.

There are certainly more subtleties than written here.. and they are well taught by Devonte, in detail, but this is the actual handling of Juxtaposition…

The video itself is 36 minutes long and includes a couple of live performances, the handling details, setting up the decks, and a detailed handling for the viewer. Although the video is filmed with a hand-held camera.. I had no problem keeping up with the instructions.

If there is a downside.. and it’s NOT a downside to me.. you need three decks to perform successfully. There is a setup and you do not want the spectators thumbing through your decks. I call this ‘audience management’…

The cost is $30.00.. and I do think that’s a tad much for a single effect, without props, cards, or gaffs. I’d be more comfortable paying fifteen to twenty bucks.. If you use Juxtaposition regularly.. you can justify the cost.

This is a very good rendering of a classic effect. It’s something that, with a little practice, will serve you well. Devonte also teaches a couple of sleights that add to the overall effect… but they are not needed to perform the effect.

$30.00 .. Available at Murphy’s Magic and their associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=70435

Review by Rick Carruth for Murphy’s Magic & The Magic Roadshow

The Vault – Illusory – by Ziv – A Review

The Vault – Illusory – by Ziv – A Review

The Vault – Illusory by Ziv – A Review
Video Download

They won’t believe their eyes! Illusory is an incredible new system that makes vanishes and appearances look like a special effect only seen in movies!

Level up your social media channels with effects that look truly impossible!

Make playing cards and other objects vanish into thin air and at whatever speed you choose. Illusory is under your control at all times.

Easy to perform.

Easy to make.

Limited only by your imagination.

My Thoughts:

This is different.. When I first watched the demo video I was sure it was simply black art. Cards are disappearing and reappearing against a dark background, and I’ve been around too long.

I’m not familiar with Ziv.. but he seems like a dedicated young man, willing to step out with a new method of performing old magic. He has, I assume, created this effect himself using something other than black art. Without giving away too much.. black art IS a factor in the vanishes.. but not actually the central point.

Playing cards, held in front of ones chest, vanish and reappear at the control of the magician. This is a very simple method, but not a common method. Something some might consider ‘high tech’ is used to facilitate the vanish. It’s actually a product normally used for another purpose.. but is being repurposed to achieve the magic.
That’s all I can tell you.. without giving away too much.

I have to admit, in all fairness to my readers, I have not performed ILLUSORY for a social media audience… which seems to be the target market. I did not perform this beforehand because I did not have the secret sauce. I AM familiar with the secret sauce.. and have no doubt that, under the right conditions, it WILL work. The ‘stuff’ needed for a successful performance can be purchased on sites like Amazon for around $17.00 for enough material to create a number of gimmicks… and the gimmicks can be used over and over. So, your initial purchase will last for a long time.

I’m confident enough in my knowledge of the secret material I was willing to go ahead and write the review. I have used this material for it’s intended purpose, and I know it works as promised. That said… no promises in the world of magic.

The video is filmed on an iPhone. It is also filmed with sub-titles, with English being the language in print. Generally, I am not a fan of sub-titles, but the secret to this effect was revealed rather quickly and I didn’t have a problem following the instructions.. which were just over 6 minutes. Truly, it’s all about the secret. Handling and secondary instructions are clear watching the promo.

I think it’s safe to say you’re paying for a secret. Watch the video and see if it’s for you.

$15.00 .. Download at Murphy’s Magic and through their Associates.
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=69988

Review by Rick Carruth for The Magic Roadshow and Murphy’s Magic

Harry Houdini And The Great Copyright Escapade..

Harry Houdini And The Great Copyright Escapade..

(The following is a guest blog post by Marilyn Creswell, Librarian-in-Residence at the U.S. Copyright Office.)

Magicians do not always reveal their tricks, even when they register their copyright claims. The legendary Hungarian immigrant Harry Houdini registered three of his famous illusions as “playlets,” or short plays, with the U.S. Copyright Office between 1911 and 1914. The playlets were registered as dramatic compositions, which have been eligible for copyright protection since 1856. Houdini’s deposited playlet scripts are now held within the Reader’s Collection, Library of Congress Copyright Office Drama Deposits.

Houdini demonstrates his water torture cell trick

Houdini and the Water Torture Cell. From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Houdini’s first American copyright registration is for the playlet “Challenged: or, Houdini upside down” that features his famous Water Torture Cell trick, also known as “The Upside Down.” The trick, shown here, is an escape from a water-filled cabinet while Houdini’s ankles are in stocks and the lid is locked. The registration describes the work as a “magical dramatic playlet” in sixteen typewritten pages. The first act depicts a group of men talking about Houdini’s amazing abilities, integrity, and willingness to take on challenges. By the second act, Houdini (played by himself) accepts their challenge and, according to the script, “*HOUDINI MAKES HIS ESCAPE*” and the crowd gives “Three cheers for Houdini, Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah.” He kept doing the trick through his 1926 tour when the foot stock broke and he fractured his ankle.

