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Talk About Tricks

Joshua Jay

(Based on 1 review)
From the pages of MAGIC Magazine to your TV screen, the "Talk About Tricks" DVD Box Set is one of the most eclectic, unexpected collections of magic and magicians ever captured on DVD.

The concept is simple: Joshua Jay writes the critically-acclaimed "Talk About Tricks" column every month in MAGIC Magazine, and this set is the column come-to-life! Every month, Joshua Jay features original effects from the world's greatest magicians. There are hundreds of fantastic tricks buried in those pages. Now we can finally see how great these tricks look at performance speed.

From close-up to parlor, from cards to Q-tips, from money to mentalism, from easy to difficult, this collection boasts over seven hours of the best magic ever published in "Talk About Tricks." Better still, many of these effects are performed live by their originators. See magicians Felipe Abreu, Paul Cummins, Joel Givens, Rune Klan, John Lovick, Raj Madhok, Rick Maue, Francis Menotti, and more, all performing and explaining their creations. You'll also see magic created by Eric Buss, Bob Farmer, Martin Gardner, Larry Jennings, Ed Marlo, David Parr, Gaston Quieto, David Solomon, Gregory Wilson, and dozens more!

This box set boasts over seven hours of close-up magic from the industry's leading thinkers. Hosted by magic performer, author, and lecturer Joshua Jay, you don't want to miss out on the most comprehensive, exhaustive DVD release of the year!

Originators of all the tricks are credited in parentheses. (Performers are introduced on the actual DVD.)

VOLUME 1

The Tricks

Oil and Water (William Eston, Ed Marlo, Yannick Chretien)
Kicking Ace - Easy Oil and Water - Outjogged Oil and Water - Reflipped
Change for a Twenty (Adam Ryan)
Impromptu Hit Man (Rune Klan)
Punken Droker (Paul Cummins)
Ten for Ten (performance only) (Yves Doumergue)
Exdislycally Shunuffled (Francis Menotti)
Gold from Straw Elevator (David Solomon)Sweet Straw (Joel Givens)
242 Deal (Richard Vollmer)


The Interview

The Moves
Erdnase Break Subtlety (Larry Jennings)
Full Palm Change (Rune Klan)
Miumph (Reinhard Mueller)
False Faro (William Eston)
Bebel on Tilt (Bebel)
One Back Up (Rune Klan)
Psyboards (Tom Frame)
Divided Shuffle (Luis Otero)
Box Balance (Chastain Chriswell)
Kissing Up (Gregory Wilson)
Squist (Bob Farmer)


Bonus: Overlap (Joshua Jay)
Overlap Homing Card - Jumbo Overland Homing Card - Overlap Hitchcock
Assembly and Reverse - Scatter - Overlap Twisting
Overlap Jacks to Kings - Overlap Jacks to Aces - Overlap Jack Cutting
Overlap Gambling - Overlap Open Travelers - Overlap Hofzinser
Deuces are Wild - Overland Transposition - Four-Card Tunnel Change
Collectors and Back Again - Shrunken Revelation

Bonus: Contributors' Footage - plus - Behind the Scenes

VOLUME 2

The Tricks

Open Perception (Raj Madhok)
Any Card at Any Page Number (Joshua Jay)
Ninja Coin (Joe Givens)
Riding the Wave (Rick Maue)
Llasser Open Prediction (Manuel Llasser)
Mates Prediction (William Eston)
Tap a Lack (Paul Cummins, performance only)
Across Coins (Joel Givens)
Kickback (Ryan Swigert)
Switch (John Lovick) / Illegally Yours (Gregory Wilson)
I Dream of Mindreading (John Lovick)
Beard Book (Rune Klan)
Coins through Floor (Rune Klan)
My Lady's Other Ring (John Lovick)

The Interview

The Moves
Ace Location Routine
Eerie Spinout Subtlety (Salvador Sufrate)
Dribblocation (Joshua Jay)
Finger Flip (Patrick Stenberg)
Benzais Spinout Subtlety (Julius Chan)
Breakless Aces (Patrick Stenberg)
Cutting Off Colors (David Jade)
No Use Aces (David Jade / Damien Vapereau)
Hindu Control (Martin Gardner)
Breeze Coins (Gaston Quieto)
And the Other Two Follow (Rune Klan)
Rub a Dub Subtlety (Bruce Kinsey)
Prediction Wand (Eric Buss)

Behind the Scenes

VOLUME 3

The Tricks

Time is Money (Asi Wind) (performance only)
Laser Aces (Joel Givens)
Kings Face Aces (Adam Ryan)
Muck You (Derek Delgaudio)
Here and There (Ken Garr)
Coin and Bottle (Rune Klan)
Proof Positive (David Parr) (performance only)
Piano Seance (Raj Madhok)
The Trick that Wasn't (Paul Cummins) (performance only)
Palm Prick (Felipe Abreu)
Overlap Hofzinser (Mark Aspiazu / Joshua Jay)
Paper Balls (Peter Lentini)
Threesome (Jason Dean)
Matches All Gone (Joel Givens)

The Interview

The Moves
Slip Shift (Joshua Jay)
Riffle Force Finesse (Joshua Jay)
Riffle Force Variant (Ernesto Melero)
Turnover Pass (Eric Leblon)
Hold 'Em (Jason Alford / Paul Cummins)
Stairway to Heaven (Reynold Alexander)
Cloud Change (Robert Moreland)
Erdnase Variant (Ernesto Melero)
Skinner Monte Handling (Caj)

Behind the Scenes

Reviews

James Sanden

Official Reviewer

Mar 04, 2008

“Talk About Tricks” is a 3 DVD set of routines and moves culled from Joshua Jay’s “Talk About Tricks” column in Magic magazine. This is an outstanding offering, for several different reasons, first and foremost being the sheer volume and quality of items described and taught. Between the 3 disks there are 7 hours of magic, with 38 tricks and 33 moves presented. One might wish for more effects and less sleights, but even that characterization is unfair because a number of the “sleights” are presented as part of a complete effect or routine, making them that much more practical to the working performer.

What makes this quantity truly amazing is that there is little filler. This is not surprising, given that Mr. Jay had hundreds of items from countless performers to choose from. The range of material includes performance pieces (Francis Menotti’s “Exdyslexically Shunuffled”), routines that inspired FISM award winners (Rune Klan’s “Hit Man”), plus card changes, coin routines, ace productions and much more. And while a number of the items are what you would expect to find in a trick column in a magazine (yet ANOTHER version of Triumph and Spectator Cuts the Aces), even these versions have much to commend them, offering food for thought at the very least. In addition, this material doesn’t fall prey to the weaknesses of the “Easy to Master” series with material being clumsily presented by a performer unfamiliar with the effect. In this case, most items are performed by the originator, and when they aren’t, it’s clear that the item is regularly performed by whoever demonstrates it.

L&L Publishing does an excellent job, as usual, with the production, even adding some very useful moments with multiple camera angles so that the viewer can clearly understand the sleight. The explanations are very solid and thorough, and I commend the fact that many of the inventors were brought on board for the production. There were a few moments when the antics of the cast got a bit annoying, but that’s hardly a true complaint. In terms of quantity and quality of material, this DVD set offers one of the best bangs for your magical buck you can find.
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