talkmagic.co.uk

Hi

Could someone please review this DVD!!!
Art of Sleight of Hand DVD
http://www.ellusionist.com/order/sankey/Art-of-Sleight-of-Hand-Sankey.php?cat=104


Regards
Maximilian Pfau

i am a big Sankey fan, but this dvd is not good. and i'll explain why:

the interview clips are short, and uninformative, the magicians answer very vaguely, and the questions are not well directed either, e.g "if you had real magic powers what would they be?" there is nothing to be learnt from their answers.

Performances = very poor!! i could not beleive how poor infact, mike skutt needs to hang his head in shame for his pathetic sponge balls effect.

i could go on and on talking about how dissapointed i was with this dvd, but its not worht the effort. simply put: do not waste your cash

Please, don't hold back...

...tell us what you really think!

M. Skutt

That's one less Christmas card for Mike to send

Ok...I'm going to admit that I was a wee bit hurt by Atomo's comments. I was hoping for a more constructive review of the project and not a personal attack on myself:

1. It's not my project (ie I did not have any say as to what made the final cut or anything like that...I was merely 1/9th of the thing).

2. You are seeing about 1 minute of a 10 minute silent routine. It's
like looking at the Mona Lisa with a microscope (...Ok, my act is NO Mona Lisa). The snipet is out of context...keep that in mind.

3. IT'S FRIGGING SPONGE BALLS!

4. An ad hominem fallacy is when the subject matter is not being addressed but rather the person. In this instance, a line was crossed from subject (the video) to a person (yep, me). Now, had Atomo been discussing each performer's specific piece, then got to mine, that would be the first difference. The second difference should have been word choice...how about these alternatives?

A. "...Mike Skutt's sponge ball routine was trite and rote; he should be thinking about collecting stamps in the near future."

B. "...The only thing interesting about Mike Skutt's sponge ball routine was when it was over."

C. "...Of all of the performances, Mike Skutt's seemed the most lacking. To be honest, I'm not sure what was going on...maybe its an American thing."

D. "...Mike Skutt's sponge ball routine is proof that drugs are BAD!".

Ok. I think we get the point.

Honestly, I'm a bear for free speech so I expect no change/apology/monetary restitution over this unfortunate singeling out. Nor should there be. I just want everyone to know that a lot of people read these posts and we owe it to them to post thoughful, well articulated reviews, comments, opinions, etc. Not only will it reflect positively on ourselves (as authors), but the community as a whole.

Peace out!

Mr. Skutt

P.S. Does anyone know where I can get one of those Sponge Ball Videos?

Well said, i LOVE your work by the way i have heard nothing but good things about this DVD.

And given that we have one new reviewer saying that it is bad...maybe some justification would be nice?

Kati

Whilst we encourage honest and unbiased Reviews on TM, we should bear in mind that opinions are very subjective and need to be made thoughtfully and courteously. Professional performers can be very vulnerable if extreme comments are taken out of context - booking have been lost in the past over this sort of thing and I doubt any of us would be happy to lose our jobs/income because someone made harsh comments elsewhere. By all means feel free to express negative comments but be sure that such comments are fair and reasonable.

I put my order in for this, today - I'll have a review up for it once I sink my teeth into it.

Man, I don't want to beat a dead horse (but maybe a live one):

1. Thanks for everyone's comments. It would appear that the consensus is that opinions about performers (as well as their work) should always be honest, but done in a courteous manner.

2. The footage of me is not great. However, it is not the worst I've ever seen. Period.

3. I think there is value in the project. It may be mistaken that I am biased because I have a small (really small) role, but I think I can set that aside for a second. First, the video does not "teach" any effects. Not a single one. What it consists of is 9 performers who performed for a sold-out crowd (lay audience): small parts of their performances and interviews segments. The same questions were asked of everyone and, while there is a wide range of answers, there are definately some "core values" that come up. This is the DVD's point. (plus it comes with two of Sankey's gimmicked card tricks: Locomotion and Private Property).

