Price$34.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedNov 24, 2008
The New Coin Magic of Dr. Sawa Vol 5
Dr. Sawa
L&L Publishing
(Based on 1 review)
When Dr. Sawa burst onto the magic scene back in the 1970s, he caused an international sensation. His work with paper, seashells, ropes and especially coins, was simultaneously whimsical and astonishing. Some years ago, for private reasons, Dr. Sawa vanished from the magic world. Happily, he has resurfaced - his enthusiasm for magic not only renewed, but actually increased.
L&L Publishing is proud to present this multiple-DVD set, containing almost fifty new and astonishing coin routines on a total of six DVDs.
1. Five Cents Panic: A series of unbelievable changes, starting with four half dollars. One becomes two quarters. Another converts to five dimes. The remaining pair changes into no less than 20 nickels!
2. One Dollar is One Dollar: A single silver dollar splits into two half dollars, converts back again, then splits again, then reconverts to its original form.
3. Pendant Cantabile: A circular frame on a silver necklace lends itself to a variety of magical moments, as coins change size, color and form.
4. Brown Trout: It's eagles versus fish in this fanciful account of interspecies rivalry.
5. Surgical Effect: Ready for something weird? Many magicians have pushed a coin through the hand, but never as slowly and graphically as this!
6. Engaged Coins: A lovely copper/silver routine with a romantic storyline that's sure to engage your audience.
7. A Beggar: A Sawa classic reworked. This quirky tale involves a charitable exchange gone awry, with results both magical and humorous.
8. Pantomime Silvers: No patter is necessary as the magic becomes progressively more amazing. It starts with a single coin, but where it goes will leave you speechless!Running Time Approximately 1hr 22min
Reviews
(Top ▲)
These DVDs are definitely for absolute lovers of Coin Magic. If you are just getting your feet wet, these DVDs probably aren’t the best choices for you. However, if you are like me, and are usually classic palming your change while you are waiting in line for a movie, this is for you. I only had a chance to review volumes two through six, so I have not seen volume one. Let me first go over the set in general, and then what my favorites were on this particular disk.
Dr. Sawa is a definite genius. He’s like Jay Sankey, David Roth, Tommy Wonder & Max Maven all rolled into one. Speaking of Max, he hosts & translates all the explanations, since English is not Dr. Sawa’s native tongue. This causes problems during the some of the performances, because he is telling a story & he sometimes has trouble pronouncing & thinking of the correct English word to use. Although, he does perform many effects silently as well so there is a balance of silent material & talking material. He still comes across as a likable human being, and was able to make the studio audience and myself gasp at several moments on these disks.
In the performance sections, the regular L&L audience (with a few fresh faces) respond enthusiastically and somewhat genuinely on these disks. I think it was a waste to have everyone sit in on each of the performances. If they had been broken up into groups, I think the energy level would have remained higher throughout the DVDs. In the teaching segments, Max Maven does a fantastic job of not only translating, but teaching along with Sawa so that we understand all the subtleties of the routines. Many of the finer points can be lost in translation when we are trying to learn from someone who speaks a different language than our own, and Max is sure to not leave a single stone unturned.
Unlike many coin workers, Sawa has worked out charming routines with stories and premises that are humorous, engaging, and make sense. He doesn’t do these endless one coin routines done at the speed of light for no reason. Classic plots like Coins Thru Table are reworked to the point where you will be fooled with new methods, as well as some new plots like dismantling a Chinese coin into an earring are well balanced throughout each disk. Sometimes the routines require custom made gimmicks or props, which means you will have to go to great lengths to get the materials made for yourself, just as Dr. Sawa did. This set isn’t really about giving you ready made routines anybody can use. It’s about showing this man’s approach to these effects, so you can understand his thinking, appreciate it, and apply to your work. Watching a true expert break down the hows & whys of his work is always a worthwhile education. While these disks have several things that are only within the reach of Dr Sawa, they still provide plenty of material for you to work on as well. Some effects are simple, requiring only basic coin moves & gimmicks, while some require you to be holding out an insane number of coins for the entire routine.
With that said, there are moments when Dr. Sawa’s hands are cramped during certain routines as he is holding out a great number of coins. I’m not sure if the studio audience noticed such unnatural hand positions, but you definitely see it on video. Since Dr. Sawa is likable, and because it’s an L&L crowd, they may be reacting to some not so deceptive moments to be polite. However, I was still utterly amazed at a great number of routines, so once again this set achieves a delicate balancing act. With all this said, let’s get into the items on this particular volume that I enjoyed most!
