Harvey Nerzof’s Magic Reviews by Harvey Nerzof - HTML preview

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Average

Some of you may still find some value in these items: I generally place here magic and mental items that do not deliver as promised, or simply stuff that is not for me.

HN Magic Review 113: Ultimate Float Controller (UFC) - Stefan Schutzer

 

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Sweden's magic brainchild, Stefan Schutzer, was the first inventor to produce a fully electronic, body-operating float controller. Five years was spent on developing this device and it is simply the best! With the smallest body movement, the Ultimate Float Controller can be switched on or off. This is the most innovative and versatile floating device on the market!

The U.F.C. 3D system includes: 2 Ultimate Float Controllers, Instructional Video, Magician's Wax, Thread and Written Instructions with Many Tips, Ideas and Routines.

"I strongly recommend U.F.C.! It looks excellent and is very well made."
-Norm Nielsen
"U.F.C. is one of the best thread gimmicks I've ever seen. The workmanship is first class and the design is ingenious."
-David Williamson

REVIEW:

 

This is the granddaddy of electronic Invisible Thread Reels. It is bodyactivated, which means it is extremely difficult to control. Michael Ammar, despite his friendship with the Self Folding Bill inventor, did not showcase this item in his “Easy to Master Invisible Thread Miracles” videos because he couldn’t manage to attain the necessary level of proficiency.

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Still, you have to appreciate the idea and the workmanship that has gone into it. As usual, our Japanese buddies have copied the idea and partially improved it with the ESR (Electronic Slow-motion Reel), which allows you to remain motionless.

OVERALL RATING: average

 

H.

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HN Magic Review 111: Bent Cent - Ray Koenig

 

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At anytime, when asked to perform, the magician reaches into his pocket and removes a handful of coins. Selecting a penny, the magician begins to press on it with his finger. Mysteriously, the coin seems have sunken in its center, having melted or bent. But this is just a start. Displaying the coin at his fingertips the coin definitely bends and is seen to take on an almost bowl-like shape! Immediately, the coin may now be examined.

• No Sleight of Hand Needed

 

• No Switching of Coins

 

Comes Complete with Four Gaffs and Detailed Instructions

 

REVIEW:

 

The effect is well devised, impromptu (having the prepared coin of course), and gets good reactions: however, I strongly suggest you don’ t purchase as it was already described in details (with permission) in Kenton Knepper’s An Enchanted Evening (see relevant review). Kenton’s manuscript includes a detailed description of the coin preparation, along with other effects; you could then prepare your own coins since it works with any currency.

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Of course if you’re too lazy to prepare the coins yourself (hey, that’s me!), then The Bent Cent is the way to go.

 

OVERALL RATING: ok

 

H.

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HN Magic Review 102: Encyclopedia of Paper Money Magic – Mike Bornstein

 

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Creative and Commercial, Five Books In One! Over 200 pages, perfect bound. Contents include:

The Floating Dollar Bill
The Convincing Torn and Restored Dollar Bill
Instant Disappearing and Appearing Dollar Bill
Cut and Restored Bill
Torn and Restored Bill
Cards to Dollar Bills
Clip Joint
The Hydrostatic Dollar Bill
Improved Floating Dollar Bill
The Photo-static Dollar Bill
Stretching a Dollar Bill
Stand Up Bill
Simplex Money Maker
The Elusive President
X-Static Dollar Bill

Double Match-it
Polaroid Card Trick
Perfect Prediction
Triple Mini Miracle
Instant Money
Single Card to Bill

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Impromptu Standing on Edge
Elastic Penetro
Enlarged Invisible Hole
Triangle Angle
Improved Clip Joint
Mike Bornstein's Improved $1 and $5 Bill Trick Instant Money Number Two
1 Plus 1 = 4 Bill Tick
"Frisbee" Dollar Bill Trick
Match and Rematch
Lucky Buck
Lucky Buck Number 2
Comedy Card in Wallet
Diminishing Dollar Bills
New Improved Comedy Bill In Snake
The Spirit of '76
Polaroid Money Outdone
Simplex Bill Penetration
Deluxe Double Matchit
How Sweet It Is
Comedy Floating Dollar Bill
Mike Bornstein's Money Mania
Mike Bornstein's New "Asrah" Floating Bill" Ultra Coin Penetration
Deluxe Triple Match-it
Ultra Bill Suspension

There are lots of great ideas in these volumes! Highly Recommended.

 

REVIEW:

This out-of-print book contains 5 manuscripts previously released by the author: Money Magic, More Money Magic, Latest Money Magic, New Commercial Money Magic, and Eye Popper Money Magic. Several effects have also been sold separately, with custom-made gaffs (for

example the Rising Dollar Bill and the Ultra Bill Suspension – see relevant reviews).

Certainly if you have a strong interest in money magic and want to purchase something from Mr. Bornstein, this is definitely the item to get: it includes all his works on the topic, at a reasonable price. On the other hand, a number of his tricks are outdated or simply childish, so

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you may want to check Michael Ammar’s “Easy to Master Money Miracles” video trilogy first.

 

OVERALL RATING: acceptable

 

HN

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HN Magic Review 101: Rising Dollar Bill – Mike Borstein

 

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Mike Borstein's Rising Dollar Bill is so close to genuine magic -- it's scary! Show two dollar bills. One is placed across the open palm of your right hand. Slowly and eerily, the bill rises off of your hand, higher and higher, until it is several inches above your hand. To prove that there's nothing between your hand and the bill, you pass the second dollar under the floating bill! It looks GREAT! As slowly as the bill rose, it descends back into your hand. There are no strings or threads -- the bill simply appears to float!

REVIEW:

 

For 2.50$, you can hardly go wrong/right…

The effect is also described in Mike Bornstein’s “Money Magic” and in his complete collection “Encyclopedia of Paper Money Magic” (see relevant review), but this one comes with the proper custom-made gimmick.

One of the 2 bills is obviously not examinable, and the angles are quite restrictive (spectators can only view it from above). A simple quickie to be performed with your own bill(s).

OVERALL RATING: average

 

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HN

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HN Magic Review 96: Bottle through Table – Norm Nielsen / Tony Clark

 

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Just imagine wrapping a piece of paper around any size brown, green or clear bottle and magically penetrate it through a solid table! The audience actually sees the top of the bottle sticking out of the paper as it is going through the table. You will receive 3 quality gimmicks manufactured by Norm Nielsen Magic with instructions by Johnny Thompson as well as Tony Clark's instructions which allow you to perform it standing up! Anytime, anywhere! A very powerful effect.

REVIEW:

A note of warning: make sure that the version you purchase includes the video! They are often sold separately (Norm Nielsen manufactured the gimmicks, while Tony Clark produced the video a few years later).

The gimmicks are exactly what you think they are, and come in 3 different colors (for water, wine and beer bottles). The video is very short but provides a clean misdirection, along the Slydini’s line of thought.

In real-life performances, a jacket would be advisable to obtain/get rid of the gimmick.

 

OVERALL RATING: acceptable

 

HN

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HN Magic Review 95: Mentalism Lecture Notes – Ian Rowland

 

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The Mentalism lecture notes are professionally printed and bound to a high standard, covering 5 complete routines from my professional repertoire as well as a complete explanation of what I call 'Preludes' cards. I've taken a lot of time and trouble over these notes to make sure they are worth buying and good value. They are well written and illustrated, the detail is comprehensive, and the material is all practical, tried-and-tested stuff you really can use.

In detail:

Light Metal : this is the best, cleanest, most baffling and funniest 'test conditions' demonstration of metal-bending you will ever present. A member of the audience checks your hands and the spoons right at the start (no extra spoons are added later!), and also checks every aspect of this amazing 'psychic' feat as it unfolds. Yet a freely selected solid steel spoon is seen to slowly, visibly and openly warp, bend and even break while held gently at the fingertips.
It is beautiful, it is baffling and it is also huge fun. This is just about my most-prized routine, and it is a sure-fire applause getter. I know you see that a lot in magic ads, but in this case it's true. I have never known an audience not to break into spontaneous applause at the climax of this routine, and when you see how carefully it is structured you will see why. Not hard to do, but calls for some presentational flair and confidence. (I perform this item on my 'Mind Power' lecture show video
- see the non-magi Items To Buy page).

Thought Flash: a target is randomly thought of, and you cause an image of that target to appear on a previously blank piece of photographic film. This is the easiest and most practical of all 'mental photography' routines: you don't need a camera of any kind, it is totally future proof

(do it no matter what they invent next), there are no consumables apart from a small piece of flash paper, and you can carry it around with you anywhere. The target can be anything you want: famous person, famous place, sports star, a selected brand or product... whatever.
No gimmicks in the hand, no chemicals, no timing, no double-exposures. It is a fun, thoroughly baffling routine using simple and familiar principles to devastating effect and it does get audible gasps. It really

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does! Perform it stage or close-up as you wish. Easy enough to do, no sleights, works every time. (I perform this item on my 'Mind Power' lecture show video)

The Subliminal Prediction: I'm genuinely proud of this. How can you put a writtten prediction on full and open display, right in front of the audience's eyes, such that not one person in the room will see it until you want them to? That's the intriguing premise behind the Subliminal Prediction, and you will love it! I suspect you will want to present this routine right away, just for the joy of that killer finish when you show that your prediction was right there, unconcealed and on open view the whole time - and yet no-one in the audience saw it!
The routine itself is essentially a straightforward prediction effect. Given 16 choices on open display, a spectator makes a series of simple selections so that 16 become 8 become 4, 2 and finally 1, which he is amazed to find matches your prediction. Strong features of this routine are that there is only one prediction (no multiple outs) and it is set in stone right from the start. The spectator's choices are all genuinely free, and there is definitely no equivocation or magician's choice at any point. You keep what he tells you to keep, you discard what he tells you to discard. Yet it still comes out right! Works every time, not hard to do. Close-up or stage. (I perform this item on my 'Mind Power' lecture show video)

