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OPENERS AND CLOSERS 3 – A Review

OPENERS AND CLOSERS 3 – A Review

OPENERS AND CLOSERS 3
Paul Lelekis

Triumphs, invisible thread, invisible decks, change bags, nail writers, and almost impromptu mental magic… it’s all in Paul’s OPENERS AND CLOSERS 3. This book has a very decidedly mentalism / mental magic flavor.. which was fine with me, as I love to mess with people’s minds. Paul has also included videos and an abundance of photos in this edition, which is also fine with me, as I am a very visual guy.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is… I thoroughly enjoyed volume 3 of the Openers and Closers series. Paul’s writing ranks up there with the best of them, and his explanations ARE the best.
The 21 Card ESP Trick alone is worth the price. I am very partial to effects that look like big dollar effects and perform almost automatic. I literally went to bed last night playing this effect over and over in my mind and imagining how my fellow magicians will react when I perform it.

Writing about card tricks and magic in general is not extremely difficult. There’s a proverbial ton of material out there to offer fodder for the cause.. But writing about magic in a way that’s inspiring and insightful is very difficult.. and that’s why I respect Paul’s third contribution to the OPENERS & CLOSERS series.

(The parentheses are my thoughts on Paul’s descriptions..).

INTRODUCTION – An opener does NOT have to be a trick!
( Paul offers some seriously funny advice on winning your audience over at the start of your performance. Getting their support and earning their confidence is SO important, and cannot be underestimated.. You’ll learn a little biker humor along the way too.. )

The 21 Card ESP Trick – Show your version of the 21 Card Trick…but you seem to have goofed up! Then you not only deal out one card only, face down, but you also know the name of selection!
( This reminds me so much of an effect you would expect to find in Giobbi’s ‘Card College’ or Scarne’s ‘Scarne on Card Tricks’ – Very efficient, very rewarding and very much a mystery to your audience. There is NO sleight of hand, but you will fool the socks off your spectators..)

Above & Beyond – Three classics of magic combined into one fantastic card trick!
(Based on a Stewart James classic.. modified by three fellow magicians, and combined into a wonderful, sleight less effect by Paul. Above & Beyond does need a false shuffle or two, but I’m sure you guys can pull that off! Another effect you can add to your repertoire right away..)

Voodoo Reversal of Fortune – Here’s an EXCELLENT trick with the Invisible Deck!
( If you can manipulate an Invisible Deck.. you can perform Paul’s original effect with ease. Not only will you learn a convincer and a simple psychological factoid, you will also learn a cool move Paul teaches with an included video..)

Reading a Thought – Here’s is the REAL method for using a Nail-Writer and two different ways to reveal the thought-of selection!
( Not much I can add to this description.. Paul discloses HOW he uses a nail writer to fool his spectator. If you’ve ever used this extremely powerful weapon then you already understand the power. All the psychological aspects are discussed and explained..)

Invisible Thread Ideas – A 5-page treatise on the use and handling of Invisible Thread!
( This is a highly informative tutorial on the intricacies of invisible thread. If you’re afraid of invisible thread, welcome to the majority. It’s my personal experience the only guys swearing by IT are the guys who use it regularly… and they are probably NOT anxious for you to read Paul’s thoughts. He talks about floating bills, napkins, playing cards, and other inanimate objects like glasses and silverware. Paul also includes his thoughts on sellers of IT and the best thread to use. Good, solid thoughts.. )

See-Through Change Bag – Construct you own change bag for pennies and make it in 5 minutes.
( Not trying to direct you too far away from card magic, this is an ideal compliment to your routine, that will allow you to add a bit of mental magic to your already-stellar act. You can create this, as Paul aptly notes, in minutes. The KISS principle personified…)

A Quickie Triumph – Explain to the audience how difficult it is to practice when you drop the cards all the time. Make the cards “right themselves” in a flash…except the selection!
( You’ll need a couple of not-too-difficult sleights to complete this effect. Paul includes a video of Steve Draun’s Midnight Shift to make the process very do-able for even beginners. I am a big fan of Triumph, and this version has the impact… without the mess..)

This is the final version of Paul’s three part Openers & Closers. I think this one might be my favorite. I’m partial to mental magic and this ebook includes several very nice effects that are ideal for any skill level. The most productive $10.00 investment you’ll make in your magic this summer. Openers & Closers 3 will be available for sale at Lybrary.com on 7/24/17..

http://www.lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

(Reviewed by R.Carruth for the Magic Roadshow..)

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ECLECTICA – A Review

ECLECTICA – A Review

ECLECTICA – John Carey
Murphy’s Magic

ECLECTICA is just that… a thorough mix of many different effects with cards… mostly. John Carey likes to take a simple premise and turn it into a clever effect with sleights most beginners find very learnable. Yes, there are a few flustration counts and color changes.. but nothing beyond the neophyte.

