Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: If That's What it Takes by Bon Jovi

For $40 bucks you get a special deck of cards, a short instructional DVD and a very impossible seeming effect

This one I might do in the right environment. Let's look at the easy stuff first. Production quality is solid. The deck of cards is solid. The instructional portion of the DVD is pretty solid. Nardi's presentation of the effect as you saw in the demo is quite boring and long winded. However, that has no bearing on my review. I merely point it out so that you realize that you'll need to come up with your own presentation. That's a good thing.

Pros:

The trick is very deceptive. Nardi clearly put some serious thought into the handling, the method, the gimmick construction, the routining, the presentational hook (not to be confused with the presentation itself). There is no reason for anyone to " . . . suspect, let alone detect . . . " (thank you Erdnase) that you're using a very, very gaffed deck.

The presentational angle centered on seemingly random events being not-so-random-afterall is a very good hook and has a lot of presentational potential. The deck is well made and should last you a long time. And the effect will definitely fool your audience.

Cons:

This deck is a one-trick wonder. You'll not be able to use it for anything else. You'll have to switch it in, and then switch it out when you're done. That's not the end of thew world, but it can be a bit of a pain. Secondly, I think the ending, though clever and deceptive, is a little bit confusing. When the cards are turned over to show the writing on them, some of the writing is hard to read. Also, explaining to the audience what you did at the end is a little bit of a mouthful and slightly (I think) convolutes the power of the effect.

Final Thoughts:

If you liked the effect you saw in the video demo, then I think you'll be happy with your purchase. One thing about Alakazam is that their ad copy and video trailers are legit. They are honest and don't mislead you about what the effect is. This effect is self-working; You do need to be a bit alert mentally for one part of the effect, but in my opinion, if you left out that part completely it would not impact whatsoever.

I normally might find a one-trick DVD for $40 to be a little bit on the pricey side. However, from the look of these decks, I'm guessing that they were all hand assembled which is a bit of a pain and takes a lot of time. So I can be a little lenient on the price.

Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem