Light from the Lamp Reviews Tricks REVIEWED BY DANNY ORLEANS because, "clearly," the possibilities are endless. Phantom Deck • Joshua Jay • $40 • www.vanishinginc.com • Phantom Deck Dealers should contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. on the Joshua Jay $40 web at www.murphysmagicsupplies.com or by phone at (800} Orleans Opinion in less than 25 words: Jerry Andrus' s 853-7403 "Solid Deception" (aka "Omni Deck" ) sliced 52 ways increases your presentation options. Great idea. Beautifully manufactured. An instant classic. Omni Pen David Penn and Spencer Wood $31.50 I HAVE O FTEN STATED that the creations of today's magic 00<25: Jerry Andrus' s "Omni Deck" meets a Sharpie. The sudden discovery of this novel prop surprises spectators. Neat idea. community stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. Joshua's Jay's " Phantom Deck" is a perfect example. WHAT A DELIGHTFUL coincidence Clearly inspired by Jerry Andrus's "Solid Deception," later to receive "Phantom Deck" and the marketed by Danny Korem as "Omni Deck," Mr. Jay has "Omni Pen" (described below) in the created a prop that allows you to magically transform a same month. Consider combining them standard deck into 52 separate, transparent plastic cards. if you want to gild an already gilded lily. Of course, using the traditional "Omni Deck" handling, How do you think your spectators would this can apparently happen in the spectator's hands. react if they discovered that the Sharpie The " Phantom Deck," in some ways, behaves very marker with which they signed their name similarly to a standard deck when it comes to shuffling, rif­ moments before- the marker that they've fling, and even cascading. The edges of each card are not been holding in their hands-suddenly became transpar­ painted but fused, so the white edges simulate that of a ent? That describes the audience experience when you per­ standard deck. This is important as a convinc­ form Spencer Wood's routine with "Omni Pen" as a kicker er when spectators see it with a normal ending to Jerry Andrus's "Omni Deck." cover card on top. Mr. Wood has created a routine that takes serious chutz­ What gives the "Phantom Deck" pah to perform, relying on not only a bold switch, but also an advantage over the traditional the handing out of the transparent pen to a spectator, "Omni Deck" is the fact that the mid-routine, with hopes that she will not prematurely dis­ selected card can be inserted cover it. This takes some advanced audience management into the Phantom Deck after the techniques, but Mr. Spencer executes them flawlessly in deck switch has been made. This the three performance video snippets where he amazes makes the trick all that much eas­ and amuses British sophisticates at an upscale reception. ier to do deceptively, especially for For those of you who like multi-phase routines with beginners who are attracted to the many magical moments, the instructional DVD includes effect, but uneasy about their capability to two other routines you can do with the transparent execute the method. marker. These are real time, real audience performances Mr. Jay's instructional DVD is excellent, complete with without playing cards by Matthew Youngs and Craig live demos and a tutoring session. He explains one of the Petty. Mr. Youngs' "Recaptivate" is a solid performance in easiest deck switches I have ever seen. If you can hold a which the marker cap vanishes and reappears in different deck of cards, you can successfully utilize this method. I places and then becomes transparent while held in the also really liked Andi Gladwin's advanced routine in which spectator's hand. The finale includes a slow extraction a deck in the spectator's hand transforms into individual of the marker from his hand as it becomes transparent. clear cards and then is put back into her hand where the Mr. Petty's razzle-dazzle, jazz version of Gregory Wilson's cards meld together into the solid Lucite "Omni Deck." "Recap," which uses the "Omni Pen" as the finale, is for This gives you two distinct magical moments after the card finger flingers. He adds lots of flip stick and cigarette revelation, (and you only have to do one switch!) vanish moves- some of which are less than deceptive­ If you like magic that gilds the lily, magic that delivers cli­ blended together with body English, as you flip and ditch max after climax, invest in "Phantom Deck." People remem­ the Sharpie until it becomes clear. It's fun to watch, but ber magic that is simple to describe and visually tantalizing. will take even experienced magicians at least a week of That is what "Phantom Deck" is all about. I recommend it to dedicated practice to master. any of you who want a memorable finish for a card routine. This is a well-made prop with an excellent hour long, Best of all, it's easy to make this fit