I was extremely excited upon first receiving these Dvds. I thought to myself: "A three volume set dedicated to effects that could be released on their own? It's too good to be true!" And, to be completely honest, it was way too good to be true. This three Dvd set was a complete let down. I had heard OK things about Dan hauss, and one of the biggest bad things I heard about him was that he uses way too many gimmicks. This is very true: There are only 3 effects in the whole series that are impromptu, and one of those even requires a minor set up! While the idea was good, the road travelled was rather bumpy and uncared for. Dan had this air of un-professionalism that left much to be desired. His hands shook a lot during his performances, and his hands looked rather dirty throughout the DVDs, which just added to the cons of these DVDs. Most of the effects shown within are not even performance pieces. just "ideas". Although, to quote from the description: " Back in 2007 Dan Hauss brought up the idea of doing a massive film project unlike anything else on the market. The idea was simple, to make a multi-volume DVD set packed with effects that could be released on their own. Over three years have passed and the dream has become a reality." False statement. A lot of these effects are "Tidbits" and the ones that are routines are rough, and seem rushed, or unthought out. He doesn't even show live performances for half the routines, and some of them don't even HAVE a performance! Its almost as if he hasn't performed and perfected them in public! But, without further ado, lets delve deeper into the heart of restless.
Volume 1:
Box Prediction- Dan's ultra clean change of one card for another uses an incredibly simple gimmick that you can use for many different routines. This is one of the most convincing in the hands change your spectators will ever see.
And wrong. The gimmick is not worth the effect at all. You can do a ten times better effect that they will remember more with any gimmicks at all. It is kind of anti-climatic magic, which, is bad to say the least. To make matters worse, when he performs this for the laity, he doesnt really even have any presentation for it. This effect gets a big 1/5.
Blurred- SPECTATORS WILL NOT BELIEVE THEIR EYES... seriously. In this routine a spectator concentrates on a bottle and stares at the label. Shortly after they begin to look the label becomes blurry and then back to its normal state. Unbelievable.
I guess i just don't easy how making something blurry can be magic. Making somebody think they need glasses isn't magic, its not really worth the gimmick needed. At least the thinking was a bit better in this one. Just a tiny, tiny bit. I'll give it a 1.5/5
Torisit 1- Awesome souvenir routine, a corner of a card is torn, the card is signed as well as the one below. The restoration happens in the spectators hand and the signed card now has half of the other card permanently attached.
This torn and restored is... ok. The gimmick idea is creative, but there are much better and more visual ways to achieve the effect, taht are much more impromptu. Ill give this a 3/5 for creativty though.
Unmatched- Eric Jones stops by to help us out with a great handling of Dan's awesome effect with a pack of matches. A empty pack of matches is shown very clean, front and back. The magician closes the pack and opens it to reveal that the pack of matches is now full.
This effect is rather funny, because the handling eric jones gives is far superior to the one that Dan gives... I don't know why I find that funny, it just really really is to me. The effect looks great in erics hands, and I think thats why they show the performance of HIM doing it, and not Dan. Ill give this effect a 4/5, not for Dan himself, but for Erics handling of dan's gimmick.
Billiard- A wager is offered of a dollar that you will be able to find their card. After an unsuccessful attempt to find their card you change the wrong card into a dollar bill. This is a great, visual way to introduce money into your close up routine. Dollar not included. 2 great versions of this effect are explained.
This might be the only routine I actually did like on the entire set of DVDs. Although you need a bit of a gimmick, you can easily adapt it to where you don't need any special cards. Again, not much of a presentation, and the handling is really ackward, but he idea itself is good. 3/5
Hello My Card Is- Super clean; super commercial routine. A signed card is found in a completely impossible location, under your name tag.
These are the routines I hate. Card to impossible location for NO REASON. And on top of that you need a gimmick. Not worth it. No presentation. 2/5.
Pack Attack- A piece of gum penetrates an unopened pack of gum in the most visual way.
Hard to make, no presentation, and the handling is incredibly ackward. This gets a whole 1/5.
