Welcome to My World by John Stessel

Aug 1, 2009
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Product: Welcome To My World by John Stessel
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S15428
Price: 22.50
(Full disclosure John is a friend of mine)

So basically this is a composition of 7 of Johns favorite effects. He didn't release this DVD through any company he simply released through himself and his own money was put into every aspect of this and simply because he wanted people to be able to view and learn these effects he loves so much. This is very apparent when you watch the DVD and a lot of respect goes to his way for doing this project all on his own. This will be a brutally honest review and I will tell you what I like and what I don't like.

The Effects:

Ice Breaker: Me showing you what the change looks like. (Since I know that's what you guys really care about)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKZdlevCi-M
Now this effect is one of my top favorites on the project. This is a solid effect where you hand out a sour or minty ice breaker than say you hate the flavor and change the logo and box completely and hand out the opposite flavored mint that was in the original box. This is quick, simple and, visual and very easy to make and do. Once you make this gimmick once you never have to make it again. You can always carry this with you and you have a simple miracle. Can they examine the box? Nope. Have I ever been asked by anyone to? Nope. That would just be kind of rude and weird so no worries there. 9.5/10

Merge 1.0: This is a stupidly simple way of changing one card into another with a rubber band wrapped around it. This again is very easy and no gimmicks. Borrowed deck. Borrowed rubber band or hair tie. This is a very visual changing of a card and looks as good in person as it does in the demo for the DVD. If you like the looks of the change in the demo than you'll love this effect. 9/10

Bendable: This is my 2nd favorite right behind Ice Breaker for me. This uses a "gimmick" if you can even call it that and looks great to a spectator and is simple to do. You borrow a bendy straw and as you shake the straw the bend in the straw moves down and than once it is at the end of the straw you can hand the straw out at the end for examination. This is a quick fun and visual effect that I personally use now in my walking restaurant set. Will this effect fool magicians? No way. Will it fool laymen and will spectators enjoy this effect? Hell ya. So this is a great one as well. 9.5/10

Black Hole: This is a very neat gimmicked box effect where you can take a coin and make it audibly vanish from the card box. Is the card box examinable? No. Does this matter to laymen? No. There are a lot of things you can do with this gimmick and John teaches 3 routines he does with this gimmick but there are a lot more you could come up with on your own. And yes you can still keep a deck of cards in the box. This is a very useful and cool utility device I think a lot of you will like. 9/10

Popcorn/Cap-off:
Why am I grouping them? Because they use the same gimmick just in a different way. So with popcorn you see it in the trailer but basically you have a piece of popcorn at belly button height and you let it go and it shoots into your mouth. With Cap-off you stare at a lid of a water bottle (or any lightweight object) and with no movement from your hands it flies off. This will work with an infinite amount of objects. Also everything is examinable before and after. Borrow everything. The set up for this is lengthy but you should only have to do it once and do either of these effects again and again. The set up is very very very smart. Its super sneaky and will make you smile when you hear the method I promise. Are these effects for everyone? No sir. I will never perform either of these because its simply not for me. But I do know a lot of people will love these and use them but, its just not for me. 8/10 (only because I personally won't use them)

Arrow: This is my least favorite things on the project. I feel like I have seen this effect a million times. Yet I performed it anyway for a couple at my restaurant I work at and they loved it. And I have done it many times since than and it always goes well. So for magicians this might be boring but for laymen it is a real worker. Especially if you get the patter right. O ya and the actual effect is where the spectator selects a card and you use a arrow card and shoot it in the deck and it finds their selection. This is a very flashy version of this and shows of some of your skills and therefore will take more practice than anything else on the DVD in my opinion. Overall this is a neat little effect but nothing groundbreaking here. 7/10

Overall: For what your paying for and the effects you actually get this is one of the best compilation DVD's I have seen in a while. It is full of great workers and stuff you will use. He teaches everything in great detail and you can see and hear everything very well. Not everyone will use everything but I guarantee you will find at least 2 of these effects that you will begin to play with and use. Great work John and I can't wait to see what's next! 9/10
 
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