PROS

This is a very clever concept. You place a folded playing card or a folded bill on top of an empty card box. The folded card or bill is switched out for another folded card or bill. Your hands are left completely empty.

You can perform this in any clothing as the gimmick is contained in the card box. The effect is pretty angle proof. You can perform surrounded. It is very easy to do.

The gimmicks come partially made. You get all the props and pieces you need to complete the gimmicks.

The gimmick is easily reset. You can’t reset it in front of your audience, but it takes about three seconds to reset.

The DVD is very true to the ad copy. The effect looks tremendous on the trailer and the same in real life. The gimmicks are very creative.

ROUTINES

Several routines are explained, including:

Card Prediction

You place a folded prediction card on top of the card box. Your participant selects and signs a card. The card is shuffled into the deck. You grasp the prediction card, unfold it, and it is the signed selection card. The problem with this routine is it is confusing. It has the elements of card to impossible location and yet it is presented as a prediction. It’s not really a prediction.

In the presentation, his handling of the mercury card switch is very interesting. While he doesn’t go into detail explaining it, the performance shows an interesting way to create misdirection for the move. This is perhaps one of the best handlings of the mercury card fold when people are burning your hands that I have seen.

In his explanation for this routine, he says: “Use any method to shuffle to put the card up.” I’m pretty sure this means: “Use your favorite method to control the card to the top.” However, he doesn’t explain any method. This is a real pet peeve. I think that any level magician should be able to watch this DVD and walk away being able to perform the effect.

Currency Bill Prediction

This is a very nice routine where a borrowed bill is folded and paper-clipped so you can’t see the serial number. The serial number prediction is written on a piece of paper. The bill is picked up from the card box, opened, and it matches the prediction in the hands of the participant.

Déjà vu

In this routine, you have a folded white card on the card box. The participant writes something on a white card and folds it in four. It disappears and the folded card on the box is unfolded and revealed to be their card. I think this effect needs more to be effective. It comes across as a mystery as to how the first card was switched with their card, but in order to be a miracle, it needs more routining.

Mental Photography

In this routine, a blank face playing card is placed on the deck. The card turns into a playing card. This routine could be interesting if combined with another effect, perhaps a thought of card effect. Hotel 52 by David Regal is an excellent routine where you tell a story and the audience helps you fill in the ending which leads to the Queen of Hearts. These two ideas could be combined to make a really interesting routine.

Torn and Restored

This is a torn and restored effect where a selected card is torn into four pieces and held together with a paperclip. It is placed on the card box. The deck is handed to the participant and they look through the deck. The problem with this is it lacks motivation. In the explanation, there was no explanation given for why the deck was handed to the participant to review. On the positive side, the routine suggests that you could have the participant tear the card in fourths. I don’t think I have ever seen this in a torn and restored card effect. I think that is the brilliance of this effect. Otherwise, there are better torn and restored routines, such as Torched and Restored by Brent Braun. However, if the participant tears the card into fourths, then that is a whole ‘nother level of powerful!

T-A-R With Signed Car Seven

This is another torn and restored card routine. In this routine, any card is selected and signed. The card is then torn and placed in a paperclip and on top of the box. The pen goes back in the pocket and the deck is riffled a few times. The card is taken from the top of the box and it is shown restored. The problem with this routine is there is a lot of “business” done between the card going on the box and the card revealed restored. In the DVD, there was no explanation or demonstration of any motivation or logical reasoning for all this “business”. I think the first torn and restored on the DVD is more powerful because the participant can tear the actual card they selected. In this routine, they can’t tear the card, nor can you show the face of the card as it is being torn.

CONS

The explanation is done to music with English subtitles. The grammar and spelling is atrocious, but I think you can get the information you need to make this work.

The gimmicks use the old style card box with a card image on the back. I suppose it would be possible to re-build the gimmick using a new style card box.

The gimmick I received had come apart a bit. I had to do a little repair, and I couldn’t get the gimmick to set just right at first. I was able to repair it so it would work properly.

You can’t have cards in the box while it is set up and ready to go. So, you will need to have the cards already out of the box when you perform. He didn’t cover the nuances of how to get into a routine or how to end a routine.

VERDICT

This was a difficult one to rate because there were issues with the quality of the gimmick and some of the methods. On the other hand, there were some real hidden gems like the concept of a torn and restored card where the participant could tear the card themselves! Because of these hidden gems, I have rated this four stars.

Suggestions

I think the real hidden gem here comes out the of the torn and restored effect. In the DVD, there is just a tiny subtitle saying you or the participant can tear the card. However, the DVD doesn’t lay out a good TNR routine. So, here is a suggested routine: Start with a regular deck of cards in a regular box. Have the participant remove the cards from the box and give them a shuffle. Go into your pocket with the box in hand and switch the regular box for the gimmicked box. Your motivation could be to get a pen from your pocket. Use the pen in the routine. Perhaps an Ambitious card routine. After that first effect, go into the TNR routine. However, fold the card in half lengthwise and widthwise to create the creases for the card tear. Hand the card to them, face up and ask them to tear the card into four pieces. Complete the routine in the same way as explained on the DVD. One additional thought: While it is powerful to have your participant sign the card, in this case they cannot. However, you could say: “Let’s make this card unique.”, and draw a smiley face on the card. Alternatively, if you know the name of the person for whom you are going to perform, you could write a short personal note, such as “Happy birthday, Fred!” on the card. When the card is restored, it will have the same message written on it.