“Card Under Glass,” created by Heba Heba Al, is a classic of bar magic, and can be seen in the repertoire of many of magic’s luminaries. Now, Doc Eason, a bar magic legend, is teaching his version of this wonderful effect on DVD. However, he doesn’t just teach “card under glass.” He shares a 30 minute show, during which the card appears under the glass no fewer than six times. During the show he performs several classic magic effects, including a two card transposition, the ambitious card, triumph and the 3 card monte, with the selected card appearing under the glass multiple times throughout the entire show.

The performances seen on this DVD were filmed in front of several actual bar crowds, the first performance being an uncut video of the entire show. This is an extremely important element of the DVD set, as not only does this footage show how real world audiences respond to Mr. Eason’s material, but it also shows how he handles sneaking a selected card under his glass multiple times for the same audience.

While the repeat card under glass is a devastating routine, the remaining magic that comprises the show is fairly standard, so one might be tempted to speed through the sections teaching these effects. This would be a mistake. Listening to Mr. Eason describe the structure, organization and motivation for the various effects he uses, it quickly becomes clear the entire show is very carefully constructed to maximize the impact of the magic. He has spent 35 years learning how a bar crowd thinks and has revised and honed this set of effects to guarantee their success in front of what can be a very tough audience.

In addition to teaching the methods for the effects, Mr. Eason also touches on misdirection, maximizing impact with scripting, audience management, contingencies for when the performer gets caught loading the card under the glass, the psychology behind the show’s design, as well as improvising and dealing with difficult spectators. Given that much of the success of “Card Under Glass” is, frankly, a function of sneaking the card under the glass when no one is looking, Mr. Eason even provides a full performance with a “director’s commentary,” where he talks about what’s happening real time during the routine and how he responded to it in order to guarantee the show’s success. This last addition is extremely valuable to any performer looking to add this type of routine to their repertoire.

The set also includes a section called the “Tool Box,” where Mr. Eason discusses the sleights he uses in the show. A number of workhorse sleights are mentioned, including the top palm, spectator peek, top change, double undercut, double lift, milk shuffle, slop shuffle, a fancy false cut, half pass, the 3 card monte hype and ATFUS. While there were a couple of great handling tips offered, in particular a refinement for the slop shuffle that is fantastic, for the most part the instruction was surprisingly brief and short on detail. In fact, several of the explanations could barely be considered a demonstration of the sleight. Such little information was offered it was surprising these sections were included at all, especially considering the sleights were taught during the explanations. And given the level of performance ability required to perform “Card Under Glass,” the viewer of this set should already be able to do a double undercut without a walkthrough, so the viewer would have been better served had Mr. Eason talked more about the real work on these sleights, and the refinements he has learned from performing them over the years.

Unlike a great deal of the current magic being released, the material contained in this DVD set is “real world” magic, meaning it’s been performed thousands of times for real audiences in an unforgiving environment. Every routine is a reliable classic, performed by many magicians the world over. While the handlings are not particularly innovative, they are strong, bullet proof and designed for maximum audience impact. Then, of course, the viewer also gets a postgraduate education on how to get a selected card under a glass multiple times during a show. It should be mentioned Mr. Eason taught this same set of effects on volume one of his bar magic DVD set, but also included his multiple selection routine (which also has a moment when the card goes under the glass), so the potential purchaser has two possible sources from which to learn this routine. If this is an effect you’re interested in, Mr. Eason is the person from whom to learn it.

Doc Eason presents his killer 30 minute routine in the 2 DVD Doc Eason Card Under Glass project. This DVD set receives the highest rating possible. The routine and presented effects are rousing and Doc presents and teaches this multi phased routine, after 35 years of perfecting it. And, it is perfect.

Every time the spectator’s card appears under Doc’s glass it is astonishing, and he does it over and over and surprises every time.

Even if you have no intention of learning this very long card mind-blowing routine, you should still consider buying this DVD set. The lessons taught are not just “how to” perform this modular effect, but also how to deal with different types of spectators and a master lesson on misdirection.

The production quality is excellent and the structure of the DVD is very smart. The ad copy and promotional video are right on.

First, Doc demonstrates his routine in front of a live bar audience. Doc then breaks down the routine in a studio setting and teaches it a step at a time. Although Doc suggested that those who are unfamiliar with some basic moves (like the double undercut) should not start with this DVD set, I disagree. This project is perfect for all levels of performer. It is inspirational, informative and worth having in your library, no matter who you are.

The DVD set also includes a “toolbox” in which Doc teaches various sleights with excellent camera work and camera angles that make the instruction very easy to understand.

I particularly enjoyed the “director’s cut” in which Doc, in an overdubbed monologue, talks about the routine as you are watching it. He highlights his techniques and gives invaluable lessons in audience management and misdirection.

The interview with Doc is great and I wish this was a 3 DVD set with a longer interview.

This purchase is a no brainer.

[Bowing in reverence to Doc Eason] [Repeat] [Once more].

With that out of the way, WOW! Where to begin with this set?

