Just took delivery of BLOON by MagicSmith...
The Effect - What they say:
...a psychic popping of an ordinary balloon. You don't have to be anywhere near it when it pops, and you know the exact moment - so you get all the credit.
The Effect - What I say:
What they said.
Cost:
$80 USD direct from MagicSmith (out of stock at time of writing)
£59.99 from Alakazam
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)
1. One. Ein. Un. Uno. Less that two.
Review
Close-up walkabout mantalism has always been a problem for me. Guests at wedding receptions, corporate functions and dinner parties tend not to have the attention span or patience for anything too involved, tend to fail miserably at following simple instructions that could make or break an effect, and aren't in the mood for anything dark or serious. Plus, the environments in which I tend to work are often noisy and full of distractions.
Magic works well in these settings, because it's quick, snappy, visual, and under the performer's control. The same can't be said for most mentalist effects.
I know a lot of people out there will disagree with the above, but that's the fruit of my experience.
Despite all that, I'm determined to forge a killer repertoire of mentalism effects for strolling gigs that pack the same kind of punch and have the same level of daft simplicity as Sponge Balls or Card to Wallet.
I know a lot of people out there will campaign to have me tarred and feathered for the above statement. To them, I say 'ick-poo nyah and phthhh!'. Be dark and spooky if you want. I'll be the one having fun. So there.
So, as you can imagine, BLOON appealed to me greatly. In essence, you pop a balloon with the power of your mind. Simple, direct, visual and noisy - what's not to like?
Well... the price for a start... Sixty quid for a one trick pony is a bit steep in my book, but the effect seemed to tick every box in my new trick checklist, so I took the plunge.
What you get is a gimmicked balloon box, a set of instructions on CD-ROM, and a replacement somethingorother (although I suspect that the installed somethingorother will last longer than the cardboard box!).
Here's how the supplied routine plays:
You remove a bunch of balloons from a box and allow the spectator to choose their favourite colour. They can blow it up if you want to make the preparation more hands off, and you can have the local CSI team swab your hands and inspect them for balloon-eating chemicals or camouflaged plastic whatnots. They won't find a thing. You could do this naked if you want, but the trick doesn't require that much misdirection.
You then proceed with some comical banter about making the balloon move with the power of your mind - wafting the air, or even blowing it to get the desired effect. After groans from your bystanders, and with your hands still empty, you then proceed to pull a constipated facial expression.
Then comes the countdown... Three... Two... One...
POP! The balloon goes bang.
Ta-dah!
And it plays pretty much as it reads.
Some prop management is required, but this is all justified in the process of trying to tame a wild balloon.
Angle issues are minimal - there's a tiny detail that might be seen, but if your audience are all on one side of the balloon, and the balloon itself is opaque, you've got no worries.
My only disappointment with the effect is that the device works by telling you when the balloon is going to pop. It's not a remote control. That limits some of the ideas I had in my brain, whereby the spectator would shout 'bang' and pop the balloon. On the other hand, the fact that nothing needs to be pressed or handled at the time of the bang, allows you to show your hands wide and empty - and to be as far away from the balloon as you want.
Overall
The price is steep for a one-trick-pony, but it fits my style perfectly, and gives me another bit of irreverent, silly and noisy fun to add to my walkaround psychic set.
The gimmick is housed in a cardboard balloon box. I'm not sure how long it will last before the card starts to look old and faded. I think careful storage will be essential between gigs.
On the plus side, it's easy to use and works like a charm. It takes full advantage of the fact that balloons are inherently silly, and everyone's wary of them popping when you introduce one to your set.
It requires no explanation or justifiaction, and spectators can't ruin the effect by half-listening to your instructions. Depending on your routining, you don't need to give your specs any instructions.
Use it as an opener, however, and you'll have their full attention for the rest of your time together.
SCORE:
As a trick to fit my repertoire of non-serious things: 8/10
Anyone just looking for 'a new trick' on payday general might find it less valuable.