Pendant Cantabile: This is an effect that defies description. It’s completely different from any coin routine I’ve ever seen before. Good luck trying to make it, but I’m sure that it will inspire you to look at coin magic differently.
Surgical Effect: A coin passes through your hand. This isn’t your grandfather’s sleight of hand method. Sawa uses a gimmick we all have in our drawer to cause the coin to penetrate his hand slowly. You see a third of the coin penetrate the hand, then two-thirds, then you see it emerge from the hand on the other side. This will make people squeamish. When was the last time a coin trick did that?
A Beggar: A funny story about a beggar asking the magician for money. The magician splits a coin into two coins to appease the beggar, but the beggar wants more. The story turns a simple coin splitting sequence into a piece of close up theatre that I’m sure will inspire many variations.
In closing, I’m not comfortable recommending these DVDs to everybody. I think that if you enjoy coin magic, and enjoy looking at off beat props, chances are very high that you will. The quality of material, production values, and teaching remain at a very good level throughout, and so I hereby anoint these discs with an overall rating of three & a half stars.
Dr. Sawa is a definite genius. He’s like Jay Sankey, David Roth, Tommy Wonder & Max Maven all rolled into one. Speaking of Max, he hosts & translates all the explanations, since English is not Dr. Sawa’s native tongue. This causes problems during the some of the performances, because he is telling a story & he sometimes has trouble pronouncing & thinking of the correct English word to use. Although, he does perform many effects silently as well so there is a balance of silent material & talking material. He still comes across as a likable human being, and was able to make the studio audience and myself gasp at several moments on these disks.
In the performance sections, the regular L&L audience (with a few fresh faces) respond enthusiastically and somewhat genuinely on these disks. I think it was a waste to have everyone sit in on each of the performances. If they had been broken up into groups, I think the energy level would have remained higher throughout the DVDs. In the teaching segments, Max Maven does a fantastic job of not only translating, but teaching along with Sawa so that we understand all the subtleties of the routines. Many of the finer points can be lost in translation when we are trying to learn from someone who speaks a different language than our own, and Max is sure to not leave a single stone unturned.
Unlike many coin workers, Sawa has worked out charming routines with stories and premises that are humorous, engaging, and make sense. He doesn’t do these endless one coin routines done at the speed of light for no reason. Classic plots like Coins Thru Table are reworked to the point where you will be fooled with new methods, as well as some new plots like dismantling a Chinese coin into an earring are well balanced throughout each disk. Sometimes the routines require custom made gimmicks or props, which means you will have to go to great lengths to get the materials made for yourself, just as Dr. Sawa did. This set isn’t really about giving you ready made routines anybody can use. It’s about showing this man’s approach to these effects, so you can understand his thinking, appreciate it, and apply to your work. Watching a true expert break down the hows & whys of his work is always a worthwhile education. While these disks have several things that are only within the reach of Dr Sawa, they still provide plenty of material for you to work on as well. Some effects are simple, requiring only basic coin moves & gimmicks, while some require you to be holding out an insane number of coins for the entire routine.
With that said, there are moments when Dr. Sawa’s hands are cramped during certain routines as he is holding out a great number of coins. I’m not sure if the studio audience noticed such unnatural hand positions, but you definitely see it on video. Since Dr. Sawa is likable, and because it’s an L&L crowd, they may be reacting to some not so deceptive moments to be polite. However, I was still utterly amazed at a great number of routines, so once again this set achieves a delicate balancing act. With all this said, let’s get into the items on this particular volume that I enjoyed most!
Pendant Cantabile: This is an effect that defies description. It’s completely different from any coin routine I’ve ever seen before. Good luck trying to make it, but I’m sure that it will inspire you to look at coin magic differently.
Surgical Effect: A coin passes through your hand. This isn’t your grandfather’s sleight of hand method. Sawa uses a gimmick we all have in our drawer to cause the coin to penetrate his hand slowly. You see a third of the coin penetrate the hand, then two-thirds, then you see it emerge from the hand on the other side. This will make people squeamish. When was the last time a coin trick did that?
A Beggar: A funny story about a beggar asking the magician for money. The magician splits a coin into two coins to appease the beggar, but the beggar wants more. The story turns a simple coin splitting sequence into a piece of close up theatre that I’m sure will inspire many variations.
In closing, I’m not comfortable recommending these DVDs to everybody. I think that if you enjoy coin magic, and enjoy looking at off beat props, chances are very high that you will. The quality of material, production values, and teaching remain at a very good level throughout, and so I hereby anoint these discs with an overall rating of three & a half stars.