So I’m sitting here today, thinking that I need to do something to pass the time. I decided I should start reviewing some of the magic I’ve got sitting around, and remembered I needed to finish up the reviews of the Richard Sanders Show. So after re-watching the second volume and taking a couple notes, I came online to look over my review for the first volume. Turns out, I wrote it exactly one year ago today. Odd coincidence, huh? Anyway…

The Richard Sanders Show, vol. 2

Price: $30.00

Available at: richardsandersmagic.com

My biggest gripe with the first volume is that you’d need to go out and get some gimmicks. Not so for the second volume. Everything here is either impromptu or uses things a magician probably has laying around (a thumb tip, rubber cement, etc.) I think the only reason you’d have to leave your house is to make a trip to the bank to get some dollar bills. Because this volume is pretty much impromptu/borrowed deck work, it’s easily my favorite of the three. However the things that do take a minute or two of setup or gimmick construction are well worth it.

Rising - This seems to be technically easy, but for some reason I can’t get the moves down. Don’t let that discourage you. Remember, this is coming from the guy who can’t do a one-handed top palm to save his life. An ungimmicked rising card done with a borrowed deck is certainly worth the practice. I’ve made it my mission to work on this until I can finally get it done.

Mr. Stickman - This one’s a personal favorite. It’s cute, and works well on both children and adults. It’s very visual, and at the same time, technically easy. I use this all the time at my coffee shop gigs, and always get great reactions.

Time Traveling Bill - This is probably the most logical use for a bill switch I’ve ever seen. It’s not something I’d really perform, but it’s good thinking.

King Thing - Another favorite of mine. Locating the four kings appear and then having them travel to four seperate impossible locations will blow your spectator’s minds. The best part? There are no gimmicks, no duplicate cards, and minimal sleight of hand. Wonderful, wonderful effect.

Aces Alive - This is a nice four ace production that’s not advertised on the DVD. While it looks as though a lot of finger-flicking is going on, it’s really easy to perform. You’ll probably be able to pick it up after one viewing. I’ve been looking for a nice way to produce the four aces, and Aces Alive has become my solution.

Bill Anywhere Principle - I’ve been using this with much success for some time now. Definately worth a look. Always produces killer reactions, usually results in a nice tip.

Slow-Mo/Biddle Aces - For some reason, this is named differently on the DVD case and in the actual video itself. This is McDonald’s Aces done with pure sleight of hand and no gimmicks. I love it. Another personal favorite of mine. Combine this with Aces Alive and you’ve got a good thing going.

Gone - Really good effect, but I find it to require balls. I haven’t actually performed it though, so I could be way off base. I think the possibility for the spectator to tip the gaff and expose everything is quite high. However, it could be worth the risk. When you literally never have to touch the deck and can make the spectator’s peeked card completely disappear, that little risk suddenly seems worth it. And really, isn’t taking risks what makes magic (and life) fun?

Andster

This entry was posted on Friday, June 30th, 2006 at 12:08 am and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.