Restless by Dan Hauss

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 3:

Puff/Smoke - This is such a powerful way to mix hard hitting mentalism with extremely visual magic. Rarely do you get such big results from such simple methods.

This is not mentalism. At all. This is a worse way to do derren brown's wonderful "smoke" routine from pure effect. I would rather just put the time in for Derren Brown's routine than this "street" version. It just seems poorly done. 3/5 for effort, i guess.

Coin and Marker Transpo - This is Dan's favorite non gimmicked effect, it has been his impromptu go to effect for years.

More like one of his ONLY impromptu to go effects. And its really not even that good. Its an Idea, more or less, and its impromptu, so Ill give him props for this effect, only because you don't need a bulky, uncalled for gimmick. 3/5

Torisit 2 - This is a TNR unlike any other. A spectator tears a card into 4 pieces and they are restored in front of their eyes. This is done in full view of the spectator and the spectator actually sees the cards melt back together.

This TNR is not worth making. Again a rather cumbersome gimmick to make, and its not really worth it for the effect. Guy hollingworth said "Don't put time into the effect if its not worth doing." And its not. 3/5

Footloose - In a town where dancing is forbidden one has plenty of time to create new magic. Footloose is an effect that allows you to combine your laces with a spectators laces without tying them making one long shoe lace. There are lots of visual moments in this routine is miles apart from the standard card or coin trick. The best part is that this clever gimmick can be on you at all times so you can perform this whenever you want.

He spends more time on this trick than any other. And there is no presentational hook for it at all, so its like "HEY I CAN COMBINE SHOELACES. WATCH ME DO THIS" Its an ok effect, but I honestly don't see it worth doing.
3/5

Lint - From an obsession with lint brushes an awesome parlor routine is born. This is a routine that has lots of built in comedy and it's definitely a worker.

He doesnt even perform this routine, just explains it. I don't really see the point of this routine at all, It's kind of dull. 2/5

Kiss The Table - A Hershey Kiss is visually smashed on top of a table and passes through the table leaving a tasty treat unwrapped and ready to be given to someone special.

No performance. It's an ok effect, gimmicked, but I could see something maybe being done with this. 3/5

Fake Take From Box - This is Dan's very special move for removing a spectators selection from anywhere in a card box with all of the cards in the box.

Not worth learning, period. .5/5

Overall, this was not worth purchasing at all.

Overall rating 49/105.

Bonus: He doesn't credit at all. He credits the erdanse One handed transformation to Mike hankins. And doesnt even credit Matt Schulien for his card from box. Or Ray kosby for his jack in the box routine. And those are just a few examples.

Don't purchase.

Bossglass.
 
seems as if you have something against the entire collection because of some things you find unusable. I think the blurred label is a great effect and i have personally seen dan perform it. How is it not magic to make someone's vision under your control? Your review is too "glass half empty". Combining shoelaces together, not worth "doing"? Write some damn patter and quit complaining...or stop buying dvd's and make up your own stuff. Boomshakala.
 

Mike.Hankins

creator / <a href="http://www.theory11.com/tricks/
Nov 21, 2009
435
0
Sacramento, Cali
I think it is rather funny when someone buys a DVD, watches it and then right after rates it. I told Dan I would give my honest review of this set AFTER I tried each effect in a real world situation, because I wanted to base my review upon the audience's reactions...So as of yet, I am still not done.

But I need to make something clear. Dan is a creator first and foremost and a performer second. He creates magic for others to perform, and he says that himself. But here lies the problem with your review...

Several times you say "There was no presentation"...well does there have to be? Or is it up to YOU, the magician to take something and make it your own? Or have we as magicians forgot that important piece of knowledge?

While I can tell you that there are a couple of effects that I am not a fan of on the DVD, there are some that get great reactions from the audience. Because it's not about what we like, (to a degree), it is about what our audience likes.

