by Tom Lauten » Mar 9th, '09, 14:20
Tagged by Richard Saunders
Available from: Most magic dealers
Price: approx £21.99
Category: Close up card reveal and penetration
Difficulty (1-5): 1-2
They say:
From the creator of Extreme Burn, Interlace and Fiber Optics Extended comes an incredible illusion where the dog tag chain around your neck and a selected card become visually and impossible linked together.
Effect - A playing card is selected, shuffled into the deck and then...the impossible happens! The performer points out the dog tag chain hanging around his neck. The chain is completely solid and ungimmicked. Holding the deck in his hand, he waves it over the hanging chain, suddenly the selected card jumps out from the deck and impales itself onto the chain.
Get a load of this:
There are no breaks in the chain and no slits or tears in the card. The selected card visibly impales itself onto the chain, leaving it in an impossibly linked condition. Everything is completely examinable! You can even give it away as a souvenir!
Key Points:
Use any deck
Use any dog tag chain
Everything is totally examinable
Angle-proof penetration
The perfect closer to any card routine
Package Includes:
36" Custom Dog Tag Chain
Special gimmick
Full training DVD that will guide you through every step of this effect, including method, performance, variations, handling tips and all the subtleties that make this effect so devastating!
Running Time Approximately 55min
I say:
Well, I really like this a lot. To some the method might seem obvious but I found the details and subtleties very sweet indeed.
I have heard people complain that the demo leaves an important bit out and to a degree it does but it’s only the bit that would have people doing their own version of this without buying it and that would be a shame. The DVD give you top tips and all the guidance you will need to make a real success of this trick both in terms of setting up the gimmick and in performance. Without it you would be on your own and could ruin a trick who’s method would be nice to keep away from lay-people because of shoddy performances. What’s more this is a clever effect and we should be happy to buy it.
The DVD is concise and to the point leaving no detail uncovered, simple and tidy with some handling extras included that are very helpful and generous. The materials you get to set this up with are complete and perfectly suited to the job. The simplicity of the constructed gimmick (yes, you will need to do a tiny bit of DIY…only 5 mins will see you fully set up.) is truly elegant. You will only need a few stationary store bits that most of us will already have lying around. You will need to provide yourself with a deck of cards and an extra as well. These can be any brand, size or design…I’ll say no more.
The visual part of the card linking onto the chain really is effective and startling, it seems impossible. Immediately you remove the chain from around your neck and hand it to the spectator to examine… and examine it they can, they will find nothing but a mystery. The misdirection of one bit of “the work” is so seemingly natural that it is actually relaxing to perform because you KNOW it is so clever and “invisible” whilst being very dirty!!! You can even give them the card as a souvenir, heck, you can give them the card and chain if you like but you will, of course, need to source more ball-chain. It will take about 10-15 seconds in private to fully reset (if you don’t give the props away) but this is not a technical hardship ….in fact the whole effect is no technical hardship.
I have heard people complain (a lot of people do this a LOT) that the spectator can not sign the card but who cares? Is that a make or break thing…really?! The effect itself seems so impossible and is so visually strong that they will want you to sign the card as a keepsake!
In conclusion:
This is a hard hitting close up illusion combined with a card trick. It is so visual and physical that spectators will be stunned and thoroughly puzzled as well as entertained. Buy it, set it up, put it in you pocket and slip on your chain, I DARE you not to try it out!
Rating 1-10: Well commercial and visual 9.5 out of 10
If we can hit that bullseye then the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards... Checkmate!