ON-LINE MAGIC REVIEWS
Worst
Magic Tricks
An enjoyable collection of crap. I do not regret buying any of this stuff; smiles are always around the corner.
Proudly featuring (most recent on top):
HN
Magic Review 118: Shocking – Vincenzo Ravina
HN
Magic Review 116: A Ghost on the Table – T. Everett Bookings, III
HN
Magic Review 115: Zinger – Meir Yedid
HN
Magic Review 110: The Self Levitation video/DVD – Ed Balducci /
Michael Maxwell
HN Magic Review 93: Super Neck Cracker (Bone Crusher) – Tom Burgoon
HN Magic Review 90: Liquidizer – Klamm the Magic Man
HN Magic Review 85: Altered States – David Regal
HN Magic Review 83: Coin Holder – Tannen Magic
HN Magic Review 74: Clipped – John T. Sheets
HN Magic Review 65: Linking rubber bands – George Murray / Norm Nielsen
HN Magic Review 53: EM Pocket Charger – Mark Allen
HN Magic Review 45: Pocket Levitator – Andrew Mayne
HN Magic Review 42: Universal Holder - Alexander de Cova
HN Magic Review 28: ImMAKulate Ring Flight – MAK Magic
HN Magic Review 16: How to Perform Impromptu Levitations DVD / videotape – Docc Hilford
HN Magic Review 15: Zero Gravity – Mike Bent
HN Magic Review 11: Excalibur gimmick – Daniel Miraskill
HN Magic Review 4: Compact Key – Marvoyant
HN Magic Review 3: The Eighth Maneuver – Luke Jermay
[ CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL REVIEWS (PDF Ebook)]
[CLICK HERE TO BE INFORMED ABOUT NEW REVIEWS (free Newsletter)]
HN
Magic Review 118: Shocking – Vincenzo Ravina
AD:
21
easy-to-do tricks designed to shock your spectators into screams. You'll learn
how to:
Shocking
by Vincenzo Ravina - Tricks to Make People Scream!!
REVIEW:
A
“shocking” booklet, no discussion about it. And it made me scream indeed,
but not for reasons foreseen by the author.
Writing
a review of this one is like stealing candies from a kid in a coma. Poorly
written, ridiculously produced (a few stapled photocopies), worn out effects,
unacceptable lack of credits (and crediting Jim Pace for The
Web or Mac King for the Fork in the eye WAS easy!!)
This
is MUCH worse than the average Andrew Mayne’s geek book.
OVERALL
RATING: rubbish
HN
Read/post comments:
HN
Magic Review 116: A Ghost on the Table – T. Everett Bookings, III
AD:
Just in time for
Halloween, I've decided to release my close-up GHOST hunt routine. This is
specifically designed for the restaurant worker who wants to have something
"spooky" to entertain people with. Now here is the truth so no one
gets upset. This is a three page manuscript so it may look thin for the price,
but it's not! It features 3 of my favorite effects that move fast and it only
takes you about 20 minutes to prepare enough "props" to perform it
twenty or thirty times in an evening. You can pace the performance to run from 5
to 10 minutes depending on your style. This is not "heavy" but fun
spooky! Plus it includes one of the most upfront requests for a big tip ever
known.
If you want something different to increase your income then order
"A GHOST ON THE
TABLE!"
REVIEW:
A
couple of A4 pages with an age-old idea (the ghost key), and a childish
presentation (from Magick). This one wouldn’t fool a drunk grandpa in the
terminal stage of a combined Alzheimer/Parkinson disease.
OVERALL
RATING: outrageous
HN
Read/post comments:
HN
Magic Review 115: Zinger – Meir Yedid
AD:
A
quick, simple and direct prediction using a handful of coins.
Three
coins are placed on the table or in a spectator's hand and a prediction coin is
placed in your fist. A spectator freely selects any of the three coins. When you
open your fist the prediction coin matches perfectly!
No
extra coins, no switches, no forces. Very easy to learn and almost works itself.
Comes
complete with the necessary gaff and photo-illustrated instructions. Use your
own coins.