Mike
 
Jul 1, 2008
130
0
Romania
seems as if you have something against the entire collection because of some things you find unusable. I think the blurred label is a great effect and i have personally seen dan perform it. How is it not magic to make someone's vision under your control? Your review is too "glass half empty". Combining shoelaces together, not worth "doing"? Write some damn patter and quit complaining...or stop buying dvd's and make up your own stuff. Boomshakala.

he didn't like it so what? get over it and stop protecting people and mind of your own bussines and get out there and perform some magic :D thats what we do remember? ;)
-Ed
 

James Wise Magic

Elite Member
Dec 28, 2007
1,021
13
I do agree mostly with your review.
I LOVE dan's ideas but they are not practical and always involve strange, bulky gimmicks that you shouldn't need. As far as the "no presentation" thing, I do agree with the other posts, you need to create your own presentation if one is not provided, hell you should have your own presention even if there IS a presention given. :p

But yeah in all I rate the dvd set (and yes I have actually went out and performed pretty much all the effects and have tryed things for real people), I give the dvds set a 4/10. Great ideas, terrible methods.
 
Apr 5, 2009
96
0
youve got to be kidding

alright, you have got to be kidding me. especilly that kid who gave the review. these are some of the best dvds ive bought. completly worth the $100 every trick was awesome to me and i will be preforming all of them and i already am preforming most so obviously you guys dont know good magic.AT ALL! and honestly no preformence for 2 tricks? get over it and gimmicks? its magic what do u expect its MAGIC its not going to be real or impromtu and so what theres gimmicks there not bad and especily the one he teaches you to make so get over that too. and ur bashing dan or HIS material
? get the hell out of here dont bother posting anymore you little baby
 
joey magic freak, really?

Its my review, my opinion, if you don't like it, thats just fine.

And as for presentation, he didnt even PERFORM some of the effects, he just explained them. Why would you want something that hasn't been audience tested, and by not having a presentation, it hasn't been properly audience tested.
 
Apr 5, 2009
96
0
?

dude its 2 tricks that dont have a preformance but during the trick u can make out the preformance and like most people say IF YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING GOOD/NICE TO SAY DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!;)
 
I think it is rather funny when someone buys a DVD, watches it and then right after rates it. I told Dan I would give my honest review of this set AFTER I tried each effect in a real world situation, because I wanted to base my review upon the audience's reactions...So as of yet, I am still not done.

But I need to make something clear. Dan is a creator first and foremost and a performer second. He creates magic for others to perform, and he says that himself. But here lies the problem with your review...

Several times you say "There was no presentation"...well does there have to be? Or is it up to YOU, the magician to take something and make it your own? Or have we as magicians forgot that important piece of knowledge?

While I can tell you that there are a couple of effects that I am not a fan of on the DVD, there are some that get great reactions from the audience. Because it's not about what we like, (to a degree), it is about what our audience likes.

Mike

Mike, you create a sort of paradox with your reply, you say, hes a creator for us, but we have to create after him. Magic creators are either for themselves or to help people who can't create magic. Every good piece of magic I have seen created or performed is good to the laity not only for the magic itself, but for its foundation, the presentation. Why would you say in the description that "these are pieces that could be put out on their own", if the creator himself hasn't even came up with a suitable, presentable presentation yet?

And, it is our job to create or spark interest in what we like, to make the audience interested. If you told them you were going to make a straw grow, they would say "So what?" but if you said "have you ever gotten tired of having to bend your head down to drink from a straw that's just too small?" they would say "well, but of course!" and then you would make their straw grow. Interest was created, not found.

Thank you for your respectful reply, Mike.
 

Mike.Hankins

creator / <a href="http://www.theory11.com/tricks/
Nov 21, 2009
435
0
Sacramento, Cali
Mike, you create a sort of paradox with your reply, you say, hes a creator for us, but we have to create after him. Magic creators are either for themselves or to help people who can't create magic. Every good piece of magic I have seen created or performed is good to the laity not only for the magic itself, but for its foundation, the presentation. Why would you say in the description that "these are pieces that could be put out on their own", if the creator himself hasn't even came up with a suitable, presentable presentation yet?

