Redemption.

Thanks to the guy who emailed me about this...

http://www.flashmagic.co.uk/html/pdf.html

It's a trick where a coin penetrates an empty beer or soda can. I haven't bought it - for $14 I can get 6 minutes of quality phone sex.

But I got to ask - why?

For a little more money you can make a coin penetrate a sealed soda can with no gimmicks to make and it can be done impromptu - Quarter Through Soda Can.

So sure, Redemption is half the price - but it's also half the effect.

MW.

Box of old crap $400

Bargain!

Box of old crap $398.

MW.

Kenton Knepper's magic officially stinks...

Here's the proof that Kentons magic stinks....

"I am blindfolded but I smell onions, what? you were thinking of apples? Ohh well I was only off by one"

30 pages for $25, even the price stinks up the place.

MW.

Exit by Peter Eggink

Is it just me or does anyone else think that Peter Eggstinks latest trick "Exit" is obvious as fuck? I just watched a video demo of him doing it and couldn't believe the trick is being sold for actual money.

Here's a demo http://www.petereggink.com/bodyexit.html

I think the dealer blurb should read: "Exit", stinks like a turd, worth $5 - yours for $50

MW.

Educating Archer DVD

I picked up a copy of "Educating Archer", a two DVD set of comedy mentalist John Archer. I wondered how good it would be since it was $44 and the contents list seemed to feature some pretty standard stuff.

I have to say that its turned out to be the best magic DVD I have seen in a long time and is worth every last cent.

It also helps answer Chris Mitchell's (the $220 rip off on a stick man who admits he's simply cashing in) question about what price you put on a routine. John Archers handing of the tossed out deck is on this DVD along with ten other superb pieces. Which means it cost me $4.40 for a full, professional routine. I reckon that's far better value.

The DVD's don't have the best production value in the world, they look like they were filmed in a church hall and the interview section just comes across as two fat guys and a chipmunk having a chat and trying to be funny. But that's my only complaint - the content is great and contains full routines.

The best routines are probably the tossed out deck, the magic square (although the performance is made mainly by Johns individual style), collard, Spelling test and Chinese choice.

Here's a link to more info: http://www.elmwoodmagic.com/?nd=full&key=3639

Nine full routines, one cute ring vanish all for $44 - Chris Mitchell will be turning in his grave.

MW.

Chris Mitchell (the tossed out deck on a stick guy).

Chris Michell the guy who bought you "old trick on a stick for $200+" left a comment on a recent post of mine. Here's what he said...

Dear mr whack,

I'm curious to know if you have actually seen the product you are reviewing or the routine that is included. I'm new to the business of marketing magic, but I do know that's how a review works.I agree that it's not cheap. It's difficult to put a price on a routine that I've been performing for 15 years.

There are several effects on the market that have a higher price tag due to the fact that you are buying the rights to do the full routine. Do you think Kevin James Bowl-A-Rama is worth $750? I think it's worth every penny.

There's a market for full magic routines out there and I have no problem cashing in on it.

That's show business.

Chris Mitchell

So not to disappoint I'm happy to answer his questions...

1) Have I seen the product?
No. Nowhere did I say in that post that I did, nor did I claim my post was a 'review'. Most of what gets posted here is my opinion and if I do claim something as a review then I have seen it or bought it. If you want me to review it, scan the instructions and email them to me, I don't need to see the pole or the bucket and I know what a tossed out deck is.

2) It's difficult to put a price on a routine...
I don't think it is. How about $3.24? If you can't get enough paid gigs from your 'professional' routines and have to resort to whoring out old tricks that aren't yours with nothing more than a presentation - the routine can't be that good. But that is just my opinion, as I said I've not seen the routine.

3) Is James Bowl-A-Rama is worth $750?
Probably. But that's comparing apples to oranges. Is the tossed out deck worth $200? Probably not since it was published in manuscripts that cost a few bucks.

4) There's a market for full magic routines out there.
Yes there is, I agree with you totally. So why not just publish a manuscript called "Chris Mitchells professional routine for the tossed out deck" instead of pretending that this is something super-new? Maybe because you'd not sell as many? Perhaps because people would ask "who in the blue hell is Chris Mitchell?"

5) I have no problem cashing in on it. Thanks for pointing out the fucking obvious. I'm really looking forward to some other releases from you. What other Al Koran ideas could be stuck on a long stick?

6) That's show business. No it isn't - that's the magic business. It's in a sorry ass state isn't it?

MW.

Congratulations to "intenselymagic"

Congratulations to IntenselyMagic Blog, and MagicForge who have both noticed I am back from the dead and have posted on their blogs about it.

Both have been added to the blog roll. Check out their blogs, they are both good stuff.

Now who else has noticed I'm back?

MW.

P.S. This post was edited after MagicForge pointed out that they had given me a shout out too and I'd said Intensely were the first. I don't wanna fight over it! Thanks to both you guys.

Steve Fearson just went up in my estimation.

I've slammed Mr Fearson in the past, but now I have a new respect for the guy. For once he's using his downloadmagic.com web site to sell something of value. For just $49.95 you can have a drop of water that David Blaine peed in and stuff. That's a fuck site better value than the electronic downloads he whores out.

http://downloadmagic.com/water

Check out what Dick Kaufmann and others say on the Genii forum about this. http://geniimagazine.com/forum/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002384#000017

MW.

What a terrible idea for a magic trick...

