Price$34.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedAug 06, 2006
Extreme Korn
Chris Korn
(Based on 1 review)
On This Disk:
* Fire in the Hole: An incredibly visual production and vanish sequence that guarantees the audience will go wild! It's a real showstopper!
* One For the Bar: The one trick that will insure that you will never have to pay for
a drink again. Minimal skill, incredible impact!
* Double crossed: A test conditions transposition between your pen and the
spectators Mont Blanc. It's as strong as the Watch Steal!
* Lip-tak Sighting: Yet another Korn Coin Classic. Brilliant productions and
vanishes well within the reach of intermediate coin men.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
I recieved this DVD as a gift, brand-new and still in the factory seal.
While I did like some of the things on this DVD, I am not sure I would have paid the going price for the material that is on here. To some, it may be worth that price and to be fair, some of the material is quite good!
Fire in the Hole starts with the introduction of a coin purse which is shown to contain little pieces of blank white paper, which Chris refers to as "paper money". After removing the papers from the purse and a little bit of play, the purse is opened again and a large match is produced from the purse (it is actually a charcoal lighter that looks like a giant match). Eventually, a piece of paper is ignited and in a flash, a coin appears on the palm of the performer. Another piece is lit and it vanishes. Another piece is lit and the coin reappears. The final piece is lit and the purse appears in the palm, then opened to show that the coin has travelled to the purse this time. As a finale, the coin is dumped into the hand of a spectator and changes into a piece of blank paper as it lands in their hand.
To me, this routine needs a little more work and motivation (motivation, at least, in my mind). It is one of those routines that leaves you with the feeling that there is something missing but you cannot quite tell what that 'something' is. It does have its possibilites. In my opinion, I like, prefer and recommend the Eric Jones routine called Flash Coins Re-Lit (from his An Extension of Me 3-disc DVD set). There he produces the coins in a similar fashion with flash paper, but calls the paper "wishing paper" - which makes more sense in the grand scheme of things. In the end, all of the coins travel back to the purse and can be changed back into wishing paper if desired, or they can be used in another routine requiring the use of three or four coins.
One For the Bar was my least favorite routine on the DVD. I could see right through the method when I was watching the performance, but that does not mean the layperson will be able to pick it apart. It is basically and effect that can be presented as either a bar bet or a straight piece of magic. A card is selected and returned to the deck. You say you will find the card with the deck behind your back and place it into a very specific spot. You ask them to name a number from 1-10 and you bring out the deck, then count down to the number they named where you find a folded napkin, rather than the card. As an afterthough, you say it is not in the deck but rather in the stack of napkins on the table/bar. You count down to their named number to find the selected card.
Chris gives you a couple of different ideas on how to plan for performing this routine, but due to the nature of the environment in which it would be used, there are too many risks and possible outcomes to deal with in its set-up, or rather in making sure it stays that way as much as possible. I will say that Chris teaches the handling and moves very well and some people may like this, but it is not for me.
Double Crossed - Now this routine fights for my vote as the top favorite effect on this DVD. It is a simple transposition of your pen with a pen belonging to a spectator. As the description says, it really can be as strong as a watch steal - notice I said "can be" - that is supposing that it is performed correctly (in the way that a watch steal should be performed correctly). Although you could set it up to happen it would not be as magical that way - this is unfortunately a bit of situational magic - that is to say it works best when a spectator has his or her own pen in the breast pocket of their jacket or coat. Nevertheless, it is a very strong piece and works especially well in trade show work and anywhere you may come across someone that carries high quality pens, such as Mont Blanc, Parker, Visconti, Waterford, etc. It will work with any pen no matter how cheap or expensive - it is just works better (read: is much more powerful) with the more expensive pens because of the monetary and higher level of sentimental value that they hold - just like watches.
Lip-tak Sighting: This was the other routine on the DVD that fought for my vote as the favorite, alas, it tied with the above effect. I am a coin specialist so I really liked this routine - it is well thought out and well-routined, the handling is clean and it is very magical. The motivation for this one is built-in and you really do not need much. It can be a stand-alone routine or it can be an interlude/fill-in routine if need be.
I gave the DVD 3.5 stars because after watching the video, I was not sold on the idea that the material on the DVD was worth the price - even though I recieved this as a gift and paid nothing for it. The other thing that brought the rating down for me was that two out of the four routines were not really that great - at least to me.
I will say that Chris was very thorough in his explanations and his performance was good, though I am not sure it matches the level of his stellar reputation. Although I really love the descriptions of the material on his Radical Korn DVD, the price point would prevent me from making that purchase, based on what I have seen on this DVD.
Dr. J.
While I did like some of the things on this DVD, I am not sure I would have paid the going price for the material that is on here. To some, it may be worth that price and to be fair, some of the material is quite good!
Fire in the Hole starts with the introduction of a coin purse which is shown to contain little pieces of blank white paper, which Chris refers to as "paper money". After removing the papers from the purse and a little bit of play, the purse is opened again and a large match is produced from the purse (it is actually a charcoal lighter that looks like a giant match). Eventually, a piece of paper is ignited and in a flash, a coin appears on the palm of the performer. Another piece is lit and it vanishes. Another piece is lit and the coin reappears. The final piece is lit and the purse appears in the palm, then opened to show that the coin has travelled to the purse this time. As a finale, the coin is dumped into the hand of a spectator and changes into a piece of blank paper as it lands in their hand.
To me, this routine needs a little more work and motivation (motivation, at least, in my mind). It is one of those routines that leaves you with the feeling that there is something missing but you cannot quite tell what that 'something' is. It does have its possibilites. In my opinion, I like, prefer and recommend the Eric Jones routine called Flash Coins Re-Lit (from his An Extension of Me 3-disc DVD set). There he produces the coins in a similar fashion with flash paper, but calls the paper "wishing paper" - which makes more sense in the grand scheme of things. In the end, all of the coins travel back to the purse and can be changed back into wishing paper if desired, or they can be used in another routine requiring the use of three or four coins.
One For the Bar was my least favorite routine on the DVD. I could see right through the method when I was watching the performance, but that does not mean the layperson will be able to pick it apart. It is basically and effect that can be presented as either a bar bet or a straight piece of magic. A card is selected and returned to the deck. You say you will find the card with the deck behind your back and place it into a very specific spot. You ask them to name a number from 1-10 and you bring out the deck, then count down to the number they named where you find a folded napkin, rather than the card. As an afterthough, you say it is not in the deck but rather in the stack of napkins on the table/bar. You count down to their named number to find the selected card.
Chris gives you a couple of different ideas on how to plan for performing this routine, but due to the nature of the environment in which it would be used, there are too many risks and possible outcomes to deal with in its set-up, or rather in making sure it stays that way as much as possible. I will say that Chris teaches the handling and moves very well and some people may like this, but it is not for me.
Double Crossed - Now this routine fights for my vote as the top favorite effect on this DVD. It is a simple transposition of your pen with a pen belonging to a spectator. As the description says, it really can be as strong as a watch steal - notice I said "can be" - that is supposing that it is performed correctly (in the way that a watch steal should be performed correctly). Although you could set it up to happen it would not be as magical that way - this is unfortunately a bit of situational magic - that is to say it works best when a spectator has his or her own pen in the breast pocket of their jacket or coat. Nevertheless, it is a very strong piece and works especially well in trade show work and anywhere you may come across someone that carries high quality pens, such as Mont Blanc, Parker, Visconti, Waterford, etc. It will work with any pen no matter how cheap or expensive - it is just works better (read: is much more powerful) with the more expensive pens because of the monetary and higher level of sentimental value that they hold - just like watches.
Lip-tak Sighting: This was the other routine on the DVD that fought for my vote as the favorite, alas, it tied with the above effect. I am a coin specialist so I really liked this routine - it is well thought out and well-routined, the handling is clean and it is very magical. The motivation for this one is built-in and you really do not need much. It can be a stand-alone routine or it can be an interlude/fill-in routine if need be.
I gave the DVD 3.5 stars because after watching the video, I was not sold on the idea that the material on the DVD was worth the price - even though I recieved this as a gift and paid nothing for it. The other thing that brought the rating down for me was that two out of the four routines were not really that great - at least to me.
I will say that Chris was very thorough in his explanations and his performance was good, though I am not sure it matches the level of his stellar reputation. Although I really love the descriptions of the material on his Radical Korn DVD, the price point would prevent me from making that purchase, based on what I have seen on this DVD.
Dr. J.