Happy Fourth, NEW Product, and REVIEW: Blackmail by Bobby Motta & Peter McKinnon

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Even if you're not living in the U.S., it's still technically the 4th of July, so have a great day.:)

My newest book, "Cause & Effects: Vol. 3" is now available, as once again I've beaten the pre-release deadline and got all orders out the door early.

Early next week I will be releasing details on my next product and this one is going to be a doozy as I blow the lid off of a market most magicians won't even consider doing AND the profit potential per show is HUGE, so stay tuned!

On to this week's review: Blackmail by Bobby Motta & Peter McKinnon. It's available for $34.95 from Hocus Pocus.

EFFECT: Predict anything - no nailwriters, nothing to ditch! You show a black envelope (both sides if you want) and state you predicted something. The spectator names anything and the spectator can remove the card from the envelope, showing you did in fact predict their thoughts.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE: You receive a supply of envelopes, enough for well over 100 performances, as each envelope is good for a surprising number of performances. You also receive some card stock and a well-produced DVD.

QUALITY OF PROPS: Everything with Bobby's name attached to it is of the highest quality and this is no exception. While the principle has been around for decades, Bobby & Peter went to great lengths to have superior materials used for this release.

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION: Bobby & Peter leave no stone unturned. I took notes while watching the DVD and here's what they cover:

- 2 live performances
- number of uses for each envelope
- envelope psychology (no "look, an ordinary envelope" here!)
- troubleshooting
- writing tips
- handling tips

Effects include:

- a lottery ticket presentation
- a perfect card prediction effect
- a spectator as mindreader stage type effect
- and more...

MY THOUGHTS: I had the opportunity to see Bobby perform this effect a few times during his stage show in Toronto last year. I was completely fried, as the principle, which he credits from Corinda's 13 Steps, was unknown to me at the time. Again, while this is based on an old principle, I personally hate putting together my own props, so for me this is heaven.

Also, like I mentioned, Bobby & Peter have gone the extra mile to make these gimmicks much more reliable than using stuff you'd get from your local store.

This is just so clean that I'm so amazed more people aren't using this. I use a nailwriter in a few different presentations but honestly, this is so much cleaner and quite frankly easier in terms of handling. I particularly like the fact that not only can you show both sides of the envelope (especially in a stage situation) but the spectator can remove the card from the envelope.

This is about as perfect as it gets in terms of mentalism.

I'm giving this a 10 out of 10 and Bobby Motta stands as the rare magic creator who puts out stuff that I love every time. Right now, this release is on the short list of releases that can top my 'best of' list at the end of the year.

Cause & Effects 3 is READY! and Review: Shock Treatment by Bobby Motta

Hello all,

I'm pleased to announce that Cause & Effects - Volume 3 is complete! All pre-orders will be shipping this Saturday to Hocus Pocus and then to you!

Also, I have decided to extend the "pre-release special" price through July 4th, so even though the book is shipping out, you can save $5.00 on it!

Take advantage of my insanity and save!!!

Also, I'm going to be sharing details on a complete course on a market that so many magicians reject, but if you get into it, with the right kind of show and material, the profit potential is HUGE! Stay tuned!

This week's review is something that's been out for a while but I haven't had time to fully digest the newer items on my desk. This week's review is...

Shock Treatment by Bobby Motta!

EFFECT: Though more of a tool and less of a routine, Shock Treatment is a modern, convenient-to-transport update of the old Shock Chair.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE: You receive two seat cushions that look identical but one houses the electronics to 'jolt' a spectator during the routine. You also receive a wireless, keychain-sized transmitter and an instruction sheet.

QUALITY OF PROPS: This is REALLY well-made! The instructions are simple and straight to the point. With care, this will last years and years. What I also like is the fact that the gimmicked cushion has a secret hiding place where you can store the transmitter, eliminating the possibility of losing the transmitter. That's a great touch that I love.

DIFFICULTY OF PERFORMANCE: Just as the demo video shows, this is simply a push-button prop, so 'ease' doesn't begin to describe it.:) The big point I want to make is the fact that Shock Treatment is and should be regarded as a tool - sort of like a hammer or screw driver for a carpenter.

You'll need to develop a routine and once you develop a routine, all you have to do at your gig is borrow two chairs and put the cushions on them and you're ready to go, meaning Shock Treatment is a LOT easier than hauling out the old Shock Chair.

