KAOS, by Sean Beard
Posted: Nov 18th, '06, 23:07Cost
$24.95 from Ellusionist
Difficulty
(1= Even I could do it, 2=Seige could do it, but not so easy, 3=Mandrake could do it, 4=The Mog could do it, 5=Only possible to be dcone if all of the TMers worked together - and even then we would struggle)
I would put this at about a 3 - Mandrake could do it, but me and Seige couldn't
This is probably due to making the "stuff" look natural
What They Say...
A card is selected, signed, then mixed back into the deck.
Standing on one side of the window with the spectator, you ask them to push the cards up against the glass and mix them around in a jumble, holding them against the glass.
With the spectator holding the cards on the glass, you walk around to the other side.
You pause. You know that the effort you put into showmanship here is going to pay off in a few moments. Confidence is like blood running through your veins.
You tap on the cold, hard glass to emphasize the impossible nature of what is going to take place. You lower your hands and seemingly begin to extract one card-- slowly-- from the scatter that the spectator is pressing against on the other side.
To the spectators, it actually looks as if the card is sticking half way out of the glass... it takes genuine effort to pull it through. You can even take a few steps back.
There is a reason we call it Surgical Card Through Window. It looks like slow surgery on a plain slab of glass.
The doctor is in.
The card is SLOWLY turned over-- it is in fact their signed, selected card on the other side of the window.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Because when you turn that card over you are going to be watching one.
What I Say...
This little baby has been getting mixed reviews. Yes it is simple, yes it may be obvious to the magician watching it - but do we perform for magicians? Noooooo. The laypeople are flooooooooooooored! I love this little gem! Yes it is simple, yes i worked it out after watching the first performance, but if i had just watched that without danny's teaching, tips, and subtleties, I would not be able to perform it to as high a standard as I can (not that it is very high
) I will be continuing to perform this often, as all the time people ask me if i can do the card through window - well now I can! Impromptu people... IM-PROMP-TU!
If you get this though, dont expect a miracle, as you obviously canenot pull a card through glass. Dont be dissapointed when you see the full demonstration video - think of it from a performer's perspective! It DOES work! and you will LOVE performing it!
The dvd (or download, as I got) itself is taught by Danny Garcia, and many methods are taught. 2 are gimmicked, on uses a household gimmick, and the other a "magician" gimmick. All ways are "performable", I personally use the impromptu version.
It runs at 33 minutes, and it is more than enough time to explain in detail everything needed. A couple of sleights coulod be done a bit better when it comes to teaching, though that doesnt matter to me too much, as they are the basic ones i learnt all that millenia a go - though if you are new to card magic you may struggle slightly.
One downside is that there arent that many performances, as I would love to have seen different performances with each of the methods, and maybe one from a "magicians eye view"?
Ah well...cant have it all i am afraid...
Overall
Overall, out of ten i would give this a...
*does calculations*
if 14 divided by the suare root of pi, multiplied by the decibel rate of a plane lifting off is the same as half of a pie being eaten...
*carries on*
...
About a 7 out of 10 - a very good effect, worth the money, and something that I, personally, will be performing quite frequently. Lost a couple of marks due to the lack of performances, and maybe due to the lack of teaching for those begginers in card sleights, but nothing too detremental. Overall, a good buy, and worth it if you have a bit of spare cash.
