The Effect
A card is shown having 4 holes, one in each corner. It is reversed on the deck (face down), after which the magician takes the card and visibly moves 3 holes to one corner using just two fingers. After reversing it on the deck again, the card is handed out for inspection. It can be obtained in both Blue and Red Bicycle Riders - I have the blue one.
Watch it on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-tQSR8zC80
You can get it, for example, at
http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=10297
Cost
I bought it in Belgium for € 49, which translates to about $ 70. However, most US shops sell it for about 80 to 90 bucks. This can be explained by the fact that the trick is manufactured in France and that it is of course much cheaper to get it to Belgium than it is to ship it to US magic stores. Nonetheless, the price still is pretty steep.
The package contains a DVD, a gimmicked card and two punched cards.
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)
I'd give it a 2. It requires some sleights but these are done in such a quick and almost unnoticable way giving it a 3 would just be overkill.
Review
When the guy at the magic shop showed it to me, I was baffled. When not knowing what is going to happen, all you see is simply those holes moving on the back of the card. This is exactly what I like about this trick: it's very visual and surprising. After practising for a couple of hours (I like to take my time as not to 'ruin' my money spent) I showed it to some relatives of mine. Over here, people tend not to scream and such when seeing a magic trick as opposed to what I see on magic video's filmed in the States, but this was actually the first time my spectators did. They touched the card after the trick, and really thought it was magic - which is of course what any trick wants to achieve.
The DVD that comes with it has some street performances in France, several in-studio close up performances which also explain the trick and some little promotional films for other Chatelain tricks and DVD's. The trick is well explained with English subtitles. However, I suggest another routine which can be found in this review. The subtitles come in French, English and Spanish. Overall, a well produced DVD.
The gimmick itself is very well constructed. I'm new to Mickael Chatelain's tricks, but if any of his other gimmicks are made like this, I'm in. It is in your spectators view almost all of the time, and they don't see it because they
don't have to to look for it. All they want to see is the card with the holes in it (people who have this will understand it better). This is also where the sleights come in: when done in a nonchalant way, it will be absolutely unnoticeable. Just for your understanding: the moving of the holes does not require any sleight at all, it is almost self-working. The lazy ones could simply take this one card out of their wallet, do the hole move and put it away again without ever doing anything. Not that I'm supporting this, but now you know.
In the routine I came up with, I force the punched card as if I don't know that the card has holes in it. The spectator of course notices this and gently lets me know. I tell them that I was not counting on her choosing that card - and turn their card round so that I too know which card she chose, but that I will do another little trick, on the offbeat. This is when I start moving the holes. Because of the fact that they were expecting another 'choose a card and I'll find it somehow'-trick, the fact that it goes totally elsewhere really nails it. It's just an idea, I'd be glad to hear some other suggestions!
On a side note: I've read some reviews on other fora, and one of the questions which came back was whether the card in the end could be handed out as a souvenir. It actually can: get a forcing deck matching the gimmick and a puncher. You'll figure it out in about a second.
Overall
A very strong, well constructed trick. It is almost invisibly gimmicked when performed right. The price is high for just one trick, but the reactions are great and the gimmick is so well constructed. Watching yourself do it almost looks like real magic.[/url]