talkmagic.co.uk

Jay Sankey and rising star Mike Skutt join forces to bring what I believe to be one of the best Sankey Magic DVDs ever released! The contents and my review of each effect is below:

Through Thick And Thin (Sankey)- A fantastic 3 phase coin-through-table effect with a SIGNED coin that looks fantastic! Finally Jay has come back with some great magic! Great effect, although it suffers from impracticality (need to be seated, need to have a table cloth over table to perform the better of two handlings) ****

The Siamese Change (Skutt)- A great colour change bit with 4 total colour changes! Very visual, as two card change simultaneously change! ****

No Way Out (Sankey)- Think "Copper-Silver" despite the fact that the coins transpose while one is wrapped in scotch tape! Same routine as the normal Copper-Silver effects but with a twist that spectators love! A great effect that takes up little pocket space! ****

Mr. Tea (Skutt)- Tea spilled on a napkin reveals the dat on a borrowed coin! Very easy, with a set-up that can be done quickly, with very little to carry! ****

Surfboard Change (Sankey)- This is one of the most beautiful card flourishes/changes I have ever seen. A card changes while riding the waves made from a simple ribbon spread turnover! Although this is a move you have to develop a knack for, since the card cannot be flung from the ribbon spread (you do not touch the card after it is laid on the spread) but it looks fantastic! *****

Odeon Production (Skutt)- A fold in the magician's shirt changes visually into a sponge ball. Looks stunning, but unfortunately is impractical for people that do not wear glasses or shirts that match the colors of your sponge balls. ***

Transient (Sankey)- An X on the back of a playing card is visually removed and slapped onto a borrowed quarter thaty the spectator has been holding the entire time! Looks great, and utilizes one of my favourite card moves, The Erdnase Color Change. *****

Twist In Time (Sankey)- Two twist ties magicallt travel back in time to a stunning climax! This one is quite clever and imaginative, but rather dull. ***

Couple Card (Skutt)- Romantic magic at its best! Two signed cards fuse together in a large flash of fire produced from a candle! Looks great, but one special gimmick is required. ****

Jorge Washington (Skutt)- A coin changes into a circular cut out from a previously selected card! When the card is recovered in the deck, the circle of card is shown to perfectly match the hole that clearly wasn't in the card before! Great routine that requires a simple coin switch. ****

Duet (Sankey)- The "ring" in a bell vanishes and appears in another previously silent bell! Jay utilizes sound instead of sleights to create some powerfully natural illusions! I love this one! *****

The Ol' Coin Up The Nose (Skutt)- This is one of my favourite effects on the DVD! A quarter is visually shoved up the magician's nostril and soon impossibly recovered! The initial shove up the nose is so CLEAN looking! The hand appears to be totally bare! This is great, visual magic you can do at a moment's notice! *****

Questionable (Sankey)- An odd card routine that ends with a cool climax. I didn't really like this one, since it uses some gaffs, but the routine looks very magical! ***

Dirty Laundry (Skutt)- Mike uses an ordinary dryer sheet for some very magical moments, the final climax being the surprise production of a hlaf dollar under the sheet! Very simple, very commercial, and the climax looks marvelous! ****

Twinkle Toes (Sankey/Skutt)- A signed coin vanishes and reappears impossibly in the performer's sock! This looks really good, and the removal of the coin from the sock looks clean!

Overall, I give this DVD and 8/10! Made up mainly of fantastic, practical effects, this DVD is a definite buy! I anxiously wait Sankey's next collaboration DVD, The Sankey/Acer Sessions! Please reply with your thoughts on this!

The Sankey-Skutt Sessions DVD can be found at www.sankeymagic.com

Anyone have any comments or questions on this? Thank you!

Michael Kras

I should mention something: If you want to learn effects right away off this DVD, there are a few items you should have at the ready:

3 decks of cards
A few coins
A Sharpie
Tea or Coffee
A Napkin
A Box Of Crayons
Scissors
Socks (on your feet)
Dryer Sheet
Sponge Balls
Small Bells
Screwdriver
Wineglass
A Fako Deck
Flash Paper
A Candle/Lighter
Scotch Tape
A Table with table cloth

Seems like a lot, but if you get the DVD you can use a smaller amount of materials for effects you want to learn first.

Just a little more input! Does anyone else own this DVD and have any comments about it? Anyone have any questions about it before purchasing or considering purchsing? Let Me Know!

I look forward to your replies!

Michael Kras

Hey awesome review. I like that you included all the materials you would need. Your head is in the right place.

Thank you.

How much of the material is impromptu?