The Effect
Ask a spectator to take out THEIR Phone and open THEIR address book. Have them scroll through the names in THEIR address book and stop anytime they want. Have them focus on that person. You will reveal the name of the person and sometimes extra bits of personal information you couldn't possibly have known. Perfect for walk-around. Perfect for street. Perfect for school. Perfect for work.
* Completely impromptu.
* Uses the spectator's phone.
* No mirrors.
* No gimmicks.
* No stooges.
* No special software.
Your spectator must have a certain type of phone for Curveball to work (many different models work, but one type is best). This type of phone is extremely popular. You just need one person in a group that has a phone that will work and you're off to the races. We run into people with this type of phone all the time.
Cost
Approx £13-14 from http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=2084
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)
2
Review
I don't contribute many reviews to this site - my last one being Reality is Plastic. When I do review something however, it is because it is something that I deem good enough to use in the real world.
This is one of those things.
This is impromptu, and very easy. Having performed this several times now, I can vouch for how easy this is. Not once did any of the spectators beleve that it was anything "sleight of hand-y"
Is this clean? Yes, very clean. Is the demo video a bit misleading? Obvously it is. But not to the degree whereby if you were a day to day performer you couldnt guess what part has been cut.
This is something that works. You hold their phone once, but not at a stage where they think anything fishy could possibly be going on. When seing the method, I believe many people will potentially think "I can't get away with that!". That's your porogative - but it does work. Trust me, I haven't been caught out yet, and nor will I be.
Now, what phones can it be done with? I'll be honest - most phones. I'd say about 90% of phones that arent a touch screen. So sorry for the iPhone users out there. I think something like this might be able to be done on an iPod (not a touch), though I havent got one to have a look at to try.
Blackberrys are very common, so they are probably the best phones to do it on. Oz even says he prefers the blackberry. Hence the name "Curve"ball - aka, blackberry curve.
It's a good effect, nice and easy, and is definitely something nice just to have inside your head. Using nothing but a spectator's phone, it is something very nice that you can do "on-the-spot" using nothing but knowledge.
Overall
Is it a groundbreaking new method? No
Is it an effect that works in the real world? Yes
a solid 7/10 for you guys, and a 9/10 in the hands of me
A good investment for the real world performer