REVIEW:
Take
a simple (and somewhat lousy) Max Maven effect (I think he was still called Phil
Goldstein back then), add a gimmick, reduce its impact, and there
you go, you have your Zinger 10 years later.
Good old Meir Yedid...
OVERALL
RATING: litter
HN
Read/post comments:
HN
Magic Review 110: The Self Levitation video/DVD – Ed Balducci / Michael
Maxwell
AD:
The
Balducci Levitation has become one of the most popular levitations in magic. All
the real work on how to make it look magical and impossible is taught on this
DVD. The original video release of this product made it one of the best selling
videos on the market. Includes ideas by Ed Balducci, Mike Maxwell, Paul Harris,
David Roth, Harvey Cohen and Slydini.
REVIEW:
This video is still
one of the most publicized levitation trick on the market, and is sold in every
magic shops of the planet. It was one of the first close-up self-levitation
available, and was given a second life after David Blaine’s impressive
video-editing stunts: I still have a lot of fun thinking about how many kids
spent their parent’s hard-earned cash to purchase this tape, hoping they will
be able to fly like their TV favorite magician, impress their schoolmates and
perhaps obtain their first sexual intercourse with that cute little blondie –
ignoring that they will be laughed at for the rest of their life after
performing it.
The fact that this
effect is utterly ridiculous didn’t seem to bother the magic dealers, always
eager to make a quick buck out of gullible customers.
OVERALL RATING:
Trash for the masses. You can’t even recycle the tape to record something on
TV, because it’s too short.
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=187124&forum=111
HN
Magic Review 93: Super Neck Cracker (Bone Crusher) – Tom Burgoon
AD:
Gimmick & Book Combo Deal.
This wonderful novelty item used by Tom Burgon in his show for many years will allow you to audibly break your neck, your arm, or any bone within your reach. Complete with Tom's personal handling for this shocking and very comedic gag item.
"This is one of the funniest gags known to man!" - Doc Eason
Completely Safe!
REVIEW:
The gimmick is as far as you can imagine from being flesh colored - and we all enjoy the bright, flashy colors of secretly palmed gimmicks. The “book” is a single A4 page (!!!) with a few silly ideas and cartoons from Tom’s brother. The setup/reset is noisy (the same sound of the effect, actually) and can’t be done on the spot.
Stick with your plastic cup…
OVERALL RATING: Junk
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=70822&forum=113
HN Magic
Review 90: Liquidizer – Klamm the Magic Man
AD:
From Klamm the Magic Man comes the truly amazing Liquid-izer. For the pro who wants the most startling effect; for the beginner who wants to be an "instant expert" at sleight of hand. Liquid-izer lets you do all these effects:
An Udder Mystery -- Make a fist of one hand, with your thumb sticking up. As you turn the hand over and stroke your thumb, a tiny stream of real milk gushes forth! They actually see the milk squirting from your thumb!
Dehydrated Water -- Hold up an empty glass, which you explain is full of dehydrated water! To demonstrate that it has all the properties of real water, including the ability to put out a real fire, reach for a match. Accidentally the glass is knocked over! Quickly mop up the imaginary liquid with a handkerchief. When you wring the handkerchief out into the glass, real water is produced!
Insta-Shot -- Anytime you want, pick up a napkin and roll it into a tube. From the tube, pour out a full shot of your favorite beverage! Then toss out the napkin for examination! No pulls, tubes, or bulky apparatus. You can even use the Klam’s Liquid-izer as a long-pour salt gimmick.
REVIEW:
You get a flesh-painted bottle wrapped in toilet paper and a sheet of (involuntarily) hilarious instructions.
I laughed hard with this one – well worth its price. The best part of the trick is the toilet paper, which you could recycle in any way you fancy. OVERALL RATING: ridiculous HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=61881&forum=109
HN Magic
Review 83: Coin Holder – Tannen Magic
AD:
Sure and safe! This coin holder
holds six coins securely regardless of how you move & bounce around. Yet
the coins are at your fingertips at a touch. The pin allows you to locate it
where it is most convenient for your routine.
REVIEW:
No coating is provided, thus allowing the performer to constantly hear the coins talking (probably to make sure they’re still in the holder…)
The holder is made in shiny golden metal for increased visibility.
