Anthensome Review by Juan Martinez
Packaging & Case look: The packaging and case look will probably be very close to the ones fro the Trilogy, seeing as this is a bonus disk for that set. The build I saw was finished but still before mass production, so Packaging and Case could not be assessed at this time. Either way, Dan and Dave have done some very nice clean designs in the past, and there is no reason to believe that has changed.
Menus: The menus are very intelligently designed. There are tricks, flourishes, everything else, and then some and extras. When an area is accessed, there will be a preview playing in the same screen (much like Surfaced) and the performance, explanation and OTS (over the shoulder) sections can be quickly accessed from there. Again the menus are very clean and clear.
Effects, Tools and Others: This will be explained a bit differently from my previous reviews. The effects will still have the usual impressions, visual level, practicality and ease and personal score. The flourishes will have: visual impact, ease and personal score. The moves and advice given on the DVD will just have impressions and practicality.
Tricks
Portal
This is a variation from Cards Across in the tricks section of the trilogy. It is meant to have the visual impact of that trick but fixes a discrepancy.
Impressions: This is a hell of a trick. D&D comment on the fact that Cards Across had the discrepancy of having the card inserted face down and appearing face up. They fixed said discrepancy and created an amazing effect in the process.
Visual Level: Very visual.
Practicality and ease: Very practical. Like cards across, this is an all in the hands transposition of two cards. There is a slight knack to the last part of the trick and timing is crucial. D&D also teach a rocking double lift.
Personal Score: 10/10. Yes, I know it looks like sucking up, but this trick is THAT damn good.
Osh Negash Bgosh
This is the same effect as explained in D&D’s notes Sleightly Magical. This is pretty much a very flashy transposition.
Impressions: This is outrageously flashy. I think it is very visually appealing and if you are willing to put in the practice, you’ll have a great effect on your hands. It does make me question whether the effect is lost on the spectators because of all the shenanigans occurring in the process.
Visual Level: Ridiculous.
Practicality and ease: This is practical for table hopping, but it may work best on some spectators than others. What I mean is that some people will appreciate your consummate skill pulling this off, while others may regard you as a show off. It will not be easy to learn (unless you have good hands and are willing to practice judiciously).
Personal Score: 7/10. This is just my opinion. I do not see myself using this effect. But then again, if you are talented and it fits your style, this may rock in your hands.
Encore
This trick reminded me of Doc Daley’s Last Trick… on crack, steroids and red bull. A red aces for black aces transposition.
Impressions: This is very cool. I personally use Doc Daley’s trick quite a bit… actually almost every time anyone asks me to do a trick. I was really impressed with how damn clever this trick is. It will fool people who are familiar with Doc Daley’s trick, and it may severely damage the brains of your audience.
Visual Level: Visual but subtle, when you least expect it, you get a visual punch to the gut.
Practicality and ease: Practical but has some angle issues. It uses some wild techniques, including an aerial double lift (bad ass btw) and some other more classical moves that are seldom used in the context of close up. Again, probably not easy for your average card guy (i.e. me) but some of them young folk with talent will be doing this thing in a week.
Personal Score: 8/10. It’s a difficult one, but hey, Doc Daley’s trick rocks, and so does this one.
Hedberg All Over
This is a variation from Hedberg’s Peak from the tricks section of the trilogy. This thing is the up and down transposition, redone and outdone.
Impressions: This is a very neat effect. The Bucks pretty much decided to clean up Headberg’s Peak, and made it more appealing in the process.
Visual Level: Visual but again in a subtle way at first. As the effect moves along it gets more visual and much more impossible looking. This is very well constructed.
Practicality and ease: It is practical, but my favorite part is that it uses a little something extra. So if you are one those guys who cannot deal with having a little something else on your pack you may pass up on a cool trick. It does use Pughe’s pass from Avenue and the Clipshift from Surfaced, though a substitute for the Clipshift is taught. The trick requires you to know some of the sleights from the original, but it will fry hecklers.
Personal Score: 9/10. Honestly, it gets high marks because it uses something extra and I know this pisses people off.
Flourishes
Flic
Visual Impact: High. This is a boomerang card flourish, and it is always cool to see card flying around under your control.
Ease: Actually pretty easy. If you get your finger positions right you will acquire the knack quickly. After watching this, I came home and tried it with the great advice given by the Bucks on the video. It worked like a charm of the first try.
Personal Score: 8/10. Neat and easy, but further variations explained later are more impressive.
Flirt
Visual Impact: Medium. This is just a little card “flicker.” Dave does this almost unconsciously now, like a nervous tick. It is pretty to watch, but even prettier if you are not paying attention.
Ease: Not too difficult. It may be harder to get it to flicker fast, but it looks beautiful when you get it. Kevin Ho does this very nicely, as do the Bucks.
Personal Score: 7/10. Cool little thing to play around with, but does not have a use on its own. I am certain someone will build some cool combos between this and Raccoon (idea anyone?) but on its own is just “cute”.
M4 Hollywood
Visual Impact: High. This is another variation on the Molecule 4 cut. Very cool looking.
Ease: Not any harder than say, M4 Tokyo for example. It uses the Ginastaire Double technique in a unique way. Like all other multi-packet cuts it will take dedication to master smoothly.
Personal Score: 9/10. I am not much into flourishing, but this is a sweet ass cut.
