http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfX8fvnOf1o
I have personally witnessed and participated in the making-of of the 'Blind Square' (the move, not this product, and not this version of the move either). This makes it impossible for me to view this release of the Blue Crown in an unbiased manner but I will try to be absolutely honest here. I have seen the move evolve from one of the most magical controls into a move that feels and somewhat seems like a move for cardists (who, as you know, show skills instead of magic). Being a cardist himself, Bizau apparently thinks this was well worth being the final version, and since it is his workings he is totally allowed to think that so the rest of the review will be merely on the quality of this release on his take of the 'Blind Square' (a top control) and the 'Blind Drag' (a bottom control, something related yet entirely different than the top control although in this product it is called the 'Blind Square Bottom Control').
Let me actually start with some facts on the advertising. On the product page and in the trailer it says that you will get 25 minutes of clear instructions. However, the file is 22 minutes and 38 seconds in length and it starts with the trailer and an introduction, leaving less than 21 minutes of "clear instructions". Also, there were no credits given on the page until quite some time later. And the description may give the impression that the transpo as seen in the trailer could be done with a borrowed deck of cards (I already knew it couldn't) but I will forgive the Blue Crown for that for the reason this seems to be the result of a very unfortunate placement of this statement. However, this is not addressed within the tutorial itself at all which is quite a bad thing.
As for the instructions, these seem more like detailed exposure than that they actually teach you how to do everything in detail. It is merely mechanics, mechanics and mechanics. There is nothing on angles, no extra tips and tricks or anything like that. You do get quite a bit though: a top control, a bottom control, two transpos using just these controls, an elevator bonus (not really magical but the overall routine is pretty neat and well constructed) and a combined two-card control. But the lack of details may be a little more valuable than that, especially for beginner magicians.
Last but not least, there are no credits in the download at all (like I said, they were put on the product page only later, and merely to Ernest Earick for the original top control idea). At least it's something, but especially for those who bought it soon after its release it is not quite enough.
If you just want to know how everything is done, this is perfect and probably well worth the price. If you want to go out there and perform it yourself, you will have to be an intermediate or advanced magician to find your way around this and you may think that it is overpriced for what you get or expected. Still good to get some ideas from though, and move monkeys would love it, but then again it lacks quite a bit in instructions and honest advertising. If you get or already own Rick Lax's 'HighRise', this would be a good addition to tweak this concept to make your own, most magical version of it.
I have personally witnessed and participated in the making-of of the 'Blind Square' (the move, not this product, and not this version of the move either). This makes it impossible for me to view this release of the Blue Crown in an unbiased manner but I will try to be absolutely honest here. I have seen the move evolve from one of the most magical controls into a move that feels and somewhat seems like a move for cardists (who, as you know, show skills instead of magic). Being a cardist himself, Bizau apparently thinks this was well worth being the final version, and since it is his workings he is totally allowed to think that so the rest of the review will be merely on the quality of this release on his take of the 'Blind Square' (a top control) and the 'Blind Drag' (a bottom control, something related yet entirely different than the top control although in this product it is called the 'Blind Square Bottom Control').
Let me actually start with some facts on the advertising. On the product page and in the trailer it says that you will get 25 minutes of clear instructions. However, the file is 22 minutes and 38 seconds in length and it starts with the trailer and an introduction, leaving less than 21 minutes of "clear instructions". Also, there were no credits given on the page until quite some time later. And the description may give the impression that the transpo as seen in the trailer could be done with a borrowed deck of cards (I already knew it couldn't) but I will forgive the Blue Crown for that for the reason this seems to be the result of a very unfortunate placement of this statement. However, this is not addressed within the tutorial itself at all which is quite a bad thing.
As for the instructions, these seem more like detailed exposure than that they actually teach you how to do everything in detail. It is merely mechanics, mechanics and mechanics. There is nothing on angles, no extra tips and tricks or anything like that. You do get quite a bit though: a top control, a bottom control, two transpos using just these controls, an elevator bonus (not really magical but the overall routine is pretty neat and well constructed) and a combined two-card control. But the lack of details may be a little more valuable than that, especially for beginner magicians.
Last but not least, there are no credits in the download at all (like I said, they were put on the product page only later, and merely to Ernest Earick for the original top control idea). At least it's something, but especially for those who bought it soon after its release it is not quite enough.
If you just want to know how everything is done, this is perfect and probably well worth the price. If you want to go out there and perform it yourself, you will have to be an intermediate or advanced magician to find your way around this and you may think that it is overpriced for what you get or expected. Still good to get some ideas from though, and move monkeys would love it, but then again it lacks quite a bit in instructions and honest advertising. If you get or already own Rick Lax's 'HighRise', this would be a good addition to tweak this concept to make your own, most magical version of it.
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