MY THOUGHTS: I never thought I would own a shock chair or anything like it because the only presentation I'd ever seen was where the 'comedy' magician (and I use that term loosely) would have a spectator sit in a chair..zap him...laugh as he stood up and get him to sit...zap him again....and on and on. Yuck.

Last year, I saw Bobby perform his show in Toronto, Ontario and it was brilliant - just a great show and I've lost count of how many times he fried me. Once he got to using Shock Treatment, I was really impressed because the routine made sense and it had nothing to do with 'zapping' anyone just for comedy. In fact, Bobby's routine was an example of serious mentalism. Great stuff.

Since he opened my eyes to some of the additional uses for such a prop, I bought it and am delighted with it.

MY RATING: I really think the prop itself deserves a 10, so it gets a 10...however, I will issue a word of warning: the props do not include the DVD with routines as advertised. It turns out there were some disagreements and conflict over some of the routines so Bobby was forced to pull the DVD. So, I will say it's a GREAT prop, but be forewarned that Bobby is unable to include the DVD.

It's STILL worth it.:)

NEXT WEEK: I just received Bobby's new Blackmail and I'm REALLY excited to review this as Bobby fried me with it in Toronto. He performed it several times for a large audience and it fried everyone - magicians, mentalists, laypeople, etc. Stay tuned!

NEW PRODUCT: Cause & Effects: Volume 3!

Hello, loyal reader!

Today's blog is very special as I'm proud to announce a pre-release special on "Cause & Effects Volume 3!"

My first two volumes of "Cause & Effects" books continue to be very popular with professional magicians as I reveal real-world routines that I myself use in my day to day performing, enabling me to travel all over North America.

This new volume breaks from the format slightly in that in addition to several full-length routines included, I also include some shorter tips, tricks and techniques for other effects and routines, as well as an essay or two on life as a professional full-time performer.

The main focus of this volume is original presentations for many classic effects in magic, such as Snowstorm in China and Floating A Child in the Air. If you're performing for audiences, there's sure to be something in here for you.

The pre-release runs through the middle of July, but my goal is to be beat that deadline. I don't do pre-releases very often, but when I do, I never go past the deadline. But if you order now, you'll save $5.00!

I'll also be releasing a couple of more products this summer, too. Both of these will be more business-based. I'll also be back next week with a new review.

Here's the ad copy for the new "Cause & Effects: Volume 3" book:

Think about the last time you saw a magician perform a classic of magic. Was the presentation original…or a cookie-cutter photo-copy of the same presentation you saw the last guy do…and he took it from the last TV special featuring a magician.

Why do so many performers perform the same effects with the same routines the same way?

I’m not sure, but I DO know that the hard part is NOT learning the “trick.” The “trick” is the easier part. I’m not saying that performing the trick is easy (because it’s not) only that performing a “trick” is easier than crafting a commercial, entertaining presentation that ‘hooks’ an audience.

I also know that as a full-time professional magician with over 3000 paid performances under my belt, developing and fine-tuning original presentations for magic effects has been one of the keystones of my success.

I’ll also share with you a secret: creating a new, original script and presentation for an effect is tough. What looks good on paper may take on a different life once you perform those same words in front of a paying audience.

I believe most magicians use the same themes, the same laugh lines, heck even the same music selection in their routines because it’s a lot easier than coming up with your own stuff.

I understand – it’s tough writing an original script! Heck, if a professional performer offers an effective, commercial presentation for an effect of magic, I’ll certainly consider adding it to my own set lists. In recent years, I’ve purchased routines from Bob Kohler, Paul Romhany, Scott Alexander and many others.

Still, the majority of the time, a routine that ‘fits me’ for a given effect simply does not exist and after years of trial by fire in front of hundreds of audiences, I’ve fine-tuned several professional presentations for many “classic” props and effects in magic. Some of these routines appeared in the previous volumes of this series, “Cause & Effects” Volumes 1 & 2.

This NEW volume breaks from the format of the previous two books in that in addition to the commercial, practical routines, I’m also including some essays on performance, trouble-shooting and more! Here’s what “Cause & Effects: Volume 3” includes:

Sean Bogunia Sketch Pad or Axtel Board – I bought Sean Bogunia’s wonderful Manual Sketch Pad and completely fell in love with it! It didn’t take me long to come up with a routine for this incredible prop. In case you’re not familiar with the effect, here’s what the audience sees: A crude sketch is made of a person’s face. As the audience watches, the eyes move, the mouth moves, and after the routines is over, the paper with the drawing can be torn off and given to a spectator as a souvenir! No switches! The only “problem” with the routine is that a prospective buyer looks at the prop and immediately dismisses it, believing they need to use “vent” with it. Not true. After 500-600 performances, I’ve fine-tuned my presentation into a rock-solid 5 minutes of laughter and amazement…without ANY  vent work at all. I don’t do vent and probably never will…yet I’ve used this prop to close shows with over 400 people in the audience or small birthday parties with 10 kids. This ROCKS. Oh, and if you own an Axtel Drawing Board, this routine will work wonderfully for that prop, too!

Zombie or The Thing – I’ve been performing a “zombie” type of effect in my show for close to 20 years. A few years ago, I “downsized” to Bill Abbott’s wonderful “thing” routine simply because of the smaller size and portability. In years past, I had watched other performers perform the Zombie (or similar effects) in exactly the same way, concentrating on the movements of the ‘mysterious silver ball,’ and I really groaned when lady magician Melina actually CALLED her routine the “Mystery of the Silver Ball.” Ugh. To me, it was right up there with the guy I once saw who performed a Hat Coil routine (that looked really good) and after it was over, he proudly announced, “The Hat Coil, Ladies and Gentleman!” Ugh again. With my routine, the ball is personified and designed to elicit squeals of delights from children. The routine builds up to the first movements of the ball as a big, thrilling moment and from there, the laughs build and build. I’d been performing this routine for years and when I saw Bill Abbott’s Thing, I saw an opportunity to “downsize” without dramatically affecting my show in the negative sense. Bill’s routine for the Thing is very powerful, but if I had to offer one critique, the routine is very short, only a minute or two. My routine would perfectly compliment Bill’s in that I include more jokes, more build-up and more laughs. Zombie or Thing – the choice is yours and this routine, in one form or another, has been in my show for over 15 years.

Spelling Bee – I love the classic Spelling Bee effect! If you’re a kid’s performer, you’re probably familiar with this effect: a board is shown with seven letters horizontally arranged in a jumbled order. The performer assures the audience that the letters actually do spell something. The board is flipped around and the cards are removed. Without looking at the mixed cards, audience members tell the performer where each card goes, trying in essence to spell a word simply by guessing where each letter goes. Incredibly, when all the letters are arranged according to the audience’s decisions, the board is turned around, revealing that the audience selected EVERY  letter correctly! I use this effect all the time in my work, from spelling out the birthday child’s name to a certain key word pertaining to the topic I’m presenting about in one of my school assembly shows, such as “RESPECT.” The only downside to the routine is the fact this selection process by the audience can really drag. Really, “Okay, where do you want to put this letter? “Good, where do you want to put this letter? What about this one?” is NOT the most compelling presentation! Most performers I’ve seen using this prop try to rush through that selection process. I decided to follow the sage advice of Eugene Burger and others who write about the necessity of making the journey interesting – it’s not the ‘ah-ha’ moment of revelation that makes the effect worth it but rather the entire journey from beginning to end. With that in mind, I’ve changed the entire structure of the routine by just using one volunteer onstage with me and added some very funny lines during the selection process. The lines are “kid friendly” and completely age-appropriate.

Snowstorm in China – The performer shows some tissue paper, tears it into a few pieces and puts them in a glass of water. Once again removing them from the water, the performer squeezes the tissue paper – the audience can see water dripping away. Using a large, ornamental fan, the performer begins fanning under the hand holding the wet tissue…and soon from his hand erupts a shower or more accurately, a “storm” of confetti, looking very much like a “snowstorm.” Beautiful effect – it’s another one I’ve been doing for over 12 years. It can close any show, for large or small audiences, kids, adults, all ages. The one big problem? Nearly every performer I’ve ever seen performs the show with the same routine. “I was 5 years old and I had never seen snow before…” Great routine when David Copperfield did it on TV in the late 80’s, but since then, I’ve never seen any other presentation for Snowstorm in China…well, other than The Amazing Johnathon’s bizarre and hilarious (but oh-so-NOT family friendly) performance. I’ve crafted a presentation that perfectly sets up the snowstorm effect, is trendy in that it ties into the super hero craze, and most importantly, even includes a brief message of self-esteem in it. Even if you are not a school assembly performer using messages in your show, your audience will appreciate this quick bit of a positive message as a way to set up the audience-pleasing Snowstorm effect. Oh, and if you’re using a Kevin James Snow Animator or anything like it, the presentation will work perfectly too, without changing a word.

