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DVD: Magic With Rubber Bands Vol1. by Dan Harlan

DVD: £28.99 from :// www.alakazam.co.uk
http://www.alakazam.co.uk/acatalog/Alak ... .html#a648
VIDEO: £20.99 from ://www.emagictricks.co.uk
http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_i ... ts_id=2019

The Review

Impromptu magic has always fascinated me, and what better impromptu magic could there be than with rubber bands. I already have the first Elastrix book, and Michael Ammar’s notes on the Crazy Mans Handcuffs – but I was still looking not only for more rubber band tricks, but I wanted help with seeing how it should actually be performed.

The Michael Ammar notes are great, don’t get be wrong, but I find it quite difficult learning how to do rubber band magic from books.

I had the move for CMH, and I even had examples of good patter but actually seeing it done was just the icing on the cake.

The first part of the DVD is taken up with pretty much just CMH and a whole host of Dan Harlan’s favourite variants. This turns the CMH routine into – well a much better and longer routine.

Part 1. The Crazy Mans Handcuffs routines…

Rubber Cuffs:
Dan Harlan’s name for the CMH separation. In case there is anyone who has never seen this (surely not), you hold one band locked behind another – show that it is impossible to separate, and then seemingly melt the bands through each other. For me, this is magic at it’s best.

Mark Fitzgerald's Back Two-Gether:
This is an effective way of taking the two now separated bands – and melting them back so they are locked together again.

Soft Spot:
This is a standard part of most CMH routines. You get the spectator to hold one of the bands then lock the bands together as before and after proving that they are genuinely locked – you find the “soft spot” and just pull them through.

Dave Neighbors' Twice As Crazy:
This is effectively just an alternative handling of the original CMH move.

Dave Neighbors' Crazy Link:
This neat variation, uses the Crazy Link alternative handling (as mentioned in the previous trick), but has the added bonus of being able to separate the bands one strand at a time. You see it behind both strands, you see it behind one, and then they are separated.

Crazy Twist Vanish:
This one is also great. You have the CMH set up with one band behind the other. You show the bands locked as before (doesn’t come off here, doesn’t come off here, doesn’t come off in the middle), and then – unbelievably, right before your eyes – one band just disappears…plip. Gone. au revoir mon petit rubber ami...

Donald Carolan's Card Cuffs
This for me was a novel take on the CMH theme. You take a card and tear out two holes from the middle (effectively tearing out the angel/bike parts of a bike deck). To put it simply you are performing the CMH but using the card as one of the bands. This was very visual and very effective, and really does add something to the routine (assuming you don’t mind ruining a card…(the things we do for our art)

Martin Gardner's Climbing Ring:
Strictly speaking this isn’t a CMH variant – but it does lead very nicely into the next trick. The band is placed through the middle of a borrowed ring, and one hand holds one end of the band, the other hand holds the other end. One hand is held up slightly so the ring slides to the bottom, and then amazingly the ring starts to rise slowly up the band. I assumed when I saw this that IT was used. It isn’t. This is amazingly simple.

John Swomley's Snap Two
This is a CMH variant, but with a borrowed ring instead of one of the bands. The ring is on the band as with the previous trick, and simply speaking the band is pulled off one strand at a time. Again, a very nice variant

The other thing I would say about this one is that (in my opinion) it makes an excellent ending to “Pinnacle”. Personally I find this a more impressive ending than the original phase 3/4 (although I still like the alternatives that Russ gives). But it's never a bad thing to have 2 or 3 ways to do the same trick is it? It makes it easier to repeat.

Part 2. Band Productions…

Jeff McBride's Post Modern String Art;
This is more of a Rubber band cats cradle than a trick – but still adds to a bit of fun. A pretty shape is made from a single elastic band.

Gary Beutler's Appearing Band;
The single band is lonely, so a small piece of rubber is taken from it, (a bit like Adam’s rib), that is then stretched into a second band.

Band Parenthood;
One band is put in the pocket, one in the hand, but still two remain in the hand. This is repeated over and over (a bit like the multiplying bunnies), until finally Dan gives up and puts them both in the hand. We all know what happens when two bands get together. Lots of likkle itsy bitsy baby bands. (and I mean lots!).

2 to 1 Join;
So now Dan has lots of little bands – but he needs some more bigger ones, so he takes two small ones and – very neatly turns them into one larger one.

Ray Kosby's Recurring Nightmare;
As with the trick above, Dan decides to save time, so takes 4 of the smaller bands – unfortunately this time he gets one huge band. This he feels is too big, so he takes the medium size one, and another small one and whizzes them around a finger until they are all the same size.

After this he puts them back to being big, medium and small…

1 to 2 Split;
This is a bit like the opposite of 2 to 1 join. Two bands are shown to merge into one. I have to say that the way he shows the two bands is very clever. I thought I knew this, but he added a nice move that made it even better.

Gary Beutler's Multiple Appearance;
To be honest I am not sure I remember this one (sorry), But I think one band is squeezed between the fingers until a whole host of bands appear…(obviously not my favourite)

Gary Beutler's Tongue Tied;
This is a bit like the old cherry stem trick but with a rubber band and not a cherry stem. (obviously. This isn’t Dan Harlan’s Cherry stem magic after all!!). You place the band in your mouth and tie a knot in it with your tongue.

Gary Beutler's Hindu Bands.
This is the kicker finish, you place loads of the small bands in your mouth, munch them about and finally pull out a whole string of the bands all tied together. This looked really good. Personally I’m not convinced about putting all those bands in my mouth, but it did look good.

Difficulty. 1-3/5
1=Even I can do it, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
Different parts vary, but believe me nothing on the DVD is that difficult. If you can do the CMH already – then the rest really is just a doddle.

Rating. Effect/item: 10/10, Quality of goods: 10/10, Value for money: 10/10

Bottom Line.
Dan Harlan is an excellent teacher. First he shows you the actual performance with two lovely spectators, then he shows you how to do it talking you through each bit step by step, and finally there is another section where each trick is showed very slowly, from both the magicians and spectators angles. This is the bit you will keep going back to and replaying (in my case over and over again) until you get it just right.

As mentioned before I really love band magic, and this DVD was well worth it if nothing else, just for all the CMH routines alone. The second half for me was just a big bonus although I must admit I wasn’t as impressed with it as I was with the first.

If you have any inkling at all for rubber band magic, then I suggest you buy this DVD.

Hi,

I am trying to source this DVD, but am getting nowhere fast.

can anyone help?? Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good DVD for rubber band magic? I already do CMH but am looking to go to a whole new level....

regards,

Stuart

I do still love the Harlans, but other recommended band magic DVD's are

Extreme Rubber Band Magic by Joe Rindfleisch DVD
Link (The Ultimate Crazy Man's Handcuffs) by Nabil Murday

I know you say you know CMH - but I would still recommend Link. It is the definitive pievce on the subject (for me).

Alakazam sell the Harlan Band DVDs (1-3) try searching fro Harlan - it is on mage two at number 31 (at the time of writing this anyway). I am sure that other UK Dealers sell them too. They are still very popular.

Simon

These look good... Shame Dan Harlan is so punchable.