Price$34.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedNov 24, 2008
The New Coin Magic of Dr. Sawa Vol 3
Dr. Sawa
L&L Publishing
(Based on 1 review)
"One of the most creative magicians I have ever known. As the saying goes, you have to see it to believe it-and even then, you won't!" Find out why.
When Dr. Sawa burst onto the magic scene back in the 1970s, he caused an international sensation. His work with paper, seashells, ropes and especially coins, was simultaneously whimsical and astonishing. Some years ago, for private reasons, Dr. Sawa vanished from the magic world. Happily, he has resurfaced-his enthusiasm for magic not only renewed, but actually increased.
L&L Publishing is proud to present this multiple-DVD set, containing almost fifty new and astonishing coin routines on a total of six DVDs.
1. Whitehouse: Various presidents (who happen to appear on U.S. coins) are produced from thin air, each production larger than the one before.
2. Better Half: A pair of half dollars display their mutual affection, first by jumping from one hand to the other, then becoming impossibly joined together. Sawa has kept this for himself for 20 years; now, it can be yours.
3. Cuponkia: A diabolical version of Coins Through the Table. One by one, three coins pass through the table, landing audibly in a glass bowl. And the last phase is done standing up - no lapping!
4. The Mint Bureau: When influenced by an old-style Japanese coin, four plain washers transform to match. Then they expand in size, and finally one instantly changes into a jumbo coin.
5. Blade Runner: A highly unusual plot: Coins are tossed up and caught on the flat blade of a table knife. Then, one is balanced on the edge of the knife. And the final balancing demonstration is simply astonishing.
6. Genuine Silver: A half dollar coin turns into a silver finger ring, in a visual change that causes gasps. It's promptly repeated with a second coin
7. Octopus: A masterful method for causing four coins to penetrate from within an Okito Box through the magician's hand.
8. Backstage: The performer offers to let the audience "behind the scenes" - but of course, they end up more baffled than ever, as over and over the coins change shape and size and multiply, beyond belief.
Running Time Approximately 1hr 23min
Reviews
(Top ▲)
These DVDs are definitely for absolute lovers of Coin Magic. If you are just getting your feet wet, these DVDs probably aren’t the best choices for you. However, if you are like me, and are usually classic palming your change while you are waiting in line for a movie, this is for you. I only had a chance to review volumes two through six, so I have not seen volume one. Let me first go over the set in general, and then what my favorites were on this particular disk.
Dr. Sawa is a definite genius. He’s like Jay Sankey, David Roth, Tommy Wonder & Max Maven all rolled into one. Speaking of Max, he hosts & translates all the explanations, since English is not Dr. Sawa’s native tongue. This causes problems during the some of the performances, because he is telling a story & he sometimes has trouble pronouncing & thinking of the correct English word to use. Although, he does perform many effects silently as well so there is a balance of silent material & talking material. He still comes across as a likable human being, and was able to make the studio audience and myself gasp at several moments on these disks.
In the performance sections, the regular L&L audience (with a few fresh faces) respond enthusiastically and somewhat genuinely on these disks. I think it was a waste to have everyone sit in on each of the performances. If they had been broken up into groups, I think the energy level would have remained higher throughout the DVDs. In the teaching segments, Max Maven does a fantastic job of not only translating, but teaching along with Sawa so that we understand all the subtleties of the routines. Many of the finer points can be lost in translation when we are trying to learn from someone who speaks a different language than our own, and Max is sure to not leave a single stone unturned.
Unlike many coin workers, Sawa has worked out charming routines with stories and premises that are humorous, engaging, and make sense. He doesn’t do these endless one coin routines done at the speed of light for no reason. Classic plots like Coins Thru Table are reworked to the point where you will be fooled with new methods, as well as some new plots like dismantling a Chinese coin into an earring are well balanced throughout each disk. Sometimes the routines require custom made gimmicks or props, which means you will have to go to great lengths to get the materials made for yourself, just as Dr. Sawa did. This set isn’t really about giving you ready made routines anybody can use. It’s about showing this man’s approach to these effects, so you can understand his thinking, appreciate it, and apply to your work. Watching a true expert break down the hows & whys of his work is always a worthwhile education. While these disks have several things that are only within the reach of Dr Sawa, they still provide plenty of material for you to work on as well. Some effects are simple, requiring only basic coin moves & gimmicks, while some require you to be holding out an insane number of coins for the entire routine.
With that said, there are moments when Dr. Sawa’s hands are cramped during certain routines as he is holding out a great number of coins. I’m not sure if the studio audience noticed such unnatural hand positions, but you definitely see it on video. Since Dr. Sawa is likable, and because it’s an L&L crowd, they may be reacting to some not so deceptive moments to be polite. However, I was still utterly amazed at a great number of routines, so once again this set achieves a delicate balancing act. With all this said, let’s get into the items on this particular volume that I enjoyed most!