Any Levitating a Child Trick – If you use a Chair Suspension, Magic Carpet or any other method of floating an audience member, then you already know just how powerful it is! It’s a killer selling point and a guaranteed show stopper. Many performers (though thankfully not all) use a presentation sounding like something right out of Disney or Peter Pan – a lot of stuff about believing in yourself and wishes and all of that. Some of the presentations are very good, and unlike Snowstorm, they are not all the same. The problem for me is when I float a child in the air, it’s at or near the end of the program and the kids are getting restless and are not always in the most receptive state to hearing a sweet, sentimental story about youth, wishes and other warm, fuzzy feelings. In my case, I wanted to provide a justification as to why I was going to float someone in the air and I wanted it to be funny…and I wanted it to be appealing to all ages. I wound up drawing inspiration from Paul Romhany, The Vanishing Bandanna and some ideas of my own. The result? A funny, original way to float someone in the air!

As the old saying goes, “That’s Not All!”

In this special volume of routines, I also include my own take on the Headline Prediction!

Confab-Headline Prediction – (originally published in Paul Romhany’s book, “Headline Prediction”) I’ve loved the headline prediction, but have always found a couple of troublesome things wrong with it. First, predicting catastrophes! So, taking advice from other experts, I’d restrict myself to predicting ‘non-traumatic’ headlines, such as sporting events or political battles. That was okay, but it played a little dry. Eventually, I wound up coming up with a “Dream Letter” style prediction using the “confab” concept popularized by Alan Shaxon that didn’t deal with the news or world events at all. (This handling was detailed in a prior volume of “Cause & Effects.) With some shows, however, clients specifically WANTED me to predict a news event, a headline prediction. For some clients, it just felt more “impossible,” so that’s what they wanted. However, those situations occasionally turned sour when a client would forget to bring the envelope I’d mailed out in advance! Obviously without the envelope mailed in advance, the routine fell on its face….until I developed a headline prediction routine in which the audience members would select WHICH specific headlines, phrases, sports scores, etc were to be predicted! It added another dimension to my prediction routine and even in those rare occasions when a client forgot to bring the envelope I had mailed to them weeks prior, just the fact that I was able, during the show, to show that I predicted which things the spectators selected helped save the routine by me using a “backup” envelope I’d brought with me. Admittedly, having the client remember was much stronger, but the added element of predicting the audience’s choices allowed me to ‘save’ the routine in a worse-case scenario and add an incredible dimension when things went according to plan. I tip the entire workings, envelope construction, routine, and much more. If you have the previous volume of “Cause & Effects,” you know the workings of the gimmicks, but this routine is a nice twist on the classic Headline Prediction.   

This volume also includes a contribution I made to Paul Romhany’s new book, “The Real Deal,” a 9-page essay on survival techniques for handling emergency situations. Paul’s book is a masterclass of surviving as performing magician, so hopefully my little essay will pique your interest! I cover emotional state in an emergency (this is a biggie!) and, among other things, I even list some set lists of effects you can put together the night before a show if you fly to a gig and lose EVERYTHING, even your carry-on! This was a really fun topic to write about. I cover both mentalism and visual magic…and admittedly, putting together a stage mentalism show by visiting Wal-Mart is a heck of a lot easier than putting together a magic show!

But that’s STILL not all…in this volume I also include some shorter essays, ideas, tips, techniques, real-world advice and thoughts on:

·         A hilarious family-friendly Mouthcoil routine

·         A KILLER marketing tip for The Manual Sketchpad

·         A funny story (with an important tip!) on Silk to Egg

·         A performance tip to make performing Sword Thru Neck easier…much easier!

·         A funny script line you can use for “Hundy 500” and other ‘money’ tricks

·         A great presentational idea for a Banknite type of presentation – most people will scoff at this, but when the right gig comes along, this will kill!

This third volume in the “Cause & Effects” series is the biggest yet!

PRE-RELEASE SPECIAL: This book will be ready to ship mid to late July. If you remember my past pre-release specials, I usually beat my deadline by several days.:)  Order now and save $5.00 off the regular price of $24.95.

Retail price: $24.95

REVIEW: Human Phone Number 2.0

Before I get into this week's review, I would like to give a big shout out to the guy who KILLED on America's Got Talent doing a Blindfold Act...unfortunately, I walked in after his introduction and did not catch his name!

For those who did not see it, this young man essentially did John Archer's blindfold act and SLAYED the judges. None of the three had any idea how "it was done" and were completely blown away. I've been performing the Archer blindfold act for about 5 years now and it's in my Top 3 list of the most powerful things I do for an adult audience.

