Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: New Divide by Linkin Park

When you buy a DVD called 'Comedy Routines' you expect that the author/performer of said DVD is an expert on comedy. In my opinion, Mr. Fore is far from an expert. Unless the definition of an expert is someone who uses the same hackneyed lines that every single other magician on the planet uses. I'll take that pen back. That's how I got it . . . really . . . that one again?

Mr. Fore's a super nice guy and is an ok performer, but he's way too rambly and is a 'let me tell you what I'm gonna do' kind of performer. His entire presentation is him telling you what he's gonna do . . . 'Ok what were gonna do is this . . . then we're gonna take this and do that . . . then we'll move this over here.' ARGHHHHHHHHH Let me outta here! If you're looking for some new comedy ideas, this probably isn't the best place to look. If you're looking to learn how to do some tricks, this also isn't the best place to look. He uses mostly marketed props (other people's props) and doesn't not really teach much of anything regarding method.

There are a few exceptions, but mostly you see him perform a less than decent performance at a distance in front of a live audience recorded with a tripod and no close up. Then you go behind the scenes where he tells you 'that trick used this prop, and you saw the presentation already so that's it.'

Much of his 'comedy' is at the expense of the audience members and he tends to wander around the stage quite a bit. In many of the effects, he walks back and forth between two or three tables on the stage that are not next to each other. There's a lot of turning his back on his audience, etc. He's just not a polished performer. I have a hard time with someone as unpolished as he is portraying himself as an expert on comedy.

Of course there were moments where the audience laughed even if the joke was hackneyed and he did have a few tips that the working pro may find useful. There is a lot of material on the DVD and you see him perform the following effects:

• Cut and Restored Tie
• Silk To Egg
• Burnt Money
• Coin in Bottle
• Arm Chopper
• Card Duck
• Chinese Sticks
• Mutilated Parasol
• Chair Suspension
• Sucker Sliding Disk (like a die box)

. . . and a couple of other things. I will say, that he has a pretty decent handling for the Coin in Bottle and Silk to Egg . . . a couple of really good utility moves. He also did have a couple of funny gags in the Arm Chopper routine. The Chair Suspension was, in my opinion, the best thing on the DVD. He had some really great gags and lines. The presentation was pretty solid. All in all, if you're looking for a solid study of comedy magic, get the three-pack Michael Finney set from L&L Publishing and pass on this. There are a couple of decent moments in this DVD, but that's about it.

Final Verdict:
2 Stars with a Stone Status of Grubble ('mostly rubble' and a teeny, tiny amount of gem . . . with a little teeny, tiny "g").