And, it is our job to create or spark interest in what we like, to make the audience interested. If you told them you were going to make a straw grow, they would say "So what?" but if you said "have you ever gotten tired of having to bend your head down to drink from a straw that's just too small?" they would say "well, but of course!" and then you would make their straw grow. Interest was created, not found.

Thank you for your respectful reply, Mike.

I understand what you are saying, I really do. However, let me try to further reach into my brain to help convey my message.

Look at MMA fighters or Martial Artists. (I have studied martial arts for almost 17 years, but have been out of the loop due to a war injury.) There are some serious Billy Badasses out there who seriously know how to throw down. And while they are heavy hitters, they still need a great team of trainers and coaches to help them along the way. Without the knowledge of a great coach, the fighter would be lost. But understand that just because the coach can give out the information, doesn't make them a great fighter. There are better teachers than practicioners out there.

Another example would be an artist or a painter. They create images from their mind and put it on canvas. To them, it is not a masterpiece, but just an extension of who they are. They create it and move on to the next one. Now you have art exhibits where people come from all over to look at the same art that was just an idea from someone else. But they see it in a different light. To them, they have an explanation of why that artist used the brush stroke that he/she did, or why he/she chose red instead of blue. To the artist, it was an image he/she wanted to express on paper/canvas. But to a true admirer of art, they saw something else.

Dan's mind works differently than ours. He picks up a friggin flip flop and throws the idea of the linking rings into the mix and now we have 2 flip flops that link together. Or a playing card becomes the same matchbook that the spectator had just used to light something. I can't think like that. Hell, most people can't think like that. But that is what he does. He gives us the tools that we need to help piece together whatever it is we are trying to assemble. He may not be the best at driving a car, but he can put one together better than you or I can. Do you see what I am saying?

You don't have to like his DVD set. It is not for you, and that is fine. Just like I look at cardistry as juggling, and not an artform. But I respect it the work it takes to learn some of those moves. And it is beautiful to see, but I think it is unnecessary when it comes to performing "magic". But the people who buy those DVDs and instant download end up using it to help build their knowledge and material as a cardist. On the same token, it would be safe to say that there are plenty of people who will take some of the information taught on Dan's DVDs and use it to their advantage as well.

Just as an aside, I personally have seen Dan perform all of these effects to real audiences while we were out and about and never once was he looked at like a fool. He got some killer reactions. The kind of reactions that gets people to empty their wallets for ya. :)

Cheers...(I am not European...why did I type that?)

Mike
 
I understand what you are saying, I really do. However, let me try to further reach into my brain to help convey my message.

Look at MMA fighters or Martial Artists. (I have studied martial arts for almost 17 years, but have been out of the loop due to a war injury.) There are some serious Billy Badasses out there who seriously know how to throw down. And while they are heavy hitters, they still need a great team of trainers and coaches to help them along the way. Without the knowledge of a great coach, the fighter would be lost. But understand that just because the coach can give out the information, doesn't make them a great fighter. There are better teachers than practicioners out there.

Another example would be an artist or a painter. They create images from their mind and put it on canvas. To them, it is not a masterpiece, but just an extension of who they are. They create it and move on to the next one. Now you have art exhibits where people come from all over to look at the same art that was just an idea from someone else. But they see it in a different light. To them, they have an explanation of why that artist used the brush stroke that he/she did, or why he/she chose red instead of blue. To the artist, it was an image he/she wanted to express on paper/canvas. But to a true admirer of art, they saw something else.

Dan's mind works differently than ours. He picks up a friggin flip flop and throws the idea of the linking rings into the mix and now we have 2 flip flops that link together. Or a playing card becomes the same matchbook that the spectator had just used to light something. I can't think like that. Hell, most people can't think like that. But that is what he does. He gives us the tools that we need to help piece together whatever it is we are trying to assemble. He may not be the best at driving a car, but he can put one together better than you or I can. Do you see what I am saying?

