Michael Close’s Worker DVD’s (1-4)
DVD: £24.99 Each from Magic Box
DVD 1 Also mentioned Here
The Review
This has been out for a while now, but is still one of my better close-up magic set of DVD’s. The premise is that every effect performed is a real “worker” and as such they have all been taken from Michael Close’s working repetoire.
Each of the 4 DVD’s are split into three sections. The performance, The explanation and discussion with none other than Michael Ammar and Eric Mead. These discussions are actually quite interesting and add an almost lecture like feel to the whole thing.
There is no question that Michael Close is an extremely skilled and polished performer, and it is easy to see why he is so highly respected in the magic community.
It did take me a while to get use to his performance style which at times I found a little bit aggressive, although having said that I could easily see myself performing a large quantity of the material on the DVD’s, just with my own slant, but that’s what it is all about isn’t it? Taking something and making it suit how we work. In fact Michael Close talks about this very point in one of his discussions.
On the whole I would say that these DVD’s are not best suited for the rank beginner, but then I could easily be very wrong about that. Watching the performances is great for everyone and it has to be said that there is a fair amount of very easy self working material on all the DVD’s hidden quietly amongst the more knuckle busting stuff.
Actually that is one of the things that strikes me about Michael Close. He will often take a basic effect and turn it to something that is just that little bit stronger, but at the expense of making it quite a good deal more complicated.
It could be argued that much of the extra strength is only good for Magician Fooling (and boy – you get a lot of that with these DVD’s). To give a couple of examples, he has an ID routine that appears to be the same as any other ID routine, until he hands the deck to the spectator and asks them to find the turned over card…
In the same theme he has a Phil/Oscar deck routine that again can freely be handled by the spectator. Many will say that both these effects are strong enough without being able to do that, but you have to admit, that if you CAN do it with the extra convincers, well why the heck not!
If you are already a professional performer, or you are seriously thinking about moving into that world – then this IS the set of DVD’s for you.
Difficulty.
1=Easy peasy lemon squeasy, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used, 4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
As mentioned (doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?) the effects vary from level 1 all the way up to level 5. As an average though I would say on the high side of 3.
I should also point out that Michael Close is a firm believer in the memorised deck (He uses Simon Aronson’s), and as such several of the effects (mainly on DVD 1) do require this skill. If you ARE a memorised deck user then this in itself is a reason to buy the DVD’s. If you don’t use a memorised deck (and no, in many cases knowing a stack isn’t going to help you), then don’t worry. There are more than enough other effects to rock your world, and if nothing else – it WILL give you that incentive to actually learn a memorised deck.
As Michael Close himself says…
A memorised deck allows you to turn any "pick a card" trick into a "think of a card" trick
See also the Who’s afraid of the memorised Deck Thread
Rating. Effect/items: 8/10, Quality of goods: 10/10, Value for money: 10/10
To Summarise
Before these DVD’s I mainly knew Michael Close through his Magic Magazine Reviews, and I have to admit that I lost some respect for him after that awful review he did of Marc Spelmann’s Mentalism DVD’s. I found what he said very unfair and it actually seemed like a vicious and personal attack. Certainly there seemed more to it than him just not liking the DVD’s.
Anyway, with that said, I hope I haven’t let my feelings on that matter influence any part of this review. There are other magicians who I personally find more entertaining to watch, but Michael Close is nevertheless an exceptional performer both from the point of view of presentation and skill. He also has some great insights and his discussions are a very important part of the DVD’s.
The Bottom Line
There are some great effects taught on these DVD’s. Effects that work and entertain in the real world. Each DVD is over two and a half hours long.
Highly Recommended.
The Effects
For those that want to know more – I have outlined all the effects on the DVDs below and have added a few of my comments. I appreciate that not all people will wish to read these, so feel free to stop reading now.
(Actually, I hope you felt free to stop reading at any point)
DVD 1. 2 Hours 38 Minutes
1.1. The ID
Difficulty: Memorised Deck
Simply put this is an ID routine that uses an ordinary deck of cards. It is a fantastic magician fooler, but if you already use an ID, then lay people are not going to perceive much difference. Having said that the cards can be handed out and the spectator can find the turned over card and remove it from the deck themselves, so it is undoubtedly stronger. If you have memorised a deck, you will use it.
