FIVE - The First Review

Aug 31, 2007
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FIVE Review by Zachmonky.

Hello all! In honor of the release of FIVE tonight, I decided to write a review for you guys considering buying it.
Now I am sure some of you are thinking, "How could I consider a review for a product which just released?". The answer that that question is that JB sent the DVD to various staff and friends for their views and consultation before sending to the duplicators.
I have had this DVD for a few weeks, and am excited to share with you my views on it. It is quite a nice little gold mine ;)

This review may not be 100 percent thorough, as I will not be going through the menus, case, box design, etc. The reason being? I watched the 2nd draft of FIVE, and I am sure there have been some changes to that sort of stuff since. However, the tricks are the same- and that is what I will be going over. I have performed all the effects excluding the lone card trick.

Stairway-

Effect:

This is an incredible version of a Dan Harlan trick. As you can see from the video, 2 bands are hooked on the fingers, and a bill is placed and secured onto the bottom band. Slowly it rises up the strands, one at a time. At the very top, it visual descends back to the bottom. Great effect.

What I think:

This trick is definitely a keeper, for me anyway. If you already have rubber bands on your wrist for crazy mans handcuffs, you will love performing this. All you need is a borrowed bill and a paperclip. I keep the clips in my wallet, but if you'd rather not, you can simply have someone hold onto the end of the bill, which(depending on your view) could be much stronger. I have also found this effect works great using a pen instead of a bill, hooking it on with the cap clip(is there a word for that thing?). That way you do not have to borrow a bill, which some people might be reluctant to give. Plus, rubber bands and pens are some very common objects in school and the workplace. Very practical.

Difficulty:

Very easy. Once you know the method, it is easy to understand, and should be no problem to perform. The teaching is also very easy to understand. Also pretty angle proof.

Overall:

Very fun, easy effect. Practical, and magical. I performed this multiple times at the Market Jam, and the Magic Castle junior meeting, and it fooled almost every magician. The reactions are great, and it is a great lead in or closer to crazy mans handcuffs. I did a workshop at the castle with this trick, and had a card selected and lost in the deck. I then took a random card, and folded it in half lengthwise. I then did stairway with said card, and after the effect, the card changed to the selection. As you can see, there are endless possibilities. Alright maybe not endless, but lots. 9/10

Raw Linkage:

Effect:

The bands link. And link. And unlink, and unlink. Words don't do this justice. The effect is the BEST band linking effect i've seen. Remember how insane Slink looked? This is like that, but on steroids. And a bit harder to grasp.

What I think:

I used to do slink as a follow-up to crazy mans handcuffs. The visual phases are great, but the angles are bad. And it's a bit hard to see. Now, slink has been replaced by Raw Linkage. This effect is just as visual, if not more so, and is almost entirely angleproof. The set up is a bit hard to learn at first, but once you grasp it, it is very easy to do. I LOVE this trick, and have done it quite a bit lately, reactions are great, and it has fooled a bunch of magicians i've performed it for. Again completely impromptu!

Difficulty:

Pretty easy once you know the setup. Again the set-up is a bit confusing at first and took me 30 minutes or so to get a firm grasp on it, had to re watch a few times. Once you know the setup, it's a breeze.

Overall:

I love this trick. This and Stairway are my favorite effects on this DVD. Makes me want more Marcus Eddie ;). Again, angle proof, relatively easy, looks great and is much more open than slink. 9/10

Fresh Scent

Effect:

Coin in Tic Tac box. Coin won't come out. Legitsauce.

What I think:

Really great effect. Not gonna dive into this one that much as there isn't much for me to say, I have only performed this once, and it got a good reaction. The effect itself is pretty good, the method is great. You end totally clean, no palming. You will love the method. Pretty practical, but as far as giving out the box with the trapped coin, you can do it, but tic tacs ain't cheap. Just my opinion though. Angles are a little iffy, but I like it.

Difficulty: Mucho easy. 1 time setup, 1 move. Pretty easy, though you have to watch your angles.

Overall:

I like this effect. Doesn't strike my interest as much as the band effects, but other people might like more than me. 5/10

Mint Condition

Effect:

You predict the number and/or color of the tic-tacs dumped into the spectators hand.

