Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Every Rose Has its Thorn By Miley Cyrus

It's very likely that this review will be longer than this product's DVD. At the end of the DVD, there are several "commercials" for other Sans Minds Productions. These commercials lasted longer than the training video. So let's break it down:

  • Production Quality
  • Effect
  • Method
  • Advertisement Integrity

Production Quality

With the DVD you get 10 Bicycle Rider Back playing cards that have the twisted queen image (shown on the DVD cover) printed on the face. They're excellent quality. The DVD quality is very good, well produced, easy to navigate, but very, very short.

Effect

The effect is a torn an restored card. But at the end, the card is restored into the crazy picture shown on the DVD cover. Personally, I think it's an over-hyped and pretty weak effect. But you may like it. That's up to you based on watching the trailer. They try to "sell" it as a more psychological effect where the spectator's mind creates this funky looking card. I don't feel that it's really that kind of effect.

Method

The method is accomplished by a simple sw****. That's it. You tear up a real queen of hearts, and "give the spectator the pieces" which restore, but it's not the original picture of the queen; it's a whole new image . . . supposedly of what the queen might look like if she were to restore herself in the dark. It's quite a macabre image. This method has many problems. First, you destroy a real Queen of Hearts at every performance. Second, the spectator's may want to keep the "restored" card. They can, but you only get ten cards, so you'll quickly run out.

Also, the effect, to me doesn't come across as the card restoring itself in a weird way, but rather that the card restored itself (maybe) and become something different. It's more of a change than a restore. I think that the spectators might also feel that.

Advertisement Integrity

The ad copy is very minimal, but it is accurate. The DVD trailer on YouTube is honest, and they don't hide anything. The effect is what they claim. It's up to you to decide if that's a good effect that you'll do or not.

Final Thoughts

I feel that the DVD missed the boat on "bonus" ideas or extra handling ideas, etc. They taught one simple method, and that's it. There's nothing else on the DVD. The teaching part of the DVD is actually the shortest part of the DVD. I felt that they could have least shown some more advanced techniques that made for a more convincing sw****.

There could have other effects and presentations (besides Torn and restored) that could have been done. How 'bout something as simple as a snap change to "kill" the queen? Sure it's dark, but it would fit some styles out there and would have added value to the DVD.

You don't have to kill her . . . maybe it's a brief story about a horrible accident she was in. Or maybe go the other way. Show the card all mangled. Tear it and restore it to a normal card. Or . . . or . . . or . . . I've got about 5 more simple ideas off the top of my head. They really should have taken the time to add some more value. This should have one effect of many on a multiple effect DVD, not the single stand alone effect. Ad to that the fact that you're basically paying $30 bucks for a trick you can really only do ten times . . . it's hard to give this one super great marks.

On the other hand, this card might make for a fun Halloween effect or it might fit into your bizarre repertoire. If you've got a use for the cards (and don't mind only getting ten of them), then you'll be happy with the purchase. They're well made, and the DVD is well produced (just super super short). The bottom line is that for $30 you don't get a whole lot of bang for your buck.

All things considered . . .

Final Verdict:
2.5 Stars with a Stone Status of grubble (somewhere between a gem and rubble)

2 Comments

  • Jay Best says:

    For this to work you would need some comedic presentation, the trick itself is pretty weak and screams sw****. Like simple prediction effects scream fo***, you have to dress it up with presentation. The cards are pretty bizarre looking and I’m sure some people will love this. Furthemore $30 to $35 seems to be the going rate these days for alot of one trick ponies. For that kind of green I would rather get something from BBM that has several effects.

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