In 1914, Houdini registered his “Walking through a Brick Wall” trick as a playlet in two scenes. The plot of this playlet involved a father who constructed a brick wall to keep the son of his “mortal enemy” from being able to look into his garden. The father states, “The day you can walk through the brick wall that separates our houses, I’ll give you my daughter.” The next day, the father wakes up to see the young man made it through the wall. To his new fiancée, he explains, “Alice, whether I did or not [walk through the brick wall], everything is fair in love and war.”

This playlet includes a note after the curtain, which explains the illusion. It reads:

Poster for Literary Digest Houdini Master Mystifier

A poster advertising Houdini’s Buried Alive illusion, calling him the “Master Mystifier.”

From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

“To attain the above practical effect of walking through the brick wall, the wall proper is laid across the center of a trap door, on opening of which gives an opening in stage on both sides of wall through which the person playing the part gets from one side of wall to the other the dirt and grass mounds acting as screens for the trap.”

Soon others began selling cheap blueprints of the apparatus Houdini used to perform the trick. Even though the copyrightable words and script of Houdini’s playlet were not necessarily infringed, the act lost its appeal once its illusion’s methodology was well-understood. Houdini only performed the trick a few times, and then sanctioned his younger brother, Hardeen’s, use of the trick.

Houdini registered his last playlet, “Buried Alive,” in 1914. The premise of this play involves two tourists who try to one-up a local priest by performing a surprising “miracle.” The stage directions describe the tourist in a straitjacket, who is put into an empty box and lowered into the ground with dirt shoveled atop him. After a few chants and incantations, the tourist is revealed “relieved of his bonds, and appearing just as he was before.” The locals treat him as supernatural, but he insists he is a mere man. Houdini died on October 31, 1926, and was buried in the same custom-ordered bronze casket he used for Buried Alive.

Houdini bequeathed many of his magic tools to his younger brother, Hardeen, with instructions to burn and destroy them after Hardeen’s death. Some tools survive, some of his tricks have been figured out, and some people may have learned from Harry himself, yet other mysteries died with him. While his playlets are now in the public domain, Houdini’s magic mechanisms may remain a mystery forever.

BRAIN GAMES 1 & 2 – Harvey Raft – A Review

BRAIN GAMES 1 & 2 – Harvey Raft – A Review

BRAIN GAMES 1 & 2 – Harvey Raft – A Review

This is the Ad Copy for Brain Games…

Harvey Raft is an underground mentalist and magician who, after more than forty years as a performer, is finally releasing his unique creations in TWO BOOKS. There are over 60 effects ranging from card magic and mind-reading using non-gaffed cards, as well as his original routines using gaffed decks which, for the first time, you are given access to and able to print your own.

There are also chapters on Change Bag magic and a section of Christmas magic effects.

Book Two is unique in that it comes with access to PDFs of special cards that you can print at your local print shop. These range from decks of cards with Harvey’s original designs for marked cards, or single cards used in novel ways. You will have access to 70 downloads.

The content ranges from self-working effects, math-style magic, non-card magic and themed magic using Movie cards, Zenner cards and more.

Over 400 pages of material – hard cover books.

BOOK ONE:

SENSATIONAL VISUALIZATIONAL!
DEAL-IRIUM
DECK-ADENCE
BOTTOM’S UP
TOPSY-TURVY
PSYCHIC COMPUTATION
JUST WEIGHT
SAID-ATION
SUPER HEAR-SAY
YU – SEDDIT
CARD CENTS
GO FIGURE
GIMEE A HIGH FIVE
MAGIC CIRCLE
ESPECIALLY FOR YOU MATCHIC
TOTAL RECALL
PERFECT TEN
MYSTIC IMPRESSIONS
I-DEAL-OLOGY
WELL XECUTED
HOWDIDJOODOODAT?
IT’S IN THE BAG
DISCOVERY!
POP ‘N’ GO
CURRENT ATTRACTION
YEAR TWO DATE
COINABILITY
MOVIE MAGIC
VALI-DATED
CHANGE BAG MAGIC
COLORING BOOK
SOX COME IN PEARS
CARD & BALLOON
LETTERED BEADS
CUT & RESTORED SKIPPING ROPE
CHRISTMAS MAGIC
DOVE’S CHRISTMAS HOUSE
TOYS, TOYS, TOYS!
SANTA’S CHRISTMAS PARTY
MAGIC CHRISTMAS BALL

BOOK TWO:

IMAGERIE
DEAL-ECTABLES
PICTURE THIS
IT’S IN THE CARDS
IT’S IN THE STARS
FLAGGED
ALL -FOR- ONE One- For -ALL
INCREDIBLE E.S.P.
SHOW ME THE WEIGHT
ESP-ETEKEL
E.S.P.S. SURPRISE
OODLE CABOODLE MENE-TEKEL
LOCATION, Location, Location
MAGNIFI-CENTS
MENTAL IDENTIFICATION
MENTAL CONNECTIVITY
E.S.P. LOTTO PRE-DETERMINATION
LUMINARY
RALLY ‘ROUND THE FLAG
TO THE NINES
FIGURE IT OUT
EXTRA SENSORY TELEPATHY
RULE OF THREE
OODLE CABOODLE
XTRA ZENSORY PERCEPTION
THE CHOSEN ONE
X MARKS THE SPOT
ZODIAC MARKED DECK
THE MAGIC OF THE GOLDEN ZODIAC
VALU-ABLE & SUIT-ABLE

My Thoughts:

Harvey Raft didn’t find his way to mentalism until later in life. Although he was an experienced performer, he was proficient at house parties and corporate events, performing close up and stage magic. When he was exposed to mentalism about twenty years ago his mind went into overdrive. MIND GAMES is the result of that fateful encounter.

