Price$34.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryGeneral
Date AddedMar 16, 2003
Enough With The Tricks Already. The Magic of David Regal DVD, Volume 3
Regal, David
L & L Publishing
(Based on 1 review)
Volume Three contains: Primate; Leap of Faith; Straight-Forward Collections; Clean Cut; Bottoms-Up Aces; Down-Under Production; Commercial Travel; The World's First Card Trick; Dave's Move-a-Card; Logical Assembly; Out of This Borough; Four the Hard Way.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
David Regal is, in my opinion, a fine magician among many other things. I am certain I have a particular affinity for him because he is also an excellent writer, having written for many top rating television shows. This ability translates into an articulate and clear explanation style, as well as some honestly humorous presentation. I say "honestly humorous" because he doesn't resort to the insult-laden put-down humor, either towards the audience or self inflicted, that many magicians seem to use.
One of the complaints I hear about Regal is that he is often gimmick-heavy. The man is completely effect oriented, concerned only with how amazed an audience is going to be. He has no problem spending hours creating a gaffed deck for use during only one effect. This video, however, is for all those naysayers; there isn't a gimmick to be found. These all use a simple deck of playing cards, some creative thinking and some not too difficult sleights.
While they're not too difficult, most of the effects will require some serious practice. But, if you wanted easier effects, you wouldn't be necessarily looking into a video full of non-gaffed effects, now would you?
"The World's First Card Trick" is one of my favorites and, it's relatively easy to do. The effect is simple and stunning (this is actually the effect that, upon being burned in the magic shop, led me to purchase this video). Basically the magician shuffles the deck, a spectator shuffles, another spectator shuffles, the magician shuffles, a spectator shuffles...this is repeated until everyone agrees they are happy with the shuffle. The magician then steps back from the table; the top card of the deck is turned over. The magician instructs the the spectator to retrieve a second deck and open it. Spreading through the cards, only one card is face up: the same card as the top card. Virtually sleight free, this is as upfront and honest an effect as I've recently seen. To be fair, this one requires 5 seconds pre-show preparation (which gives it the longest pre-show prep-time of any of these effects). And it burns....
Out Of This Borough follows the "Out Of This World" plot to an even more suprising and asonishing kicker ending, determining how well suited two people are for eachother.
The best part is, and necessary setup for this effect can easily be made PART of the presentation, using "Dave's Move-A-Card" which precedes it on the DVD. In fact, in my opinion, by itself "Dave's Move-A-Card" may be weakest effect in the bunch: the magicians flips through the deck, saying he has memorized the order. The cards are spread, one card is moved from one half of the deck to the other; after some joking, the magician identifies the moved card. Not too shabby, but not super strong. However, the use of this effect to set up "Out Of This Borough" is devious, crafty and, consequently, fun!
Other standouts are "Primate" (A quick sandwich plot), "Straight Forward Collectors" (four aces locate three different selected cards, which suddenly appear face down between the four face-up aces) and "Commerical Travel" (a pseudo-lesson in palming cards which becomes an amazing looking ace assembly); and "Four The Hard Way" in which Regal locates four chosen cards, rapid-four, in four completely different ways.
In case you have noticed, don't look here for anything other than card effects. Regal's other videos and books do contain non-card effects (some of them QUITE excellent) but you won't find any here. These are simply un-gimmicked card effects to fry an audience. That's the only real reason I gave this less than 5 stars; I'm sure Regal has some amazing un-gimmicked effects using things other than cards, it would have been nice to see a few of them. Other than that, excellent excellent stuff....
One of the complaints I hear about Regal is that he is often gimmick-heavy. The man is completely effect oriented, concerned only with how amazed an audience is going to be. He has no problem spending hours creating a gaffed deck for use during only one effect. This video, however, is for all those naysayers; there isn't a gimmick to be found. These all use a simple deck of playing cards, some creative thinking and some not too difficult sleights.
While they're not too difficult, most of the effects will require some serious practice. But, if you wanted easier effects, you wouldn't be necessarily looking into a video full of non-gaffed effects, now would you?
"The World's First Card Trick" is one of my favorites and, it's relatively easy to do. The effect is simple and stunning (this is actually the effect that, upon being burned in the magic shop, led me to purchase this video). Basically the magician shuffles the deck, a spectator shuffles, another spectator shuffles, the magician shuffles, a spectator shuffles...this is repeated until everyone agrees they are happy with the shuffle. The magician then steps back from the table; the top card of the deck is turned over. The magician instructs the the spectator to retrieve a second deck and open it. Spreading through the cards, only one card is face up: the same card as the top card. Virtually sleight free, this is as upfront and honest an effect as I've recently seen. To be fair, this one requires 5 seconds pre-show preparation (which gives it the longest pre-show prep-time of any of these effects). And it burns....
Out Of This Borough follows the "Out Of This World" plot to an even more suprising and asonishing kicker ending, determining how well suited two people are for eachother.
The best part is, and necessary setup for this effect can easily be made PART of the presentation, using "Dave's Move-A-Card" which precedes it on the DVD. In fact, in my opinion, by itself "Dave's Move-A-Card" may be weakest effect in the bunch: the magicians flips through the deck, saying he has memorized the order. The cards are spread, one card is moved from one half of the deck to the other; after some joking, the magician identifies the moved card. Not too shabby, but not super strong. However, the use of this effect to set up "Out Of This Borough" is devious, crafty and, consequently, fun!
Other standouts are "Primate" (A quick sandwich plot), "Straight Forward Collectors" (four aces locate three different selected cards, which suddenly appear face down between the four face-up aces) and "Commerical Travel" (a pseudo-lesson in palming cards which becomes an amazing looking ace assembly); and "Four The Hard Way" in which Regal locates four chosen cards, rapid-four, in four completely different ways.
In case you have noticed, don't look here for anything other than card effects. Regal's other videos and books do contain non-card effects (some of them QUITE excellent) but you won't find any here. These are simply un-gimmicked card effects to fry an audience. That's the only real reason I gave this less than 5 stars; I'm sure Regal has some amazing un-gimmicked effects using things other than cards, it would have been nice to see a few of them. Other than that, excellent excellent stuff....