Price$30.00
Media TypeDVD, Utility Props
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedDec 07, 2007
X Marks The Spot
Justin Miller
(Based on 1 review)
But that's where it stops.
We have NOT all made a mixed deck correct itself while the ENTIRE DECK (every single back in the deck including the spectator's card) changes... Every card, all 52, in the entire deck changes in a flash of fire within a split second giving a moment of startling, visual, in your face magic.
THIS is X-Marks The Spot...
Effect
You, in a pseudo demonstration on how magicians use marked cards take your audience through a deck of red cards to see if they can find the marks themselves. Unfortunately, they are not able to see a thing, and believe at this point that you are pulling their leg. So, to prove they really are marked, a card is selected and signed on its face and lost in the deck. One half of the deck is turned face up and shuffled into the face down half. The cards are spread to show the mess. You ask one more time if they can see the marks on the back. Once again, the answer is no. Accusing the lighting conditions on this sight problem, you pull out a lighter and a piece of paper with a big black X drawn on it. Suddenly the paper is ignited (accidentally) and in an explosion of fire the paper is tossed at the deck and INSTANTANEOUSLY a black appear on the back of the deck. Also, all of the cards are face down and ALL THE CARDS HAVE A BIG X ON THE BACK OF EACH CARD except for on that is face-up in the spread...you guessed it, the selected signed card. As if that were not enough, you explain that you were not really looking for those marks but the one on the back of the selected card. As you turn the card over, its found to have a BLUE BACK.
- No rough and smooth
- Nothing is added or taken away
- No deck switches
- Resets in minutes
- Perfect for walk-around and restaurant work
- Tommy Williams
"If card magic was a sport then X Marks the Spot would be an Olympic event!"
- Larry Kobel
"After seeing Justin perform this on Strolling Hand DVD, it really caught my attention. X-Marks the Spot is an impressive, magical-looking routine with solid presentation, binding the climaxes with a veneer of logic. Justin has created an effective performance piece that will be suitable in any magicians hands, both behind a table or in a strolling environment. Justin closes his card act with it and I can understand why!"
- David Regal - Genii Magazine
Running Time Approximately 27min
Includes gimmicky Bicycle cards.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
A red deck of cards is displayed as the magician explains the cards are subtlety marked. A card is chosen, signed and lost in the deck. The magician shuffles the deck face-up into face-down cards. A piece of flash paper is ignited and thrown at the deck. A very large "X" appears on the back of the top card. When the deck is spread, all the cards have righted themselves face-down and a similar "X" appears on every back. Except one card. That one card is the participant's selected card. It's face up and when turned over is seen to have a blue back.
This routine seems to have it all; fire, color changes, cards magically turning over, a signed selection lost and found and the sudden appearance of an "X" on the cards. Wow. I know a lot of magicians who love this kind of stuff. I'm not one of them.
As Dai Vernon said, "Confusion is not magic." Eugene Burger has further stated that card magic can only take place if a layperson can explain it to their friends the next day. If you don't agree with these two statements, X MARKS THE SPOT might be right up your alley, but it's not for me.
This comes off as a busy magic trick. It's very visual and magical-looking and I can see this going over very well in a setting such as a magic convention. In a formal close-up show or contest at a magic convention, this would make people's eyeballs fall out. And I suppose that's the point of many of those types of performances. However, I can't see myself doing this on a regular basis as it will always require a table, does not reset as easily as I would hope and requires me to carry around another gimmicked deck. Plus there's the issue of throwing flash paper around. I don't know of many venues where one could use it in this way but it can be done without a flash.
The DVD you receive is well-done and you can tell Justin Miller has taken a great deal of time with this, one of his pet effects. I personally think it's too convoluted and too impractical to make a dent in most performer's repertoires.
This routine seems to have it all; fire, color changes, cards magically turning over, a signed selection lost and found and the sudden appearance of an "X" on the cards. Wow. I know a lot of magicians who love this kind of stuff. I'm not one of them.
As Dai Vernon said, "Confusion is not magic." Eugene Burger has further stated that card magic can only take place if a layperson can explain it to their friends the next day. If you don't agree with these two statements, X MARKS THE SPOT might be right up your alley, but it's not for me.
This comes off as a busy magic trick. It's very visual and magical-looking and I can see this going over very well in a setting such as a magic convention. In a formal close-up show or contest at a magic convention, this would make people's eyeballs fall out. And I suppose that's the point of many of those types of performances. However, I can't see myself doing this on a regular basis as it will always require a table, does not reset as easily as I would hope and requires me to carry around another gimmicked deck. Plus there's the issue of throwing flash paper around. I don't know of many venues where one could use it in this way but it can be done without a flash.
The DVD you receive is well-done and you can tell Justin Miller has taken a great deal of time with this, one of his pet effects. I personally think it's too convoluted and too impractical to make a dent in most performer's repertoires.