First.. lets clear the air. The creator of BRAIN GAMES, Harvey Raft, is my friend. Although I have never met Harvey in person, He and I have spoke on the phone on numerous occasions and emailed many times. Harvey is an original thinker, and I have certainly taken advantage of the opportunity to share ideas.

Now.. on to BRAIN GAMES.

When I first received these two books in the mail several months ago I was in the middle of eye surgery and couldn’t read properly. I waited patiently for everything to heal.. knowing Harvey’s books were waiting for me. I’m so glad I finally got to the place where I could properly dive in and give my opinion.

Both books are hard covered and printed on quality stock. It’s obvious Harvey and his cohort, Paul Romhany, (Yes.. THAT Paul Romhany!) decided to go the classy route and
turn BRAIN GAMES into an investment. These are nice, big, easy to read treats that you will pass down to the next generation.

These books are not for everyone. If you have NO interest in mathemagic, and don’t anticipate ever having an interest regardless of the quality of the material.. then I am not going to recommend Brain Games. Although you do NOT have to be a skilled math guy to appreciate Harvey’s effects, it helps if you at least have an interest in effects that are mathematically based.

There are many effects you will perform like a champ but not have a clue how they actually work. And Harvey does NOT bog you down with the technical aspects and calculations that make folks like me feel like a dummy. All you need to know is the effects in BRAIN GAMES simply work. The concentration is on the performance aspect.. and not the intricacy of the math. Trust me…..

Book One is a buffet of effects ranging from magic circles to Christmas magic to psychic effects using stacked decks and a mathematical book test. There isn’t any sleights… although you do need to have enough skill on occasion to quickly operate a calculator as your back is turned. There are a couple of effects utilizing a change bag and several effects that use calendars, birth dates or birth years. You should definitely be able to perform a false shuffle or false cut to work in conjunction with the effects requiring a stack. You will definitely need a dry erase marker and perhaps some laminated blank cards and an inexpensive calculator or two. (Nothing you can’t pick up at an office supply store or the local dollar store.). Personally, I liked the book test and the forcing matrix effects and the magic circle, Harvey’s take on the magic square. Needless to say, everything works if you simply follow directions.

Book Two is definitely the more ‘mental’ of the two. There are a number of ESP and mental magic type effects. Harvey has long been a very successful utilizer of Zener Cards. A number of his commercial effects put these props to good use, and he brings them back in book two in spades.. with a twist. They have an inherent strength with the public, who sees them as simultaneously mysterious and somewhat ‘safer’ than playing cards. Harvey calls the cards used in some of these effects ‘ESP Cards’, and they are similar to Zener cards.. except they consist of four symbols instead of five.
Book two includes numerous effects with several different type cards. Paul Romhany has a special page at Murphy’s Magic that allows anyone purchasing Brain Games to access pages upon pages of special material. This includes templates for all the special decks used, calendars and any other material not commonly available. You can download both Word docs and PDF docs and print your own decks and props or have your local printer create anything you need. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but if you’re like most folks you’ll have your favorite effects and you save mucho money by only paying for what you will actually use.

Book two is actually referred to as SPECIAL PLAYING CARD MAGIC. There are numerous effects with very specific decks. There are tricks with celebrity cards, movie cards, cards with various shapes, places, numbers and symbols.. You name it, and there’s probably an effect with it.. Again, everything you need to complete the effects are provided.. either in writing or in file formats. They’re even a sophisticated mnemonic section to elevate your memory.

I could go on and on.. but reading the list of effects will give you a general idea of the many varied type of effects. It’s hard for me to imagine one mind containing all this information. You will NOT find a bunch of rehashed effects from magazines and books eighty years old. These are well-planned and well-designed effects that deserved to be priced as they are.. You are paying for ORIGINAL ideas.

I am excited to have these books in my collection. I will use material from the books in my own effects, in my own way. I am so much better at adapting material than creating material.. and I am truly thankful to gentlemen like Harvey Raft and Paul Romhany who see the need for something other than ‘think of a number between ten and twenty’ or ‘pick a card.. any card’. There’s none of that in Brain Games, thank goodness, and I am grateful for their partnership and their vision..

I recommend BRAIN GAMES to my friends, readers and subscribers. I know it may be cost prohibitive for some of you.. but, as my mother was fond of saying when I asked for something new.. “Save up..!”

$150.00 .. Available from Murphy’s Magic and their Associates…

https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=66677

Review by Rick Carruth for Murphy’s Magic & The Magic Roadshow.