Elephant From Matchbox: a silly name for a beautiful principle which lends itself to any number of different routines and presentations. You invite the spectator to mentally play any game which has a 50:50 outcome, such as tossing a coin. You write down your prediction using a bold marker pen on a writing pad. He tells you whether he's visualising heads or tails, and you instantly show that you predicted (or read his mind) correctly. Imagine being able to do this five times in a row and you can be 100% correct every time! (You can in fact be as wrong or as right as you want to be.)
This beautifully deceptive principle works with any 50:50 choice. Spectator mentally picks a card - red or black? Mentally plays roulette:

odd or even? Mentally picks a famous person: male or female? And so on. He does it all in his head - no forces. You write your prediction first, you are always as right or as wrong as you want to be, and it is sure-fire. No nailwriters or band-writers or last-minute writing-in. No delay or awkward pauses, because there is nothing to fix or write-in. You show your written prediction immediately each time!

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The No Method Drawing Duplication: exactly what it says! You will keep this wonderful approach to the Drawing Duplication effect in reserve for those times when your standard methods and the usual 'impromptu' methods are either unavailable or can't be used. The spectator makes a simple drawing, you tune in to his thoughts and attempt to draw the same thing. You can do this under test conditions exactly as if you could do it for real, because there is essentially no 'method' or 'trickery' for anyone to find! No billets, switches, peeks or glimpses; no impressions or forces; none of the usual tools of the trade. Is it sure-fire? No, but it is sure-fire enough! I started using this approach just as an emergency parachute, but now it's actually my main method which I use almost to the exclusion of all others. You will get a creditable result 90% of the time, and if you want to rack that up to nearer 100% then I describe some simple additional ideas which enable you to do just that. Once you have learned this and have it in your head, you are ready to present it anywhere, any time.

Preludes: Preludes are a mentalist's best friend! Preludes are not a trick or a routine, but my favourite way to 'warm up' an informal or close-up audience using a few picture cards you can easily carry with you at all times. Call them mood-setters, ice-breakers, or just a great way to get yourself noticed and talked-about - you will soon learn never to leave home without them! Easy to make, and yet oh-so-useful to have with you when you want to make an impression as a man of mental talents and mystery

REVIEW:

Poorly produced booklet, especially when compared to Rowland’s previous releases. Probably the title should have been “Mental Magic Lecture Notes”.

The contents however are interesting: the spoon bending comedy routine is described in full details and is certainly a winner in stage/parlor settings. The other effects are based on standard methods with fresh presentational twists – for example the NLP/motivational approach taken on some well-known visual illusions (Prelude cards), or the Banachek’s Universal Drawing add-ons (NMDD).

I unfortunately cannot ignore the recent exposure concerns (please refer to your favorite discussion forum for further details) and need to point out that the booklet lends itself pretty well for photocopying purposes.

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OVERALL RATING: average

 

HN

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HN Magic Review 76: Flickers – T. Everett Bookings III

 

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JUST IMAGINE
A Dark Room, A Flickering Candle
And Then Suddenly
People SEE A Ghost!
Oh yes, some other spooky stuff happens too!
All you need is a candle and FLICKERS.
This really works and you don't need an assistant to actually make people believe that they've encountered a Ghost. I've actually had some real macho types come unglued with this. They swear "something" was standing/floating there because they SAW it!
Honest, its just you, the candle and your audience

REVIEW:

Abundantly overpriced, as all other Lary Kuehn’s products. You get a couple of pages describing the procedures for gimmicking a candle (but I’ve read something similar in Magick several years ago), and an original tidbit to visualize the “ghost” (a kind of white shadow in the dark… couldn’t explain it worse, uh?).

Could find its place in seances or related ghost shows.

 

OVERALL RATING: average

 

HN

 

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HN Magic Review 67: Expert Impromptu Magic Made Easy vol. 1– Tom Mullica

 

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Here is the first of a three-volume video by Tom Mullica, the king of impromptu magic. 90 minutes of performance and teaching of magic done with almost any object. Contents include Perpetual Balls, Cookie Mystery, Waters of India, Stretching Hank, Ring Rope & Pin, Bouncing Fruit, Spirit Hand, Ashes thru Hand, Fox Napkin Vanish, Calendar Caper, Wrigley Feel, Sweet Prediction, Broken & Restored Match, Book Test, Pencil thru Bill, Ultra Sensory Perception, One Handed Knot, Tying a Knot Without Letting Go of Ends, and Silk Thru Arm.

