talkmagic.co.uk

This is my first review, so please expect it to change a little over the next few days as I tweak it!

THE EFFECT

Here's the official spam...

On the edge of reason. On the edge of logic. There is Vertigo.
Vertigo is a mind-bending, logic-warping demonstration of skill. You remove the cards from the box. You show the box empty. Delicately, you set the box on the edge of the deck.
Slowly, you release your fingers. The box remains suspended.
That's not the end. It's only the beginning. You set the cards - all 52 of 'em - on the edge of the empty box. Once again, you remove your hand. This time, the ENTIRE deck remains suspended.
It looks impossible, but it's easy-to-do once you've mastered the secret.
Perform Vertigo standing up or sitting down. Use your favorite pack of cards. No threads, no wires, no magnets. Self-contained. Instantly reset. And the best part is, when you're done, you can hand the cards out or go right into your favorite card trick or cardistry demonstration.

Here's the official video:
http://www.theory11.com/tricks/vertigo-rick-lax.php

Here's a "raw" demo, which I think looks better (I love when he drops the cards to demonstrate that they're just cards):
http://media.theory11.com/5778-Vertigo---The-Original-Raw-Performance


Cost: $24.95 from http://www.theory11.com
Can someone let me know if they find it in the UK? A google search "revealed no yield".


RATINGS

Difficulty: 1 (1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
Instructions: 5/5
Presentation: 4/5 (loses a point for the feel-good music on the DVD while Rick is talking)
Gimmick build quality: 5/5
Reset: None required.
Angles: No significant issues, but possibly a bit iffy if a mortal looks over your shoulder, and looks a bit too intently, during the second phase (cards on box), especially during that crucial "cheating" second or so. Ultimately, I'd be happy to perform this surrounded.
Card restrictions: Any brand, as long as you have a tuck box. Designed for poker size. I think it should work with narrow though I'm not certain. You may have to adapt the gimmick with a power tool, but probably not.
Pocket space: Regular deck in a box. You may want to carry a second, examinable box.
Nudist colony rating: You COULD perform this naked, but you may have problems with the box switch, should you feel the need to hand out the box.
Mucky pup rating: Your paws are dirty for a moment, but the focus (if not the heat exactly) is on the cards, which are ungimmicked, not the box, making it easy to switch the box. No need to worry about getting told off for getting muddy paw prints on the couch. "Good doggy!"

Overall: 10 out of 10. Loses 1 point for the music but gains half a point of the phrase "cardistry demonstration" on the back of the DVD case, and another half a point for Rick's tidy hair.


REVIEW

You know when blurb says "the effect you've been waiting for" (the blurb for this effect doesn't, by the way)? Well, this is the effect I've been waiting for. Initially I got into magic for social reasons (as a novelist, I rarely met people through my work). Magic seemed like a way to approach strangers in pubs. Years later... sure, I can do the whole "pick a card" thing, but I never feel 100% comfortable with it. The fact is, they have to DO something before they witness any magic. I wanted an effect where the magic happens before they even agree to see it. I wanted an effect that people could see from across the pub, that people could experience without having to put in any effort whatsoever. I wanted an effect that I can perform for the bar staff in even the busiest of pubs, while the stressed-out bar-person is pouring my pint, too busy to pay any real attention whatsoever. This is that effect.

The key point here is that the effect does not require anyone to concentrate, or to watch what you're up to for any period of time. With most effects, if a punter misses the beginning or the middle or the end, they don't experience the magic.

I guess ultimately this is a levitation effect, and levitations have been around for aeons. Personally, I've always found IT too fiddly, and in general I find levitations a bit cheesy-looking and, in many cases, unconvincing. This may be a personal taste issue, I realise, but I do think this levitation looks 100% like real magic.

So, this really is "the effect I've been waiting for".

Not that this effect is only good as an opener. It's quick (two brief phases) but you could mix it with other effects involving levitation or balance and build a larger routine. And the effect is a sheer joy to perform. When you balance the box on the cards, it really does FEEL as though you are performing magic. You just aren't consciously aware of the gimmick. When you balance the box on the cards, OK, it doesn't feel as good, it's a tiny bit fiddly, and you may need a second's misdirection, but once you've done the dirty work, it feels (almost, in this case) like real magic.

Spectator reactions: I've only tested it on a few people down my local but reactions were as great as I expected. I'd usually test an effect more extensively before writing a review, but this effect is so quick and visual, that I don't believe this to be required. Though, I will update this review if I run into problems.

The DVD is neither too long nor too short. It tells you what it needs to tell you, and that's it. I found the music really annoying, but apart from that, it's faultless.

The initial set up is a doddle, and takes barely a minute, though be sure to use scissors with a rounded end or you may get told off by your mum. In performance, there's nothing that could really be described as a setup.

Sounds cool. Now and again I'll perform this routine from Patrick Snowden...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ZIKu6yeMI

This guy doesn't really do the whole thing...you balance a deck of cards on top of a bottle...right of the corner, defying gravity...you take a card out and balance it upright...then one off to the side of the upright card and then a pencil right on the edge of one of the cards.

Stunning effect.

I'd like to see a vid with the bottle...

Thanks Laurence

Great Review

I was keen before and now I want one

I love it. It's such fun to perform. You can misdirect while switching boxes (jacket outer pocket) by handing the deck to the spec and excitedly telling them that they can see "how it's done" or "how it works" by looking at the cards. As they look through the deck, make up some nonsense about certain cards being heavier, or whatever. Then chuckle, slap yourself in the face and fall on your backside.