Effortless Effects DVD by Ryan Schlutz

Title: Effortless Effects DVD

Author: Ryan Schlutz

Publisher: Big Blind Media

Price: $30

Effect: Card Magic without Sleights

Marshall's Thoughts: I have always been a fan of Ryan's work. We were one of the first to carry his book and continue to look forward to new release from Mr. Schlutz. This latest collection contains card effects that can be performed without sleights, and it is VERY good. Below are just two of my personal favorites.

Clearly See Through - A group of cards are selected from a spread. From that group the spectator selects a single card and the group of cards is dropped back into the deck as the magician dribbles it. For all intents and purposes, the card is lost. An 'invisible' card is placed on the table and the deck is shown face up. The selected card is now missing from the deck, effect number 1. You turn over the 'invisible' card on the table and announce the name of the spectator's card, effect number 2. The spectator takes the invisible card, turns it face down and mimes putting it into the face up deck. You spread the cards and one card is face down. Spectator turns it over and it is their card, effect number 3. Easy to do and will fool you.

Split Decision - A card is selected and returned. The magician then performs a reading based on body language to find the card. Ryan's presentation for this is great and can be used in any type of "reading" effect done tongue in cheek. The audience might just believe it is real as well.

Wrongly Convicted is another great effect along the lines of Dunbury Delusion. The hands off appearance of most of these effects is what makes them foolers.

Card workers will love the section on Ryan's GAP principle. This is a great principle with many uses. This selection procedure looks incredibly fair and the selection appears genuinely lost. Very good tool to have in your arsenal. 

Ratings:

Will I Use It (1=Put it in the drawer 5=On Me All the Time) - 5 .... I will use this all the time. I have already added three routines to my repertoire. Great presentations with fooling effects. 

Chocolate Coin by SansMinds

Title: Chocolate Coin

Author:

Publisher: SansMinds

Price: $30

Effect:  Here is the effect. You borrow a coin. With the coin held at the finger tips, you remove the silver covering of the coin to show a chocolate coin underneath. You take a bit out of the chocolate coin and then seemingly blow and visually restore the chocolate coin. You then roll the silver back over the chocolate coin and hand the borrowed coin back to the spectator. It really looks that good. 

Marshall's Thoughts: Every now and then, someone comes along and adds context and meaning to a classic magic trick. Sans Minds has done just that with their release of Chocolate Coin.

  The bitten coin has been popular ever since David Blaine, bit and restored a coin on one of his specials. Let's be honest, it is a great trick, but why do that? Who really bites a coin? When would you bite into a coin?  Well, you would if it was one of those chocolate coins we all knew and looked forward to when we were children.

  You get everything you need to perform, along with a few replacement parts in case the gimmick breaks. The gimmick looks just like a chocolate coin when held at the fingertips. The handling is not difficult and the required actions needed to perform the effect are perfectly covered by the natural actions needed to act like you are doing what you are purporting to do. In other words, this looks just like it should.

   Borrow object, manipulate it, restore it to original state, hand it back. You can't ask for more.

Ratings:

Setup (1=Minimal 5=Arts and Crafts)- 2 ...Everything is ready to go. You just have one small thing to do to the gimmick with an item that is provided in the package. It take 30 seconds to do. 

Reset (1=None 5=Hide in a bathroom)- 2 ... The trick is pretty much reset once you are done. You might just want to take a quick look before performing it again to make sure everything is set. 

Fool Factor (1=It's in your hand 5=What the ?#$)-  4 ... this is going to hit hard. Watch the demo video. It looks that good. 

Difficulty (1=Easy to Master 5=Grow an extra finger)-  2 .... You are going to be switching coins, obviously, so you will need to be comfortable with basic coin sleights.

Will I Use It (1=Put it in the drawer 5=On Me All the Time)-  4... This now on my tray of things to put in my pocket on a regular basis. Easy to do, easy to setup and reset and will fool the garbage out of someone.