Other than the tricks themselves, he gives "advice" on magic. Which he shouldn't, because he seems like a guy with NO experience. Im not bashing him, I'm merely being honest. He shakes, and is ackward with handling, unelegan, not someone I would want to learn from. He should be a student, and not a teacher.
Volume 2:
Jumping Jacks - An old school classic gets the Dan Hauss treatment, the cards get a little funky on this one, cards switch places, they change, they have a party. Extremely visual card magic.
By the dan hauss treatment, they mean unneeded gimmicks and bulky handling. This effect can be done impromptu, but he hasn't thought of a way to do the kicker ending, which is the only good part of the effect. He performs this for people at a restaurant... poorly. This is, again, just an IDEA, not really an effect itself. 2/5
Refilled - Dan's way to turn a ordinary gas station coffee cup into a utility item for making items appear in an empty cup.
Another card to impossible location for no reason using an unnecessary gimmick. He says he teaches an impromptu method, but you still need to make a bit of a gimmick. It seems like he can't even do the impromptu method. 2/5
3C - A red backed card changes to blue one corner at a time. Finally a insanely visual color change made for real world performance.
real world? Dan said himself it was just a "concept". He doesn't even give a routine for it, he just teaches the change itself, not really any ideas. But, I was inspired by this to create something completely different, so I must give a few props to him for inspiring me, but not for much else, at all really. I'll give this a 2/5.
Laced - Dans very popular effect for making a card appear on your shoelace.
This routine is ok at best. There is no presentational hook, but the effect itself is ok. I don't really see a point to the effect though. Like when I used to perform magic like this, I was usually asked "Who cares?" It's routine that has potential, but Dan hasn't done much with it. But there is one good thing: You only need a five minute setup for this one! "/ 3/5
Broke Band Mountain - This is another awesome contribution to the always growing number of great magic effects you can do with rubber bands. A rubber band is broken by a spectator and in a snap (pun intended) it is restored. This is just as great magic should be simple, visual and easy.
One of the few impromptu methods of the DVD. But you still kind of need a set up. In the performance, you can't even tell the effect he is performing.
Its ok, I guess... 3/5.
TNR Creamer - Ever wanted to have a spectator tear off the label of coffee creamer, completely empty the contents of the creamer just to have it restored by you? No, well if you get the urge here's an extremely clever method for making this effect extremely convincing.
Theres not even a performance of this... he just teaches a method. And the method again, leaves much to be thought out. 2/5
Growing Straw - Just like the title says, a borrowed straw grows to twice its size and shrinks to its original size before it is handed out for examination. You have to see it to appreciate the strength of creating a giant straw in an impromptu setting.
Again, no performance. No presentation, just a method for a growing straw. This effect is ok, rather pointless, but ok. 3/5
same "advice" as in the end of the first DVD.
Volume 1:
Box Prediction- Dan's ultra clean change of one card for another uses an incredibly simple gimmick that you can use for many different routines. This is one of the most convincing in the hands change your spectators will ever see.
And wrong. The gimmick is not worth the effect at all. You can do a ten times better effect that they will remember more with any gimmicks at all. It is kind of anti-climatic magic, which, is bad to say the least. To make matters worse, when he performs this for the laity, he doesnt really even have any presentation for it. This effect gets a big 1/5.
Blurred- SPECTATORS WILL NOT BELIEVE THEIR EYES... seriously. In this routine a spectator concentrates on a bottle and stares at the label. Shortly after they begin to look the label becomes blurry and then back to its normal state. Unbelievable.
I guess i just don't easy how making something blurry can be magic. Making somebody think they need glasses isn't magic, its not really worth the gimmick needed. At least the thinking was a bit better in this one. Just a tiny, tiny bit. I'll give it a 1.5/5
Torisit 1- Awesome souvenir routine, a corner of a card is torn, the card is signed as well as the one below. The restoration happens in the spectators hand and the signed card now has half of the other card permanently attached.
This torn and restored is... ok. The gimmick idea is creative, but there are much better and more visual ways to achieve the effect, taht are much more impromptu. Ill give this a 3/5 for creativty though.
Unmatched- Eric Jones stops by to help us out with a great handling of Dan's awesome effect with a pack of matches. A empty pack of matches is shown very clean, front and back. The magician closes the pack and opens it to reveal that the pack of matches is now full.
