Gone

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Gone

Postby Sexton Blake » Apr 7th, '06, 01:18



This doesn't appear to have been reviewed. Morever, there appears to be a reasonable amount of interest in the effect - esp. from people who are familiar with Melt. So, in a spirit of altruistic loveliness, I've bought it. For you.

I'll do a full review shortly, when I've had a chance to play around a little.

You may want to find yourself a seat, and sit on the edge of it.

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Postby ace of kev » Apr 7th, '06, 02:56

Well why not just wait until you can actually post the review instead of typing that?

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Postby bananafish » Apr 7th, '06, 08:30

for the antici..........................................................pation of it perhaps?

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Postby IAIN » Apr 7th, '06, 10:18

...please, if you've bought it for me old chap - please, do not include any more lavendar scented rose petals in the envelopes you send me...far too confusing...

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Postby Sexton Blake » Apr 7th, '06, 16:37

ace of kev wrote:Well why not just wait until you can actually post the review instead of typing that?


You lack presentational flair.

Seriously, though, having looked through the reviews previously, it doesn't seem to be bad form to do this. In fact, the perfectly acceptable thinking appears to be, 'There's no review for this item, so - as I've just got/ordered it - I'll let people know I'll be doing a review soon. That way someone on the very, trembling cusp of purchasing it, blind, might know that holding back a short while could be an idea.'

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Postby Sexton Blake » Apr 7th, '06, 16:37

The Effect

Ryan Lowe's 'Gone'. http://www.expertmagic.com/html/store/gone/gone.html. It's a coin vanish.

Cost
$20 as download, $26 as a DVD. In real money, that's £11.73 for the download option.
I guessed (rightly - phew) that I'd already have the specific additional bits and bobs needed for this effect. If you don't have them, they're available from a large number of magic shops and will cost you another, say, four to eight pounds (depending on something that inclines me to suggest that the eight pound option is the better way to go here).


Difficulty
(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)

Hmmm... Some digital jiggery pokery is needed, but it's pretty much as untaxing as it gets. I can't imagine that anyone who has opposable thumbs and a mirror to practise in front of for a few minutes will have any trouble with the moves.

What they say
Instant Reset
Can be done anywhere
Visually Stunning
Brand new vanish techniques
Vanish a full size half dollar

What I say
Visually stunning, no doubt about it. To stand, hands away from your body, in a T-shirt (that's a T-shirt, not 'a short-sleeved shirt' - do it topless if you wish, in fact), vanish a coin, and immediately show that both sides of both hands are completely empty is hugely direct and baffling. Actually, it feels like a bit of an anti-climax to make the coin reappear - that somehow characterises what was a completely impossible vanish as, instead, a very clever bit of sleight of hand. However, there are qualifications. Yes, it can be done anywhere, but it's neither impromptu nor angle-proof. More of a consideration is the 'Vanish a full size half dollar' line. No, you can't. Lowe says explicitly in the vid that you can't do this - you can rather give the appearance of doing it by 'cheating'. In British terms (it's difficult, because I don't want to reveal anything), I could vanish any number of things the size of, or bigger than, a £2 coin. But I wouldn't actually vanish a £2 coin.


Overall
Well, I don't have Melt - http://www.expertmagic.com/html/store/melt/preview.html - but I'd guess that both use a similar method - I was certainly able to down a very Melt-like effect using the Gone thinking. This happy accident possibly mitigates what some might think of as Gone being quite pricey for a single effect that doesn't include any materials. In the 28 minute video (which is a 218 MB download, by the way) Lowe does show variations, but there's a slight sense of crowbarring some of them in: a few require other, gimmicked, items, and I can't believe that anyone would do the coin into sponge ball transformation, for example, as the obviousness of the sponge ball appearing fatally distracts from the impossibility of the coin's disappearance. The inherent limitations also mean that, though I've been doing it all day with 2ps and 10ps, I'm happier doing it with a penny. Yes, it's not as impressive, but, still - Look, it's completely gone!

OK: I'm glad I got this. The set-up such is that I could happily be at a party for an hour or so, say, before 'a passing coin, or absently finding one in my own pocket, reminded me about it'. Angles are an issue/restriction, but only in so much as you'll need to think and choose your spot, not a kind of cramped fear thing. I'm sure I'll be able to use it in utility fashion as well. It's a great effect, and one that I'll actually do: I don't begrudge £12 for that at all - maybe some things out there are better value, but, my, there are a lot that are worse too.

Rating.
Effect/item: 9/10, Value for money: 7/10

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Postby Sexton Blake » Apr 19th, '06, 21:43

Sexton Blake wrote:'Vanish a full size half dollar' line. No, you can't. Lowe says explicitly in the vid that you can't do this - you can rather give the appearance of doing it by 'cheating'. In British terms (it's difficult, because I don't want to reveal anything), I could vanish any number of things the size of, or bigger than, a £2 coin. But I wouldn't actually vanish a £2 coin.


Actually, I've now found a 'way' of confidently doing the vanish with other, higher denomination. coins, so the situation is mitigated. Sadly, I can't say what this 'way' is, as it would reveal much of the basic secret. But, if you have the trick (and can demonstrate that with the power of your words), PM me and I'll let you know.

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how hard for magic dad?

Postby samdan » Sep 7th, '06, 02:27

Hi,
How hard do you think this trick would be learn/do for a dad who does magic for his family and friends? I am not adverse at all to practice and don't generally enjoy the fully automatic tricks but also don't want to get into the realm of tricks that are pretty difficult and require tons of practice. After all, magic is just a fun hobby for me. Thanks in advance for any advice on this trick.

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Re: how hard for magic dad?

Postby Sexton Blake » Sep 7th, '06, 09:46

samdan wrote:Hi,
How hard do you think this trick would be learn/do for a dad who does magic for his family and friends? I am not adverse at all to practice and don't generally enjoy the fully automatic tricks but also don't want to get into the realm of tricks that are pretty difficult and require tons of practice. After all, magic is just a fun hobby for me. Thanks in advance for any advice on this trick.


I'd advise getting Bobo (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Coin-Magic-116-Coin-Sleights-236-Coin-Tricks/dp/0486242587/sr=8-1/qid=1157617875/ref=pd_ka_1/026-8402779-2570826?ie=UTF8&s=gateway) instead. That way, you'll have a selection of coin tricks and you can choose the ones you feel fit your 'practice needed' requirements.

Mind you, I feel that, with coin stuff especially, you learn better from a DVD that from a book. In that direction, I hear Sankey's Revolutionary Coin Magic (http://www.magicworld.co.uk/magic-shop/catalog/Revolutionary-Coin-Magic-Jay-Sankey-p-118.html) is good, though he does use difficult-to-master sleights in places. For great stuff for a beginner, Ammar's Complete Introduction to Coin Magic (http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=4333) is darn good.

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gone

Postby samdan » Sep 7th, '06, 15:08

thanks sexton blake--for whatever reason I am able to learn magic much more easily from dvds than books--I think it is b/c I can visually see what I am supposed to do

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Re: gone

Postby Sexton Blake » Sep 7th, '06, 15:38

samdan wrote:for whatever reason I am able to learn magic much more easily from dvds than books


There are pluses and minuses to both mediums, but DVDs/videos are definitely able, unlike books, to demonstrate utterly vital things like rhythm, timing and flow. In the title I mentioned above, even when Ammar is teaching a move - that's to say, there's no secret about it at this point: he's told you precisely what he's doing - it's still wonderfully deceptive. It's not the move; it's selling the move. That's something you need to see, text can't convey it fully.

But, now we're drifting in the direction of another thread, I reckon.

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