4. Is it the best DVD in the world? Nope.

5. Is it the worst? Nope again.

6. I would advise everyone to go to Jay's website and look at the demo and read the description. You should get a fairly accurate sense of whether the DVD is right for you.

And now, to Atomo: I sincerely hope this does not feel like "everyone is gaining up on the new guy", because it's not. In the big scheme of life, this is dust. It's nothing. You are not the first person to criticize my work (just do a search on Magic Cafe' if you want to find some bad stuff about me...its a good read!) and you wont' be the last. I would be heartbroken if I was never criticized. It would mean I reached a plateau and that is death to any artist. So, Atomo, I apologize if I put you on the spot. As the kids say, "You be cool".

So, forgive me for harping on this subject for to long. We need to be talking about magic, not my feelings.

The spirit slate has been wiped clean! Long live TM!

M. Skutt
"the mediocre magician"

I think Mike just about summed it up there. Big fan of your work too, Mike...

arrrgh. i come back from my vacation and a new dvd comes out from sankey magic. with mike skutt too! gAH! i have little money left.... great CUPS is kicking in

love your stuff btw mike

having re-read my earlier comments i would like to sincerely apologise to Mike Skutt. it was only because i know what a skilled and intelligent performer he is that i was so harsh in my criticism.

I was unfortunatly born with a tongue made of acid, and sometimes it gets the better of me. To find such an articulate and honest reply from Mike himself is humbling to say the least, i had never imagined that he would read let alone respond to my snide comments, and i would like to let him know that i look up to him and jay, and the others on the dvd as a source of inspiration and knowledge, and admire their creativity.

I do stand by my review of the dvd as being a very dissapointing release from sankey, and i think it is the previously ultra high standards of everything that i have bought from Jay that prompted such a strong response. paying £20 for a 45 minute dvd which contains only short clips of performances , and interviews which seem rushed and lack the detail that the press for this dvd would lead you to beleive, didnt feel like value for money, and it was partly my angry and empty wallet which was to blame for my rudeness.

If ,as Mike has said, they filmed entire performaces for this project - Why not include them in the dvd and give the fans what they want? instead of teasing us with short extracts. I think a better title for this dvd would be ' A Discussion of Sleight of Hand' , as labelling the release 'The Art of' suggests a far more comprehensive collection of advice and demonstration. And although the two gimmicked card effets are good, i feel like they have been added to make up for the short dvd and seem a little out of place.

i only joined this site a few days ago, and i feel i have made a very bad first impression, which i seriously regret, as i really truly love magic as a hobby, and have nothing but respect for idividuals like Mike Skutt who not only make a living from magic, but also add to the art creatively, which has always been an ambition of mine. i obviously have alot to learn about the etiquette of web forums, and on relfelction, feel pretty low for making a personal attack on someone as safe as mike skutt. i should have separated the performer from the item that i was reviewing.

i will now PM mike to apologise further, and i just hope that this reply isn't too little too late.

hoping for forgiveness. Sincerely
Atomo

Don't feel too bad Atomo everyone is entitled to their own opinions

Everyone,

Atomo did, indeed PM me a very sweet apology. I in turn told him it was not necessary because he is dead on with his review. He is very smart and articulate and his newest detailing of the project seems more than accurate...plus he offered to buy me a pint when I'm in London...How can I beat that?!?

This is one aspect of magic that I did not reckon on...politics and criticism. The second thing I never reckoned on was the brotherhood/sisterhood that we have. Think about it. We're oceans apart, but I feel close to a lot of you guys and respect your ideas and opinions tremendously. I guess that's why the initial criticism hurt so much. However, I now feel closer to everyone and magic in general. It is probably safe to say that a lot of us do not have a "support" network in our everyday lives: close friends, clergy, sock puppets...so this is our support group....people who all suffer for the same art, who speak the same language.

It is vital that we protect that.

Peace!