$9.95(1 review, 3 customer ratings) ★★★★★
D. Terelmes is a performer who admits he tends to overthink things. He's been performing the chop cup for close to 40 years. Contained are his pet peeves on what he believes other performers (even top pros) are doing wrong when presenting the chop cup. You won't find any new sleights or new moves. Instead you might find a nugget or few that will change your approach as to how YOU perform and routine the chop cup.
He hopes to take the chop cup from the "obvious" trick that some consider it to be, to the miracle it can be; one that withstands repeat performances at street festivals and haunted house shows. He's also included the chop cup routine that he's honed over the years and explains why he does what he does and why he believes it works. This is his favorite magic effect and by putting out this ebook, he hopes that others can create that sense of awe and wonder that he experienced when he first saw the chop cup performed.
1st edition 2019, 23 pages.
word count: 7316 which is equivalent to 29 standard pages of text
Reviewed by Tom Yates (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★ Date Added: Friday 30 August, 2019I am sorry to say that this was a disappointment for the money. I don't mind paying for a magician's notes when they offer something substantive about his spin on an effect. I was rather hopeful that the "pet peeves" here would be instructive, but they don't offer much that anyone who has performed the Chop Cup has wondered about--and perhaps already changed himself. The routine the author performs is presented in good detail, but there isn't much new about it. A major disappointment in the routine he offers is the initial premise of the chop cup process being a "con". I already do the Three Shell Game; I have a con routine. The Chop Cup needs to get away from the contest/challenge idea, even when the challenge is benign, as in John Mendoza's famous routine.
I also find it slightly ironic that the author dislikes the "slam", and yet uses a Don Alan cup. Don was the master of the loud slam, especially at the end of his routine with the final loads--not to take away from the quality production of the cup itself, of course.
Note: the 28-page pdf contains a number of inserted blank pages.
