|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 | ||||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
I agree. No idea what Tom is talking about. Way off base. Some of the plots are classic but there is always a unique twist that sets these effects apart. And several of the effects are original. Nicholas credits when necessary and sometimes the trick is even taught by its creator (caveney a few times, Levit, Ramirez, Steinmeyer).
|
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Box 10 has arrived and it's another winner. As mentioned earlier, the myboxofmagic youtube channel has video performances of all of the effects and they are now broken out by box# so you can see the effects in each box. This month we have Time Is Money, a nice handling of card warp using a bill and one playing card. Nicholas combines it with Weapon of Choice, another item in this month's box. It's a plastic box that holds a boxed deck of cards, and it fooled me. I was expecting the old plastic card switch box but Weapon is more than that. At the conclusion of card warp the card is torn in half as usual. The two halves are then placed into the Weapon box and the boxed deck is placed on top. Lid is closed. You then do back in time patter and when you open the box and remove the card box (showing both sides freely), the torn card has restored into a normal card. Weapon box can be fully examined. I like the combination of effects.
With Conjurings, you get two tricks using finger rings and Nicholas has gone the extra mile and provided two finger rings in the kit. He even provides them in different sizes so there is a smaller size and a bigger size. Good for kids that will grow so the ring grows with them. Also good if you are an adult getting the kit so you have an adult size ring to use. One of the effects is a nice ring off string sequence where the ring penetrates off the cord (supplied) and onto a magic wand that is being held on both ends by the spectator. The other effect is a very visual "bar bet" where you try to throw a ring into the air and catch it in the bowl of a spoon. Instead of catching it in the bowl, the ring actually penetrates the neck of the spoon. The winner of box 10 IMO is Quartered which is taught by Robert Ramirez. You have a spectator choose and sign a card. It gets folded into quarters and placed in an otherwise empty matchbox. Spectator holds the matchbox. You then take a signed quarter, waive it at your fingertips and it visibly changes into a folded card. Card is unfolded and shown to be the signed card. Matchbox is opened to find card has disappeared and quarter in its place. (only one matchbox used). A really nice routine with several deceptive elements. I've said it before and I'll continue to say it: The amount/quality of magic for this price is unbeatable. Can't wait for box 11. |
|||||||||
videoman Inner circle 6732 Posts |
These boxes are so cool. I wish I had subscribed since the beginning.
Eric, I really appreciate your monthly review of each box. >>>"You then do back in time patter and when you open the box and remove the card box (showing both sides freely), the torn card has restored into a normal card."<<< Sounds like another good use for that back in time app. |
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Good call videoman. That would be a perfect use for the Timeline app
|
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Box 11 is here and it contains, IMO, three of the best effects in close-up magic.
First up is the Invisible Deck. The standard presentation is taught and you get a Bike Mandolin ID. Probably the best card trick of all time. Next up is a version of the Gypsy Thread. With permission from Gene Andersen (one of my heros), Nicholas teaches Gene's handling and the box includes the thread Gene uses as well as his set-up tool. The thread provided is the perfect thread for this effect as it breaks easily and it comes on a spool that is perfectly suited for hiding the load. If I wasn't already using Gypsy Floss on a daily basis, this is the version I would use. David Williamson...a very young David Williamson makes an appearance performing and teaching a very easy but deceptive four ace trick from one of David's very early video releases. Always great to see David in action and this is a simple trick that is well within the abilities of even a beginner. As with every box thus far, there is always one stand-out item and this box is no exception. With the Samurai, you get a fresh take on the razor card plot, one of my absolute favorite plots in all of magic. I've been attending the Magi-Fest for 30 years and I still have vivid memories of watching John Fedko perform his version of this effect. I bet I watched him do it at least 25 times in the dealer room over the years and I always dreamed of buying his version but could never afford it. I wish it was still available so I could add it to my collection now. Over the years I've purchased many versions of the effect but for some reason never added it to my working set. So I was thrilled to see Nicholas' fresh version in this month's box. Here, Nicholas does away with the old safety razor and replaces it with a stainless steel Samurai. The Samurai comes in a nice presentation box that serves a dual purpose as it also allows for the necessary deck switch using a clever optical principle by Okito. This trick showcases two of the traits that I love most about Nicholas and this project. As I've mentioned above many times, Nicholas puts a ton of thought and effort into these effects...much more than he has to. He easily could have made the samurai out of plastic but he didn't. He had it manufactured out of stainless steel. He could have done what every other manufacturer of a razor effect has done by telling you to make your own shredded cards or just providing you 25 or so pieces. Here, you get a deck of shredded bicycle cards and you literally get a ton of pieces. The box is packed. So when you dump out the cards, the display of pieces is impressive. Nicholas also could have skipped the box altogether and just taught a basic pocket deck switch. He didn't. He had a box specially manufactured and taught the more advanced Okito principle. So again, he went above and beyond in both props and methods. I will gladly use this version. While I'm thrilled with this month's box, I'm sad that this is box 11. I know there is only one more box to go and I'm going to be super bummed when my monthly surprises stop showing up on my doorstep. I am hoping beyond hope that this project has been successful enough to warrant a second season! With Christmas fast-approaching, this project should be a must buy on your shopping list for your budding magicians...or even for you old fart seasoned pros like me. Having been in the game for 30+ years, very few things bring me this much joy anymore (and as those of you that know me know, I am a shopaholic and pretty much buy every new effect/gizmo that comes to marked...as my poor wife will attest). Until next month. |
|||||||||
nnight New user 8 Posts |
Eric,
I am humbled and grateful. I'm always attuned to what would it be like for a young magician to get these tricks, but secretly hope my peers will find them worthy as well! This thread makes it all worthwhile Cheers! |
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Performed Samurai for the family today. They went crazy! I’ve performed every mybox trick for them since box 1 and they all agreed Samurai is the best effect thus far.
