talkmagic.co.uk

David Regal: Premise, Power & Participation (4 DVD set)

The Advert
David Regal creates some of the most devious routines that are intrinsically entertaining and never fail to fool. This four-volume set of DVDs features highlights from his four books and some previously unpublished routines.

Cost
$109.95 for the Four DVD set from Meir Yedid Magic

DifficultyVaried - anywhere between 1 & 4, more set-ups and gimmicks than complicated sleight of hand.
(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)

Review
This set of DVD's is the best set of DVD's I have seen in my approximately 9 months of learning magic. David Regal is a fantastic and hilarious performer. His tricks are created with the imagination of a 5 year old and performed with the adult oriented style (though not too rude for kids to enjoy) of a 30 year old (god knows how old he actually is). One reason I loved this DVD set so much is because it's the first time in a long time that I was truly fooled like a lay person when watching the performances. I've been watching alot of Sankey and Bill Malone and various other stuff and I was very rarely fooled by these DVD's.

Volume 1: Premise
The opening routine to this DVD is one of my favourite from the entire series. The routine involves two tricks - first the four aces are found impossibly at lightning speed, then they change into the four kings, then to match the four kings the aces are produced again; second a selected card is placed between the four aces then disappears to be found between the four kings. Fantastic. One of the real highlights is his take on the ambitious card where he has a puppy drawn on the card and it follows the master’s voice. This DVD has some killer effects on it including a bottle cap themed matrix, a cute but astonishing chop-cup routine and a trick called Exhibit "A", where a signed card turns out to be a card that was on the table from before the trick even began.

Volume 2: Power
This volume starts off with a fantastic touch a card prediction using two decks. I’ve been using this a lot. After this prediction the chosen card is signed, torn and shown to be one half red, one half blue. Another great trick is his hilarious and novel “card to pocket” routine that requires no palming. Also, this DVD contains the explanation behind his individually sold “Prophecy Pack” (should you wish to create the gimmicked deck yourself). Other effects on this DVD involve a prediction of the date from a freely chosen penny from an entire glass-full, an inspectable haunted bill/deck routine and several impossible signed card transpositions, one real magician fooler named “Fill In The Blank Transpo”.

Volume 3: Participation
This was my least favourite of the set but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. As the name suggests, the material on this DVD is entirely focused on getting people involved. It starts off with a thought of card in wallet, which I personally don’t like since I have the Kollosal Killer, and feel this is a little limited compared to that. The tricks involve spectators doing all manner of things from drawing shapes, to drawing the design of a card they thought of on a blank card which becomes part of a royal flush. Highlights from this DVD are the Coincidence Deck - where the magician and spectator alternate in choosing cards with the magician choosing first for 6-7 cards, which are all mates – and David’s version of the 3 card monte. Whilst this DVD contains some worthwhile material I don’t feel the material works as a better illustration than material on the other DVD’s considering this was meant to be the theme for this DVD. Still good though.

Volume 4: Regal Walks Erect – Stand-up Routines
This DVD is the funniest of the set. It also has the fewest number of effects (only 5) but they’re worth it, damn it! It starts with a “journey to love”. An effect which the spectators determine a random hotel and a random room number which is printed on a key which was present from the beginning of the trick. Second is the fun “Swindle Transpo”, in which a packet of a card goes from between a packet of blue cards and a packet of red cards that are separated by sealed envelopes – an amusingly clever routine. Next is a double haunted matchbox routine where one closes as the other one opens in increasingly impossible circumstances. Fourth routine is a fantastic prediction piece where the theme is to have a card “not selected”. 51 cards are thrown into a waste basket until one is left which was predicted by a giant card in an envelope held from the beginning. The final routine is labelled as a Bonus routine but is one of the best routines in the set. It is David’s approach to the deck story. This is a very different story to the “Sam The Bellhop” variations but based on the same principle. I wasn’t all that interested in the explanation for this trick, it’s just hilarious to watch.

Overall
8/10 – Overall this set is very entertaining full of diverse material involving coins, cards, bottle caps, toy mice, etc, etc, and I think most magicians will find something on these DVD’s that strikes them as worthy of using. However, one criticism I have (although this is a personal criticism) is that a lot of the stuff requires set-ups and gimmicks. Whilst the impromptu material that is present is very strong, there isn’t much of it. Since I am more of an impromptu (down the pub) performer there are many things I can't take away from these DVD's but the education alone on the art of magic was superb.

One thing I do love about these DVD’s is David Regal’s hilarious performing style. When you learn how to do one of the tricks you’re almost tempted to steal his presentation for it too because it’s so good, but alas, we magi must endeavour to be as original as possible.