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REMEDIES Playing Cards by Madison x Schneider – A Review

REMEDIES Playing Cards by Madison x Schneider – A Review

Remedies Playing Cards by Madison x Schneider – A Review

This is the Ad Copy:

It’s time to celebrate the USPCC comeback of Daniel Madison. The series of some of the most iconic playing cards continue with the Madison x Schneider Remedies. A reminiscence to the beginning of custom playing cards with a modern twist.

The new look and feel runs through the entire deck. Improved custom pips and indices, new custom faces and details on the Court cards. Daniel Schneider also redesigned Daniel Madison’s iconic King of Diamonds that you see from now on in every new Madison deck.

Packed with hidden secrets and built-in magic tricks, including an Angle Zero gaff and a series of brand new hidden revelations with an incredible quality of stock (and traditionally cut). Madison and Schneider are so proud to present this minimally wonderful weapon of deception.
Manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company
Printed on premium (Bee) crushed paper stock
Traditionally cut
Custom front and back
Angle Zero gaffHidden revelations for your magic routines

My Thoughts:

Playing Cards… you either love ’em, or you don’t. I’m not talking about the public… I’m talking about the pickiest bunch of them all… magicians. REMEDIES are designed for magicians. Let me tell you why…

First.. Daniel Schneider and Daniel Madison were two of the very first to introduce true custom cards to the magic community. Remedies is a great continuation of that tradition.

Second.. I’ve always been a fan of Bee’s. They handled slightly stiffer than Bikes, but I’ve always preferred the linen finish and the way the Bee’s slid together when performing faros. Remedies are printed on the premium Bee crushed stock, I think slightly thinner than original Bee’s, but not enough to matter. They are also traditionally cut and printed by USPCC, a trait I like in all my cards.

I found the edge cut to be slightly rough. That’s not a problem if the edge softens during use.. and my Remedies would faro properly after three or four minutes of faro’s. This shouldn’t be an issue for most of you, but I have several controls that are dependent on my faro.. I have to be able to perform a perfect faro or the deck goes on the shelf. Thankfully, Remedies came through for me.

Most of the court cards are custom made. The King of Diamonds is a redesigned image of Daniel Madison and the other King of Diamonds, yes, there’s two, is Daniel Schneider. The King of Spades is David Blaine, the King of Clubs is David at Magicorthodoxy, and the King of Hearts is a German magician who’s name escapes me. There are several hidden secrets within the court cards, including two Kings holding different cards and an angle zero gaff on the back of an extra nine.

The tuck case is a sharp, minimally designed, box with the raven feather and the black rose, both siymbolic of the Schneider-Madison kinship. Both the feather and rose are white on either a solid red, blue, or green box. The backs of the cards are similar to the case, except with a thin, white border and a dual rose and feather image.. I like it…

Ultimately, you buy cards for their collect ability, and REMEDIES are very collectable.. or you buy cards because you appreciate their feel and handling qualities. The features and design of any deck ARE important, and these cards have that in spades, but I have to be able to say I like how they feel. It’s that simple. That’s why I recommend REMEDIES to all my friends and readers.

$15.00 Available from Murphy’s Magic and their associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=66777

Review by Rick Carruth

The Vault – Card Animations by Patricio Teran – A Review

The Vault – Card Animations by Patricio Teran – A Review

The Vault – Card Animations by Patricio Teran – A Review
Video Download

This is the Ad Copy (short and sweet):

“This is insane! Patricio just changed the game!”
– Hanson Chien

“I can’t tell what l saw is fantasy or reality, maybe both?”
– Hondo Chen

Four ingenious close-up magic animations!

Patricio Teran teaches you step by step how to build your own special cards by applying the concept of the animated card one of the most original animation concepts in magic.

My Thoughts:

OK.. most folks who follow my reviews know I am not a big fan of DIY. I was hesitant to review Card Animations for that very reason. I’m glad I gave it a go, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to review Patricio’s wonderful little video.
(I say ‘little’, but it’s actually over an hour and twenty minutes) .. I couldn’t complain about the DIY aspect though.. as this is a video solely intended on teaching you how to construct four cards that would easily cost you north of eighty bucks if you paid someone to make them for you.

