Born to Perform Card Magic with Oz Pearlman
The Official Spam-
The DVD-
The Layout-
I didn't care for the layout of this DVD. Basically, it showed each effect, then Oz explained them. I prefer all the effects be shown, then all the explanations be shown.
The Quality-
The quality of this DVD was about average, nothing too special.
The Menu-
Play-
This option simply plays the DVD from beginning to end.
Intro-
This part is pretty boring (except for the first time, of course). It's pretty much the demo video that's on the site, just longer.
Fundamentals-
This option teaches you all the fundamentals, such as: Mechanic's Grip, Biddle Grip, Pinky Break, Thumb Break, Dribbling to Secure a Break, Swing Cut, Swivel Cut, DL, and Top Palm.
Routines-
This shows and teaches you the routines on this DVD. These are: Ultimate Transpo, Two Card Monte, Biddle Trick, and the Ambitious Card.
Advanced-
If you click on this, you will learn controls, forces, and flourishes. They are as follows: Classic Pass, Hindu Shuffle Control, Double Undercut, One Handed Top Palm, Elmsley Count, Spread Cull, Swing Swivel Cut, Hindu Shuffle Force, Riffle Force, Two Handed Thumb Fan, Le Paul Spread, Springing the Cards, Erdnase Color Change, One Handed Thumb Fan, Hot Shot Cut, Pendulum Cut, and the Trinary Cut.
Fundamentals-
Mechanic's Grip-
This is very basic... if you don't already know how to hold a deck of cards, you need some more help than this DVD can offer.
Biddle Grip-
Also very basic. See Mechanic's Grip
Pinky Break-
This is a method of holding a place in the deck to possibly mark where a card is for controlling or forcing.
Thumb Break-
This is also a method of holding a place in the deck.
Dribbling to Secure a Break-
This is an extremely sneaky way of establishing a pinky/thumb break. Nobody will ever suspect a break when you do this.
Swing Cut-
This is a nice way to cut the deck, but nothing special.
Swivel Cut-
This, like the Swing Cut, is a nice way to cut the deck, but once again, nothing special.
DL-
Although one of the most simple and basic moves in all of card magic, the DL is necessary to accomplish many great tricks.
Top Palm-
Once again, a pretty simple move, but can be used for countless tricks, and is very versatile.
Controls-
Classic Pass-
Considered to be one of the most hardest moves to learn in all of card magic, it will take a lot of practice to get this down, but once you've got it, you will be able to do seemingly impossible acts of magic.
Hindu Shuffle Control-
Very nice control, but can look suspicious if you don't practice, because most people don't use the Hindu shuffle.
Double Undercut-
One of the most used/seen controls, this is a great way to control a card, and it looks as if you're just cutting the cards.
One Handed Top Palm-
Just as great, if not better, than the Two Handed Top Palm. This move is virtually invisible.
Elmsley Count-
This count can be used to count no more than seven or eight cards... as four. It is used in many great tricks, including Lethal Fours from Gregory Wilson's Pyrotechnic Pasteboards.
Spread Cull-
Another completely undetectable move that can be used to secretly move a card from the middle of the pack to the bottom of the pack. And no, this is nothing like the Classic Pass.
Swing Swivel Cut-
This is one of my favorite method of controlling a card to the top, although I don't have it down pat yet. It is very confusing to the spectator, so it may be assumed that it is a false cut.
Forces-
Hindu Shuffle-
This another one of those timing forces, but, because of this, most of the time nobody will suspect a force.
Riffle Force-
One of the most popular ways of forcing a card, this force is fairly easy to learn, and a very good way of forcing a card.
Flourishes-
Two Handed Thumb Fan-
A fancy way of spreading the cards in your hand. Pretty easy to learn, but it is much easier to perform/learn if you have a new deck.
Le Paul Spread-
This is an awesome way of spreading the cards between your two hands, and you will see Oz use it in demo videos quite often.
Springing the Cards-
Cards flying from one hand to the other is very impressive to a spectator, and as you get better, you can get the distance of the spring pretty far.
Erdnase Color Change-
Also referred to as the Classic Color Change, this is a beautiful way of visually changing one card into another. Very visual.
One Handed Thumb Fan-
This is almost the same thing as the Two Handed Thumb Fan, except, obviously, this one only uses one hand.