What I think:

The effect is pretty straightforward. They dump out mints, you predict how many, or if it is the type of tic tacs with 2 colors per box, you predict something like "2 orange, and 3 whites". The effect didn't strike my interest too much, however the method made me love it. The method is so clever, I almost pooped myself. The set-up takes a few minutes to make, but it's a one time thing. And it is so fun to perform, I giggle inside because of the brilliant method that is fooling people. There is also a bonus trick by Garcia which you dump out some white mints in your hand, pick on out, put it in your mouth, it changes colors, and the rest of the mints in your hand change colors. Same method, but I like the idea, and the change in the mouth is cool.

Difficulty: Self working. Though you may need some audience management skills.

Overall:

Love this trick. I love the method more than the effect though. You may get some people figuring it out if you do not use your words correctly. This is all explained in detail on the DVD. 7/10

Daleys Revenge:

Effect:

A bit hard to explain. You show the 4 tens. The reds are place into the center of the deck. You flip the blacks face up, rub them together, and they turn red. Take the reds, shake them and they turn right back to black. Cut the deck, and the two reds reappear. A bit like inTENcity, but different.

What I think:

I like this effect. The type of thing I would perform spur of the moment, if someone asked to see a trick. Very quick, visual phases, and very magical. Easy to do, and pretty much angle proof, with the exception of one move. I think a lot of you will dig it.

Difficulty: Easy.

Overall:

Very cool. Not overly original like some of the other effects, but i like it. 7/10


Well thats about it. I really like this DVD, and think a lot of you will enjoy it. The teaching is great, the effects rock, the bloopers are funny as hell, and the mini lectures in between the effects are nice. Over all- 8/10, I don't think anyone will be disappointed by this. A little something for everyone.

Thanks,

~Zach
 
May 3, 2008
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How would you say the difficulty of these effects compare to those on Symphony? Specifically speaking of Jacob's Ladder and Stairway.
 
Aug 31, 2007
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Jacob's Ladder and Stairway are completely different in the method. I would say Stairway is a bit more difficult as with Jacob's Ladder, there is misdirection needed.
 
Jan 15, 2010
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Nice review there! are all the tricks impromptu or are gimmicks needed? :)

I totally dig fresh scent and raw linkage!
 
Nov 8, 2007
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I love linking band effects, and if Raw Linkage really is the best impromptu linking band effect out there, I'd buy the DVD just for that one effect.

But I can't see enough of the damn effect in the preview video to tell if it's worth the investment!

I really like the stylized trailers T11 releases, and I think they do the very best job at making their trailers exciting and top notch in quality, but sometimes I wish I could just see the damn effect. I'd much rather see Marcus Eddie do the thing right then have to wait for some kid on YouTube to fumble through it (and then have to imagine what it would like if performed correctly) and then have to base my buying decision on that.
 
I love linking band effects, and if Raw Linkage really is the best impromptu linking band effect out there, I'd buy the DVD just for that one effect.

But I can't see enough of the damn effect in the preview video to tell if it's worth the investment!

Matt, personally I did not find Raw Linkage to be "the best impromptu linking band effect" by far. While it is very visual, it just doesn't look fair in my opinion. Plus, I think it would be near impossible to register without differently colored bands, which to me is a bit impractical if you are doing a small rubber band routine. Having to switch between bands for a link and, say, the Crazy Man's Handcuffs is fishy in my opinion. No doubt that it is a good effect, but the best linking band out there it is not.

C
 
Nov 8, 2007
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Matt, personally I did not find Raw Linkage to be "the best impromptu linking band effect" by far. While it is very visual, it just doesn't look fair in my opinion. Plus, I think it would be near impossible to register without differently colored bands, which to me is a bit impractical if you are doing a small rubber band routine. Having to switch between bands for a link and, say, the Crazy Man's Handcuffs is fishy in my opinion. No doubt that it is a good effect, but the best linking band out there it is not.

C

Thanks so much for the reply, Cliff. Much appreciated.
 
Aug 31, 2007
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I would strongly disagree with Cliff. Having practiced, perfected, and performed this in the real world, it is IMO the best linking band out there. If you enjoy Slink, but hated the angle problems, you will love Raw Linkage. I would also disagree with that statement of which the bands must differ in color. It may help the effect, a bit, but the routine looks great on it's own with 2 tan bands. Cliff, I think if you performed this for real people, you may change your mind. This effect, and Stairway are worth the DVD price, IMHO.
 