I came in with the notion this would be a flip book (deck) type animation. I was wrong. This is a detailed tutorial showing how to create four different mechanically animated cards.. each with a different premise. If you’ve seen Bob Solari’s mini rising card that rises from a King’s hand then you know what I mean by mechanical. Cards appear.. but they appear from the depths of a card when you decide they appear. maybe from a small slit in the card or from a small envelope that magically appears – with an even smaller card inside. My best advice is to go to the link at the bottom and watch the trailer. This will give you a very accurate idea of what happens.. but it won’t tell you specifics.

This video is not about effects. It is about the props (tools) to make YOUR effects unique. You are left to create your own routines using the cards you build from scratch.. and Patricio teaches you exactly how to build each card from scratch.
When I first opened the video, I couldn’t quite understand how it was going to take 80 minutes to create four cards.. but you are literally walked through each step, in real time, from inception to creation. Everything you need is listed, and almost everything is something you probably have around the house: Scissors, double stick tape, a straight pen, Sharpie, and the one thing you may or may not have.. elastic (silicone) thread.

Everything taught is easily within the skill set of the average guy. Although my hands are not as agile as they once were, there’s noting too hard for me. You need to be able to cut a straight line, lay tape, and cut out a couple of small cards you’ll use for your ‘hidden cards’.

All the production values are typical Murphy’s Magic quality. Sound is a cool jazz-funk as this is a voice-free video. Words aren’t necessary.. fortunately. The video is tight and clear, detailing each aspect. I can’t find nary a thing to complain about..

I recommend CARD ANIMATIONS to all my readers and Roadshow guys. It’s priced very fairly and, if you’ll make the props, is a true bargain. Again, check out the video and you’ll have a good idea of what Patricio can add to YOUR magic. This is great for close-up and walk-around performances and will provide you with a very personal tool that I guarantee will earn you amazing responses.

$19.95 … From Murphy’s Magic and Associates who carry their line.
https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=67762

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

Fire When Ready – John Bannon – A Review

Fire When Ready – John Bannon – A Review

Fire When Ready by John Bannon – A Review

After the bestselling smash hit releases ‘Bullets After Dark’ and ‘Bullet Party’, John Bannon is finally ready to close out his ‘Bullet’ trilogy. The third and final entry is Fire When Ready, a veritable feast of card magic delights. Fueled by Bannon’s inimitable style of easy-to-achieve, yet staggeringly powerful card magic, this is a project you NEED!

Over two packed discs and an immense 180-minute running time, Fire When Ready will arm you with some of the strongest card magic imaginable. From Bannon’s go-to opener for more than a decade ‘Line Of Sight’ to the impossibly clean think of a card ‘Proxy Shock’. The ten featured routines are audaciously constructed and require only the most basic sleight of hand, yet, they are tricks that are destined to be in your arsenal for EVER!

Proxy Shock – They think of a card. The deck is shuffled. It looks like you miss… then BOOM! They realize they were just being set up for the sucker punch.

Rock The ‘Voque – A spectator reads your mind, bit by bit, nailing the card you thought of… and you can prove it!

Mundo – All the impact of ‘Out of This World’, but in a small packet, and with a twist that will fool EVERYONE!

Cut & Run – Produce the four Aces from a deck repeatedly shuffled and cut… by your SPECTATOR! This is a killer utility!

Hybrid Holdout – Your participant shuffles and cuts. Top stock: Controlled?!?

Stealth Aces – A classic Ace Assembly, that combines easy handling with a devious construction!

Big Fat Bluff Aces – John’s hidden gem. This assembly is a showpiece, and features several astonishing kickers, and will leave EVERYONE reeling – laymen and magicians alike!

Blues Alley Jokers – Truly shocking appearance of Jokers sandwiching a selected card.

Clean Out Of Sight – Vernon’s classic gets the Bannon treatment – a spectator shuffles and thinks of a card, without you touching a thing. Then, following the spectator’s intuition, you zero in on a card they’ve genuinely thought of, and never named. BOOM!

Question Zero – A borrowed, shuffled deck. A thought of card. Zero questions, maximum bang for minimal buck!

Line Of Sight – What does John open his card sets with? Line of sight. And you will see why! John teaches all the tips that make this shocking moment of mental card magic work, with the pack in the spectators’ hands.

My Thoughts:

You have to like John Bannon. Oh.. I’m sure there’s someone, somewhere who doesn’t… but some folks don’t like Santa Clause or the Cadbury Bunny either. Regardless, John’s style and timing appeals to my inner magician and I have a preconceived admiration for his work. Perhaps that means I look for the good instead of the bad. So be it….

