Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio

Critical Update (2/8/2014):

This product has long been discontinued by Paul Harris Presents. They recognized the issues and released an updated and FAR SUPERIOR version of this effect. The review below is for the old (and really bad) version. Read a review of the brand new (and really good) version: Haunted 2.0

Well . . . I've got some mixed feelings for sure. In addition to the whole 'bacon comes from a filthy animal' vs. 'but it's so delicious,' I'm fighting the whole 'Haunted is Rubble' vs. 'Haunted is a gem.'

My first issue is that the ad copy says 'No loops or Thread work.' That is not quite true. The 'thing that they claim not to be using' is not something you have to wear or have connected to you; it's all self contained, but it's still being used.

The second (and biggest) problem is that you don't have control over when the cards move. You also don't have control over the smoothness or rhythm of the movement. Additionally, the original Baker effect (The Pack That Cuts Itself) handling, caused the selected card to sort of pop out of the deck.

This version doesn't quite do that. The deck is sitting on the table when it suddenly (completely out of your control - in a bad way) sort of cuts itself (i.e. the top half of the deck angles over a little bit. If you want the card to come out of the deck like the original, you have to lift the top half of the deck. When you do, you've got a 75/25 chance (not in your favor) of the selected card flying across the table . . . it looks amazing. However, the other 75% of the time, the selected card just sticks to the deck.

At first, I thought that with time, you'd get used to the gimmick and be able to have better results. After all, it looked pretty good when Peter Eggink did it. The problem is that this isn't a matter of practice. It's a matter of setting the gimmick and then letting the gimmick do all the work. It either will or won't, and you'll have no control over when it happens or how it looks.

On top of all this, ringing in the gimmick in the recommended way is nowhere near as discrete as Eggink thinks it is, and the said 'ringing' in is a little too noisy.

The DVD comes with the gimmick and the extra somethings you need to complete the gimmick. You are taught multiple handling ideas and it's all for $35.00.

Honestly, I just don't see this being very practical. You may enjoy playing with it, but I would not use this in a professional gig . . . it's not worth the risk. Then to top that off, the other night I thought I'd show some magi friends and the deck never moved . . . it just sat there. So I picked it up and set it back down again . . . then suddenly it moved a couple of millimeters.

Then I decided to try it again, and the gimmick broke. Sorry, guys; I guess the only real mixed feelings I have are centered around bacon and not around this product.

Final Verdict:
1.5 stars with a Stone Status of Rubble.