Singapore Flyer

A sunset and night shoot @ our flyer

SunTec City

A night shoot with my shoot buddies @ Suntec

Jim's Magic Effects Review - Mikame Luc-Key

The effect advertised by dealers:

Luc-Key MKE 

Excellent Precision Made Mechanism Does All the Magic!
Make a bet that gives you very bad odds, only 20% chance you'll win!  Place a dollar bill into a wooden wallet, and a spectator locks it in with a padlock.  The dollar bill remains visible through 2 holes in the wallet at all times! Show 5 keys and explain that only 1 of these keys will open the lock. They can win the dollar bill if they open the lock.  Mix the keys up and have them freely selected by 4 different people.  Each person attempts to open the lock and all fail to win the bill!  Finally the performer open the lock with the final key that was not selected!

Very High Quality!  Bill Clearly Visible!  Bills or Checks!  5 Keys!  Perform for 4 or 1 Spectators!

Price: US$60 /  Available at: Most Good Magic Dealers /   Video Demo: 

Likes:
a) Very well made and good quality prop.
b) The trick packs small but plays big!

c) Allows for audience participation. In fact up to 4 Spectators.

d) The Gimmick lock is different from others. It is not the way you open up the locking using the key or you need to switch the keys like some other versions. In fact, you can pass the wooden wallet to the last spectator to open it up! That makes the effect strong.

Dislikes:
a) The lock and key should be made a bit larger. The small keys are not very visual and sometimes hard to handle.

Presentation experience:

a)      This is a simple but clever trick. But your presentation is very important.

b)     I make this a comedy routine. I have a lot of fun with the spectators while they are up one stage. I usually play with the spectators a while before introducing a “game” with some monetary rewards at the end if they are able to open up the lock.

For who:
a) Parlour or even stage magicians, Beginners too!

b) Those who do not like big props

c) Magicians who like to include some participation in their routine.

d) Mikame’s collectors or fan club members! Ha Ha!

Not for...
a)  Those who feel $60 is way too expensive for the trick. There are other cheaper versions out there.

Ratings…

Price:  2 out of 5

Usability: 2 out of 5

Quality: 4 out of 5

Overall rating, I will give it a 3 out of 5. Recommended !

Jim's Magic Effects Review - Mikame Sucker Block Box

The effect advertised by dealers:

Sucker Block Box, Wood MKE
Mikame Craft Products from Japan are Collectors Quality! This is one of Mikame's Supreme Collector Quality Effects! Begin by showing all 4 sides of the Block Box, then a solid yellow square block. Now put the solid block inside the empty Box, and close the top and front doors. The routine can go on and on! The Block is on the left! No on the right! You decide to help out the audience and open the doors.  This will be easy they think. Open just one door at a time for even more fun & jokes.  Upon opening all 4 doors, the Block has VANISHED! You can produce the vanished Block from a top hat or below the table. 

Extremely High Quality!  Supplied Complete! Fantastic Gimmick!

Price: US$155 / Available at: Most Good Magic Dealers / Video Demo: 

Likes:
a) Very well made and good quality prop. I love this!
b) The trick packs small but plays big! Suitable for both adults and kids. Very easy to do!

c) Allows for audience participation. Very visual and can be performed for a large audience.

d) You don’t have to switch the block like some other versions. Everything is self-contained.

Dislikes:
a) The “clicking” sound from the box is not loud enough when you tilt it to proof the block is sliding from one side to the other. But this is not a major concern.

Presentation experience:

a) This is one prop that I use most often. I like it very much. Personally, I think this is the best Block Box effect there is in the market! Nothing comes close.

b) I use it in all my training session. I use this trick to show my trainees that knowledge will disappear if we do not practise or use what we had learnt over time. This is usually done at the end of my class. The block signifies the “knowledge” they had acquired after the training session. The box is their “brain”. “Knowledge” goes into their “brain”. I will tell them that many of them will assume what they had learnt (knowledge) will remain in their “brain” for a long time. Is that so? I asked. I start to slide the box, opening a door at a time to proof that the “knowledge” is there but yet not there (this will usually bring in a lot of laughter).  And finally all doors are open and proof to them that the “knowledge” is really gone if they don’t use it! Very visual and they will remember the message!

c) Do be careful when you show the gimmick block to the audience. Especially when you take it out from the box. If you are not careful, the gimmick will be revealed. One more thing, try not to flash the side with the plastic sheet to the audience. They will wonder why that side is different from the rest. This is tricky if especially if you have light reflecting from it!

For who:
a) Parlour or even stage magicians. Beginners too!

b) Those who do not like big props

c) Magicians who like to include some participation in their routine.

d) Mikame’s fan club members! Ha Ha!

Not for...
a)  Those who feel $155 is way too expensive for the trick.

Ratings…

Price:  2 out of 5

Usability: 5 out of 5

Quality: 4 out of 5

Overall rating, I will give it a 5 out of 5. Highly Recommended!

Jim's Magic Effects Review - The Lemon Game

After much thought and research. I finally decided to get this!

Is it worth the investment, you may ask…..well, read on to find out more.

The effect Marketed by dealers:

Here’s ten minutes of solid audience-participation entertainment that fits in a briefcase!

A bill is borrowed from a member of the audience and signed across the face. Place it inside a small drawstring money bag, which the spectator holds in full view.  Now it’s time to play our game!! Bring out a stack of giant laminated ‘valuable gift cards’ worth over-a sports car, $10,000.00, a London vacation, plus others. The spectator randomly picks one of the cards, face down.  Ask him to open the bag with his money. He does. The money is gone!

