I've yet to have a problem with having the phone stay in the balloon...but given your explanation of why you don't like Pressure, I can see why you would say the things you do (if I couldn't even keep a phone in the balloon as taught, or couldn't even blow up a balloon without spitting all over the inside, then I'd likely be upset with the trick, too--because it's never our fault as a performer when things go wrong).
And as for him using his own phone, I'm quite sure it's due to the nature of his method. And the signing of the balloon is definitely over-proving (running when not being chased)...why would the spec be thinking anything funny is going on with the balloon? Having them sign it only puts that thought in their head (right away, the thought of "Why am I signing the balloon?" goes through your mind, or at least should--it sends off HUGE warning bells, as does his looking very intently at what you're writing, and his cupping of the balloon as he starts to blow it up--hell, his whole effect looks fishy). "Has anyone ever had you sign a balloon before?" No, because it's a balloon, it's supposed to be fair just by its very nature.
Personally, I like how his audience member seemed more confused than anything throughout the trick. Like...totally bewildered about what as going on. There was such a lack of magic due to the over-proving of the effect--the spec had no idea what was happened. Heck, I didn't even know why he was doing half of what he was doing--a lot of it was so unnecessary. Maybe there is something useful on the DVD, I don't really know, nor will I, because from the promo it just doesn't seem like an effect that I want. Maybe it's a personal thing, I don't know.
Oh well. If I want an impromptu something in balloon effect, I have Pressure. If I want a cards in balloon, minus the selection, effect (with a decent amount of set-up), I have Air Tight. I can even combine the two (giving you an effect that looks very much like this Ballooned effect), if I really wanted, but the thing is I wouldn't--I can do the effect impromptu, so there's really no need to go through any sort of unnecessary setup or over-proving that everything is fair.
To each their own, I suppose.
Exactly where did I say it WASN'T my fault? Although from a lot of other sources I see I am not the only one. As far as your comment on not being able to keep the phone inside the balloon as taught, it really isn't "taught". He claims if you blow it up and hold it just so it will stay inside. I have yet to see that happen, but then again I don't have an iPhone. Maybe it's dependent on the type of phone. I really don't care where the fault lies. If the trick don't work for me, then the trick don't work for me. To me it's a waste of my money if I get no use out of it.
It's been proven by Eddie Van Halen that a guitar can be played awesomely but if I can't play it like him is there any reason to spend a lot of money on a nice guitar?
