Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: The Grand Tour By George Jones

Pre-Review 'Disclosure'/'Disclaimer':

Ok many of you probably know that Jay Sankey and I are good friends and that we've worked together on a project or two in the past, and we also are consultants to one another.

I get feedback from him on my stuff, and he gets feedback from me on a lot of his stuff. Additionally, I do not receive any sort of compensation whatsoever for reviewing or 'pitching' his products (I was involved in this project a fair amount. I offered my help in crediting, history, alternate handlings, feedback on mahy of the effects that were planning on being in the video . . . some were left out based on my recommendation).

I tell you that up front just to sort of clear the air and to let you know that when I give Jay feedback, I'm brutally honest with him. I tell him if I think he has a crappy idea or a good idea. He wouldn't have it any other way, nor would I. So I want to make it clear that Jay's products get the same level of scrutiny as any other products I review.

On to the review:

The latest addition to the Sankey family o' products . . . Hardcore. The trailer says, 'Hardcore Effects; Hardcore Methods.' I'd say that's mostly true for most of the effects on this DVD. There are a couple effects that aren't quite as gem-like as the majority of the DVD. However, there are a lot of effects on here that are absolutely hardcore and definitely worthy of your attention.

For example, take Entranced. Penetrate any small object into a sealed box of Tic Tacs that you can give away as a souvenir. Speaking of souvenirs, this DVD has a ton of effects where you get to give out to the spectators the magic'd item.

With Wrapture you get to borrow a penny and a quarter. Bend the quarter around the penny making a taco with the quarter as the shell and the penny as the meat. The spectator may keep this souvenir. The handling and the visuals on this are too cool.

Fishbowl is a clever ending to the classic ACR plot. The handling is clean, simple and beautiful. This effect like many others on this DVD are done with stuff that you'll find laying around in everyone's house. Imagine you're at a friend's house and he wants to see a card trick. You do ACR; then for the final phase you have him get a plastic freezer bag out of the kitchen. He covers your hand and the deck with the bag, yet the card still rises to the top all the way through the plastic.

You'll find that Heist is another perfect, at a friend's house type of effect. Break the tab off of a Coke can and reattach it, or cause it to melt through the inside of the can to the outside of the can.

Speaking of Coke, imagine getting some soda in your straw by holding your finger at one end as we've all done before, but then . . . the soda defies gravity and rises up the straw. That's what you'll find in Jay's effect Climber. Very 'street' and also very down-to-earth . . . perfect for house parties and casual performances with friends at meals, etc.

Though there are a ton more cool ideas/effects, I'll conclude with just one more . . . Spiral. Another crazy give-away (one of my favorites on the DVD). Borrow a dollar bill and magically cause it to be spiral bound to the middle of a pocket spiral memo pad.

Some final thoughts:

If you're strolling and performing these effects multiple times in a row, then yes, it's a bit of a pain to give away some of the items because you'll need to carry around extras for each table, etc. However, for set shows, and house parties, or hanging out with friends, you can't beat these give-aways . . . again, very street.

What I like about a lot of the material on this DVD is the fact that it's much more suited for the casual performance. You're just hanging out at a party or with some friends, and you just grab something and go. A lot of this material is not impromptu. It does require carrying something with you or having some prep. However, it feels to the audience (your friends that you're hanging with) very impromptu.

Of course, there are quite a bit of impromptu effects as well. There's something for just about every style and just about every skill level. Additionally, there are bonus handling ideas, and alternate versions found in the explanation section.

Considering that there are 11 effects and that the DVD comes with a good chunk of the props you'll need, the asking price of $35.00 bucks is pretty solid.

As with all Sankey products, the teaching is very well done and extremely thorough, and as always, you get a nice peak under the hood of Jay's brain as well as a bit of 'crazy Jay' that we've all come to know and love.

Even with 1 or 2 'so-so' tricks, this DVD easily warrants a 4 star rating.

Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM.