ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....

It's too bad that such great material was delivered in such a boring way!

Don't get me wrong...I love the DVDs (VHS would have been unbearable without the skip ahead options) I think they are a WONDERFUL resource and I wouldn't think about returning them even if magic shops did accept returns, but oh man.

I have seen some of Rubenstein's other tapes and they are just as dull.

The hard part about Encyclopedia of Coin Sleights is that there is no context. A sleight may be brilliant in one effect, while in another that very same sleight would be extraneous or a hindrance.

It's tough to tell which category most of the sleights fall under without context (or showmanship)

The only other problem I have with this DVD set is that the sleights that Rubenstein himself invented seem to be only very very very slight variations on existing sleights.
It seems he only included them on the DVD as an ego boost...so he could have his name all over the back of the DVDs. I don't know, maybe my perception is also due to lack of context.

I would also like to have seen more use with gimmicked coins, but I do realize that would have taken 11 DVDs to complete and most people just don't have that kind of time/money to spend on DVDs.

All in all, as an inventor of coin magic, I will most certainly find these DVDs to be a useful reference guide when I need just the right click pass.

Best,

These Encylcopedia DVDs are not supposed to be entertaining, but rather reference materials for sleights. I don't know about you, but I sure don't know how to teach mundane topics such as coin sleights in an overly entertaining fashion.

Mike is not teaching patter, is not telling a story, is not performing routines, is not telling jokes, nor is it the purpose of this DVD, he demonstrating sleight after sleight after sleight.

Since he is not teaching routines, there is obviously no context for the sleights, but that is not the purpose of this set of DVDs.

These are building blocks of coin magic. Bricks, cement, wood, steel, screws, nuts, bolts, etc. are not appealing in themselves, but you put them together and make something, you can create wonderful objects.

The classic palm, thumb palm, and finger palm are not appealing in themsleves, but you put them together and make something, you can create wonderful magic.

Consider Mike's DVDs a construction list with which to build magic.

As far as the variations - Mike's purpose was to provide many different ways of doing the same thing, because within certain routines it may be better to use a variation, or if you have to use the same move a lot in a routine, varying it can make it not look the same. There is merit to variations. Not all of the variations are Mike's either, he includes variations of other magicians.

To start a thread like this with "ZZZZZ" and assume Mike put variations in his DVD for an "ego boost" (without even asking him why he did it) and the whole tone of your post makes you sound very pompus, if it is not your intention to come off that way, you may want to think about HOW you are saying something before you post, and think about the purpose of the product you are talking about (coin sleights) before lambasting it for what is not (ie routines, patter, jokes, gimmick coins, etc.)

Good for you Dan, I agree

I agree totally with Dan as well.

However, if you really require more 'context', the Ammar coin video is a bit more entertaining (But how entertaining does a 'dictionary' need to be?) I guess this is why Amazon.com carries the Ammar video and not Rubenstein.

The Rubenstein DVD covers so much, that's why it is a great reference. I find the variations very useful. I found that some of his spins on the classic moves 'fit' my hands better...

...zzzzzzzzzzz

(That's me taking back the beginning of my last post)

Wow, I guess I came across far more sarcastic than I really was!

I also agree with everything Dan said, and Dan agreed with me...it was just how I said it, right?

He said the DVDs are a great reference point...as did I.

He agreed with me that they are not entertaining, and we both said that his material is merely a reference guide for creating magic.

This post is to show that I also agree with his last point, the one about HOW I posted.

The only one that I disagreed with was the "variations" point. I still think the variations are very slight, but if you are compiling an "Encyclopedia" I guess no stone should be left unturned.

Only I can post something that everybody agrees with, but still creates controversy!


Again, my apologies for my tone.

Best,

To clarify... would that mean they are slight sleight variations?

Dan

I've only been working coin magic for a few months and mike's DVD's are fantastic. Its a great reference for someone like me. If you can believe it, I actually went through them all end to end and learned( or tried to) all the slights. Now when I pick up Bobo or any book. Its much much easier to understand what the routine is about and what the sleights are.