You don't have to like his DVD set. It is not for you, and that is fine. Just like I look at cardistry as juggling, and not an artform. But I respect it the work it takes to learn some of those moves. And it is beautiful to see, but I think it is unnecessary when it comes to performing "magic". But the people who buy those DVDs and instant download end up using it to help build their knowledge and material as a cardist. On the same token, it would be safe to say that there are plenty of people who will take some of the information taught on Dan's DVDs and use it to their advantage as well.

Just as an aside, I personally have seen Dan perform all of these effects to real audiences while we were out and about and never once was he looked at like a fool. He got some killer reactions. The kind of reactions that gets people to empty their wallets for ya. :)

Cheers...(I am not European...why did I type that?)

Mike

I agree, but my main conflict was that in the description it says that all of these effects are ones that could be released one there own, and this is just not the case, but I respect others opinions and do think a lot can be done with the paint and canvas Dan has given us through restless.

cheers... (me either...)
 
Sep 1, 2007
340
1
Ontario, Canada
alright, you have got to be kidding me. especilly that kid who gave the review. these are some of the best dvds ive bought. completly worth the $100 every trick was awesome to me and i will be preforming all of them and i already am preforming most so obviously you guys dont know good magic.AT ALL! and honestly no preformence for 2 tricks? get over it and gimmicks? its magic what do u expect its MAGIC its not going to be real or impromtu and so what theres gimmicks there not bad and especily the one he teaches you to make so get over that too. and ur bashing dan or HIS material
? get the hell out of here dont bother posting anymore you little baby

Grow up man. Its his opinion. He didnt like them. So this is his review. Your the one being the "little baby". Like I said before. Grow up
 
Jul 1, 2008
130
0
Romania
dude its 2 tricks that dont have a preformance but during the trick u can make out the preformance and like most people say IF YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING GOOD/NICE TO SAY DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!;)

ok first of all WHO THE HELL WRIGHTS LIKE THIS??
PS: You are just one of those guys who buys every magic trick uses them all even if they are terrible because...well first of all you are a terrible magician because every magician should have his own routines and not just use everything and you protect the creator(and im not talking just about dan hauss)because you paid like 100$ and you regret it so you protect him and saying that its good.
 
Apr 5, 2009
96
0
ok

ok first of all WHO THE HELL WRIGHTS LIKE THIS??
PS: You are just one of those guys who buys every magic trick uses them all even if they are terrible because...well first of all you are a terrible magician because every magician should have his own routines and not just use everything and you protect the creator(and im not talking just about dan hauss)because you paid like 100$ and you regret it so you protect him and saying that its good.
how about u stfu im not protecting anyone i can tell u right now that i dont regret buying restless becacuse i accually like it and i dont buy every trick and so what if im not creative enough and i do make my own presentation for the tricks thats why i dont care if theres a presentation or not and i do buy tricks that im dissapionted in (control,twist) and im not afriad to say it
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
how about u stfu im not protecting anyone i can tell u right now that i dont regret buying restless becacuse i accually like it and i dont buy every trick and so what if im not creative enough and i do make my own presentation for the tricks thats why i dont care if theres a presentation or not and i do buy tricks that im dissapionted in (control,twist) and im not afriad to say it

Chill out John Cena.

They gave pretty good arguments, and so far you haven't given anything good to back up your point of view.

While I do agree that we should make our own presentations, I do find it highly unprofessional the way in wich Dan released his effects.

It's almost as he was like " Let's get this over with, i'm hungry"

I pretty much agree with the TC, still, some of the effects have potential.
 
Apr 5, 2009
96
0
ok

my point of veiw is that in his review he seemeed angery or dissappointed with the 2or 3 tricks with no preformnace and then saying the tricks were all gimmicks and like that it makes them bad tricks. i think that gimmicks are honestly what makes magic like you cant slow morph a card with out distortion ect. and then he gives it a bad review because of that? i dont think thats a good reason as in gimmicks = bad review?






ps i wasnt quoting john cena with the stfu hahaaha:D
 
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