Hot Shot Cut-
This is a very cool way to shoot a card out of the middle of the pack and to your other hand. Practicing this for very long will tear up certain fingers, so be careful.
Pendulum Cut-
A very nice false cut, but definitely not my favorite.
Trinary Cut-
This is my favorite cut out of false and real cuts. This cut looks legitimate, but in fact leaves the deck in the exact same order.
Routines-
Ultimate Transpo-
In this routine, two cards instantly change places, one of which is held by the spectator in between their hands. This is a nice, quick routine that nobody will ever figure out. It is, in my opinion, the easiest routine out of all four. This effect does require slight setup, but it is worth it. People freak out when they see that the card they have been holding the whole time instantly changes.
Two Card Monte-
This one is similar to Ultimate Transpo, but in this routine, two Aces change into two Queens... in the spectator's hands! This effect also requires slight setup, but once again is worth it and will only take about 15 seconds. People will be asking you for years how you did this one.
Ambitious Card Routine (ACR)-
Possibly the most famous routine in the world, every magician should know at least one version of the ACR. The one Oz teaches is very clever. It has many phases, including: card jumping to the top (obviously), card to mouth, an Erdnase Color Change to their card, their card jumping invisibly to a packet of cards the spectator has been holding, and the pop-up move. People love this routine, and it gets pretty good reactions. And this effect could and should be done with a signed card.
Biddle Trick-
This is my personal favorite routine on this DVD. It goes like this: the spectator picks a card, and it is pushed into the middle. The magician places small packets of cards into the spectator's hands, estimating where the card is. The magician then turns over five cards, goes through them, and asks if the spectator's card was one of the five. They say yes, and the magician hands the spectator the rest of the deck. The magician takes 2-3 guesses on which card was the spectator's. When they get it right, they squeeze it into their hand, and throw it invisibly into the deck. The card has vanished from the five the magician was holding, and is found upside down in the middle of the pack. This gets awesome reactions, and does not use any duplicates.
My Thoughts-
This DVD has to be one of my favorites. Oz does a spectacular job teaching, and goes over everything very clearly. This would be a great purchase for "visual learners" who would like to get into card magic.
Overall Grade-
9/10
The Official Spam-
The DVD-
The Layout-
I didn't care for the layout of this DVD. Basically, it showed each effect, then Oz explained them. I prefer all the effects be shown, then all the explanations be shown.
The Quality-
The quality of this DVD was about average, nothing too special.
The Menu-
Play-
This option simply plays the DVD from beginning to end.
Intro-
This part is pretty boring (except for the first time, of course). It's pretty much the demo video that's on the site, just longer.
Fundamentals-
This option teaches you all the fundamentals, such as: Mechanic's Grip, Biddle Grip, Pinky Break, Thumb Break, Dribbling to Secure a Break, Swing Cut, Swivel Cut, DL, and Top Palm.
Routines-
This shows and teaches you the routines on this DVD. These are: Ultimate Transpo, Two Card Monte, Biddle Trick, and the Ambitious Card.
Advanced-
If you click on this, you will learn controls, forces, and flourishes. They are as follows: Classic Pass, Hindu Shuffle Control, Double Undercut, One Handed Top Palm, Elmsley Count, Spread Cull, Swing Swivel Cut, Hindu Shuffle Force, Riffle Force, Two Handed Thumb Fan, Le Paul Spread, Springing the Cards, Erdnase Color Change, One Handed Thumb Fan, Hot Shot Cut, Pendulum Cut, and the Trinary Cut.
Fundamentals-
Mechanic's Grip-
This is very basic... if you don't already know how to hold a deck of cards, you need some more help than this DVD can offer.
Biddle Grip-
Also very basic. See Mechanic's Grip
Pinky Break-
This is a method of holding a place in the deck to possibly mark where a card is for controlling or forcing.
Thumb Break-
This is also a method of holding a place in the deck.
Dribbling to Secure a Break-
This is an extremely sneaky way of establishing a pinky/thumb break. Nobody will ever suspect a break when you do this.
Swing Cut-
This is a nice way to cut the deck, but nothing special.
Swivel Cut-
This, like the Swing Cut, is a nice way to cut the deck, but once again, nothing special.
DL-
Although one of the most simple and basic moves in all of card magic, the DL is necessary to accomplish many great tricks.
