Price$35.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryBizarre, Close Up
Date AddedDec 20, 2012
Haunted 2.0
Eggink, Peter;Traversoni, Mark
Paul Harris
(Based on 2 reviews)
Now everyone can easily perform Mark's exquisite evolution of Haunted within minutes of opening the box!
Haunted 2.0 uses the same basic method of the original Haunted...but the big 2.0 difference is in the enhanced materials and break-through concepts that dramatically alter Haunted's genetic code!
Here's what you can do minutes after opening the 2.0 box:
Starting with a NORMAL shuffled deck...you place the spectator's signed card square into the deck which is set on the table. You can WALK AWAY from the deck and even cover the deck with a clear bowl (Just like in Peter's original Haunted..there's nothing connecting you to the deck).
After a few moments of silence..the upper half of the deck eerily starts to MOVE..then slowly SLIDES away from the lower half! After the top half of the deck stops moving, there's a pause..then the CARD UNDER IT STARTS TO MOVE! This single haunted card slowly slithers and CREEPS away from the rest of the deck..then finally stops. Your spectator takes the card ... it's the one she signed! And yes...you still end up with a NORMAL DECK.
- Stick of secret stuff has been replaced with custom "Haunted Chips"...that take out all the guess work.
- Special tips on how to speed up or slow down the deck animation and the creeping card.
- Start and finish with a normal deck.
- No Palming or Switches. Very Easy to do.
- Gimmick is completely self-contained. Nothing attached to performer or table.
Complete with 2 Evolved Haunted Gimmicks, 20 Haunted Chips, supplies for about 1000 performances. DVD of Mark Traversoni's Evolved 2.0 handling, and Peter Eggink's original Haunted instructions.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Review of Haunted 2.0:
Two gimmicks, a butt-load of "stuff" to make more gimmicks, 2 DVDs, a new method all for $35. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Preamble
A couple/few-ish years back, Haunted was released. I reviewed it and gave it a poor rating. There were a few very serious problems with the original. The original version has been discontinued by Paul Harris Presents. The good news is that this version is much, much better as you'll discover below.
Effect
Al Baker's Pack That Cuts Itself is a classic in magic. This is Peter Eggink's and Mark Traversoni's handling of the Baker classic. Simply put, a card is chosen, signed and placed in the middle of the deck. Slowly, the top half of the deck starts to cut (i.e., slide over) itself. As the deck continues to move, eventually, a card starts to slide out of the deck at the point where the deck is cut. This card is turned over by the spectator and revealed to be her card.
Method
The method relies on a very clever gimmick much like the original. However, they've modified it so that it works 100% better than the original. Part of the problem with the first version was that you had to modify the gimmick that you received. This modification (need to make the old version work) is very difficult to get "just right" in order to make the gimmick work properly. This new method for Haunted 2.0 requires no modification, just a little "breaking in" which is very clearly taught on the DVD and will only take two or three minutes tops.
The Haunted 2.0 gimmick is much more reliable than its predecessor. My old gimmick broke after just a few uses. This gimmick (Haunted 2.0), however, has already been beaten up by me and tested pretty heavily, and it's still going strong.
You receive two different versions of the gimmick with Haunted 2.0. One of them is, in my opinion, far superior to the other. Upon testing them both, I found the thicker gimmick to be far more reliable. I would actually feel very good about using the thicker gimmick in a real performance. The thinner gimmick, however, I would not. Also, with the stuff supplied, you can easily create either kind of gimmick you'd prefer (thick or thin). Yes I know this whole "thick", "thin" thing is a bit vague, but I can't say too much without risking tipping the method.
The bottom line is that this gimmick is extremely well made, reliable and very easy to use. This method is totally doable. The one "issue" I did have, however, is that, at first, I couldn't quite get the selected card to pop out of the deck consistently. The pack would always cut easily, but most of the time it would stop after the cut. After a fair bit of fiddling and practicing, I was able to get the card to pop out about 90% of the time. Then, once I switched to a brand new deck, I got 100%. The nice thing about the movement is that it's a little bit different each time, so the effect looks a little different every time you do it. That makes it fun for the magician too. :)
Ad Copy Integrity
There is a mention in the ad copy of "ending up with a normal deck." That's true - the gimmick is self-contain within a single card that you can ring in and out of the deck. But for the deck to be examined, you have remove the gimmick from the deck, though it would likely slip by unnoticed by the spectator with just a casual spreading of the cards. There are a couple of methods taught for ringing it in and out. They are all very simple to employ.
The only other "honorable mention" is that on the video trailer, they mention that there are "new methods for controlling speed and animation." That's true, but keep in mind that once you set the gimmick, you have no control; you sit back and watch (or feign mental madness as you grunt and sweat to "cause the pack to move"). The control comes in how you set the gimmick just before the animation. Setting the gimmick is nearly instantaneous and goes unnoticed by the spectators. Also, I wouldn't call it "control." I'd call it "Influence." When you set the gimmick you can do it in a manner that has some influence over the speed. However, once you set the gimmick and place the deck down on the table, it's literally and metaphorically out of your hands.
