by Demitri » Jun 2nd, '05, 09:10
Katrie,
Sponge magic is a bit of a pariah in some circles. Some people absolutely HATE them, saying they're just kids stuff. I am not one of those people.
I own Earplugs - and I have to say I LOVE it. Like you, I was relatively new to sponge magic when I bought the dvd, and I liked the idea of a "new" twist on the effect. So, here's a review for you to ponder:
This is really a perfect choice for a beginner. Jay teaches all of the basic mechanics and sleights, and if you know Sankey (and I believe you're a fan of his, if I recall) then you know he is very good at explaining things. He's thorough, covering every detail of every single sleight. And there are TONS of sleights in this. Basic vanishes all the way up to more advanced moves.
The instructions are nicely laid out - and each successive move strings perfectly with the one before it and the one that follows. Essentially, Sankey is teaching you an entire routine step-by-step. The theory and patter is smart and updated. He takes the idea of sponges out of kiddy realms and keeps it interesting and leaves your moves and patter open to bits of comedy.
He has four established routines that you will learn
Shotgun Production Sequence
Likes Attract
Four on the Floor
The Pick Pocket
You can use the basic sleights he teaches on their own and create your own routine with them, but Sankey goes the extra mile and puts the skills and techniques into real-world environment routines that are well-thought out and play very strongly for any audience. Once you've grasped even half of the knowledge on this dvd, you'll be knocking people dead with your routines.
The plugs look cool (though my large sponge is a bit warped looking). They handle well and are actually easier to control and work than typical balls (I think, anyway). They're not as "squishy" as a Gosh sponge ball, but they are easy to conceal and move around. They're easy to clean and so far I haven't seen any of the wear and tear problems from cleaning that you get with older gosh balls (which is a natural thing, I'm not taking shots at the sponge balls - I love them!)
Still not convinced? Alright....how about.....
Bonus Effects
There are also 5 bonus tricks on the DVD. They are:
Lazarus - An impromptu burned and restored matchstick effect. Spectator removes two matches from a box and chooses one. The spec is asked to do what you do. You strike the match, let it burn for a few moments, then wave it out. You then pull the burnt head of the match off, as does the spectator. Magician then reattaches the matchhead to the match and lights it again.
Rating - 6/10 - It's a neat trick. I personally don't use it, but it's a pretty cool effect. One aspect of the trick is case-sensitive, which is why I don't use it often.
Re:cap - Magician borrows a quarter and repeatedly squeezes it into his hand, dropping it to the table. The third time, he squeezes and now the top to a salt shaker hits the table, and the quarter is gone. Everyone looks to the salt shaker at the other end of the table, and right on top is the quarter.
Rating - 5/10 - Tough to pull off and totally useless without a salt shaker. It can be adapted to other effects and situations, but it just doesn't do it for me.
Fire at Will - Magician displays a match box, and asks someone to think of a number between 1 and 5. Explaining that he has 5 matches in the box. Say the spectator picks 2 - Magician waves his hand over the box and opens his hand to reveal a match. Putting it in his other hand, he repeats the movement and another match appears in his hand. Placing them down on the table, he opens the match box to reveal 3 matches inside. Works with any number chosen.
Rating - 7/10 - This is a nifty little mentalism effect. It's really easy to do and it will get you some decent reactions. Not killer, but not terrible. Right in the middle.
Triangulate - Magician shows a piece of paper (the size of a bill) which has a triangle cut out on one side. Magician says he will make the triangle travel from one side to the other. Folding the bill a few times, he reveals the triangle is on the other side. This gets zero reaction (and usually some boos) since it's obvious what you've done. Undaunted, the magician reverses the effect and moves the triangle back to the other side. Again, no one is impressed. Now, the magician offers to try once more. Folding the paper once again, only this time, he stops halfway. Snapping his fingers, he opens the paper to reveal that the triangle is now cut out of the middle of the paper.
Rating - 7/10 - A variation of a bill switch routine. Neat and effective.
Blind Date - Magician borrows a bill which he doesn't touch - instructing his spectator to fold it in half, then fold it again and once more, into 8ths. Magician then asks if they have any idea of what the date on the bill is. They don't and confirm that you cannot see the date on the bill. They are then handed an envelope to place the bill inside. They seal the envelope. Magician takes the envelope and pulls out a marker. He writes a date on the envelope, then gets a sense of more numbers. From nowhere, he just begins to write the numbers down. Magician instructs the spectator to open the envelope and take out the bill. They find that not only is the date is correct, but the magician has also written down the last 6 numbers of the bills serial number.
Rating - 6/10 - Another decent mentalism effect. Good but not incredible. It'll get some decent reactions. Personally, I think the effect is stronger if you predict the ENTIRE serial number (which you can do). It's ok for a one-shot trick in a walkaround environment.
The bonus effects aren't the strongest on a Sankey DVD, but they're definitely decent considering they're bonus effects.
If you order from Penguin Magic - it seems even they weren't sure this would be enough. So, along with Jay, they've also included yet ANOTHER bonus effect - available as an instant download once you purchase the effect. It is:
ShuffleCutDeal - Magician takes out a deck, removing the cards from the pack. He hands them to the spectator and asks them to shuffle them thoroughly. When done, the magician takes them back and puts them back in the card case. Spectator puts their hand on the pack so the magician can't do anything "funny". Magician takes a marker and notepad out and writes down the names of three cards that he has a sense of.
Spectator takes the cards out of the pack, then is instructed to cut the cards. Spec chooses one of the halves and is then instructed to deal the cards into three piles. After doing so, the magician shows his predictions to the spectator, who then turns over the top card on each pile. The cards on the top of the pile match the prediction.
Rating - 10/10 - I love this effect. So simple, so devious - so utterly perfect. I've heard people say "this could be sold as an effect by itself" before - and with this one, I believe it. The method is so clever but so damned easy you'd almost slap yourself for not thinking of it. And best of all, this tricks KILLS. I DARE you to find someone who isn't blown away by this trick.
ShuffleCutDeal is a killer bonus (hey, maybe Sankey knew the ones on the dvd were cutting it?) Still, you're not going to buy this for bonus tricks, are you? Of course not. All in all, the DVD is a MUST HAVE if you want to do sponge work. If you're serious about doing sponge magic again, this is the perfect place for you to start.
Rating - 10/10 - The breadth and scope of the dvd makes ANY price worth it. It's a must-have for sponge work. What else can I say? Buy it.
Hope this review helps, Katrie.
) I was taking a look at Sankey's Earplugs video. This will be my first foray into sponge balls (apart from a 1.5 year old multiplying sponge balls gimmick) and hence, would this be suitable for me? Is it easy enough?