I only hope the performer has something up his sleeve that's just as powerful for his next appearance. America's Got Talent is sometimes pretty rough on magicians. I don't watch the show very often, having sworn off of it when the judges tore into Jay Mattiloi in his second appearance. Nonetheless, I'll be rooting for this guy.

Onto this week's review: Human Phone Number 2.0. It's available from Hocus Pocus for $349.00.

THE EFFECT: A spectator selects a phone number in a normal, unprepared phone book. 8 spectators, who have been holding envelopes, remove the contents of their envelopes, with each spectator holding one number, all in the correct order, forming a Human Phone Number!

WHAT YOU RECEIVE: A complete kit allowing you to reveal a 'human phone number' of just about any number on the planet. You also receive an ebook outlining several ways of accomplishing the effect for different phone books and situations. The ebook also has 4 instructional videos 'embedded' in the book that teach you various steps to construct gimmicks for the routine. Finally, you receive 8 tyvek envelopes for the revelation.

QUALITY OF PROPS: I remember when I bought the older version years ago. I was blown away not only by the quality of the materials used in constructing the signs but also the thought process in why they were made the way they were - matte finish so no worries about glares from stage lights blinding your audience and/or rendering your revelation 'invisible.'

One of my best friends is in the sign industry and I can attest to the quality of the materials. My number signs have traveled all over North America with me both in my car and on airplanes and my kit looks just as pristine and new as the day I bought it.

The fact that Bob has re-designed the number signs to be thinner yet just as durable is a great boost to anyone interested in this routine.

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION: The ebook (written by Michael Close) does a great job detailing several different ways of accomplishing the routine, giving the buyer multiple ways of doing 'the work' to get to the result. Additionally, alternate ways of revealing the phone number NOT involving the enclosed number cards are discussed as well, meaning you can do the routine for close up formal presentations, too.

Bob has really made this routine accessible to any one with any phone book.

MY THOUGHTS: As I mentioned, I have performed HPN for years now and it always kills. I haven't always closed with it, electing at times to do it second to last, but in any event, it really does bring down the house.

I will also offer my own thoughts on Bob's choice of not carrying a phone book to a gig, preferring instead to use whatever book he finds in his hotel room. It's certainly a valid approach and one that makes everything seem so fair - "Wow, and he did it with OUR phone book!" - but first of all, I don't want to create a new gimmick for each phone book I encounter...I'm just too lazy. (Even though there are essentially gimmickless versions of the routine in the book, I prefer to use the same physical handling at every show due to comfort, muscle memory, etc.)

Additionally, I got to two gigs and the venue literally did NOT have ANY phone book! I was baffled by this and ultimately had to go find a phone book next door!

My advice to potential buyers is to be prepared - carry your phone book with you, but if you get to your venue and a phone book is available and you don't mind doing so, by all means, prepare yourself in whatever fashion you like to use the venue's phone book.

RATING: This was my first Bob Kohler purchase and was not my last by any means. This gets my highest recommendation. I'm almost sad to see it come back as I liked the fact I was performing something that many people wanted yet could not access.:) 10 out of 10.

REVIEW: Slomotion

Hello readers!


Whew, it's been REALLY busy around here! I'm putting a few finishing touches on the formal 'announcements' regarding the pre-release specials for two of my newest books! I intended on having things ready two weeks ago but then that nasty virus hit my computer!


Mad props to my friend Paul Romhany for an outstanding issue of Vanish, the superb magic magazine - still can't believe it's free!


Also, an update on a recent review... I gave a strong review to Big Reaction by Andy Nyman, feeling the routine was just so strong. Well, I don't do a ton of close-up anymore, but this weekend I had a gig doing strolling magic for high school students! If you've ever performed for teen audiences, you know they can be VERY discerning and your material must be rock solid. I'm pleased to report that after 10 or so performances, this product has now moved into my "A" list of close-up effects! It fried everyone I showed it to. It's definitely on the short list of best products reviewed for 2012 at the end of the year!


On to this week's review: Slomotion! It's available for $49.95 from Hocus Pocus. Here's the ad copy:


It's BACK!

IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY! 

There is no doubt about it; it was the biggest selling item in 2011. Then, the production completely sold out and it became unavailable. Not a day has gone by when we haven't received numerous requests for this item. After working very closely with the manufacturer, we are happy to announce that SLOMOTION is BACK!

