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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

The Vault – BOX CLEVER – by James Brown – A Review

The Vault – BOX CLEVER – by James Brown – A Review

The Vault – BOX CLEVER – by James Brown – A Review
Video Download

This is the Ad Copy:

The best card under box routine you have ever seen!

A freely chosen card, which can be signed, vanishes from the deck multiple times, appearing under the card case, inside the card case and finally the entire deck jumps into the case! ALL DONE WHILST THE SPECTATOR IS HOLDING THE CARD CASE! This is the kind of routine that gets more impossible with each phase and the closer they watch!

A master class in misdirection that is surprisingly easy to do!

My Thoughts:

James is a very well-known magician from the South of England. He has been awarded, among other things, The Magic Circle close-up magician of the year… which is quite the big deal. His style of magic is best described as a cross between close-up magic, hypnosis and pickpocketing, all presented in a humorous and casual manner.

I have not reviewed other effects by James for Murphy’s.. so I didn’t know for sure what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised…

BOX CLEVER really is a type of master class on misdirection. After a card is selected by a spectator, it strangely appears under a card box in the spectator’s hand. Somehow, after being placed back in the deck, the card again appears under the card box. Then, it’s place BACK in the deck.. and this time it appears inside the card box. After one last go-around, the card is the (apparently) only card in the magicians hand.. and the rest of the deck is now revealed to be in the card box.

Everything is achieved through smart misdirection and a very clever one-ahead. There are NO gaffs or props. Everything is strictly above board and is a very, as the name implies, ‘clever’ use of misdirection. I had to watch the video a couple of times to see what I knew was happening.

There are a couple of sleights.. but nothing beyond the average magician. James does utilize a side steal to get a card to the top.. but you can achieve the same action by simply bringing a card to the top using your favorite method. Also, there’s a time or two when you present two cards as one. That’s basically it…. James details his side steal.. if you need it.. and explains everything in detail.

I encourage you to go to Murphy’s site and watch a four minute video of a live performance… a FULL performance with nothing left as an added surprise for the buyers. The video tutorial itself is well-filmed and runs about fourteen and a half minutes. Box Clever is available as an instant download, and you can start learning immediately.

This effect is well worth the cost.. particularly if you are a walk-around or table hopping guy (or lady). It’s VERY strong.. and something you WILL use, over and over, for years to come.

$10.00 .. Available from Murphy’s Magic and their Associates.

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=69223

Review by Rick Carruth

The Boy Who Cried Magic by Andi Gladwin – A Review

The Boy Who Cried Magic by Andi Gladwin – A Review

The Boy Who Cried Magic by Andi Gladwin – A Review

This is the Ad Copy:

After spending a decade producing more than 100 magic books for some of the biggest magicians in the industry, Andi Gladwin is finally releasing his own book. And it is quite possibly the most highly-anticipated book of the year!

While Andi has released numerous effects and many popular lectures, this is the first time he has ever compiled his very best card magic routines into one comprehensive magic book. Each of the 16 full routines and 15 sleights featured in this book have been carefully crafted over a lifetime of performing for every type of audience in every type of venue.

There is something for every card magician in this incredible book from Andi’s amazing rapid-fire multiple selection routine known as “Fireworks” to his powerful thought-of cards across, super commercial “Whack your Phone Effect” and even a practical Triumph routine where the audience helps you mix the cards.

There’s also, of course, plenty of material for the most dedicated sleight of hand card magicians, including 15 techniques such as his full work on the Master Pushoff, new moves such as the UnDo Cut and UnDo Shuffle, and a unique take on the Braue Popup that you’re going to want to add directly into your Ambitious Card routine.

Beyond its remarkable contents, The Boy Who Cried Magic is quite possibly the most beautiful book Vanishing Inc. has ever produced. This breathtaking hardback book features 250 pages and 240 full color photos, all printed on premium glossy paper. The addition of a gorgeous slipcase will make this book stand out on your shelf.

“The Boy Who Cried Magic is a perfect magic book, written by the best writer in magic. The tricks are world-class performance pieces, and the book itself is stunning. Every magician should own it!”
– Dynamo

“The Boy Who Cried Magic is one of the most beautifully-designed magic books in recent memory. It looks and feels like something you’d find in an art bookstore. As for the magic, Andi Gladwin’s Undo Cut is a highly deceptive false cut that is going straight into my act.”
– Steve Cohen

My Thoughts:

The Boy Who Cried Magic is Andi Gladwin’s first book of magic. It must be quite a challenge to be in Andi’s shoes and know your first publication sets a bar at such an impossible height. I don’t know if he is considering a second book, but personally, I’d have to set a spell and soak in all the wonderful reviews of my first one.

This was a much-anticipated publication by a highly respected performer.. and it met all the expectations. Everything from the effects, to the cover, binding, pages, super sharp photos and slip cover coalesced to create a masterful product.

The book features 16 complete effects/routines and 15 sleights in a total of 250 glossy pages. ( I constantly felt as if I were turning two pages..) The 240 color pictures by James Went and George Luck jump off the pages.. creating a complete visual to match Andi’s narrative. I could go on and on about the book.. but I think you get the point.. There are absolutely no cut corners and no expenses spared publishing Andi’s first book. As the publisher of over one hundred books and ebooks for other magicians, Andi knew exactly what he wanted.. and how to achieve it.

The first chapter of TBWCM is a treatise titled Making Magic Bulletproof. It is an essay of thoughts and tips from the author.. detailing Be Clear, Remove Abruptness, Be Authentic, Be Adaptable, Create Conversation and Adapt To It, Overlap Methods and, lastly.. Study. These are strong thoughts from a full-time professional.

