talkmagic.co.uk

[Mandrake]

Jiggernaut by Mark Jenest
Price: $16.99 plus P&P

Difficulty: 3
(1=A Mandrake could do it, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

Description:
The magician takes the part of a bartender who offers to perform a sobriety test using the very things which help to get you drunk in the first place - a 'jigger', and a stuffed olive. For the total abstainers amongst you, a jigger is a device used to measure out spirits, usually for cocktails, and consists of two 'cups' back to back, one larger than the other. If you don't know what a stuffed olive is then you've obviously led a very sheltered life and I suggest you don't read any further. As the routine progresses, the olive repeatedly appears under the jigger despite being placed in the bartenders pocket several times and even after being put in his mouth and swallowed. As a finale, the olive finally disappears but is replaced by two wine corks.

Review:
I saw this some months ago and thought it would be an ideal item to be performed in a certain bar in Greece that I know of but, sadly, the item wasn't available at the time. I checked around quite a bit and finally found it on offer in the USA - hence the price above being in US Dollars - and it arrived last week. In effect, it's a version of the Cups and Balls routine but using two cups - the jigger - instead of three separate ones - plus a load of patter. The jokes which come with Jiggernaut are suitably appalling and would go down well amongst those who are roaring drunk.

Overall:
I like this one a lot. The props are excellent and there are no gaffed items which could give the game away. The jigger is exactly that, a nice chromium plated item which could be used for the intended purpose of measuring booze. The olive is a very convincingly realistic plastic with similarly realistically fake pimento stuffed inside, the wine corks are - well, just wine corks! OK, you could buy all these items (the olives are available separately or you could use small rubber balls or something similar) and make up the trick yourself. I've priced up jiggers in Tescos and they would cost a fair amount anyway so you may not actually save a lot of cash. The real secret is, of course, the routine and the moves which are all nicely choreographed. If you know Cups and Balls then you know what I mean. I've run through this a few times now with the vastly enlarged instructions Blu-Tac'd to the wall in front of me and it's all starting to look rather professional - even if I do say so myself. Which I do. So there.

Rating: Effect/Item: 10/10 (especially for the idea of reworking a classic routine into a 'new' one, Quality of goods: 10/10, Value for money: 10/10

The bottom line... I like it. It fits nicely into the jacket pocket so would class it as 'packs small, plays big'.

[Mandrake]

And if you'd like to see how the 'expert' does this, check out:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=601

[Mandrake]

Update 8/4/04 - item now available from: http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_i ... ts_id=2756

[Montz]

Jiggernaut by Mark Jenest
I've run through this a few times now with the vastly enlarged instructions Blu-Tac'd to the wall in front of me.

Hahaha!

That's a quality tip! All the years i've been struggling to turn pages with my teeth when my hands are full!

Cheers!

Liam.

[Flash]

Nice trick, notice the price is now $39.00 though.

(bleeding inflation, one day I'll catch up with you and then you'll be sorry)

[DrTodd]

Good news is, the exchange has got better!