1.2. The Smiling Mule – Variation of a classic by Roy Walton
Difficulty: Memorised Deck
As I watched this my mouth was wide open in astonishment. It was both funny and very strong. Effectively the magician promises to capture a thought of card between two the two face up jacks. This is initially achieved with the age old, one card on top of deck, one on the bottom gag (which audiences do genuinely love), but ultimately the card they merely thought of IS plucked out the deck between the jacks.
1.3. The Ooh-Ah Bird
Difficulty: 1
This is one of the easier effects to perform, although in my mind when I first saw it, it was also one of the weaker effects.
I have now had the opportunity to perform it on several occasions (when kids are present), and I have to say it plays much stronger than I would have guessed. It just goes to show what I know doesn’t it!
It uses a cute little origami bird that lays an egg that has the spectators chosen card in. yes it’s another lose card, reveal a card routine, but it is a worker…
1.4. The Pothole Trick
Difficulty: 3-4
This is perhaps one of Michael Close’s trademark effects, and one of my favourites from the set. In fact it was the reason I originally bought the first Worker DVD. You also get to give out a personalised business card at the end of the effect and that is never a bad thing.
The performer brings out a business card that has a simple drawing of his street on the back with the position of his house clearly marked. The Spectaor is also given a blank card, upon which the spectator’s street and house are also drawn.
As the magician talks about a pothole appearing outside his house, he punches one with a handy hole punch. Without getting too much into the whole plot (ha ha – did you see what I did there? Oh please yourselves!), the hole gets dragged all over the card, and eventually gets moved off the magicians card and on to the spectators card and finally ends up outside the spectators house. It’s very funny and very strong.
It’s definitely a wow! Effect.
1.5. Dr. Strangetrick
Difficulty: 2
A seriously good card warp effect using a folded bank note. Never under estimate the ability for a card warp to stun at tables. We may have seen it 1000’s of times before but audiences (on the whole) have not.
1.6. The Judah Shoelace Routine
Difficulty: 2
This is a kind of torn and restored plastic straw effect. Once you get the hang of it it’s easy to do, and certainly useful to know. Personally I don’t think it’s strong enough to work at tables (remember that is just my opinion), but if you find yourself anywhere that actually has plastic straws (such as any fast food eatery) then it works very well as a great piece of impromptu magic.
1.7. A Trick for O'Brien
Difficulty: 1
This is definitely one of my favourites and is one I use a lot. It is effectively a prediction effect, with a great sucker ending.
Actually in some ways it’s similar to the effect Derren Brown did with Mr and Mrs Jonathon Ross (Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t the same effect, it just has similarities). Under cover of a silk, the spectator cuts the cards, turns one over and places it in the middle of the deck, so that one card is face up in the face down deck. In a roundabout “sucker” way you eventually show that you DID predict the card they turned over.
Highly recommended…
1.8. The Imagination Tester
Difficulty: 3
By this point in the DVD you will have realised that Michael Close has at least two things that he is passionate about. Aronson’s Memorised deck, and Origami.
This is a bizarre origami effect whereby a origami belt buckle materialises into a real belt buckle. I personally haven’t tried this one out in the real world, as you do have to learn the origami moves for the belt buckle. It did go down very well on the DVD though (but that could just be L&L for you)
1.9. Tut Tut
Difficulty: Memorised Deck
This is undoubtedly an amazing magician fooler trick, I am just not convinced that it is equally as strong for a spectator. It uses both a memorised deck and several perfect faro shuffles and consequently it’s not one I have bothered to learn (yet), however there will be many out there who will absolutely rave about this one.
A card is freely selected. The aces are shown to be littered randomly about the deck, and yet after several shuffles the selected card ends up between the 4 aces that are now all together. Very clever, but is it as entertaining as some of the other material?
1.10. Myopia
Difficulty: Memorised/Stacked Deck
As a keen mentalist this was one of my favourites and I have to say appears like real mind reading.