Now ask him to turn over his prize card to see what he’s won-it's a picture of a lemon! I know what you’re thinking, ‘this trick sucks!’. Reach into your case and bring out a bag of lemons. The spectator freely selects one of the lemons. Slice open the lemon and inside is the spectator's $50 dollar bill with his signature across its face!

The Lemon Game comes directly from Doug professional act and comes complete with special briefcase to hold all the props, laminated giant prize cards, lemons, knife, drawstring bag, special gimmick, PLUS a video showing exactly how to perform the entire super routine!

Price: US$325 / Available at: Most good magic dealers / Video Demo: See my YouTube Video "live" performance

Likes:
a) Comes with a detailed instructional video with performance included. Very clear and easy to understand.

b) My kind of magic trick and routine. Very easy to do, very visual, presentation focused, audience participation with some element of comedy in the routine. You need real lemons of course, but preparation is easy to do. At the end of the routine, you can hand out the lemon for examination!

c) A logical way to introduce the lemon into the routine.

d) Everything you need is included in a nice black briefcase. You can easily add another 10 mins to your show.

Dislikes:
a) The price. Too expensive! The prop/items in the whole package do not worth that much. The briefcase is not of high quality. But I guess the price also include the idea and concept. Well, sometimes it is not the trick you pay for, but the creative idea.

b) Cannot be performed surrounded or too close to your audience. You must also watch your angles because some “dirty” biz is done behind the briefcase.

Presentation Tips:

a)      Tried out this trick at my club meeting recently. Magician’s who had never seen this performed before were really amazed especially when I hand the lemon to the audience for examination after the whole routine. All of them were puzzled and wonder how on earth did I managed to stuff the bill into the lemon. They have no idea because there isn’t a single clue on the lemon.

b)     This trick should only be performed on stage. If you want to perform it in a parlour setting, make sure that there is some distance between you and the audience. In other words, not too close!

For who:
a) Those magicians who’s looking for something easy, visual, audience participation and some comedy in your show.

b) Stage Magicians who have $325 to spare!

Not for...
a) Close-up Magicians and Beginners.

b) Those who feel $325 is way too expensive to make a bill appear in a lemon!

Ratings…

Price: 1 out of 5

Usability: : 4 out of 5

Quality: 2 out of 5

Overall rating, I will give it a  3 out of 5

(I decided to give it a 3 out of 5 mainly because of the price of the whole package, if it is cheaper, I will easily give it a 4 or 5!)

I think I will include the lemon game in my shows once I am confident in performing it well.

Yes, although it is rather easy to do, practise is very important. Once you are confident in the method, you can focus on your presentation, which I personally think is the most important thing in any routine!

Well, do you need this? You’ll be your own judge of course!

Check out my Lemon Game Performance.

Jim's Magic Effects Review - Bicycle Built for Five

This is my favourite pack card tricks!

The effect:

Imagine this (and this is as good as it looks), five bike-riding jokers are displayed, backs and fronts. (These are the standard jokers from a pack of bicycle playing cards). One joker - the leader- is put aside face-down. One by one, the remaining jokers turn over. When the faces of the cards are displayed, they are seen to bear only abandoned bicycles. Where are the missing jokers? They are found on the face of the leader card, where they've joined together in an acrobatic cycling demonstration! Complete with full instructions and specially printed cards, including an extra gag card for a different climax. Check out these great cards.

Price: US$20          
Available at: Most good magic dealers.   
Video Demo: Yes, check out JBTV

Likes:
a) Very funny and surprise ending
b) I like the funny printed cards
c) An option of two different ending for you to choose

d) Easy handling. (at least for me)

Dislikes:
a) Card quality is not too good. They are not printed on standard bicycle quality cards. So the cards may not last long. I have 3 sets at home!

b) You need to know the elmsley count to perform this trick. This is a sleight-of-hand manuever that can be done ambidextrously. It is not as hard as a 'parallel pull', but it takes much more grace and skill than a Hindu Shuffle, if that puts this sleights difficulty into perspective.

Presentation experience:

a) Always perform this trick in my table hopping and close-up projects, trust me, it really screw up their minds

b) Your presentation is very important (like all magic).

For who:
a) Cardgicians

b) Close-up magicians

c) Table-Hoppers

d) Magicians who like good packet tricks

Not for...
a) Stage magicians
b) Magicians who do not like Cards

c) Beginners of card magic

Overall rating, I will give it a 5 out of 5. Highly recommended!

Until my next review...Chow!

Jim's Magic Effects Review - Ted Amberg's Toss Point Blank

Got this package about 6 months ago....Here I go

EFFECT:
A gentleman is chosen out of the audience to participate in a card trick. A jumbo deck of cards is introduced and a card is chosen. The deck is wrapped up in a "Magic Silk Handkerchief" (toilet paper) and the magician prepares to toss a huge (and we mean huge) menacing blade at the spectator from twenty feet. Unwilling to cooperate, the roles are reversed, and the blade is now aimed at the performer (also unwilling to cooperate). After a few more funny twists and gags, the card is indeed found using the huge blade!

This gem of a comedy magic routine has been a keystone of Ted Amberg's stand-up act for years and is a definite reputation builder.

Includes Everything Required - Jumbo Gimmicked Deck, Huge Blade and Instructions

Price: S$60

Pros:
a) A good comedy routine ideal for both stage or parlour (Adult shows).
b) Audience participation required.
c) Packs flat but plays big kind of trick.
d) A very detail Instructions.
e) The Gimmick Jumbo Deck (used by DC) and the big knife are really value for money.

Cons:
a) The ending is weak. I am still trying to improve the ending.
b) Using really knife can be rather dangerous. If you are not clear in your instructions you may turn a comedy routine into something bloody.
c) Not for beginners.

Verdict:
I like this very much. I am trying to improve the ending to make the whole routine better. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

I will give it a 3 out of 5.