Nov 8, 2007
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I would strongly disagree with Cliff. Having practiced, perfected, and performed this in the real world, it is IMO the best linking band out there. If you enjoy Slink, but hated the angle problems, you will love Raw Linkage. I would also disagree with that statement of which the bands must differ in color. It may help the effect, a bit, but the routine looks great on it's own with 2 tan bands. Cliff, I think if you performed this for real people, you may change your mind. This effect, and Stairway are worth the DVD price, IMHO.

Right now I perform Slink and I really like it. The angles aren't too bad to work with, but I'm always looking to better my magic. If Raw Linkage is indeed better I would buy it. But since I've never actually seen what the routine looks like it's hard to lay down $30 for it. Especially since I'm getting split opinions. If it is what you say it is, it would be worth it for me. But if it's not I don't want to drop the $30. I wish T11 would just show the damn effect!
 
Dec 14, 2007
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Matt, personally I did not find Raw Linkage to be "the best impromptu linking band effect" by far. While it is very visual, it just doesn't look fair in my opinion. Plus, I think it would be near impossible to register without differently colored bands, which to me is a bit impractical if you are doing a small rubber band routine. Having to switch between bands for a link and, say, the Crazy Man's Handcuffs is fishy in my opinion. No doubt that it is a good effect, but the best linking band out there it is not.

C

Having seen Marcus develop this over the years, I can attest that the effect does register with same color rubber bands.

Further, I suggest trying crazy man's handcuffs WITH different color rubberbands. It actually makes for a better illusion!

Brad
 
Apr 27, 2009
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hey guys, i recieved the download yesterday, and enjoyed watching the dvd. it is, like usual on t11, very well made, but i have to say all the effects which are told on the dvd are okay, and ideal if you want to show some something while you have a box with tic-tacs with you, or while you finished the crazy-manns-handcuffs, but in my opinion there are no burnereffects on this dvd.
the rubberband routine is great for an impromptu version, so just have to say, in my opinion the lrb routine is the best on this dvd. stairway is also good for people whoi liked jacobs ladder. (if you liked jacobs ladder, you will love stairway! i promise!;))
but there is a very well and funny and great..and, yeah, just a typical "garcia-teaching" on the dvd.
so 30 bucks are okay and worth for the dvd!
just my two cents,
greatings, heini;)
 
Having seen Marcus develop this over the years, I can attest that the effect does register with same color rubber bands.

Further, I suggest trying crazy man's handcuffs WITH different color rubberbands. It actually makes for a better illusion!

Brad

Brad, to me part of the strength of the CMH is that the identically colored bands help to create a strong illusion of a visual penetration, something I really do not see as possible with two different colored bands.

Again, I think that this is a great linking band routine, I was addressing the question of it being the "best linking band routine ever created" which I really don't believe it is, honestly. However, yes, it is a very visual penetration, and certainly a beautiful routine, and one I am most certainly working on and might add to my repertoire. I did underestimate how good the effect looks with two similarly colored bands.

I think that Danny Garcia's linking band from the Project's would have to be one of the best linking band routines in my opinion. Two normal bands link in mid air, nothing is hidden, and there is no rubber manipulation going on. The downside being that there is a setup and some restrictions depending on environment. But for the effect, just wow. I suppose it is somewhat method vs. effect here. The effect of Danny's routine is so clean and so beautiful, but the methodology is somewhat restrictive. Marcus' routine has a far more practical method, but certainly doesn't look as clean. Just depends on your situation and opinion, really.

And Zach, I would challenge your statement that you "perfected" this routine in the short time that you have known it. I understand that you received the DVD prior to it's public release, but many great magicians have practiced and performed routines for several years while still not considering them perfected.



C
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dec 14, 2007
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Cliff,

First, I have no opinion on what rubber band routine is the 'best ever.' That is far too subjective of a critereon to have any real meaning to me. Personally I have a favorite that is open, visual and has some displays that can only happen if the bands were linked 'for real.'. They're not, but they sure look it. Also, the get in and get outs are invisible, which is simply not true for most rubber band routines of this ilk. It's written up in a book so I won't even bother to mention it here. ;)

Second, the notion of 'perfection' is also one I take issue with. I've been doing some of my pieces for almost 20 years now and I still find places and moments to improve them.