If you have ever seen Doc Eason lecture or seen his live performance, if you have ever seen his Bar Magic videos produced by L&L or any of his other work, you have either seen, heard or read about his work on the classic "Card Under Glass". If you have studied his handling in the past, you are in for a real treat with this because it goes much further beyond anything he has taught in the past.

The DVD quality is top-notch as with any other Kozmo Magic productions - the audio, video and lighting were fantastic, the menu was very well laid out and easy to navigate and the way the DVDs were shot were fantastic.

Supposing you click the 'Watch All' button in the menu, you will first see an intro from Doc where he briefly talks about his history and love of this effect. You will then see a full performance at a restaurant bar with various "characters" (local patrons) and then in the teaching segments, he breaks it down into explaining all of the effects in order, each one having their own chapter.

Doc also sits down with Kozmo Koz and discusses working in the real world and how to make it work best for you. He gives his insights and ideas from his own experiences over the years and he uses the main performance on the DVD to illustrate some of his points. This was a casual and candid discussion more than an interview.

You will also find some other performances with a completely different crowd in the same location (which was shot on a different night) just to show you how things change from show to show.

There is a wonderful section where Doc plays through the main performance of the DVD and uses spotlighting and freeze-framing to talk about certain aspects of routining, why/how things work, when/how to do certain actions or moves, what certain spectators and participants were doing at certain points, what they noticed/said, how they behaved and how Doc read them in real time. He also gives hints, tips and other ideas along the way - it is a very insightful and useful tool for viewers at home.

One great thing about this particular routine is that it is modular. You can perform one or two of the effects that are woven in between the "Card Under Glass" sequences, you can do the whole thing if you like or you can use your own effects that would play well with the plot. As Doc says, how much of the routine you perform and how long it goes is something you have to judge based on the venue, the crowd and all those other things that only come with getting out there and getting experience. Speaking of the versatility of this plot, you do not even have to use a glass - you can use the card box, salt/pepper shakers, cell phones, the sky is the limit!

Another cool thing about this set is that if you do not click the 'Play All' button, you can jump from chapter to chapter for the performances and the explanations. In the explanation section, if you click on a particular chapter (say for example you choose to watch the "Two-Card Transpo" explanation), you will see the section of the main performance, after which you are taken to a studio shot where Doc teaches you that particular part of the routine. If you so desire, you can skip the clip and go right into the explanation without watching it again.

There are certain things about the in-between effects (such as the Three-Card Monte) that Doc assumes you are familiar with already and he only teaches a quick version of the sleights used in those effects (such as the Hype used in the Monte sequence). This is okay because he even says, where applicable, that if you are not familiar with certain things, this DVD is probably not the place to start. Further, this DVD is not about teaching the in-between effects; it is about showing you how to do the 'Card Under Glass' and weave other effects into that to make a complete routine and make it entertaining. He does exactly that and more...in Spades!

To clarify that last bit just a bit more: Most of the in-between effects are standard plots in magic and are nothing really difficult to do and most magicians will already be familiar with their mechanics. He does go over all of the moves but not always in detail (again as an example: the Hype Move used in the Three-Card Monte).

The second DVD is what Doc calls the Toolbox. I have always loved the concept of the Toolbox as it relates to magicians. Here, Doc teaches his handlings on various sleights ranging from the Double Lift to the much-feared-but-too-often-neglected Top Change. Again, he uses his own experience to tell you why he uses certain sleights and even when to use some of them and when not to use them.

You may already know all of the moves he teaches on this disc but, even so, I promise you will still learn a thing or two about them here that you have never heard of before or may have forgotten about. Beyond that, you may not even use the sleights that he teaches here and that is okay. Learn them, practice them and know them well, and then, put them in your toolbox. To paraphrase Bill Malone from his 'Malone Meets Marlo' DVD series, "When it comes to sleights, I believe you should learn as many as you can and put them in your toolbox because although you may not use them all of the time, you may eventually find yourself in a situation where they will be helpful or useful and they may save you."

This DVD set is easily one of the BEST products of the year and among one of the best magic videos produced to date by anyone. You cannot ask for better quality production, you cannot ask for a better teacher nor could you ask for a more in-depth instruction on the material presented. More than just the how-to part of this DVD set, you are getting years and years of insights, hints, tips and ideas gained only from experience performing in the trenches, you are watching someone that knows how to entertain a crowd and teach his material extremely well and you get to see all the inside work that nobody else gets to see. For everything that you are getting, this set is worth MORE than the $49.95/USD price tag. It could easily have been sold for more and still have been worth every penny!

If you have ever wanted to study this plot there is no better place to look than this DVD set, which is without question the finest of its kind. If you have studied this in the past, regardless of the source, you will still learn a lot of new things here.

5 stars, VERY, VERY HIGHLY recommended!

Suggestions

Though there is much more to the in-between effects taught to this DVD, one of the more prominent ones is the Three-Card Monte.

If you want the best source for learning that particular effect in much more detail and learn the history and workings of the street scam in its very nature, check out the School for Scoundrels (Whit "Pop" Haydn) "Notes on the Three-Card Monte" book and the separate DVD. Better yet, just buy the DVD because it contains the entire book in PDF format, plus oh! so much more!