The effects are Andi’s. These are effects he uses throughout his performances and are corralled through hundreds of performances over twenty plus years. These are not add-ons or submissions from other performers. These are all directly from his repertoire. To quote: “My repertoire didn’t appear overnight. It’s impossible to see when you look at the finished product, but every effect in this book has gone through dozens of late-night sessions and incremental improvements. I lost hair over these tricks.”

Andi’s book is all about card tricks, moves, and effects. No close-up, no coins, no thump tips.. and one cell phone. These effects are not beginner effects, and anyone purchasing this book who doesn’t possess at least a good, basic knowledge of cardmanship will probably be lost after the first effect. Everything is not super-complicated.. but it’s not beginner magic either. Andi takes a great deal of time to explain several of the sleights he uses, giving everyone ample opportunity to follow.. exactly as Andi would have it. He never tries to get ahead of readers.

Undo Cut, Undo Shuffle and Cull Shuffle Control are all good examples of some of the sleights taught. Cut, Stop, Shuffle, Red/Black To The Future, and Castle Jacks are all some of the ‘At the Card Table’ effects. Whack Your Phone, Monte Python, and Pocket Mule are three of my favorite ‘Close-Up’ card effects. And Silent Movie, Supersonic, and Aura are three of the five ‘Stand-Up’ card effects taught.

Each effect is detailed. The performance and handling are highlighted, along with any and all credits. Much work was put into describing the history of each effect, its first cousins, and Andi’s contribution to its advancement.

I could get into describing the various effects individually.. but I don’t think it’s going to matter. These are first-class routines, made available to anyone willing to part with fifty bucks. The cost is totally justified in all aspects. One of the effects alone is probably worth the cost of the book. Thought Experiment.. based on Edward G. Brown’s ‘ Twelve Card Thought Transposition’, can’t be described as an ‘effect’, but more appropriately a ‘study’ of what Andi considers to be the ‘best structured card trick of all time..’. “One sleight makes a genuinely thought-of card appear to travel across the room and you don’t need to know the name of that card.”

.. And this is only one of the 16 effects.

If you truly desire to immerse yourself in a tangent and intimate world of card magic, THE BOY WHO CRIED MAGIC is your elixir.

$50.00 .. Available at Murphy’s Magic and their Associates..

https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=66402

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

The Vault – Distant Assembly – by Alejandro Navas – A Review

The Vault – Distant Assembly – by Alejandro Navas – A Review

The Vault – Distant Assembly by Alejandro Navas – A Review

This is the Ad Copy:

Alejandro Nava’s brings us an Incredible Aces Assembly effect that happens in the spectators own hands!
Three of the Aces disappear from the spectator hands and reappear with the selected Ace in an impossible location even with the spectator’s on the other side of the world.

You can perform this:

– On virtual and live performances
– To more than one spectator at the same time
– With or without gimmicks

Once you see the power of this effect, Distant Assembly will stay in your repertoire forever!

My Thoughts:

There’s no way to deny the emergence of virtual performances. A recent article in a major publication declared virtual magic is here to stay.. regardless of when we once again revive live performances. I can’t argue with that…

Alejandro Navas, creator of The Evolution Project and Evolution Project 2, is one of the foremost innovators of interactive card magic. Both of the above projects feature several different effects for live or zoom presentations. DISTANT ASSEMBLY is an individual effect that requires somewhat more instructions.. and, I assume, the decision was made to offer it as a stand-alone effect. I certainly don’t have a problem with that…

I have sought out virtual effects for months. I meet online with friends every two weeks and am constantly looking for something I hope will give them reason to pause and ask.. ‘..how the hello did you do that?’. So far, I feel I’m batting .000 with my magical buddies. I did get an ‘ooh’ or ‘ahh’ once.. but I think they just felt sorry for me.

Thank goodness for DISTANT ASSEMBLY…

I will say, up front, this is the BEST virtual effect I’ve seen in my months of looking. There is a psychological aspect to this effect that will fool the dickens out of 95% of all magicians AND the general public. I am going to recommend this effect to any and all readers of my reviews and the Magic Roadshow. It’s a $15.00 download.. and worth every penny.

What happens is this… The magi takes four aces out of his deck. The audience, also equipped with their own deck, does the same. The Aces are laid out in a certain order and the audience follows suit. The cards are put face-down on top of each Ace. After a brief series of moves, the magi and the audience each place an Ace and three random cards under their .. uh.. derriere. Now, the other three packets, which were each shown to contain an Ace, are all shown to now contain random cards only. Finally, the Ace and three odd cards under your rear end are revealed to be all Aces. This not only happens for the magi.. but for the spectators as well. Because of a number of convincers along the way, this final outcome appears impossible.

The instructional video runs just over 21 minutes.. and includes a full performance and detailed instructions. I’m not going to say this is a perfect video.. but it is well suited to present one effect. The sound is slightly unsteady, but not annoying. Camera angles of the audience members could have been more inclusive of their hands, but this is remedied before videos end.

Three gaff cards are needed. You may already have them. If not, you can easily make your own with cards and glue (or double face tape). Despite the magi using three gaffs, the audience doesn’t need anything other than a regular deck to achieve their magic. One thing about virtual.. you can get away with these home-made gaffs rather easily on camera..

Again, I think this is a very unique effect. The affect on the audience WILL be dramatic. I don’t normally go all in on a single effect.. but I think this one is worth it.

Check out the video demo on Murphy’s Magic site to get a better idea of how it plays out… (You’ll see a number of big name performers, like Dynamo and Dani DaOrtiz, who have some very good comments about DISTANT ASSEMBLY..)

$15.00 .. Available as an instant download from Murphy’s Magic and their associates
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=69655

Review by Rick Carruth