Get Fluxed - by Chris Jones
Available in differing versions:
Get Fluxed, where you get a downloadable PDF with instructions not only for the effects, but also step-by-step guides on where to source the materials to construct - £5.00
Get Fluxed Special Edition, where you get a fully printed Get Fluxed booklet, plus items needed to construct the gimmicks required to perform the effects in the booklet and many more effects (n.b. only available for a limited period) you just need to supply a few items commonly found at home anyway. (And if you can't find them at your home, nip next door and see if the neighbours can help!) - £16.00
Available from: www.nothingupmysleeve.co.uk
Difficulty: Somewhere between 1 and 2 with a bit of 3 thrown in for fun - there are many ideas and effects and all are very straightforward and easy to understand. The secret would be in tailoring them to your style and presentation.
(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)
What it says on the tin: Get Fluxed—an attractive proposition! A COLLECTION OF MAGIC AND WISDOM WHICH IS LITERALLY POLES APART!
Get Fluxed is a collection of 5 effects and instructions for 2 DIY gimmicks which will introduce you into the world of magnetic magic. Aimed at beginners and pro's alike, there's a little something in there which will take everyone's fancy.
The Effects
1. Pause
2. Daylight Robbery
3. Liquid Silica
4. Repulsive
5. Elemental
I'm not going into details of the tricks but suffice to say if you like the idea of taking a (possibly borrowed) coin, shoving it through a glass topped table and be left squeaky clean at the end, then this is for you!
Review: I bought the Special Edition version rather than the PDF and can report that the booklet is an extremely professional piece of work. As Chris is a Graphic Designer, this is only to be expected and, although there is a lot of text in the book it's all presented in an easily readable format, in full colour in a glossy A5 booklet, full colour photos and simple, clear instructions that even I could understand. Apart from the tricks/routines themselves, there are details of how to make gimmicks and gizmos which can be used for many more effects. One will be rather familiar as there's a commercially available item which does similar work but this one predates the commercial one and works slightly differently anyway. Apart from a 'Little Bertha' there are other neos and a few items which could be found at home or at your local Staples but I was far too lazy and just decided to get the full Monte from NUMS.
Overall: Excellent value, very well presented and full of additional snippets of information which are almost worth the price of the booklet alone. We also get to experience a lot of corny jokes (refer to the 'POLES APART' one above) plus details of the involvement of Mrs.Jones senior's best china tea service and an old loudspeaker. Not sure how useful that is in magic but it was nice of Chris to share it all with us
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If you like effects with neos and similar items then Get Fluxed will be of great interest. The usual warnings apply, take care of them as they can be brittle and for crying out loud, don't leave a Bertha in your pocket and walk too close to a radiator or a car - you just know what will happen. I'd also caution anyone not to stand close to a radiator in female company as the resulting tumescence of the trouser pocket area could be misconstrued as being pleased to see them.
Value for money: I have no regrets at £16 as that works out at about £2 or less per routine or idea/suggestion. At a mere fiver for the download, it's a steal.
Score: A good 9.5 out of 10 (I never give 10 because I'm an ornery soul!)
C.U.P.S. Rating: I was pacing the floor waiting for NUMS to be up and running so I could get my hands on this sort of thing and I wasn't disappointed. 9 out of 10 for CUPS sufferers.
For those of you who are understandably cautious about ordering from a new site then please let me reassure you. Although NUMS is relatively new, the whole concept has been some three or more years or more in the making and has been thoroughly researched before opening shop. Many of the items on sale first saw light of day before that and have been Beta tested (and well approved) by some very cynical bods on TM! The purchase process itself is as easy as you would expect, automatic acknowledgements are swift, order progress information is excellent and the delivery time is, in this case, next working day - ordered late Wednesday night, jiffy bag on doormat Friday morning.