Personally, I grew up on this type magic. My first ‘real’ magic book was Scarne On Card Tricks, and Scarne went to great lengths to make the effect simple while maintaining a certain integrity. Mr Carey does the same, buy isn’t afraid to make you work a little if the end result is worth it.

I appreciate that he keeps everything relatively simple. Card magic shouldn’t be difficult -if- there’s a way to perform the sleight without breaking your wrist. John manages to include 15 effects in the space normally required for 7 or 8 numbing effects. I don’t have a problem with this, as I don’t need someone to explain in detail all the subtle and psychological moves of every aspect of a trick. Just show me how you do it and let me find my way.

If I have anything on the negative side to say about John Carey.. its that he’s too nice. Watching Eclectica is like watching that wonderful painter, Bob Ross. No, his paintings don’t hang in the Louvre, and snoddy painters make fun of his simplicity.. But Bob Ross is a genius at entertaining his audience. My problem with watching Bob is his style and manner is expressive and genuine, but his soft voice will lull you into a blissful state if you aren’t careful. Ditto for John…

The DVD runs 1 hour and 48 minutes, which is ample time for everything. I hope I haven’t given the impression John rushes through the effects, sacrificing quantity over quality. That’s not the case. Most of the effects run about three minutes and the explanations about 5 minutes. Here’s a little summary of the contents…

Backs to the Wall – Based on a Dai Vernon effect.. A deck with all backs turns into a regular deck…

Ensemble – A spectator makes a number of fair choices amid much shuffling, and yet somehow manages to pick the four Aces. John demonstrates a painless method of culling the Aces.

Three Phase Dailey – Another one based on a Dai Vernon effect. Sort of a cross between Vernon, Larry Jennings, and David Blaine. If you can perform a double lift, a flustration count, and a double turnover.. you’re good to go.

Mental Sandwich – A card mentally selected by a spectator ends up sandwiched between two jokers in the middle of the deck. Nice JK Hartman sleight makes the magic possible.

Sent and Received – Based on Vernon’s Emotional Reaction. Super simple bit of mental magic that can be mastered in minutes.

Top, Middle and Bottom – This is the rare effect that uses a duplicate card to read the spectator’s mind. Then, a surprising revelation completes the effect.

Slow Motion Triumph – For the packet trick fans amongst you. A little fancy dealing produces a very convincing triumph.

Telekinetic – A nice production of a selected card upside down in the deck. There is more to it than a simple reveal, and makes you quite the mystery man. One of the more difficult effects.. but well worth the effort.

Splitsville – An opener that resembles a series of mis-adventures by the performer suddenly turns into a four Ace production. Not difficult, but does require a simple setup.

Homage To Bannon – Bannon performed a little ditty called Fat City. This is John’s version. It’s quick and easy and includes a nice paint brush move to bring two Jokers into play.

Whispers – Several basic moves make the magic possible. John teaches a couple of very efficient multiple card forces, including one from Bannon that looks really good.

Assisted Ambitions – Sort of an Ambition effect meets a four Aces production. A few double turnovers certainly go a long ways.

Invisible Interlude – Very simple moves, a couple of large coins, and a deck of cards are all that’s needed to make you look like ‘Bobo meets Bannon’…

Two’s Company And..? Sponge Balls anyone? John teaches a very intriguing sponge ball routine featuring moves by some heavyweights of magic, including a beautiful move by Martin Gardner.

One Card And One Thought – Two spectators complete the magic in this effect inspired by Al Leech. Not difficult to perform and perfect for couples or best friends…

I would recommend ECLECTICA to anyone wanting to add a few effects to their walk-around or table hopping routine. There’s something here for everyone…

$30.00 from dealers carrying the Murphy’s Magic line of products…

https://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=57191

Reviewed by Rick Carruth..

ONLY SLIGHTLY SLEIGHTLY – A Review

ONLY SLIGHTLY SLEIGHTLY – A Review

ONLY SLIGHTLY SLEIGHTLY – DVD
$26.95
Murphy’s Magic

Ryan Schultz is a creator of card tricks. Not just card tricks.. but tricks that require a minimum of sleights. This is much easier said than done. Unfortunately, many simple card tricks are obviously simple card tricks, and fail to fool even the uninformed spectator who has never seen a Youtube video.. The standard for ‘self working’ card tricks has changed, and Ryan is one of the performers at the very forefront. Today, there is a huge market for sleight-free card magic, or something very close to it, and Ryan has published two prior DVD’s paving the way for his latest. ‘Miracles Without Moves’ and ‘Effortless Effects’, his earlier DVD’s were both best sellers.

So much has to happen to make a simple trick appear complex. Patter isn’t enough, and math won’t carry you over the threshold. It takes a combination of complexity and psychology, particularly handling by the spectator to alleviate the possibility of sleight of hand. Ryan covers all the basis. Everything on Only Slightly Sleightly is designed to happen, to an extent, in the spectators hand or as a result of a decision by the spectator. All the psychological moves are there too, to convince the spectator(s) all is fair.