OVERALL RATING: horrifying
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=56941&forum=113
HN Magic Review 74: Clipped – John T. Sheets
AD:
A paper clip and a business card are introduced. The paper clip is balanced on the edge of the business card and then magically melts right through the card! This impossibility can then be handed to a spectator for examination and left in this altered state!
REVIEW:
The gimmick looks different from the regular duplicates (that’s always a nice touch). The effect is dangerously elementary: with very little practice, you should be able to fool a sleepy child and proudly hand him your business card.
OVERALL RATING: the name should be “ripped”
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=56933&forum=109
HN Magic Review 65: Linking rubber bands – George Murray / Norm Nielsen
AD:
Couldn’t find the ad anymore (I can guess why). It is a linking rubber bands effect (distributed by Norm Nielsen), in which the linked bands may be examined with a microscope by the spectator after the "linking".
REVIEW:
You get the linked set and a clear forcing bag. The gimmicked bands are too thick and large to be used in other effects, and obviously do not match the regular bands inside the bag.
Save your money and buy some super glue.
OVERALL RATING: junk
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=44240&forum=109
HN Magic Review 53: EM Pocket Charger – Mark Allen
AD:
Pocket Charger is the missing link, it is dynamic and discreet. It will make all your performances soar, especially your Penomenon performances. The EM Pocket Charger’s revolutionary design does that special something to the pen that allows you to move the pen as if it’s inhabited by spirits from another the great beyond!
You can perform many effects with the EMPC such as:
A spectator secretly chooses any hour of the day and then you draw a clock face on a piece of paper or table napkin. You then produces six coins and places them into a stack in the center of the clock. A straw is placed on top of the coins, acting as the hand of the clock and you cause the straw to mysteriously spin, stopping when it points right at the spectator's chosen hour!
Other telekinetic uses may be explored and discovered with the Pocket Charger that has taken the magic scene by storm!
REVIEW:
Fantastically hyped: an inconsistent companion for the overpriced Penomenon.
I may have found an alternative use for this one, but it could offend a few.
OVERALL RATING: electrifying crap
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=5598&forum=109
HN Magic Review 45: Pocket Levitator – Andrew Mayne
AD:
With Andrew Maine's Pocket Levitator you can levitate yourself any time and any where! The gimmick fits into YOUR POCKET, yet you rise in the air. It's ready all the time! Comes to you with an instruction booklet as well, including five different ways to use The Pocket Levitator. "Quick, impromptu, cute, effective and a great buy.
REVIEW:
Awkward set-up, awkward clean up. The effect looks like your body is shortening (could be a good thing if you re-label the effect properly…).
You might also be able to recycle the gimmick for other purposes and save a few pennies.
OVERALL RATING: true junk
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=33495&forum=109
HN Magic Review 42: Universal Holder - Alexander de Cova
AD:
Multiple award winner Alexander de Cova came up with the ultimate... the Universal Holder!
Ingeniously designed to act as a third hand to secretly
deliver you any small object in your hand. Use the Universal Holder for
baffling productions or loadings. Secretly obtain silks, jumbo and standard
size coins, cigarettes, thimbles, prepared paper (like switching in an origami
fold), cards, jumbo cards, streamers, Fantasio-style canes and candles, sponge
balls, flash accessories, rope, magnets, spring flowers, rubber products, mouth
coils, or any of your favorite gimmicks —
all delivered instantly right into your hands!
Because of its special design, the Universal Holder grips all different sizes
and shapes of objects secure until needed. Use it whenever you have to secretly
obtain, add or steal something. This is the holder that you’ve been looking
for. This is the holder used by professionals over the years!
• Universal Holder is made of durable plastic to
last a lifetime!
• Can be used for close-up, stand-up or the stage!
• Can be attached to the body or prop!
• Comes complete with 2 Universal Holders!
