reviewed by Phil Reda
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 24 April, 2019)
If you like a very boring card trick with long laborious procedure for your spectators with a low payoff for the effect then this is it. If you want to Collect Hummer material then this might be worth the purchase. But to most this would be a waste of time and money.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 05 January, 2019)
What’s Old Is New
If you are looking to perform something new then look to the past. This a treasure trove of long forgotten principles and effects. Yes there are things in here you will probably never do but as pointed out in the introduction study the principle behind the effect and see if you can apply it. It is also fun to see some of the old effects from the past. Some of the old illusions would be great for someone who does haunted house attractions during Halloween. For the low price there are several Items that are worth the price alone. I put off for several years purchasing this publication, that was a mistake.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 11 March, 2015)
This is a great little book. Shows you how to take standard Mentalism effects and incorporate a pendulum. The effects build one onto the other though I would not perform all of them in one sitting.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 03 January, 2015)
This should be called Ammar and Friends. The contributor list reads like a Who's Who lost in the world of close up magic. There is a gold mine of effects between the covers - something for everyone. My favorite is the $2 Bill Tear - I have carried this in my wallet for over 15 years now and is one of my favorite effects. This effect alone is worth the price of the manuscript. Another great effect and one Michael used on Merve Griffen is the "Cards to Case". This is a great opener for a card set and easy to do (no gimmicks) "Coins thru silk" Michael takes an old trick and makes into a visually stunning piece of Magic. You will fool yourself as you watch the coins visually penetrate a see thru scarf. If your looking to learn the Hundred Dollar Bill switch or refine your technique on the one you do now - Roger Klause's Bill Switch is taught in great detail and drawings.
Well written in the usual Ammar style very detailed and illustrated by Richard Kaufman - Can't go wrong at this price - highly recommended.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 19 December, 2014)
I just finished reading the manuscript for this effect. Do yourself a favor and add it to the cart. I am a huge Devin Knight fan and have most of his material. As in the usual Devin style the method is simple but diabolical. The instructions are very well written and all aspects of performance are gone over. All I can say is WOW!
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 11 September, 2014)
Very detailed as is all of Devlin's material that I have purchased. I realy like the overall effect and thinking behind the routine. He does not include a script just the workings of the effect. You will need a little something that is difficult to find. He does provide a source. If you elect not to purchase this little device he does give two alternative handlings - though not as strong as the original. After reading the manuscript it did get me thinking of other options as well as other methods. I would recommend for purchase
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 29 May, 2014)
I would never have guessed the method behind this bend. It is definitely one I will use - what I like is the coin can be signed or marked before the bend. No switching or mechanical device needed. The author lays the method out very clearly and gives several suggestions. I felt this was a good purchase and would recommend.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 13 May, 2014)
$15 - What a bargain. I have this download on my IPAD and read it while relaxing at Starbucks or odd moments through out the day. There is so much material and tid bits buried between the covers. Even if you do not like the effect there are little nuggets that can be used elsewhere. I am a firm believer in what is old is new - there is so many items here that are begging to be re-worked. So roll-up your sleeves and dive in. I would also highly recommend "Swami Mantra" also available as a download.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 13 May, 2014)
If you are interested in learning how to script your magic look no further.
This an excellent resource - covers every aspect from creating a story line,researching and developing a themed show. I would also recommend "Dark Waltz" or the " The Complete Oracle" to round out your education. But this would be the first step - Highly recommended.
reviewed by Phil Reda
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 12 May, 2014)
I was Hopping for more guidance - 45 pages of telling me I need to be more creative but not telling me how. This was a let down since Steve has quite the resume'. This really lacks substance. Not recommended.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 10 May, 2014)
Just finished reading the manuscript - I can't wait to try this out. There is a possibility of a miss, but in the words of Peter Turner "Dare to be BOLD - for that is when miracles happen". You should have a sure fire effect in the wings in case this does not work. Devin and Bob do a great job of explaining the simple principle as well as increasing the odd's of success. Very well laid out as is all of Devins manuscripts.
Highly recommended
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 25 April, 2014)
Wow! To say more would be redundant. This is a treasure chest of material. There is so much here that it will take a year to digest- I keep a note book next to me as I read - there is just so much good material and tid bits. Just to wet you appetite - there is a chair routine that is worth the whole price of the down load and that is just one item. The material is of high quality. Even if you do not like the item the presentations will get your grey matter energized and is an object lesson in story telling. This publication would defiantly fall into the "Desert Island Book" category. If you are not familiar - it means if you were stranded on a desert island and were allowed only one book - what would it be- this would be high on the list. Well worth the price many times over. This is a huge download. Highly recommended!
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 06 March, 2014)
I have the whole series of Coffee Break Mental Magic and look forward to each installment. Pet Readings is the best so far. I was hesitant but when I finished reading the manuscript all I could say was bravo! This is brilliant and a great way to get started with cold reading. The manuscript lays out the basic readings then goes on to teach several uses. This is a bargain and I highly recommend it. If you are an experienced cold reader then it might be a bit basic for you - but you still might find a nugget or two within the pages- especially the animal deck readings at the very end.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 26 February, 2014)
This is a great little manuscript for the price. Where can you get 6 nice effects that are easy to do and will have a strong impact on an audience. Bare bones presentation are provided - but what I like is how the author takes basic effects and wraps them in a supernatural flavor. This will make you look at other effects you may do. This will provide a nice template for your own creative process.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 06 February, 2014)
What you are getting here is a story - I did not feel
The effect was that strong - it would be easy to substitute
Something else. Still for the price this is a good addition.
So far I have all the manuscripts in this series except the
Sherlock Holmes edition. I have enjoyed each one.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 14 January, 2014)
This is a very interesting version of OTW. I loved the plot that Mr Voodini weaves. If you are looking for a great story trick this will be a great purchase - especially for the price.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 09 July, 2013)
This is an improved version of Poker Tells. I love the handling and all the details that
Mr Knight provides. If own Poker Tells I would still recommend this especialy for the
price. This is a greatly improved handling and very well thought out.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 22 May, 2013)
I have always been a fan of UF Grant. This little manuscript is a steal for the price. There are some good ideas looking to be updated and fine tuned. All four routines are good but my favorites are the watch routine and the bill divination.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 23 March, 2013)
Just finished reading this manuscript. I am a huge fan of Paul's work and this is another excellent example of his creative out put. There are four effects. My favorite is the Nurses Watch followed by the Child Coloring Book. Both in my mind are worth the price of the booklet. The frying pan routine is one that I will put on the shelf for now as it does require a confident and strong presentation. Finally the Vampire Salt routine shows how you can take the simplest trick and make it into a spooky story. This booklet is more of a pathway to get you thinking about all the magical effects that can be re-framed to this genre of performing. Also what you are getting is story for each effect with some performance comments. The secret is reveled but you have to already be familiar with the workings. All basic stuff.
reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 19 December, 2012)
Good But! Overall this is a good booklet - but for the price I was a little disappointed. There are some good points but the explanations are a little light in substance and the author tends to contradict himself. I am glad to have it on my shelf but you definately need other resources and that is the rub - there is very little information - I would recommend Max Maven's "Voice Control". This would have been a great book at half the price. Also the watch routine is good but you need to have a gimmick watch that is no longer available. But he does use the routine as an example of the magician's force. If you like the routine it can be duplicated with other methods.