Update to the Update

Ok folks . . . I'm sorry to do this - I've never done it before - but more experience has led to yet another update. So to minimize confusion, I'm going to re sort the information below. I originally wrote a review complaining that part of the product was missing. It turned out not to be missing, so I gave the review an increase in stars.

But then I discovered a second problem that I hadn't in the first two reviews (review and update). That will be discussed below. If you read the review below, I've re-adjusted everything to make it chronologically accurate.

Before you dive into the review(s) below, let me give a brief overview of what the effect is . . . this will help make the review a little more clear.

Simply put, you walk out on stage without speaking . . . you use a flip chart to communicate with the audience. The flip chart introduces you, and has a spectator think of a card. Using your flip cards, jokes are told; predictions are attempted and laughter abounds.

Then comes the miracle, you open your mouth and very clearly and cleanly remove from it a folded up playing card that IS the spectator's thought of card. Thus explaining why you've used flip charts to speak and proving that you're not only a freak who eats cards, but that you're a miracle worker.

That's the effect, and it is that clean and direct. One last point of clarification: The "original" version comes with a flip chart printed in English. The "Universal" version comes with everything in the "Original" with one difference. The cards are not pre printed. They are blank, and instead you get a magic marker so you can write the script yourself in your own language.

Ok. Now that you know this is the third edition of the review and you understand the product, let's move on to the original reivew. Thanks for your patience in my attempt to remain Blatantly Honest in a World of Deception.

Original Review:

The short version: The effect is incredible. It really is as clean as the teaser shows. The props are well made. The instructional DVD (though duplicated rather than replicated/pressed) thoroughly teaches everything you need to do this effect yourself. If you're a working pro and the effect fits your personality, buy it. It's definitely worth it.

However, I do have one issue. I bought the "Universal" version. The Universal version is a bunch of blank cards and a permanent marker so that you can make your own set. When I looked at getting the Universal version, I foolishly assumed that it came with the pre-printed English cards plus the extra blank cards. That was a mistake on my part.

Additionally, there are three extra cards that come with the regular version that do not come with the Universal version. These cards should have come with the Universal version because they are not text cards but picture cards. So I was a little bummed about that. Plus, the DVD that comes with the Universal version is the same one that comes with the original, so if you speak something other than English, A) you have no idea what this review is saying. B)You won't be able to understand the DVD that comes with the Universal version, and C) You won't know what to do with the blank cards that you are given with the DVD that you can't understand.

So if you want to do this effect, make sure that speak English and buy the "Original" version. Or at the very least, get a translator to help you understand the DVD and what the blank cards are for. Use the same translator you used to help you read this review. :)

Note: that was the end of the review, originally. I finished by giving the "Original Version a 5 star rating with a Stone Status of GEM! I originally gave the "Universal" a 2.5 Star Rating with a status of grubble.

Then, a few weeks later . . .

First Update to the Review:

In the original review, I gave the Universal version a poor review because of a couple of problems that turned out not to be problems. The basic gist is this: I bought this over a year (maybe even 2 years) before I wrote the review. In that period of time, the booklet along with the three extra cards that I claimed did not come with the Universal version were actually misplaced by me. It had been so long that I had forgotten that these came with the package.

I just found them in my office the other day. Additionally, it should be noted that the little booklet has the script written up in 6 (including English) languages. The two main complaints I had with the Universal version were 1) that it did not include the 3 extra cards . . . turns out that was my mistake. And 2) that the instructions were only in English thus the effect to a non-English speaking person who purchases this would be lost. That's still somewhat true, but not as bad as I had originally made it out to be due to the fact that the script (although, not the instructions) is in multiple languages.

Note: that was the end of the first update. I changed the Universal from 2.5 stars (grubble) to 4 stars (Gem).

But then, a couple of months later . . .

Second (and hopefully last) Update to the Review

When I appended the review with the first update, I had yet to take the time to write the script on my cards. Well . . . that's where the problem comes in. First, many of the scripts for each card are too long to fit on their respective cards when hand written. Second, if you mess up . . . too bad . . . it's permanent marker and there are no extra cards.

Guess what . . . I messed up on a card or two, and I couldn't get the text to squeeze on to the card in any legible fashion, so my entire prop is totally ruined. That being said, however, I still love the effect, and I will be repurchasing it. However, this time, I'll order the "Original" version.

Thus, with my new found experience, I cannot recommend the "Universal" version. Sure you may argue that it's not fair to give a poor rating because I couldn't write small enough or perfectly, etc. However, unless you plan on hiring a writing expert who can perfectly print and layout each card by hand, you'll likely be in the same boat I was in.

I think a decent solution could have been stickers or even a website that had the correct font and images, etc that you could print out and stick to the cards. Anything would have been better than a bunch of blank cards and a marking pen.

Note: that is the end of my latest revision. I've downgraded the "Universal" version to 2 Stars with a Status of Rubble

Original Verdict:

5 Stars for the "Original Version" with a Stone Status of GEM!

2.5 Stars for the "Universal Version" with a Stone Status of grubble.

Updated Verdict:

5 Stars for the "Original Version" with a Stone Status of GEM!

4 Stars for the "Universal Version" with a Stone Status of Gem.

True Final Verdict:

5 Stars for the "Original Version" with a Stone Status of GEM!

2 Stars for the "Universal Version" with a Stone Status of Rubble.