REVIEW:
Mine came with only one holder, and is made of metal (not durable plastic). I purchased it in the early nineties, maybe it is a different version. Anyway, it is basically a F###### CARD DECK holder (possibly cased deck). And I don’t do cards…
OVERALL RATING: ambiguous junk
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=32766&forum=113
HN Magic Review 16: How to Perform Impromptu Levitations video/DVD– Docc Hilford
AD:
Couldn’t find it anymore (not even on the Floras website) – probably too embarrassing to sell!
REVIEW:
Extremely disappointing (and overpriced) video from Docc Hilford. It includes 7 different levitations (an “improved” Balducci levitation, a séance setting, a “complete darkness” method, a stage version, one using a chair, one using an assistant, and one also described in Mike Bent’s Zero Gravity) that may even look impromptu to an audience but are simply garbage.
And not one subtlety, not one gag, not one line of patter to be used in other effects…
OVERALL RATING: Useless – maybe a video to lend to young beginners interested in magic?
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=30590&forum=111
HN Magic Review 15: 0 Gravity – Mike Bent
AD:
Mike Bent's Zero Gravity is possibly one of the best self levitation besides the Balducci Levitation.
EFFECT- You walk into a room with no covers no props or gimmicks. Then you levitate 4-5 inches
off the ground. Both feet. This is a killer effect.
REVIEW:
Old unpractical method (see Soirees Fantastiques, Docc Hilford’s How to perform Impromptu Levitations video etc). Mr. Bent has added a small metal twist to the concept, which only complicates the original concept.
I am not satisfied with any of the close-up levitation methods on the market – you should probably wait for the next one …
OVERALL RATING: 0
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=18000&forum=5
HN Magic Review 11: Excalibur gimmick – Daniel Miraskill
AD: This one was “accidentally” deleted. Can’t seem to find the sales blurb in English anymore – here is the French version for what it’s worth:
Excalibur : c'est un gimmick prodigieux
qui vous permettra, à tout moment, d´avoir accès à n'importe quelle carte du
jeu à l'insu du spectateur.
Par exemple, il permet d'effectuer la fameuse routine du jeu invisible
avec un jeu normal examinable...
Ce gimmick nécessite une préparation et une habitude cartomagique
minimum.
REVIEW:
A piece of metal coming in a black “Top Secret” plastic suitcase. Perhaps enjoyable after 10 or 20 years of practice. If you’re looking for a functional, light and thin indexing system, go elsewhere (and please let me know). If you’re looking to perform the effect described, go back to your invisible deck or – even better – read Kenton Knepper’s Kolossal Killer and its follow-up. If you really want to flush money down the toilet, contact me for my bank details.
OVERALL RATING: “a la poubelle » (I knew that those French lessons would serve me well!)
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=112722&forum=113&0
HN Magic Review 4: Compact Key – Marvoyan
AD:
The performer claims to have a new security device, A Compact Key. He then removes the head of the key from its stem separating it into two pieces. The pieces are then instantly restored into the original key. The key can then be handed out for inspection.
The Compact Key is a twenty-second routine designed for any impromptu situation. The key can be examined before and after the routine. Comes complete with all necessary props and photo-illustrated instructions.
REVIEW:
Dear Magical Friends, this is THE WINNER!! I never counted the number of items/books/videos I own, but I spent over 20 years purchasing magical items and this broken key really stands out like a flash paper rose burning in the night. I now carefully avoid anything with the name of Meir Yedid written on it.
OVERALL RATING: buy it and keep it in full view all the time – and repeat to yourself “I am a sucker”
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=30488&forum=109
HN Magic Review 3: The 8th Manoeuvre – Luke Jermay
AD:
A spectator somehow manages to correctly guess a selected card, three times in a row.
REVIEW:
Overpriced booklet, poorly produced and badly written. You get a patter blatantly copied from Wonder Words vol. 1, and a method already mentioned on dozens of manuscripts, such as Karrell Fox’s Another Book, Derren Brown’s Pure Effect (Zamiel Card), Busch’s Peek Performances etc.
I remember seeing an ad of a US dealer (A Squared Productions), where the booklet was discontinued due to customers’ complaints…
OVERALL RATING: absolutely inappropriate
HN
Read/post comments:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=30487&forum=110
HN Magic Reviews, © 2002-2007 Harvey Nerzof