I was looking down the box of sewage that Hank calls "the hot list" and came across this gem...

http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=8258&cat=&page=6

It's a trick called "Mental Parano". Let's take a peek at the effect description:

A spectator names any card in the deck (for example, the Queen of Clubs). You call attention to a folded piece of paper secured with a rubber band around the deck of cards. It is your prediction.
The selected card is found, removed from the deck and placed face up on the table. The deck is returned to the box and you unfold the note and have the spectator read it aloud: "Your card is the Queen of Clubs!" Amazing!
Comes complete with gimmicked Bicycle Deck and full instructions. Self working, but oh, so powerful.

Now will someone please tell me why, other than because "it's part of the method" would you need to take the cards out and remove the named card? Are your audience that fucking retarded that they don't know what a queen of clubs is? Did you pick a dribbling brain dead wazzo from the audience and you need to double check the card with him? Or is it more likely that the magician is so stupid that when a spectator names a card the magician needs to confirm it by seeing the actual card for himself?

The trick makes no sense. Surely if you show a piece of paper banded to a card box and say "name a card", even if you've not told them it's a prediction they're going to get ahead of you anyway. If you had really predicted the card why fuck about going through the deck and finding the one they name? Surely you'd just whip the piece of paper open, show they you got it right, unzip your pants and wait for them to suck your magic meat stick?

To make matters worse it needs a special deck and it's $45. If you're going to use a special deck to prove you predicted a merely thought of card, save yourself some money and simply buy an invisible deck which will only set you back $10 or so.

MW.

Russian Roulette was never a sad game with some cups.

My thoughts on the "Russian Roulette DVD" that's just come out...

So Eric James and Alan Nooneseverheardofme have got together to crank out a cheapo version of the "big nail under a styrofoam cup trick".

Penguin magic have a demo on their site...

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=1402

A number of things annoy me about this. First of all, Russian roulette is played with a fucking gun. It is not played by slamming your hand on some paper cups and trying to dodge the pointy thing.

Secondly this super "I'm so broke I use beer mats and shit" might look like everyday objects but it also leaves people thinking "well he just marked one of them mats" or "he just bent of them". I'm not saying that's how it works, I've not seen the dvd and nor do I plan to - but that probably is the method and anyone with half a brain will guess that.

Remember it doesn't matter if thats not the method, if someone thinks it is because the possibility was not ruled out, they go away with a way it could have been done and to them - it's not magic.

And finally...

(Other "safe" methods are taught where there is no need for a nail or any dangerous item)

Well why the fuck bother? The only reason this trick is vaguely entertaining to people too dumb to guess the method is that there is apparently the slight risk that Eric James might actually stab his hand and the little shit actually gets what he deserves. And lets face it - it probably wouldn't be the first time he'd had a prick in his hand would it?

MW.

WTF? Stick a $10 trick on a stick and get over $200

Q: What do you get if you take an old Koran trick and shove it on a pole?

A: $225

Hank Lee has been stiffed on this one. He's got some big exclusive, in fact he rants...

We are very pleased that Chris has given us the exclusive on the Long Distance Card Trick, which means you will find it here and nowhere else!

Then you read the ad copy for it...

Chris Mitchell is one of the most clever magicians on the scene today. We are very excited to be able to bring you this fine item directly from Chris' professional act.
A deck of cards bound with a rubber band, is shown to the audience.
Place the deck in a bucket dangling at the end of a four foot pole.
The laughter starts as the pole surprisingly extends 15 feet into the audience. Four spectators, at various locations in the audience, each peak at their own card. Without looking at the deck, you are able to psychically and comedically name each persons card.
This is a fabulous routine. Strong magic. Unbelievably funny.
Comes with everything you need, including Chris' full routine.

I tell you what - Chris really is clever, he's sold Hank a tossed out deck on an extending pole. How is this worth $225?

Magic Shoelaces - whoooooooo

Magic dealers are reporting they are selling out of tricks like the "magic tie up me laces it's spooky trick" as a result of David Blaines special in which he wasted 2 hours of every TV viewers life only to fail at the end. Give me a TV show and at the end I'll magically make world peace happen and end all poverty - at least I'll claim to do that and all I'll actually do is give a street bum five bucks and say "well I failed but I tried."

Anyway back to my point...

How sad is it that all young magicians (and some old cockchompers) want to do is tricks they saw the Blaine man do on TV. When I go out and perform I tend to show my audiences amazing shit they not seen anyone do before. Maybe that's why I make a living out of it where as Penguin magic shoppers are just jumped up little asswipes who blow their allowance on that shit and show it to their gran.

Keep it original!

MW.

Stealth Assassin.

I just got one of these http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=8175&cat=&page=1, it's the stealth assassin wallet which is created by Peter Nardi who I think is British.

Luckily I didn't rely on the demo video on Hanks site to sell the idea to me, because that video is just Peter Nardi and some goon no one has ever heard of making a dubious exchange in a parking lot.

Although the gay sounding name might put you off the wallet itself is incredible and because I'm using this as my regular wallet I've got an extra 15 - 20 minutes material on my person, always ready to go.

What I do find amusing is the dealer ad copy...

When Peter Nardi created Mind Spy and Stealth he had a very special wallet made for himself. The Stealth Assassin.

Don't you read that and think "what a cunt?"

He put out two other wallets and created that one at the same time but held it back for himself and sold magicians the substandard ones that didn't do half what this one does, knowing full well that in three years time he could butt fuck magicians for another $175.

But that aside, its a great wallet, it comes with two DVD's full of ideas so even those of you who can't think for yourselves will find a use for it.

MW.

Damn is it almost a year since I died?

Time fuckin' flies don't it?

MW.