|
|||||||||
kleefeld New user Avon, Ohio 15 Posts |
I have collected magic sets for thirty years. So many have nice boxes, attractive artwork, clever tricks, but also there are many sets with poor designs, weak implementations and cheap repetitive tricks. Nicholas Night's My Box of Magic is a real standout, even when placed against magic sets of other time periods, eras, provenance and even foreign countries. These props are well designed and carefully manufactured, and the clear routines videos are followed by equally clear and understandable instructions. They are simple enough for kids (well, upper elementary and into teen-age kids) can learn and enjoy, but even seasoned veteran magicians will find material here that is novel and performable for the public. The kits can be had one at a time or bought as a subscription. As I understand it, there will be twelve altogether. I heartily endorse buying the complete set and settling back each month to really savor the clever props and novel routines.
|
|||||||||
Jim Tighe Veteran user West Virginia 363 Posts |
Eric it's so awesome your kids are into performing magic. Mine not so much. I thought the Samurai trick you always yearned for had a walnut box with a sword.
|
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Welcome back my friend! And yes, I have “that” samurai trick as well. This one is better!
|
|||||||||
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Well campers, box 12 is here and it may be the best box yet! Unfortunately, it sounds like there are no plans to continue MyBox into a second season and I am super bummed about that. Hopefully this will be enough of a commercial success to warrant a second season because Nicholas has proven throughout the first 12 boxes that he has some really creative ideas. Let's dive into box 12:
Back2back: A nice, quick 2 card prediction effect where a spectator inserts a face down card anywhere into a face up deck. With no funny moves, the cards are spread and the two face up cards on either side of the face down card are removed. They prove to match the prediction you made before the trick began. By using an (included) simple gimmick, Nicholas does away with the prophecy move that typically accomplishes the ending of tricks like this and the result is a very easy/clean prediction effect. From Beyond: The ashes on the arm gets a nice upgrade. Nicholas includes all the necessary props to make the set up super quick and easy. He also includes hemostats to make the burning of the paper safer and he even includes a really nice wooden coffin that both holds the props and serves as an ash receptacle. This is another example of Nicholas going above and beyond what is required. Not only did he have the coffin custom made, he even had it coated with fire retardant material to make it ultra safe. He also includes a simple but unique holder for the necessary prep material that makes both transport and application super easy. This can be a show stopper. Nicholas shows you a few ways to use it, and he even takes an old (IMO bad) mathematical force from Scarne and gives it a complete makeover so the underlying method is the same but is now completely hidden. Cueless: A really unique prediction effect with a super kicker ending. You show a black canister containing 6 super balls in the form of mini billiard balls. You dump out the balls and have the spectator narrow the balls down to one ball. You then remove your shoe to show that in your shoe is a sticker showing the chosen ball. Not impressive enough, you dump out a real, full size billiard ball matching the one chosen. If you don't want to go the shoe route, you can use the canister. After the ball is chosen, you show the lid of the canister that contains the prediction sticker. Then you tap the canister and out pops a full size billiard ball matching the chosen ball. Again, Nicholas has thought of everything. You get six super ball billiard balls, the full size load ball, a ball holder/dropper, the stickers and a really nice canister. Nicholas went the extra mile and had the canister coated with felt, including extra felt on the bottom to deaden any sound when doing the load. How cool is that. He also includes a ball holder/dropper to make the load even easier. This is a great routine with multiple possibilities. RavenStone: Every box thus far has contained one stand out effect and, while difficult to pick a winner out of box 12, RavenStone is it! Every box has also contained at least one trick/principle that has fooled me and I was fooled badly by this one. You tear an ordinary piece of paper into 9 pieces. You have someone write the initials of 8 living people on the first 8 pieces and the initials of a dead person on the last piece. They feely shuffle and you never watch the writing or shuffling. You spread the pieces across the table and then produce a small box containing a Raven's Claw on the end of a string. The claw is holding a shiny metal ball. You hold the end of the string and move the claw over every piece of paper. When the claw arrives on the paper with the dead person's initials, the claw attaches to that piece! You then hand the claw and paper to a spectator and they can examine everything. In their hands, the claw no longer sticks to the paper! The paper is completely ordinary and there are no hidden magnets. Here, you get everything you need contained in a really well designed box. This uses a principle from a really old trick that I had heard of but never seen. This updates that principle and makes it totally self contained and easy to perform at a moment's notice. This one is just plain creative and fun. I honestly can't see anyone figuring this one out or even having a clue. The natural assumption is that the paper has a hidden magnet but you quickly shoot that theory down. Instead, the gimmick hides in plain site and then completely disappears organically at the end. Everything is clean at the beginning and clean at the end. I will definitely use this. I sound like a broken record, but everything I've said thus far is true. This is by far and away the best magic kit/subscription box every created. It is literally an A+ on so many levels. Looking back over the year, I am shocked at the amount of material contained in the boxes. I had to go out and buy a special case to hold all the props. The quality of the props, the quality of the instruction, and the quality of the effects taught is astonishing. As a 30 year pro, I"m incredibly jaded. I buy everything that comes out but rare use any of it. I can honestly say that I've added six of the effects from MyBox to my strolling set and one to my stage show (which I did last night to a great reaction). You could easily make a living performing just the effects from MyBox if you wanted to. Nicholas deserves several awards for his effort here and with Christmas coming, everyone should be advertising this to their friends or buying it for anyone interested in magic. I hate that this is the last box!! I look so forward to getting a new box every month. That said, I'm glad I went along for the ride. Many thanks Nicholas! |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Latest and Greatest? » » My Box of Magic - monthly box of magic (23 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.07 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |