The Methods behind the Madness $70 approx for 3 DVDs
and
Million Dollar Card Magic $30 approx for 1 DVD
both by
Simon Lovell — yeah, baby—yeah.
Intro
I am reviewing these two items (total of 4 DVDs) because that's how I bought them. And boy what a purchase.
OK, most of you probably don't know Lovell, but he's basically the magic equivalent of Austin Powers. OK—don't stop reading just because you hate Austin Powers...
The magic and knowledge contained on these DVDs is fantastic for all card magicians of all levels. I urge anyone with the slightest interest in card magic to obtain either one of these DVDs. I cannot recommend them enough.
The ONLY thing which prevents me giving these a 10/10 mark is the lurking form of MagicMaker's Rob Stiff. Ugh!
Anyhow, on with the motley...
What you get:
Broken down per-item:
METHODS BEHIND THE MADNESS—3 DVDs
Volume 1
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On this volume you'll learn:
Fingered
The Namer
Heartless
Your Number’s Up
Star Trick
Imagination
Twisted Rose
Sleight of Tongue
& More...
Volume 2
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On this volume you'll learn:
The Packet Wallet
Another Departed Point
Lemming Ace Exchange
Whispering Royal
Kicked: Gaffed Deck
Derek Dingle’s Collectors
Radical Aces Explained
Bonus: The Standing Vanish
Bonus: The Wobbly Wombat
Volume 3
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On this volume you'll learn:
Lovey Dovey Sandwich
Jack Catch
Simon Takes on Le Paul
Sandwich 2001
Coin Deck
Nightmare Deck
Sploge
Simon’s Matrix
Vernon Can Be Explained
Oily Snobs
Lily Long Legs Story Deck
Bonus: Sidney The Hamster
Bonus: Sebastian The Mind Reading Chicken
MILLION DOLLAR CARD MAGIC
Million Dollar Card Magic Section:
Chicago Opener/Red Hot Mama (Frank Everhardt) - The Original Classic! A spectator's card turns Red Hot!
DL - The most important sleight in all card magic! Learn from Simon and it's EASY!
Double Cut (Dai Vernon & Laurie Ireland) - A very simple and effective contol of a chosen card!
3 In A Million (Frank Garcia) - Do-As-I-Do with a kicker ending! Simon takes a useful principle to a whole new level!
Switch Craft (Frank Garcia) - Two cards, isolated from the deck, change placed under test conditions!
Easy Aces (Al Leech) - 4 Aces lost in the deck, are spelled-to, cut-to, and counted-to!
Hide and Seek Kings (Frank Garcia) - Four Kings vanish one at a time then reappear in the deck catching their mates the Queens!
One Head (Al Cohn) - A little piece of fun and whimsy to put between your heavier card miracles!
Dual Discovery (Frank Garcia) - The magician is in trouble... magic to the rescue!
Uncanny Revelation - Heavy-hitting magic with very little work!
PeekaBoo Revelation (Bill Simon) - The Aces dive into the deck to find a spectator's peeked-at card!
Mental Cards - The magician finds a thought-of in a thoroughly shuffled deck!
Key Card Control Technique - The real way to use this often over-looked card weapon!
Card Stunners Section:
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What Aces? (Frank Garcia) - The 4 Aces dealt onto the table, change into the 4 Kings and the Aces are found reversed in the deck!
Perplexing (Ed Marlo) - 4 randomly chosen cards turn out to be the 4 Kings, then they change into the 4 Aces!
Cutting The Kings - A Spectator cuts to the 4 Kings, which then change into the 4 Aces!
Simon's Delight (Dunbury Delight Vernon/Garcia/Lovell) - A delight-fully easy transposition that you'll use all the time!
Control Knockout (Bill Simon & Fank Garcia) - A great control! Kinda cool, kinda frisky, kinda wild!
Simon Lovell Card Stab (Frank Garcia) - A spectator blindly stabs right to their selected card!
Gambling Treasures Section:
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Poker Poker (Frank Garcia) - Always Cut The Cards, but in reverse!
Swift Poker (Allen Swift) - Two poker hands are made from randomly chosen cards, yet the magician wins every time!
Perfect Poker (John Scarne) - Based on Scarne's Drunk Poker. Two poker hands are dealt from a face-up-face-down deck, yet the magician always wins!
Diamond Cut Diamond (Alex Elmsley) - A spectator's card appears at a position of his choosing!
Winnepeg False Cut (Mel Stover) - A totally natural, totally false cut!
Ace Culling (Garcia/Lovell) - Expert card shark technique! With No Skill Involved!
Adding A Card (Dr. Jacob Daley) - A bold, yet effective way to add an extra card to your hand!
Simey Bonus (Simon Lovell) - A bonus card culling technique!
Secret Reversal (Dai Vernon) - Selected card is found reversed in the deck!
Cough Cover (Frank Garcia) - One of Frank's favorite ways of concealing a palmed card!
Ambitious Card Section
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Part I of the Ambitious Card Routine!
Part II of the Ambitious Card Routine!
Part III of the Ambitious Card Routine!
Part IV of the Ambitious Card Routine!
Part V of the Ambitious Card Routine! (Great Part for when you do Magic on Live Television!)
A little more about the performances etc.
I've reveiwed the two sets together because personally, I see them as one huge Lovell-a-thon. I got the DVDs delivered a while ago but haven't had chance to watch them. But I took time out this past weekend to go headlong into a session of magic watching, expecting to see just a few bits and bobs of worth.
However, practically EVERY SINGLE effect shown and described had something of interest for me, and I literally sat there watching the whole lot (much to the horror of Mrs Seige, who was in housework mode).
Lovell's sense of humor won't appeal to everyone, but it certainly did appeal to me. He's a 'cheeky chappy' Austin Powers Englishman—but has a kind of charisma which is both classy and eccentric at the same time. And he carries this charisma through to his magic.
I'd surely love to meet the guy, as I would imagine an hour with Lovell would not only entertain, but be an honour. He's mixed with the best, performed with the best, written with the best and even performed FOR the best. His international acclaim is legendary, and he surely wouldn't be the kind of performer you'd forget in a hurry.
So, his performances: sure, you can work out what is going on most of the time... but COUNTLESS times I was absolutely and totally stumped, and waited with baited breath for the explanations.
For instance, 'Heartless', an effect when a deck of cards is show and the spectator chooses a card—the King of Spades. Now—not only does Lovell find the other three Kings almost instantly, but he then shows that the actual deck being used had a hole straight through the middle—absolutely unexpected and fantastic!
Sleights, subtleties, tips, moves, performance aids and much more are taught step by step on these DVDs.
Yes, I know—$100 of Simon Lovell must surely contain some repetition... nope. Not a bit of it. In fact, the whole thing actually forms a fantastic refresher course, and more to boot. This DVD had dug things out of the depths of my head which I learned—and then forgot because I could never find a use for them. Lovell pulls all the classic card moves together and builds masterpieces out of them.
It's almost like watching a more 'refined' Sankey. God Bless Jay—I love the guy, but this magic is way beyond, although they share a similar style.
Blah blah blah...
I could go on for ages about all this, but I think the easiest way is to sign off here and answer any questions you may have...
Ratings, skill etc
Skill: You will need to be pretty confident and proficient with cards to feel anything less than intimidated.
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Production quality: Typical MagicMakers stuff, nicely lit, good angles, sound fine: 8/10
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Content: Massive, huge amount to chew on. Lovely workable routines, with audience-friendly aspect: 10/10
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Usefulness: In terms of tyres being an essential part of a car, this set of DVDs is certainly at the Pirelli end. There's so much here which will WOW new magicians and WOW experienced magicians. As a breath of fresh air, this ain't your usual capitalist venture. There seems to be no 'filler' material here, just more and more of the good stuff. 10/10
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Keep it on the shelf or bin it factor: As you've probably gathered, I'll be holding on to these DVDs for quite some time. And as far as re-watchability, I'm already needing to go back through them
10/10 KEEP IT ON THE SHELF!
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Overall: Well, as I mentioned earlier, Rob Stiff for me is like that horrible itch you get up your nose that just can't be scratched—and when you do, people accuse you of mining for bogies. Yes; he's irritating and for the most part pointless. Patronising and smugly handsome in his mannerisms, he could have easily been replaced by a cardboard cutout with a hand.
This aside, I am totally chuffed with the Lovell DVDs, and I can't wait to watch them again and digest some more.
9/10 overall score.
Advice
I won't say 'go buy them NOW'. Ooops, I just did. What a silly phrase that is "I won't say 'I told you so'.". :O
Well worth every penny.
