If you're a fan of Brainwave or the Invisible Deck, or you just generally don't mind carrying a full deck just for the sake of one trick, then Naked is something you should consider. Conceptually, the plot is familiar but it's also visually interesting because it uses a blank deck of cards. (And thus provides its own justification for pulling out a different deck during a performance.)

In addition to not being opposed to carrying a special deck, you also have to be OK with showing laymen that blank cards exist, and in fact, can be bought in bulk. This may bother some purists, but I promise that I won't judge you.

One consideration that Naked doesn't require, however, is your skill level. It is well-routined and about as simple as possible to perform. One nice bonus is that you even get a gimmicked card that lets you completely avoid the one sleight that is necessary in the routine. And, by the way, the gimmick is provided in both Blue and Red-backed Bicycle so you can choose to perform with either color. Bravo, Elmwood Magic.

The instructions on the DVD are clear and complete. Its only flaw is that the title music is about four times louder than the audio during the teaching portions, so keep your remote control nearby unless you want to blast out your household.

I'm happy with my purchase of Naked. It's well thought out, Elmwood throws in some nice extras, and the price is reasonable. The only thing I'd change would be to drop the gratuitous suggestion of a "naked" woman from the packaging. This trick deserves better than that.

This effect is just plain awesome! I will say that magicians familiar with its M.O. may be able to figure it out, but even so, it will slay your audience. As for this fooling magicians in-the-know, there are some very good options available but these are not necessary at all and none of them are relevant to this review, so they will not be discussed here.

Again, as with all other ad copies of Paul Richards products, this one is true to its word - you get exactly what it says and it looks exactly the way it reads but to the layman, it is very strong.

The cards are all printed by Bicycle so they are very good quality. One thing that I appreciated with this is that the extra gaff cards that you get allow you to choose between red back and blue back for the selection. Furthermore, they also give you the option of sleight vs. no sleight. Either way, it is nothing difficult.

The DVD is well produced and Paul does a great job as usual in teaching the handling, the set-up and the variations. He also gives plenty of additional hints and tips for you to pick and choose from.

Personally, I replaced my invisible deck with this because the effect is essentially the same, but Naked takes it a step further. To me it is so much stronger, especially when paired with the ending that I use for it.

If this is such a wonderful thing, why only 3.5 stars? Well, it was kind of a toss-up. I can understand wanting to put a quality product out on the market, but all of the necessary props could be found and assembled for less than half the cost of this whole package. Of course then you would not get all of the wonderful handling tips and ideas that are on the DVD. Of course, DVDs do cost money to produce, etc., so I understand the price, but in my opinion, I think $20-$24/USD may have been better.

If you like performing the Invisible Deck or if you have ever wanted to perform the Invisible Deck and want something just as strong (if not slightly stronger), I highly recommend getting this!