FIRE WHEN READY is one of a three part series John calls the ‘Bullet’ trilogy. All three have one thing in common: They are a series of fairly rapid fire effects that are extremely practical, never convoluted, and get straight to the point. These are effects that are perfect for that moment when someone wants you to ‘show them something’. You don’t want to drag them, secretly crying and screaming, through a six or seven minute monstrosity.. when you can Bannonize them with a beautifully constructed two or three minute gem that makes them beg for another…

Will I use everything taught on Fire When Ready? No… Like all DVD’s, I have my favorites. (Thank goodness there ARE favorites.) I have four I am rewatching to gather all the specifics I’ll need to add to my performance list. I have one other which I am making a permanent part of my repertoire. I can’t ask for more than that out of a twenty five dollar DVD.

Like many of John’s DVDs, I’ll say this material is on the advanced beginner level. Nothing is really complicated and every move is taught. If you are a beginner, don’t be afraid to make this purchase.. it will help you immensely.

Here’s a list of effects and a few quick thoughts…

Proxy Shock – Uses a Bob Farmer move to switch in a card. A deck is spread and a spec thinks of a card they see. You make a guess, and miss… or do you? Very smooth handling and requires a double undercut and a weave shuffle… both taught.

Rock The Voque – Mental magic effect. Equivoque. Relies on ambiguous instructions and context to reveal a spectator’s mental choice. A Touch force is used like an index. Very Sharp thinking… Another personal favorite.

Mundo – Intuition effect. Small packet version of Out of this World. Spec deals into two piles using the Ace of Spades as a key card. One move .. taught. One of my favorites..

Cut & Run – A nice four Ace assembly. Similar to a Ben Earl effect. A Three pile false cut and a few packet cuts get it done.. Uses a Frank Thompson false cut, which is very simple. Look like a pro on a poor man’s budget.

Stealth Aces – Ace assembly. A false count achieves all the magic. John Carey effect. Very streamline. You WILL do this. Another personal favorite.

Big Fat Bluff Aces – Four Ace effect disguised as an assembly. Uses an Elmsley Count and Jordan Count Exchange. Four Aces turn to four Kings, and the Aces turn up somewhere they shouldn’t.. Nice, visual effect.

Blues Alley Jokers – A Sandwich effect. Jack Carpenter effect. Uses a shift to achieve the end effect.

Clean Out Of Sight – Packet effect.. uses about half of the deck. Relies on spectator ‘intuition’ to find their selected card. Mathematical based. Out of Sight Out of Mind based. Take the time to learn this.. and you’ll have something special.

Question Zero – Regular shuffled deck effect. Spectator picks five cards and remembers highest card. Cards are placed back in deck. Magi uses multiple shift and a swing cut to move the five back to the top. Well taught and only takes a little practice.

Line of Sight – Great premise. Quick and simple. Links back to Dear Mr Fantasy in 2005. Uses a Marlo glimpse and a little finger friction move to achieve the magic. This is based on an Alain Nu premise, and is my favorite effect. Fits right in with what I’m working on.. routine wise.

Line of Sight – Other glimpses. Three other glimpses are taught..

This is over three hours of card magic on one DVD. Everything is exactly what you’d expect from Bigblindmedia. Cameras, lighting and sound are more than adequate. Camera angles are precise and well-placed.

I am recommending FIRE WHEN READY to my friends and readers. This is sort of a no-brainer…

$25.00 From Murphy’s Magic and their associates..
https://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=65048

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

What Michael Carbonaro was like before all the Fame

What Michael Carbonaro was like before all the Fame

LOOPER just published a very informative article by Jane Harkness on the early life of Michael Carbonaro.. Read it…
Magicians might not have real powers, but their skill at sleight of hand tricks can make you wonder if they’ve tapped into Michael Carbonaro in The Carbonaro Effectsomething otherworldly. And since 2014, Michael Carbonaro has been creating illusions on The Carbonaro Effect, making bystanders question where the line between fantasy and reality really lies. As a professional magician, he can make the impossible seem possible.
There aren’t many famous magicians out there, so fans might be curious about how Carbonaro got his start. As it turns out, Carbonaro has always had a passion for creating illusions. His love of special effects, his personal struggles, and his family have all informed his craft, helping him create a truly entertaining TV show. But what was the man like before he stepped in front of a camera? And how has he changed over the course of his career? Well, prepare yourself for some incredible facts and impressive illusions as we find out what Michael Carbonaro’s life was like before all the fame.  READ MORE…