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Clean Thru - Clear Thru

Chevrie, Lonnie

Kozmomagic Inc.

(Based on 1 review)
Clean Thru/Clear Thru is the perfect anytime, anywhere routine with borrowed bills... a routine that will highlight your amazing magical powers ANYTIME someone asks. When you don't have your cards, your coins, your props you need an impromptu miracle and this is it. If you are a stage performer and someone wants to see some close up magic off stage this is the perfect thing to show them. This is the perfect lead in or follow up to any other bill routine you already perform.

If you like Andrew Mayne's incredible Ghost Bills you will LOVE Lonnie Chevrie's Clean Thru/Clear Thru.

Clean Thru is a stunning, clean, visible, easy, and impromptu penetration of one borrowed bill through another. This is followed by Clear Thru which is a routine Lonnie has stunned fellow magicians with.... an incredible penetration of your finger through one of the borrowed bills. It looks like real magic.

Clean Thru/Clear Thru by Lonnie Chevrie is a routine you will USE for the rest of your life and always have in your wallet. This is a routine that is as much fun to do as it is amazing to watch.

Reviews

James Sanden

Official Reviewer

Mar 18, 2011

Clean Thru/Clear Thru is a DVD explaining two impromptu bill routines by Texan magician Lonnie Chevrie. This is Mr. Chevrie’s 5th DVD, having already released his two compilation DVD’s Outlaw #1 and Outlaw #2, as well as The Journey and The Spritz Switch/The Dollar Switch. As with his previous offerings, the magic on this DVD is strong, direct and very well performed.

Clean Thru/Clear Thru begins with a very direct and convincing bill penetration, using the magician’s finger to penetrate the bill. The illusion is quite good and has several effective subtleties that help sell the effect. It requires nothing but a bill, which can be borrowed (though it does help if the bill is a bit newer) and a finger. The explanation is clear, succinct and complete, without a lot of the “over production” one sees in DVD releases these days.

Simply put, I love this effect. Whether you combine it with a pen through bill, or just use it on its own, you would be hard pressed to find a more convincing illusion of a finger penetrating a bill. My only wish is that Mr. Chevrie would have talked a bit more about the history and inspiration for this effect. While not exactly necessary, I enjoy and find value in learning a creator’s reasoning, how an effect is developed and why he or she made the choices they made.

The second effect on the DVD is Clear Thru, Mr. Chevrie’s handling of Andrew Mayne’s “Ghost Bills,” where two ungimmicked bills repeatedly penetrate each other. The illusion created in both versions is fantastic and absolutely convincing, a rarity in impromptu effects. For the record, Mr. Mayne’s version has 3 phases, whereas Mr. Chevrie’s has only one, however, Mr. Chevrie has made a very simple but extremely effective change which, I believe, drastically increases the impact of the penetration. While I do like Mr. Chevrie’s version better, I think the two approaches could be combined for a lovely, slightly longer routine, and recommend any student who really loves this effect look up Mr. Mayne’s version. Also, as with Clean Thru, the explanation is clear, succinct and complete, a lesson in magic instruction many of the rambling, unprepared magician’s releasing DVD’s today could learn from.

As with Clean Thru, I wish that Mr. Chevrie would have talked more about the history of the effect and his reasons for the choices he’s made. This is particularly true as it is a version of someone else’s effect. While I can see the difference in impact between the two versions myself, I’m fortunate in that I have both DVD’s and can make a direct comparison. I would have enjoyed hearing why and how he came up with the changes he made. Further, Mr. Chevrie dropped two phases of Mr. Mayne’s routine. Is this because his new handling wouldn’t work with the other phases, or did he have a different reason? I don’t know, but would have liked to. More than anything, I think it’s a loss to the viewer, as this kind of thinking can inform one’s effectiveness as a magician far more than the addition of another trick to one’s repertoire ever could.

Both Clean Thru and Clear Thru are beautiful, effective, impromptu bill effects that are clearly and effectively explained. They can be performed equally effectively either in conjunction or independently, and I plan to do both. While I would have preferred more information regarding the thinking that went into these effects, this is hardly a complaint, as the actual magic performed and explained is fantastic. If you’re looking for a couple of quick, strong effects with a borrowed bill, you can do no better than this DVD.
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