Top Palm-
Once again, a pretty simple move, but can be used for countless tricks, and is very versatile.
Controls-
Classic Pass-
Considered to be one of the most hardest moves to learn in all of card magic, it will take a lot of practice to get this down, but once you've got it, you will be able to do seemingly impossible acts of magic.
Hindu Shuffle Control-
Very nice control, but can look suspicious if you don't practice, because most people don't use the Hindu shuffle.
Double Undercut-
One of the most used/seen controls, this is a great way to control a card, and it looks as if you're just cutting the cards.
One Handed Top Palm-
Just as great, if not better, than the Two Handed Top Palm. This move is virtually invisible.
Elmsley Count-
This count can be used to count no more than seven or eight cards... as four. It is used in many great tricks, including Lethal Fours from Gregory Wilson's Pyrotechnic Pasteboards.
Spread Cull-
Another completely undetectable move that can be used to secretly move a card from the middle of the pack to the bottom of the pack. And no, this is nothing like the Classic Pass.
Swing Swivel Cut-
This is one of my favorite method of controlling a card to the top, although I don't have it down pat yet. It is very confusing to the spectator, so it may be assumed that it is a false cut.
Forces-
Hindu Shuffle-
This another one of those timing forces, but, because of this, most of the time nobody will suspect a force.
Riffle Force-
One of the most popular ways of forcing a card, this force is fairly easy to learn, and a very good way of forcing a card.
Flourishes-
Two Handed Thumb Fan-
A fancy way of spreading the cards in your hand. Pretty easy to learn, but it is much easier to perform/learn if you have a new deck.
Le Paul Spread-
This is an awesome way of spreading the cards between your two hands, and you will see Oz use it in demo videos quite often.
Springing the Cards-
Cards flying from one hand to the other is very impressive to a spectator, and as you get better, you can get the distance of the spring pretty far.
Erdnase Color Change-
Also referred to as the Classic Color Change, this is a beautiful way of visually changing one card into another. Very visual.
One Handed Thumb Fan-
This is almost the same thing as the Two Handed Thumb Fan, except, obviously, this one only uses one hand.
Hot Shot Cut-
This is a very cool way to shoot a card out of the middle of the pack and to your other hand. Practicing this for very long will tear up certain fingers, so be careful.
Pendulum Cut-
A very nice false cut, but definitely not my favorite.
Trinary Cut-
This is my favorite cut out of false and real cuts. This cut looks legitimate, but in fact leaves the deck in the exact same order.
Routines-
Ultimate Transpo-
In this routine, two cards instantly change places, one of which is held by the spectator in between their hands. This is a nice, quick routine that nobody will ever figure out. It is, in my opinion, the easiest routine out of all four. This effect does require slight setup, but it is worth it. People freak out when they see that the card they have been holding the whole time instantly changes.
Two Card Monte-
This one is similar to Ultimate Transpo, but in this routine, two Aces change into two Queens... in the spectator's hands! This effect also requires slight setup, but once again is worth it and will only take about 15 seconds. People will be asking you for years how you did this one.
Ambitious Card Routine (ACR)-
Possibly the most famous routine in the world, every magician should know at least one version of the ACR. The one Oz teaches is very clever. It has many phases, including: card jumping to the top (obviously), card to mouth, an Erdnase Color Change to their card, their card jumping invisibly to a packet of cards the spectator has been holding, and the pop-up move. People love this routine, and it gets pretty good reactions. And this effect could and should be done with a signed card.
Biddle Trick-
This is my personal favorite routine on this DVD. It goes like this: the spectator picks a card, and it is pushed into the middle. The magician places small packets of cards into the spectator's hands, estimating where the card is. The magician then turns over five cards, goes through them, and asks if the spectator's card was one of the five. They say yes, and the magician hands the spectator the rest of the deck. The magician takes 2-3 guesses on which card was the spectator's. When they get it right, they squeeze it into their hand, and throw it invisibly into the deck. The card has vanished from the five the magician was holding, and is found upside down in the middle of the pack. This gets awesome reactions, and does not use any duplicates.
My Thoughts-
This DVD has to be one of my favorites. Oz does a spectacular job teaching, and goes over everything very clearly. This would be a great purchase for "visual learners" who would like to get into card magic.
Overall Grade-
9/10
