Tuesday 2 September 2008

Marvin's Magic Freaky Body Illusions.

Yes, I know what you're thinking...'Marvin's magic??!' And yes a lot of it might be for babies, but isn't that how we all got into magic?
Anyway someone in my magic club told me about this one. It's a box full of tricks that do not involve cards or coins, just magic with body parts. Also a lot of the stuff in the box is great for halloween! It comes with a DVD with full speechless explanations so even a non-english speaker could use it. Some of the tricks include a visual levitation, a realistic moving arm which the magician holds (my favourite), an impossible head twist and even a way to sretch your ear a good foot or so!
I would recommend this set to anyone in need of an extremely visual stunt or two added to their dull card magic routine.

Matt Davies

The Svengali Deck

I actually bought this on eBay for about two pound. Bargain!
The possibilities with the Svengali deck are absolutely endless. You can do anything from making one of the easiest forces in card magic to changing a completely normal deck of cards into a deck of 52 aces. It's completely beginner friendly but it's used by a lot of pros (including Jay Noblezada!). Although this deck is amazing I would recommend waiting until you have mastered a solid routine with a normal or even borrowed deck BEFORE you purchase this or any other trick or gaff deck.


Matt Davies

Sunday 31 August 2008

Jay Sankey's 'Invisible'

As soon as I discovered the Invisible Deck I wanted one. So I saved up £20 and had a look on the net. The first site I went to was Sankey magic because Jay always has the best of the best. So I bought 'Invisible' instantly and within 5 days it was in my letterbox. Brilliant quality cards and a great DVD. The DVD includes many different presentations, ways in which you can alter your Invisible Deck to suit your performance, how to shuffle the deck and of course the almighty X-deck which is pretty much worth the entire price of the DVD. The deck included is good quality and 'Bicycle' which is always a bonus as most magicians use 'Bicycle' cards so it can be switched with ease. The DVD also includes ways of making the switch and even ways of making it appear!
Overall a marvellous buy an at just £10 it's also a bargain!!


Matt Davies

Must have magic books.

Two must have magic books for beginners to pros.

1. The Royal Road To Card Magic. By Jean Hugard & Frederick Braue.
Synopsis:
As a magician, your greatest reward is to astonish and perplex your audience - using just a simple pack of cards. And to do that, you need to master more than just the sleights of hand. You have to learn to perform.
This revised edition of a classic work offers the budding magician a brilliant introduction to magic. From classic principles and practice to the art of presentation and a collection of astonishing tricks, everything you need is here.
An experienced and gifted performer, writer and teacher, Hugard's exceptional combination of skills shines through in the clarity of his explanations. His example has inspired a generation of magicians - and will inspire you to succeed in baffling your audience.

My Opinion:
This wonderful book takes you from beginner to pro in just a week or two. Clear explanations and helpful illustrations teach you all the slights, flourishes and tricks with cards you need to know to put together a anything from a small routine to impress your mates with, to an hour long show. However I wouldn't recommend putting all of your practice time towards card tricks as people can easily get bored of cards, but if you were to combine some of the feats from this next book with your favourite effects from this one then you will almost definitely (with a bit of practise) have a flawless routine to which you can add a bit of your own personality to and really entertain.


2.Modern Coin Magic. by J.B. Bobo.
Synopsis:
The most complete treatise on sleight-of-hand coin conjuring, including best traditional methods and modern innovations. Guides you systematically from basic techniques, through integrated tricks to complete acts, 18 in all. 510 clear illustrations.
( know this isn't the actual synopsis but the real one would take forever to type!!)


My Opinion:
This book is great for beginners because pros will most probably know most of the stuff in there, but I would still recommend buying it as it teaches proper technique and also it has a lot of info on Bobo himself. This is a real book for keeps and a lot of the material can easily slip into your usual coin routine.

Matt Davies

Welcome

Welcome all to my new blog!

This is where I am going to be regularly submitting reviews of some of the best magic tricks, gimmicks and DVDs around. Please feel free to contact me at
mattdask8er@msn.com for magic advice or to let me know about anything you would like me to review.

Yours magically,


Matt Davies