Profile & Skewer
Thomas, Garrett
Kozmo Magic
With PROFILE and SKEWER world-renowned sleight of hand expert, Garrett Thomas, brings you two amazing moments of strange that will give your audiences something very different to talk about.
These extremely powerful, reality-twisting moments break through the expectations of the typical coin trick and force your audiences to ask themselves, "Did that REALLY just happen?"
PROFILE In Garrett's new coin concept, you slowly press your finger into a Kennedy half-dollar that amazingly melts, shaping a deep impression into the metal of the coin. PROFILE includes an optional twist ending, as the portrait of the president can be shown to have been pushed out in 3D.
SKEWER Garrett has reworked the classic Karate Coin into an illusion that allows you to slowly push your finger completely through a half-dollar and make it look as though it is melting in every direction through the face of the coin. This is definitely NOT your Grandmother's finger through coin trick!
Included with PROFILE and SKEWER are two amazing new tools, made from Kennedy half-dollars. Garrett explains how to use these tools in two real-world routines and includes four options for performing each of the effects (ranging in difficulty from novice to expert).
Reviews
(Top ▲)
This product comes with two effects. Skewer is a version of the one I remember, where you push your finger through the coin. I remember everything being fast: the coin is tossed in the air and you "puncture" it with your finger in one shot.
Skewer takes a slower approach to the performance. The finger is pushed through slowly, stopping several times during the process. One of the things I like about the included feke is that the hole is off-center. This not only looks a bit more "natural," but it also allows you to get some interesting visual displays that aren't possible if the hole is centered.
Profile is a similar, but different effect. Instead of sticking your finger through the coin, you "warp" the coin, turning Kennedy's face into a 3D extrusion. Again, the moves to make this look great are completely explained in full detail.
Of course, neither of these routines would be workable without very good methods of switching. Luckily, Garrett covers four very nice switches that can be used, some of which I'm guessing you've never seen.
If you do the kung fu coin, or have ever wanted to, I highly suggest picking up this product.
(Top ▲)
When your audience sees this effect . . . it's like living in Dreamtime (Thank You Daryl Hall). It's a sort of surreal moment where you're not sure if you're really seeing what you think you're seeing. First of all even if you didn't get a DVD with this, $40 bucks is a very good price for two gimmicked coins. But on top of the gimmicked coins, you get to see Garrett Thomas in action performing nearly flawlessly and teaching in extreme detail.
The effect is simple . . . you either push your finger through the coin completely (Skewer) or you essentially melt the coin and put a big huge divot in the coin (Profile). The coins are extremely well made. The performances by Thomas are beautiful and seem impossible. His technique is nearly flawless; the moves that he teaches you (very thoroughly, I might add) are amazing. This is some seriously solid sleight of hand, and you're learning it from a real pro.
If you do any coin magic at all, you'd do well to consider this for your arsenal. The structure alone is an excellent lesson in choreography and routine development. The displays and handling are so deceptive that even after you learn them, you'll still be amazed at Thomas's performances.
Really the only complaint (which is minor) that I have with this DVD is that, at times, the explanations were a bit dry and a little hard to watch. They're well taught, but make sure you've got some caffeine handy. Such a small, small, small price to pay for such an incredible set of gimmicks and such an incredible set of effects.
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM.