The Magic of Halloween

[Axel]

Halloween is approaching my fellow magicians. That means we don't have to hold back our nastiest, goriest, most gruesome effects we have. I want to know what effects you are doing on Halloween night. I'll tell you what i'm doing:
Saw by Sean Fields
Sick by Sean Fields
Control by Wayne Houchin
Stigmata by Wayne Houchin
Sinful by Wayne Houchin
and
Staked by Subterfuge

In my opinion these effects are PERFECT for Halloween. Tell me what you are going to do to freak out your neighborhood. Get your freak on guys. There's a reason the word trick is in TRICK or treat!

 

[joshrobarts]

ok... this is like the third time ive seen this. Im not judging just curious. HOW the heck is Sinful scary spooky magic?


As for magic im doing for halloween.

Warning/Smoke
Pen Through Cheek by Andrew Mayne
Possibly Wounded
Haunted Deck (static version and Derren Browns)
some basic mentalism
Zamiel's Rose for the ladies if i can get my hands on the black petals
Control is a maybe
Stigmata is a definite
And im currently working on a cups and balls using Pong cups and balls for the parties
Im also doing handcuff escapes since half the girls have cuffs on their costumes.

Also a few of my own effects with business cards and blank cards.

PK goes big, Razor's go big and Loops go big for halloween. Also anything with fire or mentalism.


OHHH i also picked up these SWEET halloween balloons from walmart for Pressure. Black with spider wed designs and pumpkin designs. So perfect.

 

[nenn]

pong cups and balls sounds like such a good idea hurrah impromptu party magic!

 

[joshrobarts]

p.s my final load for pong balls is a full can of beer. its a killer ending at parties

 

[nenn]

:-O jolly good show! id love to see this in video if you have it

 

[Cedric Taylor]

Let me tell you guys a little something. effects don't play well for Halloween, but presentation goes well for it!!! If you let a comedy magician did a razor blade routine. He's gonna be all "haha" and stuff. Let someone lets say a Dan Sperry, perform razor blades, he's killer. Even a rubber band trick can play well as something spooky. Magic in itself is something that spooky because of the mystical approach of the artform itself!!! So yes, Sinful can blow people away for Halloween. All depends on the presentation. Finger Fantasies can be seen as a "haha" trick if not presentated in the right fashion. Yes, even everyone's favorites, Saw and Sick!!! You gotta use what Chris Kenner has been stating for years, personality!!! or at least some kinda mystic character....

but yeah hope that cleared a bit up for you guys!!!

 

[joshrobarts]

you completely missed the point. When you think of SAW, SICK, Razor blade swallowing, the common theme is that the effect itself is spooky. Sinful in itself is not innately spooky. Its confounding, confusing, amazing. but not spooky. And dont preach about presentation assuming thats my issue with it. Trust me, i understand that presentation gives context to an effect and can change its appearance and presence, but it cant make Pressure look like a satanic ritual, because the nature of the effect doesn't fit that, and trying to force it looks terrible. And about your comment about the type of magician fitting the type of the effect, if i re-call, comedy magician The Amazing Jonathan did a very spooky version of Razor Blade swallowing and people were terrified and laughing the whole time. You cant typecast a magician as long as they make the style there own, but the effect still has to fit the theme they are presenting. I cant do sponge bunnies for goth kids and make them scream in terror, i could try, and maybe they would be surprised, but it would just seem tacky and awkward.

 

[Cedric Taylor]

i was using ur example of sinful....

i'm not sure about how you do it, but a coin in a bottle or coin in a sealed can can be presented as something spooky....its all in the person....Barry and Stuart are killer for gory and off the wall presentations. Some in which they do. I don't go "omg, thats nasty". More like a " these dudes are stupid" in a good way tho.

However they did present some killer chilling style magic. Its all in their setting and manner in which they perform. I think magcians have to set the tone. I'm not saying about sponge bunnies. Thats a lil too weak for goth kids! But sinful can be looked at by some as spooky because of the tone in which you set. Honestly its perfect for parties. The right guy, the right way. It becomes " holy S***t!!!" moment and you get some freaked out spectator running thinking you are possesed.

I think David Blaine is a perfect example. His street magic wasn't spooky. But that voice, thats presentation. Had one woman freaked and confused. It was even said that he was possessed by a few spectators. two seperate people from two walks of life. One woman even for that moment asked about her future indicating he was prophetic. Thats the closest thing to spooky to me!!!

 

[AndrewJ]

Trust me, i understand that presentation gives context to an effect and can change its appearance and presence, but it cant make Pressure look like a satanic ritual, because the nature of the effect doesn't fit that, and trying to force it looks terrible.

Right away I'm thinking red balloons, black sharpies (or dry erase markers), and symbols found on the jewelry rack at Hot Topic. Prep the balloons and leave inflated for just a little bit to let dry. (This is a pain.)

Presentation could invoke the name of The Great Devourer of Worlds, whose breath is granted to the devout.

I will concede that you have experience presenting for people far beyond anything I do. But that was such a ridiculous pairing of themes that I instinctively went to work putting them together. Consider it the horror writer in me.

I may buy a bag of red balloons tonight just to try this....

 

[tokyoUW]

Let me tell you guys a little something. effects don't play well for Halloween, but presentation goes well for it!!! If you let a comedy magician did a razor blade routine. He's gonna be all "haha" and stuff. Let someone lets say a Dan Sperry, perform razor blades, he's killer. Even a rubber band trick can play well as something spooky. Magic in itself is something that spooky because of the mystical approach of the artform itself!!! So yes, Sinful can blow people away for Halloween. All depends on the presentation. Finger Fantasies can be seen as a "haha" trick if not presentated in the right fashion. Yes, even everyone's favorites, Saw and Sick!!! You gotta use what Chris Kenner has been stating for years, personality!!! or at least some kinda mystic character....

but yeah hope that cleared a bit up for you guys!!!

For other people who had trouble reading this, or for people who had to read through it 4 times to understand. Here is a translation:

Let me tell you guys a little something. It is not the effect that plays well for Halloween, it is the presentation. If a more comical magician were to perform a razor blade routine, it would be funny and all, but if someone like Dan Sperry were to perform the exact same routine, it would be a killer in terms of fitting the Halloween theme.

Even a rubber band trick can play well as something spooky. Magic in itself is a spooky thing because of the “mystical” approach that it takes. Therefore, yes, Sinful can blow people away as a Halloween effect. However it still depends on the presentation. Finger Fantasies can be seen more as a “HAHA!” type comedy effect if it is not presented in the right way. And let’s not forget everyone’s favorite effects, Saw and Sick!

Try to remember what Chris Kenner has been mentioning for years: “It is all about ‘personality’ or any kind of ‘mystic character’ that you are able to create.” (rough quote).

 

[Steerpike]

you completely missed the point. When you think of SAW, SICK, Razor blade swallowing, the common theme is that the effect itself is spooky.

I'm hoping you all know by now how I feel about the use of the word spooky.