Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Light On by David Cook
Well . . . For $35 bucks, you get three cards, a 10 Minute DVD, a booklet, and an 'OK' trick. Basically, this is Color Monte, but instead of a 'blue diamond', 'red diamond' and a '$14 card' you have a 'this', 'that' and 'other' card. Sure it's a clever play on words . . . but I think that's where the value ends on this one.
The DVD appears to have been filmed with a home VHS camcorder. The booklet, however, was sharp, well produced and a solid looking product. The cards that you get are decent . . . they've just had the words printed on them.
However, even if the quality of the DVD and cards were perfect I still would not, likely, be recommending this for many reasons.
First of all, when I spend $35 on a DVD, I expect either a DVD with multiple solid effects (not one so-so effect) and/or a solid specialized gimmick (not 3 silk-screened cards). Secondly, the effect is not that entertaining and frankly a bit confusing to follow.
The presentation given by Stephen Tucker was basically the standard 3 card monte type routine . . .
You think the 'this' card is on the bottom . . . well you're wrong . . . you think the 'this' card is on the top . . . well you'd be wrong again . . . oh is it here . . . WRONG! . . . You stupid spectator you're wrong . . . you're always wrong . . . I'm the magician, and I'm always right . . . HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Ok . . . I hyperbolized a little bit, but not much. That's the message that these types of routines send. Then after showing that the spectator is wrong multiple times, the 'routine' continues with a bunch of quick slide/glide/display/count moves that don't 'prove' anything except my thesis that this is a non-entertaining confusing routine. This portion of the routine comes across as a hyper-active new magician trying to show off all of his false counts and displays in one routine . . . there's no time for the spectator to register any effect.
In my less than humble opinion, the effect along with the relatively poor quality 'package' you get is not worth the price of admission. Sorry Mr. Tucker. I do like some of your other stuff, but not this one so much. I would have found this to be more valuable as an 'idea' or an aside in an essay discussing presentation where maybe the author mentions that the Color Monte doesn't have to be done with the goofy cards and suggests trying it with a This, That and Other presentation.
However, if you really must learn a Color Monte style effect, then spend your cash on R. Paul Wilson's DVD Knock 'Em Dead. It has, in my opinion, the best presentation, performance, variation and kicker of all Color Montes. It is the Holy Grail of Color Monte.
Final Verdict:
1 Star with a Stone Status of Rubble.