"I love this thing. Rarely, do I ever put a trick in my pocket to carry with me in the event of an "impromptu" performance. Now Slomotion is the only trick I have with me at all times."
- John Mendoza

It's another Hocus Pocus exclusive!

I am proud to announce that my good friend, Joe Litvinchuk, the owner of Phantom Magic, has chosen Hocus Pocus to be the EXCLUSIVE distributor for all Phantom Magic products.

His effect, Slomotion, is the cleanest version of Psychokinetic Energy we've ever seen! The performer uses a lifesaver and straw, both can be borrowed, and threads the lifesaver on the straw. Then, at the performers command, through apparent pyschokinetic energy, the lifesaver starts spinning. But, then the performer can stop the spinning at will and reverse the direction! When finished, the objects can be left behind, because everything is borrowed and completely examinable.

Perform using actual items found available in a live setting (coffee shop, bar, etc.) to confirm you are not using trick items; they are fully examinable. Spectators will not believe their eyes when they see this up close! Hands are shown empty before and after. This effect can be repeated immediately.

Perform wearing casual attire (no sleeves required)

No magnets, threads, or wires

All objects are borrowed

Instant reset; no set-up necessary

Perfect for close-up, walk around and street performers

You will perform immediately right out of the package

Easy to perform

No static electricity

Supplied with instructional DVD

Works automatically

WHAT YOU GET: You receive the electronic gimmick, a wooden stir stick, a lifesaver, a carrying bag and DVD instructions.

PRODUCT QUALITY: Thyis little bugger is certainly well-made, both the outer gimmick as well as the inner electronic part. When you see the 'outer' gimmick, you'll think, "Oh, of course" and I can report that the outer gimmick, at least to me, felt like a slightly more pliable, higher-quality version of this gimmick. Good stuff.

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION: The DVD is short and to the point. The lighting is adequate, and the angles clear. You'll have no problems performing this.  Also, the hand movements are entirely motivated and make sense, allowing you to show your hands empty with some nice displays. (Yes, the gimmick is hidden in plain site!)

DIFFICULTY: As Paul Gross told me when I first inquired about this product early last year, you can practically do this out of the box, which is perhaps why I myself am having a bit of a mental hangup actually doing this!

MY THOUGHTS: This works so easily that I haven't actually performed this yet - I have that foolish "magicians' guilt" thing going on as I constantly wonder if it will 'fool' people...which only goes to show you that even full-time pros have qualms about new material some time!

Aside from my silly reservations, the only other issue with this is the noise - much discussion has been made of whether or not there is any noise. In the past, some people claimed there was quite a bit, others claimed it was silent. My unit was one of the newest from the 2012 re-release and there is a definite, low buzzing sound that if you are doing this one-on-one in a perfectly quiet room, your spectator will probably hear it...I know, because my wife did. She wasn't sure if the noise was the candy rotating against the stick or not, so that was going for it.

I would say that if you're at a corporate function with conversations going around you or at a party of any kind, there's no way anyone will hear anything.

I've been wanting to add one of the 'PK' effects of this type to my close-up set list and debated literally for the last year which to buy and I'm very satisfied with my purchase...now I just need to get out and PERFORM it!

RATING: In some ways, I'm know I'm very late to the party as this sucker has been an extremely hot seller, but as I only add something to my close-up set once every few years on average, I just didn't need anything...that being said, I think this is just terrific. I'm going to give it a rock-solid 8.5, only shaving a little off my score for the slight noise issue.

  

Comp&^%$*($R V&@#$S and REVIEW: Butchers Blade by Tim Wisseman

Boy am I glad THAT is over!!

I'm sure many of you have noticed that it's been roughly two weeks since my last post...well, you can thank slimeball virus creator for that! I swear, if I ever find some of these virus creators I'm going to beat them with a rubber hose!

So, because of said computer virus, I'm been out of commission for a while! ARGH! But now I'm back.

Before I get to this week's review, I want to encourage all of you to download the second issue of Paul Romhany's VANISH magazine. It's incredible and for the life of me I cannot figure out what his reasoning is for not charging for such a great work.

OK, on to this week's review, which will be a bit shorter than usual because I've got a 6 hour drive ahead of me for a gig tonight...

Butcher's Blade by Tim Wisseman - available from Hocus Pocus for $199.95.