I feel if you are a fan of simpler magic, and if you want several effects that simultaneously tic every box and entertain your audience… ‘Only Slightly Sleightly’ will do just that. In all fairness, these are NOT instant effects. You WILL have to put forth a little time and effort to learn the handling of all the effects. Thankfully, the ‘handling’ doesn’t involve busted knuckles and endless hours of practice.

To quote Murphy’s Magic:

“The focus of the tricks on Only Slightly Sleighty is giving your audience the feeling that THEY have control of everything. Ryan has honed and refined these routines with the implicit target of making the audience feel like they have made every decision. Because if THEY made decisions, then the tricks truly ARE magic! It’s a masterclass in audience control and relaxed misdirection. You’ll have a lot of fun performing these routines, and you WILL fool people!”

Features:

Future Card – A card is fairly selected and placed in the case.. a business card and 2 selections reveal the identity of this card.. Everything seems very fair and perplexing.

Shuffles Therapy – Ryan provides two versions of this effect, a gaffed card version and a borrowed deck version.. A spectators card is found in a random way

Long Way Out – Ryan teaches a Derrick Dingle move that makes the magic possible .. I really like this move, and intend to spend ample time learning and perfecting.

Any Card To Any Sum – All the cards in one pile total the sum of cards in another pile.. plus a revelation. There are no moves to achieve the magic. Maybe my favorite effect on the DVD..

Magic Camp – Three spectators each find a preselected card after a complex series of deals and shuffles. A very good display of discovery..

We Do As We Do – This is a ‘do as I do’ effect where each participant finds the other’s card.

Plus, a very useful bonus section on how to use Pencil Dots and Edge Marking to expand your skillset and add a very special tool to your magical armory…

I recommend ‘Only Slightly Sleightly’ if you tend to favor self working magic. This DVD is available through dealers who carry the Murphy’s Magic line of magic DVD’s and effects…

http://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=59203

Review by Rick Carruth

TAC-TIC-AL – A Review

TAC-TIC-AL – A Review

The MagicWorld Creative Team has introduced an effect perfect as an opener or an ice breaker. Either a miniature deck of cards -or- a box of Tic Tack mints can be displayed.. and with a toss from one hand to the other, transformed into a full sized deck of cards.

The change is sudden.. and there are no wires, pulls, reels or lapping used to complete the transformation. The item is displayed in one hand, and with a simple toss to the other hand, changes into the Bicycles. The magic happens before the spectator has time to realize you’re about to fool them badly…

I like the idea of using TAC-TIC-AL as an opener because of its sudden action. It’s easy to gage from the response whether you’re in the presence of friends or foes. Lets face it.. not every spectator responds positively to your performance or your offer to perform. TAC-TIC-AL allows you to determine with a glance whether you should continue or politely move on. This in itself makes it a valuable tool in your arsenal.

TAC-TIC-AL uses a gimmick, supplied, that makes the magic possible. Actually, two gimmicks are supplied.. based on whether you want to transform the mints or the miniature deck. You will need to furnish your own deck of red or blue Bicycles, which shouldn’t be a problem. You will also need a small amount of invisible thread, furnished, to make the gimmick functional. The thread is NOT attached to your body, but is only needed in a completely self-working fashion, explained in the video. I’m not a big fan of thread in my performances.. but the use of thread in this performance is both innocuous and innocent.

The teaching method is via video.. and the link and password are supplied. The video runs about 21 minutes and is posted online. There’s nothing to download.. which is a pet peeve of mine when I DO have to download an instructional video. The sound and lighting are both very functional. There are windows behind the team and, as they are recording at night, car lights are an annoyance.. but not to the point where it would affect my ability to learn. There are also two different camera angles, which add a nice variety.

You are taught several different variations of TAC-TIC-AL. There are different ways of ‘tossing’ the deck to complete the transformation. Once the basic initial setup is complete, which should take a couple of minutes, you are good to go. I can see the typical beginner learning all the necessary handling in minutes. Although it’s not actually self-working, it’s very close, with a minimum of effort on your part.

My only problem with TAC-TIC-AL is, like many transformations, it’s angle sensitive. It’s not something you’re going to perform for a room full of people.. although there is an alternative handling that ‘almost’ takes care of this shortcoming. The angle isn’t a big problem because the spectator doesn’t know what’s coming. You can approach a spectator, or three, and ‘tacticalize’ them before they have time to ‘analyze’ you.

If you’re into close up, walk around and table hopping I would recommend TAC-TIC-AL. It’s a great little ice breaker that garners your spectators immediate attention and opens the door for your other effects. Again, it’s one of many tools that working magicians should carry in their toolbox.

Available at all magic retailers that carry the Murphy’s Magic line of products..  $29.95
(Available with Red or Blue Bicycle backs)

www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=59248

(Review by Rick Carruth)

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