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Card Cube by Perseus Arkomanis Review:
One DVD, 25 minutes, one novel idea, a couple of handling ideas and $15 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned.
Effect
A selected card magically and instantly becomes an origami'd cube.
Method
Learn how to fold the card into a cube and learn some pretty simple and visual switches. There's really not much more to say about the method. If you saw the trailer, I'm sure you realized that it was a pre-made card cube and a clever switch or vanish. Making the card cube is super simple. The switches are easy. The method is very practical and very doable, and it's very likely that just about any level of performer will be able to easily master the method.
Ad Copy Integrity
There are a couple nit-picks I have about the ad copy. First, they're referring to this as an "impossible object." This is NOT an impossible object. Impossible objects are objects that the spectator "cannot" exist. In other words, something where the condition of the object is not readily explainable. An example is two linked playing cards or a coin in a bottle. This card cube is clever, but not an impossible object. The spectator may wonder HOW it got in the condition it's in, but they'll easily know that it's just some clever origami.
The other claim made is that origami has never been combined with playing cards before. That's not true either. Michael Close's classic Frog Prince effect predates this by nearly 3 decades. However, even with these two nit-pick things, nothing in the ad copy regarding the effect is misleading. It's completely legitimate.
Product Quality
The DVD is well produced, easy to navigate, well lit, well mic'd, and well taught. Perseus Arkomanis breaks down the construction of the card cube in simple steps that are easy to follow. I was able to make two with no problem while watching the DVD. The DVD also comes with two PDFs that show exactly where to properly fold the card when making the cube. You're also taught the few different handling ideas on how to accomplish the effect.
The only disappointment I had was that there were no real world performances shown. Yet the trailer contained live footage. I would have liked to have seen a full live performance so that we could get a better sense of how it would flow in a real setting. The instructional portion merely did walk-throughs and never showed anything from start to finish, but rather it just showed you how to do the moves individually. There really wasn't a good full overview of the whole effect. It was more a compartmentalized explanation of each part of the effect.
Final Thoughts
This DVD basically gives you a utility or, better said, a skill. This skill can be applied to business cards, playing cards, etc. It can be given as a souvenir or a clever way to hand out your business cards. $15 is a reasonable price to pay for the knowledge you receive. Just keep in mind that this DVD is more about "here's how to make the cube and a few ways you can use it." And it's not so much about "here are some full routines you can perform that end with this cool souvenir." If you like the novelty of handing out a cubed card at the end of an effect or show, then you'll be happy with your purchase. It's easy to do, and easy to perform.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
2 Comments
Another great review. By the way, the origami frog was done by Robert Harbin long before Michael Close. Robert Harbin did this decades before Michael Close. I wouldn’t expect you to know this, so I appreciate your correction of their claim. I bring this up because Michael Close also a claimed a first in card origami (the frog) when He wasn’t.
One other note, you frequently end your reviews talking about how you are going to drink an entire liter of soda or eat an entire pizza. I really like your reviews and you aren’t going to live long to continue reviews if you keep this up. I too have had a soda problem and I am in the process of getting rid of it. Soda is possibly as addictive as some hard-core drugs, and it WILL kill you eventually. It’s like drinking drano, but a slower death.
So, please, take better care of yourself, and keep the great reviews coming!
KJ
@KJ – Thanks for the info about Robert Harbin. I love it when people come here and update my credit knowledge. It makes me a better reviewer. As for the Pizza, that was a Joke. I’m a diabetic and can’t eat carbs. Also, for the soda, I’ve been off of that for several months. I never drank sugar soda (diabetic). The caffeine, however was a big issue. I’ve stopped caffeine over a year ago. I still do have diet caffeine soda, but in very small volumes. It’s the only “treat” I get. I can’t eat anything but veggies and meat . . . nothing else.