Marcus Eddie presents a stable full of great magic, in two-and-a-half hours and clearly explains almost everything he performs. He has high energy, is likeable, and this is a worthy download by a great magician, close-up performer and creator. I have already watched this lecture twice and will likely watch it again, soon.

After a humorous mock-commercial starring Marcus Eddie and Mike Hankins, Marcus Eddie starts the show with a series of three close-up magic tricks using everyday items; breath strips, glasses, and a key ring. After the three effects, Eddie gives a clear how-to explanation of each trick and indicates that he wanted to use every day items that are always “lying around.” Although the lecture only has two explained card tricks, the absence is not missed because the lecture is filled with great lessons with ordinary items. In fact, later in the lecture, Eddie explains that doing tricks with ordinary items sets him apart from most magicians who work with cards because so many spectators automatically remark “ “I’ve seen this trick” the second they see a deck of cards. Eddie does not get that reaction because his blend of close-up magic with everyday items keeps the audience guessing what is coming next.

The first trick that Eddie explains is a beginner-level trick, “Fresh” with the breath strips package. In Fresh, the performer offers a spectator a breath strip, from what turns out to be an empty package. The surprised performer then closes the box, shakes it and it magically fills up with new breath strips. Then Eddie takes a breath strip container and a Quarter, and with a quick motion pushes the container onto the Quarter, which is balancing on one finger, and the Quarter ends up inside the container. Then he pours the Quarter out of the box and puts the box and the Quarter and the container in a spectator’s hand and asks the spectator to close his hand. When he opens his hand, the Quarter is in the container and the spectator realizes that unlike when the performer poured the Quarter out of the breath strip box, he cannot do the same.

In “Focus”, Eddie takes off his glasses, and one of the lenses pops out. After polishing the popped out lens and blowing on it, the lens disappears and magically re-appears in the glasses frame.

In “Something Borrowed”, Eddie takes a key ring out his pocket and instructs a spectator to thread a finger ring onto key ring. This process takes a few laboring seconds. The spectator hands back the key ring to magician and the ring visually pops on and off the key ring. The magical jumping continues and it is a fun and entertaining trick which is easy to perform

During the course of the lecture, there is live feed Q&A and the audio quality from the audience is not that clear, although you get the gist of what is being said. Eddie discussed his philosophy on close-up magic, performing and being comfortable with palming and presenting tricks as well as his love of magic. Interestingly, Eddie indicates that the less afraid you are of making mistakes the more successful you will be. He credits Paul Harris, Jay Sankey, Gary Kurtz, Curtis Kam and Dan Harlan as being his influences. During the lecture, Eddie flips between various camera angles so you can see the sleights and the secret moves that are hidden from the audience.

Then Eddie performs and teaches a wonderful jumbo Spellbound coin routine in which the coins vanish, transpose and turn into bills. He teaches with great detail the handling and moves necessary to master this routine, availing himself of the birds-eye view and numerous studio cameras to aid in the instruction. Explains instant transformation from penny to dime.

Eddie performs and excellently teaches “Paper Cut” which is an easy impromptu trick that can be performed with any two dollar bills where one solid bill visibly passes through another solid bill.

In one of the highlight effects, “Stairway”, Eddie creates a ladder with two rubber bands between his two hands. The spectator folds a dollar bill around the bottom rung of the rubber band and it impossibly jumps up (and down) the ladder one rung at a time. The effect is killer, requires some practice if you have never worked with rubber bands, and once mastered you will never leave home without two rubber bands around your wrist. This amazing effect is totally impromptu. Eddie called it the “money maker” or the “tip getter” trick, and for good reason.

He then demonstrates, but does not explain Arm Band, which is a trick in which he apparently is holding rubber band in one hand and then “throws” it directly through his arm onto his wrist, which is a very cool $5 download available on Ellusionist.com.

In Color Changing Bands, Eddie demonstrates a color changing rubber band trick in which a yellow rubber band wrapped around his finger turns blue in an instant. It is very visual, impromptu and very easy to do.

Then, after almost two hours, Eddie performs a few card tricks. Similar to when he started the lecture, he performs a series of three card tricks, but this time only explains two out of three. First, he performs “Loaded” in which an empty card box is displayed and then with a twist of the box, a deck of cards appears in the box. This trick is currently on sale separately for download for $9.95. The price for that one trick is the going rate, which just demonstrates what a good deal this download is with hours of magic and conversation about the art.

Eddie then performs and explains “Separation” in which a mixed deck is shown and then in an instant fans the cards and they are separated by color. The explanation is simple and it is easy to do and will impress any spectator, with any borrowed deck. Then Eddie performs “Reconnect” in which he tears and restores a card. It is easy to perform with the home-made gimmick that he teaches you how to make.

For the finale, Eddie performs a new effect in which he asks the spectator three questions with three multiple choice answers and accurately predicted the answer to each question in advance, using a stack of post-it notes.

This lecture is a home-run for anyone looking to add to their close-up magic with fully explained and polished routines by a real pro. I highly recommend this download.

Now THIS lecture has got some high voltage energy to it - seriously!

Marcus was very upbeat during the entire lecture and I am not sure if it was nervous energy or what, but he laughs/chuckles a lot, but he was a great demonstrator and teacher throughout the entire lecture. He explains everything very clearly and leaves nothing to chance. Oh, and he says, "boom" a lot. A lot...

As was pointed out during the introduction, most close-up magicians work with cards and so does Marcus, but this entire lecture only has two card effects in it! Everything else is done with common objects.

There is quite a bit of material packed into this lecture along with pointers on developing your own style and your own effects or routines with existing material. With the exception of one or two items, most of this stuff is incredibly easy to do and with the same couple of exceptions, most of this material is suitable for walkaround conditions. Those two exceptions can also be performed in those venues but you will have to watch your angles at one point during each of them.

Two of my favorite non-card effects were his 'Something Borrowed' where a borrowed finger ring penetrates on and off a key tag - very commercial with lots of branding/marketing possibilities - and 'Paper Cut' which is a VERY clean and VERY deceptive bill penetration. This one really looks good!

I love the Dan Harlan 'Traveling Cash' effect and Marcus explains his take on that, which is marketed as a download and has been a big hit ever since it was released. He has some very nice touches that make it even more visual and even more impossible.

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember his take on the Torn & Restored Card plot being released as a download too, perhaps not. In any case, he explains his version which is called 'Reconnect'. It is not as open or visual as others out there, but it is good and can be quite convincing if you play it right. If you judge it only by the display at the end, you end clean with this version.

If you are looking for fresh, clean and commercial magic that does not involve a deck of cards to use in your own close-up sets, this is definitely the lecture for you. Whether you have seen Marcus Eddie perform or lecture before or not, you will enjoy not just the material but also the personalities of both Marcus and the as usual wonderful host, Mike Hankins.

I watched this lecture twice because I was stuck on the rating the first time through, but after the second time, I cannot see why this lecture should get anything less than 5 stars and a very high recommendation!