Two spectators think of cards and the magician names them…
1.11. The Birthday Book
Difficulty: 3-4 memorised/Stacked Deck
Forget Chronologue. Forget the Gordon Diary. THIS is the strongest Diary effect around.
A card is selected, and a diary is introduced showing that against each date there is a different card name. The date for the spectators birthday is looked up and it can be seen that thecard by that date is the same as the card they selected…
DVD 2. 2 Hours 43 Minutes
2.1. Pink Floyd
Difficulty: 3-4
A nice opener that resets itself. Simply put the backs of four jokers change from blue to red and then back to blue again, but it does have some very nice patter. As packet tricks go, this one is very nice.
2.2. Renaldo the Great
Difficulty: 2
Not one of my favourites. It’s effectively a sucker version of the “Chinese Prayer Vase” , that plays on the fact that the audience know how the Chinese Prayer Vase actually works. Possibly another one more suited for younger people (kids) at tables, but not one that I can see myself performing. (I know, that is hardly objective of me is it).
2.3. The El Cheepo Magic Club
Difficulty: 2-3
Another one more suited for the younger audience (or tongue in cheek for an adult audience). It is based on Paul Harris' Flash Fold and I actually found it quite entertaining. If nothing else the move is worth learning.
2.4 Coda Chrome
Difficulty: 3-4
This was very nice. It is based on a Stewart James effect, but gien that Michael Close something that makes it stronger.
The magician takes a card from a red deck and places it face down on the table. The spectator names a card, and the magician finds that card from the blue deck and places it on top of the red card he placed earlier.
There is talk of coincidence, and the blue and red card are turned over to show that they are both the same. Effect 1.
As a kicker finish the red deck is picked up, and one card is found in the red deck that has a different back (not just in colour it’s from a completely different deck). That card is turned over and it is found to be the same as the two cards on the table.
2.5 Chicken Teriyaki
Difficulty: 3-4
A nicely routined Copper to Silver transposition. Ideal for walk-around conditions, and the magic happens in the spectator's hands.
2.6 You Hue
Difficulty: 3
The spectator selects a colour from a choice of about 10 (and actually this in itself is a very nice method worth knowing). The magician shows several blank on both sides business cards, and after asking the spectator for his name, writes the spectators name on the card in the colour of their choice.
The business cards are rubbed against the one with the spec’s name on it, and lo and behold, one by one the printed name of the spec appears on all the cards.
Nice – but not ideal for table hopping. It certainly has applications though.
2.7 Red Blue Mama Fooler
Difficulty: 3
A nice effect that played very strongly. The audience decides between them on the name of a card. A red-backed deck is spread and ther is one blue-backed card in the deck. It is the named card. For a kicker, the blue-backed deck is spread and there is only one red-backed card in it. It is also the named card.
2.8 The Wishing Trick
Difficulty: Memorised Deck
Actually this seriously fooled me when I first saw it, as Michael Close had one of those on in fifty two moments that we all strive for.
There are several phases, it starts off with a spectator naming a card, and that card is wished for and appears on top of the deck. Next one spectator names a card and the second spectator names a number and the card is in that position in the deck.
This is as clean a card at any number effect as you are likely to get, it just requires someone like Michael Close to perform it…
2.9 The Haunted Deck
Difficulty: 4
A card is named, and the magician places the deck on his hands, and it mysteriously cuts itself twice to reveal a single card. The named card.
Actually a memorised deck is used for this, which means the magician appears to do a lot less than they would have to otherwise, but a memorised deck is not required.
The actual card cutting thing looked very good. This would be a great Halloween effect.
2.10 Reverse Logic
Difficulty: 4
This is a nice routine that Michael Close did standing up and surrounded so it proves it is an ideal strolling effect.
A spectator chooses a card (the L&L audience member chosen the 13 of hearts.), and that card is used for a variety of effects where there card and the other three cards of the same value keep turning over.
It was a very entertaining piece that Michael Close makes look so easy. The ending was a real surprise.
2.11 26 Cents Worth of Change
Difficulty: 3-4
A nice impromptu coin routine, where one by one coins vanish. Great patter.
