Okay, so I've gotten on this kick of working with the torn and restored effect. I am (slowly) trying to master Reformation. I've read Hollingworth's book, and the description is good, but I need to see the work in motion to see if I'm properly handling the cards. Does anyone have a clip of him performing this illusion? Please let me know.
Jonathan Schweid, M.D.
President, JESmagic

You can see Guy perform this effect -- aboard an ocean liner, of all places! -- at the conclusion of what has become one of my all-time favorite magic videos. It is called 'Routines' by Guy Hollingworth. You should definitely get a copy of this; it is filled with incredible stuff and not all of it is knuckle-busting. The only part of the tape that was a letdown for me was an outtake that plays after the credits roll where Guy quite rudely dismisses a homeless woman who was interested in seeing the card trick he was explaining. How much better it would have been if only he had shown her the routine, or a different one for that matter. Isn't that what a magician should do? Despite this rather disappointing display of arrogance, I love the material on this tape and the way Guy presents it. He is a master!

P.S. Reformation is performed on this video but is not explained! But if you just need to see him perform the effect, it is there, my friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7zRMBdw3w

well..he blew away the woman in such gentleman way. its better than tell the girl literally to "F.O". I think.

Thanks, I'm beginning to get the hang of it. Still need some practice, but seeing the moves makes the illustrations clearer. I still am fumbling through a little bit of it, but I've also come up with a couple of my own moves--which I think work. Still needs practice, practice.

I'll tell you what I really like about this effect though--and that is the ability to show both sides of the card. While Torn is much easier to perform, you do not get the ability to flip the card around. This effect, to me, is more like Kenner's Torn Asunder--which I think is stunning. I am also using Bridge size cards instead of poker cards, which, for me is easier to handle. I got the idea after watching Copperfield perform Torn Asunder and noticed that the baseball card was quite a bit smaller than a standard playing card. I would only assume that this made the handling easier for him and allowed for the seemingly impossible restoration effect. Anyone else have any thoughts or pointers? By the way, has anyone actually ever figured out the handling for Torn Asunder--I would imagine that one of you pros has worked it through--or will it just remain a Kenner mystery?
Regards,
Jonathan Schweid

Kenner claimed in MAGIC magazine that noone has approached him about the method. it may still remain a secret.

Kenner won't release it. Personally, Gared Crawford has created a better looking T & R which he hasn't released yet called 'Bits and Pieces'.

I learned the Reformation from Guy's book, but have recently acquired his video he released to the world which he performs and teaches in detail the effect

Denis Behr also does a good performance of it on his website.

I disagree, first of all, it was a man, not a woman. Second, he's actually somewhat polite when he was there, the only mildly off color comment he made was after he had gone. Mind you, saying something behind someone's back is only marginally better than saying it to their face, but nonetheless...

Backstabber is the worst person in the world. someone who does not have guts to express his opinions bluntly due to the "social" restraint is just bull. What would you feel if you show magic to Guy and in front of you he said it was good but behind your back he will say that you are the worst magician he ever seen, Chris SD?

You can't like everyone in the world. If someone came up to you when you were filming and interupted, you won't just carry on, you would have a little chuckle to yourself, or say to your cameraman or friends around you 'Was he for real or something'

You - don't dis the guy that is guy!
He is a great magician.

You misunderstand. I expressed what a great magician he is...and urged you to get this tape if you don't have it. But then expressed that this one outtake was 'a letdown' for me personally. Yes, he could have behaved in a worse fashion. Yes, he did dismisss him/her gently. I did not 'dis' the man. We are all capable of less than heroic behaviour at times. It was the inclusion of this clip that baffled me. Why put it in the tape except for the reason that you find it very funny? And at whose expense? A poor person less fortunate than yourself? I'm not saying that I myself might act in any better a way, but I might question my attitude and certainly not include it as 'an outtake' for laughs. I stick by my statement because I was expressing a personal reaction. Likewise, I respect your opinions as well. We just don't agree. I still respect and admire Mr. Hollingworth, I just thought how better it would be to see him come through and show the poor man a trick. Why not? Even something quick. It is something to mull over and ask yourself: if you're out doing magic somewhere, strolling or street magic, do you reject some people because you don't like their appearance? Do you tell them that what you are doing is of no interest to them? Or are you prepared to show them a trick? I understand that Guy was taping and was certainly not prepared for such an interruption...but it does raise a real world situation that you may face if you perform regularly. I am not casting stones at your idol. I love what Mr. Hollingworth has brought to magic and believe that he is probably a wonderful individual and a gentleman. The decision to include that clip at the end 'for a chuckle' was just, for me, a 'buzz killer'. I am surprised nobody else felt the same way.

He didn't want to show any magic to the man because maybe Guy was too cool for it. j/k. Prof. Pabodie. You have a point that I will taken into consideration if I were in that situation.

I haven't seen the video, but if some guy just walked up and said, "Show me a trick," he had every right to blow him off, ever so nicely. He gets paid to do what he does and he was shooting a video to make money. You wouldn't walk up to a guy who works at McDonalds as he walked by on the street and say, hey, give me a free Hamburger, and make it Super Size? I think that is a big problem sometimes. If you meet a Lawyer you don't whip out a will and say, "Could you look at this for me?". Yet, when you say you are a magician, most people will ask to see a trick.

It's because people think laywer is a job, working at McD is a job, but magicians are strange people that have some special ability, and people want to see this!

I don't think he should have shown the guy a trick. It would have been nice. It would have looked great on the video. And the homeless person was not being offensive, just curious. I have no qualms with the way Guy blew him off; I can understand that and would have done the same, perhaps. I just questioned why it was added to the end of the video as a 'humorous outtake'. It seemed a little ugly to me. That's all. I love Guy's work and study it very carefully.