EFFECT: You show an antique-looking, very aged wooden box. Inside is some strange aged paper and an old, rusty menacing-looking blade in a wooden holder. You plunge the blade into your finger, blood pouring out everywhere! The audience can see the blade is pushed halfway through your finger! After 'dressing' the wooden with some of the ancient cloth from the box, you are able to show your finger is healed and you can open the blade and show the blade really is a solid blade.

WHAT YOU GET: The wooden box, the wooden butchers blade housing the metal blade, cloth, written instructions and aged papers to enhance the presentation.

QUALITY OF EQUIPMENT: Tim is known as one of the top guys in the field when it comes to creating wonderfully aged looking props and this bad boy is no exception. This thing truly looks like it comes from the 1800s or 1900s. The blade looks e-v-i-l!

INSTRUCTIONS: There are full color photographs accompanying the written instructions and though it was clunky, I was able to replicate the handling after a few tries. The photos REALLY help cut down on the learning curve and I'm sure after some dedicated practice the effect will become very smooth relatively quickly.

DIFFICULTY: The handling is simple enough but it does rely on choregraphed movements, so while this is not a finger-flicking type of handling, I feel a few weeks of practice will be necessary to really get this into your muscle memory so you can do it without thinking about it. If you perform Bizarre magic, you know that presentation is KEY and in this effect, since you are plunging a blade into your finger, presentation has never been more important...especially if you decide to go with the "possessed" plot suggested by the routine description.

ANGLES: You cannot do this this surrounded. Since this type of routine is obviously intended for more intimate performances, you'll have to control spectators on your sides.

EXAMINATION OF PROPS: Sorry, due to the nature of the prop, you cannot let spectators handle the props. They can LOOK but cannot touch. You can easily cover this by talking about issues of safety - it IS a knife after all - but I don't think I'm revealing much by saying the prop is heavily gaffed.

MY THOUGHTS & RATING: I love Bizarre magic! It's what I first performed for friends when I first got into magic. The kind of craftsmanship in props like this simply was not available (unless I made it myself) very much when I was a kid.

I love the craftsmanship and thought that went into the construction of this! My rating is a rock-solid 8 out of 10, only because of some slight angle issues and the fact that during the working, there is a bit of 'talking' that can occur. It's not a big deal and if this is performed correctly, your spectators should be so 'out of it' they won't be focusing on anything but YOU..but I wanted potential buyers to be aware of it.

Like most of Tim's stuff, this is a solid investment.

Peter Loughran's Jitters VS WitchBoard: A Comparison

OK, readers, I'll get this out of the way right up front: Peter Loughran & Sean Bogunia are freakin' brilliant!

(I'm doing this week's blog early as I've got a fellow performer friend coming in for out of town tomorrow night.)

Next week, look for a special pre-release special on my TWO new books!

Back to this week's column...as the title would indicate, I'm going to compare and contrast Peter Loughran's Witchboard with Jitters - both of which are designed to enable owners to freak out audiences witnessing a paranormal/seance performance.

Last summer, I visited Peter's house to pick up a couple of props and got a sneak peek at Witchboard and it's inner workings. I also got a chance to check out the Ouija board itself up close as well as all the cool electronics. Recently I ordered Jitters and after experimenting with it over the last 10 days, I'm in a position to compare the two and offer some thoughts for both.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE: With both packages, you receive a gimmicked Ouija board allowing users to cause the planchette to move across the board in a very spooky manner. With Witchboard, you can program the planchette electronically and are able to trigger the program with the remote control.

With Jitters, the Ouija planchette movement is not electronic, instead using Peter's Shockwave principle.

You also receive the Ghost Controller and three modules which allow you to turn on and off plug-in electrical devices in the client's home. You receive the remote control and are able to program everything to trigger a pre-planned program, allowing you to have "hands off" spirit occurances, such as lights turning on and off, radios turning on and so on.

With Witchboard, the Ghost Controller is built into the Ouija board, meaning you have nothing to hide. With Jitters, the Ghost Controller is it's own separate device.

Jitters also comes with Peter's Entity, allowing you to cause objects to move on their own without threads or strings.

In addition to all of that, both packages come with two disks - one is an audio CD you can load into the client's CD player for a cool ghostly effect when the player turns on. The second disk is a DVD allowing you to cause a ghostly image to appear on a static-filled TV screen.

MY BACKGROUND: I've spent years participating in and designing haunted houses and private party seance recreations...in fact, I actually started my  performing career in Bizarre magic, then I made my way to closeup, then to kids' magic, and finally to stage, so my career path was a little strange!

When my cohorts and I used to do seances and haunted houses, the technology was very limited. While there were devices available to control lights and appliances, we had to do everything manually. You did not have the option of programming a perfectly timed out program and triggering the entire program with a push of a button, so things have really come a long way!

RATING: Both items are a 10/10, just to get that out of the way!

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: Now we get into the real meet of this blog...which one is better?

First, unlike a magic routine like a levitation or sleight of hand sponge ball routine, both Jitters and Witchboard need to be looked at as a means to an end. Let's face it, while presentation is King, even a boring presentation of the $100 Bill Switch would get solid reactions out of people. Jitters & Witchboard is completely different. If you sit your friends down and say, "Watch this!" And lights go on and off, they'll simply roll their eyes. Witchboard & Jitters are a means to an end and really require a great deal of psychology & atmosphere setting. Both of these packages are used to amplify and enhance a mood...not create it.

With all of that out of the way, I'll compare the Planchette movement. You definitely have more control over the Planchette with Witchboard and you can pre-program movements to spell out words which is REALLY neat! With Jitters, the movement is more limited, which is to be expected as Jitters is nearly $1000 less.

I don't believe there's an advantage over either, however. If you're doing a more theatrical type of event, spelling out words is really cool. If, like me, you want to shock people, a sudden jerky movement of that Planchette is all you need. After working with Jitters for a short time, I'm able to cause the Planchette to suddenly flip over and launch itself completely off of the board! This is all I need. As Eugene Burger says, "Less is More."

While you do have the option of making the Jitters Planchette move slower than that, spelling out complete words will be quite a bit more difficult because of the limited range of movement with the Shockwave principle. But again, for me, less is more, so it does more than I need.:)

Both boards are visually very appealing - both are quite large, made of wood, polished and have that rustic 'old world' look, like an antique. Peter's craftsmanship is amazing.

The Witchboard board can also rock itself via program, like old school table tilting. This is VERY cool and is not offered on the Jitters board.

However, Jitters comes with the extremely cool Enity device, which is not included with Witchboard. I have owned a separate Entity for years and can assure potential buyers that this is REALLY neat - I've used it for adult and kid audiences and it always works reliably and gets a great reaction. In fact, the Jitters version is even smaller, meaning you can hide it more easily without losing any programming features!

Entity allows you to cause more ghostly activity in different parts of the room, with the Ouija board doing it's thing, the Entity doing it's thing, and the Ghost Controller doing stuff elsewhere. Your options really are unlimited.

While the Ghost Controller features (programming up to three things to turn on and off in the room) are identical in Jitters and Witchboard, the major difference in the two is as I said the Controller being built into Witchboard, meaning you don't have to 'hide' the controller.

With Jitters, the controller is separate and is roughly 8" x 5" x 2", so while it's a separate device, it's still easy to hide in the room.

I had a heck of a time trying to decide which package to get, as I liked the more versatile control of the Ouija planchette, but since I travel so much, I ultimately went with Jitters, as It would be extremely easy to get the Ghost Controller into an airline carry-on suitcase, whereas the Witchboard unit would have to be checked...and knowing TSA, ultimately destroyed!

So...which one is better? I'd say neither is better than the other. As a purchaser, you'll have to weigh your needs and go from there.

DIFFICULTY: After only a few minutes, I was able to easily program the electrical appliances in my house to turn on and off and with the ghost DVD, even though I'm expecting it, when it kicks on, it's really spooky! The instructions were very easily understood.

The device is reliable and very user-friendly....plus, you can store two programs, giving you even more options! Consider this scenario: have one program set up to turn the lights off and the TV on...but you get to the house and the client has you set up in a room with out a TV...well, with your second program, you have different delays programmed for those "without a TV" performances.

Additionally, if you have your own seance room, you can have hidden speakers in the walls, behind bookcases, etc and have frightening animal sounds seemingly surround the guests in the dark (because of the stereo speakers hidden in various parts of the room!

Or maybe you're set up in your own theater and don't want to pay a lighting crew...you could have the Ghost Controller set up to trigger some cool lighting effects as you are being introduced. In other words, you don't have to limit yourself to just seance or paranormal shows with the electronics.

For instance, I use an Entity device in my Recycling Magic Show!

As always with anything from Peter Loughran, I am blown away by the quality. I couldn't be happier with my purchase and can't wait to start scaring people!

NEXT WEEK: Butcher's Blade by Tim Wisseman. (I'm building my own seance/paranormal show so I've been busy buying all kinds of goodies!