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Close-Up Illusions

Ouellet, Gary

Camirand Academy

(Based on 3 reviews)
This far reaching and influential work contains many magical masterpieces including Gary's Touch Force, his Paradise Counts, his remarkable work on the Kosky change, some unbelievable coin concepts, as well as many essays on the real work. No one who loves close-up magic should be without this classic book, now in its third printing. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photos, this book raised the bar on what a good magic book should be. From easy-to-master gems to more advanced sleights and routines, Close-Up Illusions was quietly introduced in the early 80's and went on to become a cherished collector's reference work. Now Gary Ouellet's genius is once again available to the magic fraternity. More importantly, it explains the philosophy behind close-up magic, from the man who was selected as one of the century's 100 most influential magicians by Magic magazine.

Reviews

Neil

Mar 10, 2004

This is a funny book to review. It's not a book cover-to-cover with stunning effects and it's not a solid teaching reference for sleight of hand. It seems to be a somewhat random mix of sleights, additions to routines published elsewhere and a few complete effects. One minute you're being taught a really basic coin vanish and the next a completely new way of performing false counts. It's interspersed with some odd rants about the arrogance of other magicians, his opinions on magic lectures and instructions on how to build a "close up stage" (which is basically a very slightly raised closeup mat!). I really get the idea that he wanted a vehicle for his "other stuff" -- bits he's not already published.

On the plus side there is some good information, a few nice moves and some good effects. There are not many innovative stunners in here but you get insights into performing sleights well, a nice sponge routine, a nice card-to-purse routine, some good coin work and sundry card sleights. You also pick up a calm, slow and elegant attitude about handling close-up which, for me, is very useful.

I don't think it is up there with the magic classics but it is a book I find myself reading a lot anyway.
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David Acer

Official Reviewer

Feb 26, 2004

Despite my involvement with The Camirand Academy over the years, I only met Gary Ouellet on three occasions prior to his untimely death in 2002, and all were equally brief. It's a shame too, and entirely my loss, as Gary's work was among my first inspirations in magic. I read the Masters of Magic Series voraciously and absorbed every line (I was an impressionable young teenager at the time). I performed Finger On The Card (Masters of Magic #1) and The Silver Passage (Masters of Magic #3) every chance I got. I loved Tony Binarelli's Lips, Paul Belanger's Cigarette Through Quarter and Meir Yedid's Incredible Close-Up Magic, all of which were written by Gary in the detailed yet digestible style he had established (with the help of Guy Camirand) in the Masters of Magic series.

But Close-Up Illusions, released in 1990 and recently reprinted, was his opus, a deeply personal, highly original collection of magic that contains not only his best work, but also his most engaging writing. Moreover, integrated effectively (and entertainingly) with the 70-plus sleights and routines are Gary's thoughts and theories on the performance of magic.

Highlights (in addition to wonderful discourses on close-up as theatre, the French Drop, magic lectures, and more) include Three Second Wonder, a lightning-fast cutting-to-the-Aces that rivals its progenitor, Fr. Cyprian's Swindle Cut Aces; The Push-Pinch Sponge Ball Vanish, one of the most convincing false transfers with a sponge ball ever devised; The Infidel Change, a visual coin change that must be seen to be believed; The Touch Force, a practical and deceptive force that should be in every magician's arsenal; Gilles Couture's Swivel Cut Control, a pretty card control that's still practical enough for the meat-and-potatos guys; Hideo Kato's The Amazing Dream Glass, an impromptu, bare-handed glass suspension that is one of the highlights of the Close-Up Illusions Companion Video; and The Anxiety Factor, Gary's real-world work on Paul Belanger's beautiful Cigarette Through Quarter.

You'll note that most of the items singled out above are moves and/or "quickies," the type of content that dominates (and drives) this book, but there are some fully-realized routines in here as well. The Miracle Signed Card in Purse and The Silverdust Routine, both replete with interesting sleights, could just as easily have been released as installments in the Masters of Magic series. However, they also require lapping, making them less useful to the average magician. The Odd Man Out Sponge Ball Routine (a.k.a. Sponge Balls and Banana) is one of my favorite items on The Very Best of Gary Ouellet DVD trilogy, but it too demands that you be seated, though with a little bit of thought, one could adapt the routine for walk-around work.

Also scattered throughout the book are Close-Up Hints, little kernels of advice on managing dry hands, preparing decks for manipulation, performing for magicians and more.

I am not suggesting that every trick, every sleight, every word in this book is gold. I think the Slider Top Change, for example, is a step backward for Top Changes, in that the card that is received arrives between the first and second finger, rather than the first finger and thumb. Netherworld, while being a functional alternative to Paul Curry's Out Of This World, is not an improvement over the original. Similarly, Maneater is a workable approach to the Cannibal Cards plot, but offers nothing particularly new to the genre. And the entire Showcase card routine is fairly uninteresting. But these matters of opinion do nothing to diminish my overall sense of excitement about this book -- it's an excellent work by one of magic's most passionate hobbiests, a man who eventually went on to become a consultant for David Copperfield and a producer of over a dozen network television specials. Moreover, in addition to all the fine magic, it's just plain fun to read.

David Acer
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Marcos Iglesias

Aug 24, 2003

I was fortunate enough to begin my magic passion with the purchase of a then new book by a fellow Canadian: Gary Ouellet's Close Up Illusions. Many of the sleights were beyond my technical abilities; most of the terms were foreign. However, Close Up Illusions (and other works by Ouellet) taught me to be a performer. The wonders to be culled from this tome are myriad and I often go back to them. In short, the book taught me the importance of being professional (in the best sense), relaxed and poised. It directed me in the right directions (I still think that Gary is right when he recommends three sleights for the beginning close up magician--you'll have to read the book to find out which they are). The essays are thought-provoking and instructive. If you haven't read Close Up Illusions you have missed one of the greatest experiences in magic.

I cried the day I heard that Gary died. His impact on my magic has been paralleled by very few others. And, although I never knew him--but met him twice--I thank God that he gave us a wonderful thinker and teacher in Gary Ouellet.
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