Sense-Sational, Ryan Schlutz

And the award for most aptly named trick of 2011 goes to.. American magician Ryan Schlutz! 

This is possibly one the sloppiest looking effects Vanishing Inc have ever released, but that is also the exact same reason why this is one of the store's best card effects!

In brief, three cards are haphazardly selected in an incredibly fair manner, the selections are then revealed with equal fairness alongside a 'senses' presentation, this is strong! The method/s used combine a mixed array of old, underground techniques & choreographs them beautifully with a loose handling & off hands approach to make all of these ploys almost invisible (even when in the know!) & magician fooling! 

As the margin for any suspicious actions is near non-existent, the presentation lends itself perfectly to really mystify the spectators & convince them that your demonstrating a true feat of sensory perception. In the performance clip (probably due to time constraints) each card is found reasonably quickly but there is huge opportunity to really slow each revelation down & create a memorable finale.

So above are the pros, how about cons.. well for such a great trick it feels mean to fine comb & point out what are only minor points, but as a rounded review it's only fair that you know (without exposing) exactly what your money gets you. Depending on your skill level & performance intention these points might be irrelevant. Firstly the amount of table space needed isn't regularly available in a table hoppers environment. Secondly the trick isn't 100% impromptu as you'll need a set-up, however it's really quite minimal & easily achievable for experienced card guys to attain on the fly.

Overall a first class effect, I'm looking forward to using this one, thanks Ryan! Highly recommended.

Available at http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-downloads/card-magic-downloads/sense-sational/

The Rose Project, Adam Rose

Reviewed by Tom Denton.


"The Rose Project" is the debut release from the eponymous Adam Rose, and is another project from the guys at Bedeceived. If you read my review of their product "Gone", then you'll be aware that I concluded that maybe they were a bit hasty in getting material released before it was fully developed.

There is no such issue with "The Rose Project", however. From the performances, and the detailed explanations, I can well believe that Adam has worked the four effects in the real world.

The first effect, “Roses Wild”, is a simple, direct card effect in which a joker changes successively to two previously selections. Yes, I know, it's not the most original premise in the world, and most magicians will have been able to reverse-engineer it from the performances. What I like about it, however, is Adam's explanation of the reasons to perform an effect of this type as an opener, in terms of creating visual impact, and drawing spectators in.

Next up is “Gummy Corner”. This is basically a transposition of a piece of chewing gum with a torn-off corner of a card. Again, nothing magician-fooling, and, to be honest, having chewing gum in your mouth isn't a good fit for a lot of performing environments. So, this isn't for everyone. It's a simple piece of direct magic, however, which could work well in apparently impromptu settings.

Then, we have “Soft Spot”, a penetration of a balloon with a piece of chewing gum. As with the last trick, the inclusion of chewing gum isn't going to work for more formal performance spaces, but, as with the other effects the method is simple, direct, and gets the job done without any complicated sleights.

The final trick is “Debit”. This is a transposition of a driver's licence with a debit card. Of course, it doesn't have to be those specifically, but basically any kind of card which you might have in your wallet. There's some preparation which may not be practical for some performers, but, with a bit of ingenuity, I'm sure most people will be able to find a way.

Overall, Adam has created a set of simple, easy tricks which anyone can perform without too much work. Would anyone want to though? I have to stress these are very, very simple and basic effects, and I wouldn't recommend this DVD to anyone except beginners. I would suggest that for a young magician, still at school, these tricks are perfect, though. Adam goes into enough detail in the explanations that it should start inspiring your own creations, and his elimination of any complicated sleights is definitely a plus.


Available at http://bedeceived.com/launched/shop/effects/the-rose-project/

Noted, Gary Jones (Video Review)

Reviewed by Sam Fitton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5IgPr04Uc

The Light, Chris Congreave (Video Review)

Reviewed by Sam Fitton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5IgPr04Uc

Creation Change, Justin Miller

Latest release to land in the MRB mail box is Justin Miller's Creation Change. I almost always enjoy what I see from Justin & this is no exception!

The appearance of this change is very clean, open & magical & can be used for one or two cards - which always succeeds to fry!

In theory the mechanics are simple but I'd say this will require a fair bit of practice to get JM smooth. There are however several types of handling taught so you'll be able to find the one which suits you best.

The teaching is clear, to the point & Justin covers a lot of different questions you might have in mind. So all in all a great download for an awesome change. Recommended.

Corner & Exposure, Cameron Francis

Yet again I've had the pleasure of watching material from the CRAZY mind of Cameron Francis!

This is Cameron's debut release with masters of cinematic gloss & swish production Paper Crane Magic! So together you can only imagine the type of explosion this dynamite must create - except you don't, because I've seen it on behalf of your eyes & here is the review!

'Corner' is a wonderfully shocking effect that's so strong it has to be magic.. well at least in the spectators mind. In short, a card is selected & placed in the card box, the magi pretends to feel vibrations & read your mind naming aloud the card, seems impressive until you show that you've actually cut out a corner of the tuck case allowing you to sneak a peek at the card, jokes aside you then lose the card back into the pack & visually cause it to appear in the empty case - facilitated by the cut out corner so your audience can see the exact moment it arrives.

This is such a brilliant commercial effect - visual, entertaining, strong sense of magic & spec can keep their signed card! The method is no turn off either, a little bit of 'paper crane' prep involved with the box but all very straight forward & expertly taught.

Next up 'Exposure', I'm sure you've seen the trailer but just to recap (in brief) an indifferent card is folded & stapled - note, you can fairly see the face of the indifferent card! This folded/stapled card is trapped in the spec's hands & with a bit of byplay you reveal that inside their own hands the card (still folded/stapled) has changed into their signed card!

This is obviously a strong commercial effect & the presentational ploy of using a stapler really enhances the strength of the impact - as shown in live performances. The method is simply fantastic! So clever! I don't even need to say anymore, you won't be disappointed.

As well as the tricks, Cameron's animated, comedic style makes the whole download fun to watch as well as enjoyable to learn from.

I'm not usually a fan of effects which require you to sacrifice a card but every so often something comes along which is too good to miss, these are two of them! Highly recommended.

Available at http://www.papercranemagic.com/cornerexposure.htm

Out Of Hand, Kyle MacNeil

I recently received this charming little ebook from one of the UK's younger creators Kyle MacNeil.

Up for grabs is an inventive set, seven to precise of (almost all) self-working effects that are designed to give the spectator all the adulation. 

There are a few tricks which use double facers, dupes etc which don't suit my impromptu style, but like the non-gaffed effects they're all workable routines with some neat ideas to inspire your own creativity.

To note a few of my highlights,'Spec does the sandwich' is a cool hands off effect which contains so many nice elements plus a kicker, I've already started using this one! 

'Bi-predicto' exploits the design of the Bicycle card box, a prop which we naturally carry around so these types of tricks are always welcomed, clever thinking creates an entertaining premise.

'Godly transposition' is a brilliant transpo thats staged in the specs hand & happens face up! Sounds impossible, but is actually very simple, worth checking out.

So there we have it, a short review for a short set of notes, but as we all know it's not the size that matters! Recommended.

Available at http://www.lybrary.com/out-of-hand-p-116528.html