2.12 Flying Home
Difficulty: 3-4
The classic chosen card that keeps appearing in the magicians pocket effect. Very nicely done with a great kicker ending. It’s actually effects like this that I believe to be the main ingredients for a professional close-up/strolling magician.
DVD 3. 2 hrs 40 min
3.1. Erma la Fource
Difficulty: 3
A magician fooling Phil/Oscar/Lucy deck. What more can I say. You all know the effect, but with this version the spectator ends up handling the cards and turning over their thought of card showing that the magician predicted correctly.
It did get some great reactions (especially from L&L Kevin) but to be honest for the extra work involved I think I will stick with PHIL. (Actually I have my own version that can be handed out – but that’s a different story).
3.2. Tamariz Rabbits
Difficulty: 3
Michael Close's routine for Juan Tamariz' very commercial packet trick. Michael has eliminated the need to switch cards in your pocket, and has still retained the maximum number of changes. This is a wonderful trick for children.
Ok, that was taken directly from the back of the DVD – but it’s a far assessment.
3.3. The Unreality Machine
Difficulty: 3
This is a nice, if not somewhat bizarre effect, that I thought was very mediocre until the surprise ending. Beautiful.
Actually, I am not even going to tell you about it. That way when you watch the performance you will have no idea…
3.4. Close's Clones
Difficulty: 3
A very workable, and not a little amusing effect where by double blank cards are cloned with clowns…
At the end. Lots of clowns. This would be very nice for table hopping, assuming you had a bit of space on the table.
3.5. Down for the Count
Difficulty: 2
More of an interlude effect really, and for me not as strong as the rest.
The idea is that the magician proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone at the table is a vampire.
3.6. The Card, the Forehead, and the Saltshaker
Difficulty: 3
I tell you what. Buy this DVD just for this one effect. It isn’t surprising that it is one of Mr. Close’s favourite routines. It is a masterpiece of audience management and reminds me a lot of a well performed Paper Balls Over The Head routine.
I will also say that it looked like Michael Close didn’t have the perfect audience member for this initially (again, Kevin from L&L – bless him) but fair dues, this is the routine they left in.
It was good to see how Michael coped with a real world situation.
Anyway the whole routine was hilarious and I am sure competition winning standard.
3.7. Too Ahead
Difficulty: 3
A three-phase coin routine that I felt was a little flat, but possibly that was just because of what had been done before (and possibly because I don’t do much with coins).
3.8. Four-Card Reiteration
Difficulty: 3-4
A very entertaining (great patter) 4 card repeat effect that if nothing else will give you confidence in palming a card.
3.9. The Lie Detector
Difficulty: 1-3
I like this one and I frequently use it at tables. I have to admit though that I simplified it quite a lot and so I don’t have the three endings that Michael uses.
DVD 4. 2 hrs 30 min
This DVD is more for stage/parlour effects than Close-Up, and does have some great ideas.
4.1. The Big Surprise
Difficulty: 2
This one is an ideal show closer. It has built in continuity that can start at the beginning of the show and can be referred to throughout culminating in a surprise finale.
4.2. A Visit from Rocco
Difficulty: 2
A nice visual story effect using giant bank notes.
4.3. Rocco Returns
Difficulty: 2
A big scale Find the Lady effect that looks as fun to perform as it obviously is for the spectators to watch. Personally I really like this kind of effect. I believe that it is a reworking of Ton Onosaka's Lucky Lady.
4.4. Ring Fright
Difficulty: 3
A risk free two object transposition. It uses ideas from Gaetan Bloom and Terri Rogers.
Actually, I am bored with writing this review now, It was never my intention to review every effect anyway, so I will just mention a coupel of the effects n this DVD that I really loved, and use.
Butte Ox? Two Butte Ox!
Difficulty: 3
Cards across with Michael Close’s own slant. If nothing else it reminds you of the importance of comig up with your own slant on any effect you use.
The Frog Prince
Difficulty: 2
I have heard it called one of the new "classics" of close-up magic (maybe by Michael Close?), but seriously it is a great card routine that will almost be guaranteed to go down well at any table.
A freely selected card transposes with a card which has been folded into an origami frog.
This one really IS a Worker. Audiences love it…
That’s all folks…