REVIEW:

I bought the first volume only. Not that this tape is particularly bad: the performances and explanations are funny, but you need a geeky personality to pull off Tom’s gags…

Concerning the effects, most of them are very lightweight (or simply silly – check out the effects “Calendar Caper” or “Wrigley Feel” to see what I mean!), and therefore suitable for beginners only.

OVERALL RATING: acceptable

 

HN

 

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HN Magic Review 59: Perfect Pen – John Cornelius

 

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Who would have thought the John Cornelius' original Pen Through Anything could possibly be improved on? Well, leave it to magical genius John Cornelius to take his own invention to the next level!

Effect: A $20 bill is borrowed from a member of the audience. The magician hands them a pen to sign their bill and examine if desired. The magician retrieves the pen and bill, and without any funny moves whatsoever, proceeds to pierce the bill with the pen. The audience can clearly see the pen has penetrated the bill. He proceeds to visibly and audibly rip the pen through the bill, yet when it's handed back to the spectator, the bill is unharmed! The pen and the bill may then be handed out immediately for complete examination!

o Pen is completely examinable o Nothing added or taken away o Pen may be written with and refilled

REVIEW:

The pen is self-contained (no need for a switch as in the previous version) and well gimmicked, but will NOT sustain a thorough examination: this is really a problem for me… I continue to prefer the old Wonder Penetration (see relevant review).

Besides, this principle is so common nowadays that I feel a bit uncomfortable in performing it: the moves suggested by Cornelius in the instructions somewhat hide the principle (against the “too-perfect” theory) but weaken the effect.

OVERALL RATING: average

 

HN

 

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HN Magic Review 58: Perfect Hold out (gimmick+video)– Antonio Romero

 

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After several years as one of Antonio Romero's most closely guarded secrets, The Perfect Holdout system is now available to you! Mr. Romero has pushed this classic stunt into a whole new dimension that makes it a diabolical tool for effects of all kinds, whether you perform on stage or close-up. The instructional video included with the holdout contains a detailed description of the device, its handling and many possible applications, including:

• Super Knives A new color-changing knife routine with double and triple changes, productions, knife stretching and more, ending with immediately handing the knives out for examination
• Incredible Card to Wallet The most surprising version of this classic effect in years, Antonio's version has fooled many wellinformed magicians
• Multiple Vanish Cleanly vanish four coins together in a flash

Comes with the very special device and instructional video.

 

REVIEW:

The initial setup is truly a huge pain. The poorly produced video does not help too much, and the dubbing of Rafael Banatar is often disturbing.

However, the gimmick works: you were promised a “small movements / large movements” pulley system, and this is what you get. No locking mechanism unfortunately, you will have to set it up before performance.

OVERALL RATING: average

 

HN

 

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HN Magic Review 57: Final Book Test – Elian Agaian

 

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Riffle through any unprepared magazine or a regular soft bound book that was just given to you by a spectator. Ask him to call Stop whenever he wishes. Let him see and remember the first or last word on the desired page and you are now able to tell him the word he is thinking of, immediately!

* Use a Borrowed Book
* No Suspicious Moves
* Show Your Hands Empty
* Clever and Small Gimmick, the Audience Will Never Notice its Existence
* No Preparations - Do It Anywhere, Anytime, Impromptu

REVIEW:

At first I thought this was one of my worst purchases in magic – the effect can easily be achieved with the same riffle method and without any gimmick (see recent examples in Peek Performances): I doubt that any layman would ever notice the difference.

However, the “snap shut” sound and the hands-off moment can make a difference when performing for magicians or well-informed spectators.

 

OVERALL RATING: acceptable

 

HN

 

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HN Magic Review 56: Exploding light bulb – Yigal Mesika

 

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The performer holds a completely normal, clear light bulb between his fingers, and suddenly the lightbulb EXPLODES AND SHATTERS into little pieces! The audience can examine the bulb both before and after the effect. Can be performed anywhere, any time. There is no movement in the performer's hands or fingers, can be done with any light bulb! Precision machined gimmick makes this easy to do. This is a strong affect your audience will remember for a long long time!

REVIEW:

 

Sure they “will remember it for a long long time”, especially if you leave the shattered pieces all over the place.

Anyway, the gimmick works 100%, but you need to know how to obtain it and ditch it secretly. It is more suitable for parlor or stage though, because of its dimension, the restrictive angles and other inherent factors.

OVERALL RATING: acceptable (be careful if performing close up!!)

 

HN

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HN Magic Review 48: Healed and Sealed – Anders Moden

 

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The performer shows the audience an empty, crushed can of soda. Magically, the can starts to unfold and all the dents pops out until the sides are perfectly straight again (see the photos above). Then, with just a touch, the opening seals up. The can is no