This effect is rather funny, because the handling eric jones gives is far superior to the one that Dan gives... I don't know why I find that funny, it just really really is to me. The effect looks great in erics hands, and I think thats why they show the performance of HIM doing it, and not Dan. Ill give this effect a 4/5, not for Dan himself, but for Erics handling of dan's gimmick.
Billiard- A wager is offered of a dollar that you will be able to find their card. After an unsuccessful attempt to find their card you change the wrong card into a dollar bill. This is a great, visual way to introduce money into your close up routine. Dollar not included. 2 great versions of this effect are explained.
This might be the only routine I actually did like on the entire set of DVDs. Although you need a bit of a gimmick, you can easily adapt it to where you don't need any special cards. Again, not much of a presentation, and the handling is really ackward, but he idea itself is good. 3/5
Hello My Card Is- Super clean; super commercial routine. A signed card is found in a completely impossible location, under your name tag.
These are the routines I hate. Card to impossible location for NO REASON. And on top of that you need a gimmick. Not worth it. No presentation. 2/5.
Pack Attack- A piece of gum penetrates an unopened pack of gum in the most visual way.
Hard to make, no presentation, and the handling is incredibly ackward. This gets a whole 1/5.
Other than the tricks themselves, he gives "advice" on magic. Which he shouldn't, because he seems like a guy with NO experience. Im not bashing him, I'm merely being honest. He shakes, and is ackward with handling, unelegan, not someone I would want to learn from. He should be a student, and not a teacher.
Volume 2:
Jumping Jacks - An old school classic gets the Dan Hauss treatment, the cards get a little funky on this one, cards switch places, they change, they have a party. Extremely visual card magic.
By the dan hauss treatment, they mean unneeded gimmicks and bulky handling. This effect can be done impromptu, but he hasn't thought of a way to do the kicker ending, which is the only good part of the effect. He performs this for people at a restaurant... poorly. This is, again, just an IDEA, not really an effect itself. 2/5
Refilled - Dan's way to turn a ordinary gas station coffee cup into a utility item for making items appear in an empty cup.
Another card to impossible location for no reason using an unnecessary gimmick. He says he teaches an impromptu method, but you still need to make a bit of a gimmick. It seems like he can't even do the impromptu method. 2/5
3C - A red backed card changes to blue one corner at a time. Finally a insanely visual color change made for real world performance.
real world? Dan said himself it was just a "concept". He doesn't even give a routine for it, he just teaches the change itself, not really any ideas. But, I was inspired by this to create something completely different, so I must give a few props to him for inspiring me, but not for much else, at all really. I'll give this a 2/5.
Laced - Dans very popular effect for making a card appear on your shoelace.
This routine is ok at best. There is no presentational hook, but the effect itself is ok. I don't really see a point to the effect though. Like when I used to perform magic like this, I was usually asked "Who cares?" It's routine that has potential, but Dan hasn't done much with it. But there is one good thing: You only need a five minute setup for this one! "/ 3/5
Broke Band Mountain - This is another awesome contribution to the always growing number of great magic effects you can do with rubber bands. A rubber band is broken by a spectator and in a snap (pun intended) it is restored. This is just as great magic should be simple, visual and easy.
One of the few impromptu methods of the DVD. But you still kind of need a set up. In the performance, you can't even tell the effect he is performing.
Its ok, I guess... 3/5.
TNR Creamer - Ever wanted to have a spectator tear off the label of coffee creamer, completely empty the contents of the creamer just to have it restored by you? No, well if you get the urge here's an extremely clever method for making this effect extremely convincing.
Theres not even a performance of this... he just teaches a method. And the method again, leaves much to be thought out. 2/5
Growing Straw - Just like the title says, a borrowed straw grows to twice its size and shrinks to its original size before it is handed out for examination. You have to see it to appreciate the strength of creating a giant straw in an impromptu setting.
Again, no performance. No presentation, just a method for a growing straw. This effect is ok, rather pointless, but ok. 3/5
same "advice" as in the end of the first DVD.
thats what we do remember? 