your performing style DVD tutorial. I recommend it to experienced close-up 94 GENII Please send books, tricks, and videotapes for review to: Genii, 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 106-384, Washington, DC 20016. Include a prepaid padded envelope or shipping carton if you want the item to be returned. workers. I am not a proponent of the show-off sleight of Totally Crazy Bands hand that Youngs and Petty perform with the Sharpie, but Rasmus $30 if you are, or if you'd like to add some icing on the cake of 00<25: Rubber band magic compilation DVD for beginning and experienced hobbyists. Mediocre production quality. Excellent your existing presentation of "Omni Deck," I think you and description of an examinable linking band effect. your audience will enjoy the addition of the "Omni Pen" to your repertoire. THIS DVD IS A COMPILATION of existing magic tricks with Omni Pen • David Penn and Spencer Wood • $31 .SO • Favorite rubber bands. Rasmus, our Swiss host and teacher, teaches Dealer • Dealers should contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. beginner level tricks like "Jumping Band" (with a little touch to make it more deceptive), how to make a rubber Melting Point band appear to penetrate your finger or wrist, and "Rising Casshan Wallace $19.95 Ring (on Rubber Band)." For more expe­ 00<25: Slow motion rubber band penetration. Visually perplexing, rienced magi, he includes "Crazy Man's but really hard to learn from the confusing DVD instructions. Handcuffs," "Torn and Restored Band," THE YOUTHFUL CASSHAN WALLACE has created an "Band through Ring," and Dan Harlan's ungimmicked linking and unlinking rubber band routine "Crazy Twist Vanish." that completely befuddled me when I watched the trailer Of most interest to me was his "Perfect on his DVD. Watch it yourself. You, too, will be fooled badly. Linked Bands." This is an actual linking You stretch a red band between the first fingers of both of two bands selected from a pile of rub­ hands, and hold a blue band with your right second finger ber bands. The linked bands become an and thumb beneath it. Ever so slowly you lift the blue band examinable, impossible object. I believe until it touches the red band. Suddenly they're linked. Then Michael Weber was the first to create the you reverse the movement by dropping method for this effect, which was later the blue band. It again penetrates the popularized by Jay Sankey. On the DVD, you will learn red band and falls into the spectator's several, very easy, straightforward and convincing meth­ waiting palm. Both bands can be imme­ ods to permanently link two bands together and, more diately examined. importantly, how to make the gimmick in less than two Mr. Wallace makes it look effortless minutes, which I believe is heretofore unpublished. This is and magical. I struggled with his video a really puzzling effect and, in my opinion, worth the price instructions for more than an hour and of the DVD. could only get the trick to work, sort With the DVD, you get a bunch of bands of the style of, half the time. I cannot deduce why. and substance that Rasmus prefers. However, the home­ Admittedly, rubber band magic is not made production quality of this DVD makes this, at times, my cup of tea. However, the wording in an effort to watch. And I'm being kind. I recommend the DVD instructions is often confusing Rasmus's Totally Crazy Bands to those of you who can tol­ (for example: Put your middle fingers erate mediocre production in order to learn tricks, as well on top of each other) and make for a frustrating learning as those of you who want to learn his version of "Perfect experience. If you do buy this, watch the over the shoulder Linked Bands." instructions (which follows the audience view) first. Totally Crazy Bands • Rasmus • $30 • Your favorite dealer • I wonder if the DVD producers bothered to ask competent Dealers should contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. magi, "Can you learn the trick from the DVD instructions?" If they had, I think that nine out of 10 hobbyists would have Hide and Seek struggled with the instructions that are often vague. James Brown $30 Included as a bonus is Mr. Wallace's approach to Arthur 00<25: Very clever utility sleight based on a Pat Page move. Worth learning if you perform close up in a sport coat. No gimm icks. Setterington's "Crazy Man's Handcuffs" and a very easy Challenging and gutsy. to do, "Rubber Band through Finger" effect. If you're a fan of advanced rubber band magic, I can only hope WITH TH E KIND PERMISSION of the late Pat Page's family, that you'll be able to decipher the video instructions and James Brown, an Englishman who calls himself a profes­ perform "Melting Point." It works with just two bands and sional "opportunist," has expounded on a sleight of hand looks incredible.