Whitehouse: A white coin purse represents the white house, which holds the spirits of dead presidents. Their spirits materialize into coins, starting with Lincoln on the penny, and ending with Eisenhower on the dollar coin. This could be easily altered into a very practical table hoping piece.
Cuponkia: Three coins pass through the table & are heard to arrive in a glass bowl under the table. What’s so special about this version? The last coin penetrates while the performer is standing, and the bowl is on a chair under the table. This fooled me badly. The method is genius, but the effect is best suited for a close up show. This isn’t a table hopping routine. However, this is the kind of effect that you want to save for those special circumstances when you are doing an intimate close up show.
Genuine Silver: A half dollar visually changes into a silver ring, causing the audience to genuinely gasp. He then repeats it. This can be done while table hopping, and depending on which handling you chose, you end fairly clean. It uses a gimmick many coin workers have in their drawers, yet Sawa uses it in a very different way.
In closing, I’m not comfortable recommending these DVDs to everybody. I think that if you enjoy coin magic, and enjoy looking at off beat props, chances are very high that you will. The quality of material, production values, and teaching remain at a very good level throughout, and so I hereby anoint these discs with an overall rating of three & a half stars.
Dr. Sawa is a definite genius. He’s like Jay Sankey, David Roth, Tommy Wonder & Max Maven all rolled into one. Speaking of Max, he hosts & translates all the explanations, since English is not Dr. Sawa’s native tongue. This causes problems during the some of the performances, because he is telling a story & he sometimes has trouble pronouncing & thinking of the correct English word to use. Although, he does perform many effects silently as well so there is a balance of silent material & talking material. He still comes across as a likable human being, and was able to make the studio audience and myself gasp at several moments on these disks.
In the performance sections, the regular L&L audience (with a few fresh faces) respond enthusiastically and somewhat genuinely on these disks. I think it was a waste to have everyone sit in on each of the performances. If they had been broken up into groups, I think the energy level would have remained higher throughout the DVDs. In the teaching segments, Max Maven does a fantastic job of not only translating, but teaching along with Sawa so that we understand all the subtleties of the routines. Many of the finer points can be lost in translation when we are trying to learn from someone who speaks a different language than our own, and Max is sure to not leave a single stone unturned.
Unlike many coin workers, Sawa has worked out charming routines with stories and premises that are humorous, engaging, and make sense. He doesn’t do these endless one coin routines done at the speed of light for no reason. Classic plots like Coins Thru Table are reworked to the point where you will be fooled with new methods, as well as some new plots like dismantling a Chinese coin into an earring are well balanced throughout each disk. Sometimes the routines require custom made gimmicks or props, which means you will have to go to great lengths to get the materials made for yourself, just as Dr. Sawa did. This set isn’t really about giving you ready made routines anybody can use. It’s about showing this man’s approach to these effects, so you can understand his thinking, appreciate it, and apply to your work. Watching a true expert break down the hows & whys of his work is always a worthwhile education. While these disks have several things that are only within the reach of Dr Sawa, they still provide plenty of material for you to work on as well. Some effects are simple, requiring only basic coin moves & gimmicks, while some require you to be holding out an insane number of coins for the entire routine.
With that said, there are moments when Dr. Sawa’s hands are cramped during certain routines as he is holding out a great number of coins. I’m not sure if the studio audience noticed such unnatural hand positions, but you definitely see it on video. Since Dr. Sawa is likable, and because it’s an L&L crowd, they may be reacting to some not so deceptive moments to be polite. However, I was still utterly amazed at a great number of routines, so once again this set achieves a delicate balancing act. With all this said, let’s get into the items on this particular volume that I enjoyed most!
Whitehouse: A white coin purse represents the white house, which holds the spirits of dead presidents. Their spirits materialize into coins, starting with Lincoln on the penny, and ending with Eisenhower on the dollar coin. This could be easily altered into a very practical table hoping piece.
Cuponkia: Three coins pass through the table & are heard to arrive in a glass bowl under the table. What’s so special about this version? The last coin penetrates while the performer is standing, and the bowl is on a chair under the table. This fooled me badly. The method is genius, but the effect is best suited for a close up show. This isn’t a table hopping routine. However, this is the kind of effect that you want to save for those special circumstances when you are doing an intimate close up show.
Genuine Silver: A half dollar visually changes into a silver ring, causing the audience to genuinely gasp. He then repeats it. This can be done while table hopping, and depending on which handling you chose, you end fairly clean. It uses a gimmick many coin workers have in their drawers, yet Sawa uses it in a very different way.
In closing, I’m not comfortable recommending these DVDs to everybody. I think that if you enjoy coin magic, and enjoy looking at off beat props, chances are very high that you will. The quality of material, production values, and teaching remain at a very good level throughout, and so I hereby anoint these discs with an overall rating of three & a half stars.