Packaging & Case look: The packaging and case look will probably be very close to the ones fro the Trilogy, seeing as this is a bonus disk for that set. The build I saw was finished but still before mass production, so Packaging and Case could not be assessed at this time. Either way, Dan and Dave have done some very nice clean designs in the past, and there is no reason to believe that has changed.
Menus: The menus are very intelligently designed. There are tricks, flourishes, everything else, and then some and extras. When an area is accessed, there will be a preview playing in the same screen (much like Surfaced) and the performance, explanation and OTS (over the shoulder) sections can be quickly accessed from there. Again the menus are very clean and clear.
Effects, Tools and Others: This will be explained a bit differently from my previous reviews. The effects will still have the usual impressions, visual level, practicality and ease and personal score. The flourishes will have: visual impact, ease and personal score. The moves and advice given on the DVD will just have impressions and practicality.
Tricks
Portal
This is a variation from Cards Across in the tricks section of the trilogy. It is meant to have the visual impact of that trick but fixes a discrepancy.
Impressions: This is a hell of a trick. D&D comment on the fact that Cards Across had the discrepancy of having the card inserted face down and appearing face up. They fixed said discrepancy and created an amazing effect in the process.
Visual Level: Very visual.
Practicality and ease: Very practical. Like cards across, this is an all in the hands transposition of two cards. There is a slight knack to the last part of the trick and timing is crucial. D&D also teach a rocking double lift.
Personal Score: 10/10. Yes, I know it looks like sucking up, but this trick is THAT damn good.
Osh Negash Bgosh
This is the same effect as explained in D&D’s notes Sleightly Magical. This is pretty much a very flashy transposition.
Impressions: This is outrageously flashy. I think it is very visually appealing and if you are willing to put in the practice, you’ll have a great effect on your hands. It does make me question whether the effect is lost on the spectators because of all the shenanigans occurring in the process.
Visual Level: Ridiculous.
Practicality and ease: This is practical for table hopping, but it may work best on some spectators than others. What I mean is that some people will appreciate your consummate skill pulling this off, while others may regard you as a show off. It will not be easy to learn (unless you have good hands and are willing to practice judiciously).
Personal Score: 7/10. This is just my opinion. I do not see myself using this effect. But then again, if you are talented and it fits your style, this may rock in your hands.
Encore
This trick reminded me of Doc Daley’s Last Trick… on crack, steroids and red bull. A red aces for black aces transposition.
Impressions: This is very cool. I personally use Doc Daley’s trick quite a bit… actually almost every time anyone asks me to do a trick. I was really impressed with how damn clever this trick is. It will fool people who are familiar with Doc Daley’s trick, and it may severely damage the brains of your audience.
Visual Level: Visual but subtle, when you least expect it, you get a visual punch to the gut.
Practicality and ease: Practical but has some angle issues. It uses some wild techniques, including an aerial double lift (bad ass btw) and some other more classical moves that are seldom used in the context of close up. Again, probably not easy for your average card guy (i.e. me) but some of them young folk with talent will be doing this thing in a week.
Personal Score: 8/10. It’s a difficult one, but hey, Doc Daley’s trick rocks, and so does this one.
Hedberg All Over
This is a variation from Hedberg’s Peak from the tricks section of the trilogy. This thing is the up and down transposition, redone and outdone.
Impressions: This is a very neat effect. The Bucks pretty much decided to clean up Headberg’s Peak, and made it more appealing in the process.
Visual Level: Visual but again in a subtle way at first. As the effect moves along it gets more visual and much more impossible looking. This is very well constructed.
Practicality and ease: It is practical, but my favorite part is that it uses a little something extra. So if you are one those guys who cannot deal with having a little something else on your pack you may pass up on a cool trick. It does use Pughe’s pass from Avenue and the Clipshift from Surfaced, though a substitute for the Clipshift is taught. The trick requires you to know some of the sleights from the original, but it will fry hecklers.
Personal Score: 9/10. Honestly, it gets high marks because it uses something extra and I know this pisses people off.
Flourishes
Flic
Visual Impact: High. This is a boomerang card flourish, and it is always cool to see card flying around under your control.
Ease: Actually pretty easy. If you get your finger positions right you will acquire the knack quickly. After watching this, I came home and tried it with the great advice given by the Bucks on the video. It worked like a charm of the first try.
Personal Score: 8/10. Neat and easy, but further variations explained later are more impressive.
Flirt
Visual Impact: Medium. This is just a little card “flicker.” Dave does this almost unconsciously now, like a nervous tick. It is pretty to watch, but even prettier if you are not paying attention.
Ease: Not too difficult. It may be harder to get it to flicker fast, but it looks beautiful when you get it. Kevin Ho does this very nicely, as do the Bucks.
Personal Score: 7/10. Cool little thing to play around with, but does not have a use on its own. I am certain someone will build some cool combos between this and Raccoon (idea anyone?) but on its own is just “cute”.
M4 Hollywood
Visual Impact: High. This is another variation on the Molecule 4 cut. Very cool looking.
Ease: Not any harder than say, M4 Tokyo for example. It uses the Ginastaire Double technique in a unique way. Like all other multi-packet cuts it will take dedication to master smoothly.
Personal Score: 9/10. I am not much into flourishing, but this is a sweet ass cut.
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