Product Quality
This is where the original took a big hit, product quality. However, Haunted 2.0 is miles ahead in product quality. As mentioned, the gimmick is very strong and well made and will serve you well. You'll need to spend some time practicing and getting to know the gimmick to get a reliable selected card animation but the animated cut is almost idiot proof, and I was able to get the selected card to pop out reliably within an hour or two of practicing and breaking in the gimmick. Put in a little time, and you'll be very happy with the gimmick. In the first version, I was not even able to duplicate the effect shown on the video trailer even one time. With Haunted 2.0, however, I've been able to duplicate it many, many times. Kudos to Paul Harris Presents for recognizing that this product needed an upgrade.
Also included with Haunted 2.0 is the original DVD from the first version. The great thing about this is there are handling ideas and tips that you'll find valuable from the first one.
Final Thoughts
As a reviewer, I do my best to be fair and honest in my reviews. I also try to point out specific things in my reviews that creators can, hopefully, use to improve their future products, if they're listening to me. I don't know if Paul Harris Presents listened to me or other reviewers or just figured it out themselves, but they've made the changes needed to make this a worthwhile investment. For the price of $35, you get 2 DVDs, some good handling tips and a well made gimmick that does exactly what it claims it will do.
Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
Haunted 2.0, like its predecessor Haunted, is an attempt to improve on the Pack That Cuts Itself or, the dealers item, the Haunted Pack. Is a successful attempt? In a word,no.
This was a difficult decision because I have liked many of the “Paul Harris Presents” releases I have reviewed and I have always liked and admired Paul and his work. Haunted 2.0 simply misses the mark. To say why I need to provide a little context.
The self cutting pack was first published in August Roterberg’s New Era Card Tricks in 1897. It was forgotten until Al Baker released Al Baker's Book in 1933. Baker revisited the effect in Pet Secrets in 1951. The item that became known as the Haunted Pack is said to be the creation of Fawcett Ross. Each of these versions has one common thread (pun intended) is that there is a means of attachment from the pack to the magician.
While some - like perhaps Haunted's creators Peter Eggink and Mark Traversoni - may see this as a negative, I, on the other hand, do not. The connection gives the performer control. It is control that both versions of Haunted are lacking. I believe that when a magician performs an effect that the effect should happen - not stand there waiting for it to happen.
Both versions of Haunted rely on a gimmick that will “fire” when it does - not when the magician wants or needs it to happen. Granted 2.0 is a vast improvement over the original Haunted, its still not predictable. Predictability is important to the effect. You should cut the selected card into the pack and the deck cuts itself when you want it to happen. This is why I found both versions of Haunted to be a step back.
If you want to learn the effect, then I would recommend the Baker works or Eugene Burger's The Performance of Close Up Magic. If you are a "video learner", then seek out Eugene Burger's Eugene Goes Bizarre. A word of caution - the Pack That Cuts Itself is not self working. If you want that then find the dealers item, the Haunted Pack. In any case, avoid any version of Haunted.
This was a difficult decision because I have liked many of the “Paul Harris Presents” releases I have reviewed and I have always liked and admired Paul and his work. Haunted 2.0 simply misses the mark. To say why I need to provide a little context.
The self cutting pack was first published in August Roterberg’s New Era Card Tricks in 1897. It was forgotten until Al Baker released Al Baker's Book in 1933. Baker revisited the effect in Pet Secrets in 1951. The item that became known as the Haunted Pack is said to be the creation of Fawcett Ross. Each of these versions has one common thread (pun intended) is that there is a means of attachment from the pack to the magician.
While some - like perhaps Haunted's creators Peter Eggink and Mark Traversoni - may see this as a negative, I, on the other hand, do not. The connection gives the performer control. It is control that both versions of Haunted are lacking. I believe that when a magician performs an effect that the effect should happen - not stand there waiting for it to happen.
Both versions of Haunted rely on a gimmick that will “fire” when it does - not when the magician wants or needs it to happen. Granted 2.0 is a vast improvement over the original Haunted, its still not predictable. Predictability is important to the effect. You should cut the selected card into the pack and the deck cuts itself when you want it to happen. This is why I found both versions of Haunted to be a step back.
If you want to learn the effect, then I would recommend the Baker works or Eugene Burger's The Performance of Close Up Magic. If you are a "video learner", then seek out Eugene Burger's Eugene Goes Bizarre. A word of caution - the Pack That Cuts Itself is not self working. If you want that then find the dealers item, the Haunted Pack. In any case, avoid any version of Haunted.