I would encourage you however to try cmh with different colored bands. It actually enhances the illusion. In fact, I believe this is how copperfield handled the trick when he performed it on the great wall special.

The opening display establishes one band behind another. After the move, the audience still assuming the bands position will 'see' one band behind the other even though the condition has changed. I guess its similar to those experiments where two people are talking and workers with a sign move between them only to switch one of the speakers. People fail to notice that the person they are talking to is now different, even when they are switched for someone of a different gender or race

If such a dramatic switch can go unnoticed, imagine how easy it is for people to now see which bands are actually in front of each other. Plus, its hard to tell with bands in the first place.

I used to do cmh a lot. In fact, I used to work with Ammar on a regular basic - from house sitting to being lead writer and consultant/researcher on several of his video projects. Cmh can be done with different colored bands with no detriment to the illusion (assuming competance with the switch - but that holds true for same color performances.)

It's counter intuitive, I know. But trust me on this one and give it a few tries. You might be glad you did.
 
Brad,

I very much agree on there not truly being a "best ever". While there may be routines that are certainly among the best, either in visuals or method, there is no one absolute best, that is a personal and subjective matter. I wasn't going to delve into that discussion earlier as I tend to get far to wordy on such a subject, but thank you for bringing it up.

I will play with the multicolored bands a bit more. I did try it and wasn't impressed, myself, but clearly it'd take a spectator trial run to actually test the effect. It must be a true mental and optical illusion, as you said, that allows it work that way. Quite interesting. I had never heard of that idea, though I absolutely adore crazy man's and have been doing it for some time now. Gotta love magic, always so much to learn.


C
 
Sep 2, 2007
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somebody can tell me the best dimension of elastics for this effects ? I always have trouble find good elastics (sound strange but here i find only mixed bags with poor quality ones)
Thanks
 
May 3, 2008
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Personally I love this DVD. I think this is probably one of the only DVD's I've ever bought where I'm going to use all of the effects. It really is that good. I absolutely love Stairway too. It's ridiculously visual and really easy.

somebody can tell me the best dimension of elastics for this effects ? I always have trouble find good elastics (sound strange but here i find only mixed bags with poor quality ones)
Thanks

I believe that the ideal sized rubber bands for most magic effects are size 16 rubber bands.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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Right now I perform Slink and I really like it. The angles aren't too bad to work with, but I'm always looking to better my magic. If Raw Linkage is indeed better I would buy it. But since I've never actually seen what the routine looks like it's hard to lay down $30 for it. Especially since I'm getting split opinions. If it is what you say it is, it would be worth it for me. But if it's not I don't want to drop the $30. I wish T11 would just show the damn effect!

honestly, i was having second opinions about buying this dvd, but i finally did. and it is possibly one of my favorite dvd's out there. just watching Marcus and Danny perform and explain these effects is worth the dvd. both Danny and Marcus put so much into creating these effects, and you can tell. i found myself while watching the dvd saying "how did they come up with?!" the dvd is packed with helpful ideas and there are little interviews ( i guess that is what you could call them) where Marcus and Danny give some of the best advice ever and their thoughts on magic. the teaching on this dvd is excellent and each effect is amazing.

as for raw linkage, in my opinion as well, this is the best impromptu linking rubber band trick out there. it will take some time to perfect it, but once you do, it looks amazing. you will find that every time you doing it, it still surprises you. and stairway... is my new favorite trick, it's so easy, and all you need is a rubber band (and maybe a paperclip, but that is not nesecary. nor do i like to use it at all. the spectators hand makes it more of a miracle.) and then you borrow the dollar. everything is examinable and it's completely stunning. this alone is worth the price of the dvd.

this dvd is worth every penny you spend on it and i highly recommend it to everyone interested in magic. every trick is extremely well thought out and taught in the best detail. it's worth the 30 bucks. and i would buy this dvd for just their thoughts on magic and creation of magic. it is a truly stunning dvd.
 
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