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Old is new again. 'Digital Dissolve' by BJ Bueno isn't a new concept. The gimmick that's used has been around for a very long time, as has most of the routine shown. Even the basic and simple move that's necessary for the success of this trick is taught in J.B. Bobo's classic book 'The New Modern Coin Magic' which was first published in 1966. I know an old magician that has a superior old version of this effect with almost identical gimmickry. Young magician want-to-bes probably have never touched nor seen the contents of that book, nor seen this gimmick of old. I'm not meaning to down this remake, I do wish they would have given credit where credit is due however. Instead, with this release, everything is an over dramatic and overblown advertising for BJ Bueno. Don't get me wrong, he's a talented guy, but after watching the first 5 or so minutes of the dvd which is nothing more than camera blur effects and sounds all involving him looking ominously into the vast plain of existence and smirking at the camera with various "I'm so awesome!" expressions, like a rock star or something, is pretty annoying. Also, since I'm on the subject, why do modern videos always show lay people amazed at what they've just experienced? That's no testament to the validity of the illusion. The same can be accomplished with 1000's of tricks. That's how lay people are. Thank God for fast-forward.
Now to the props you get. They are well made and will last a lifetime with average care. The English penny has been aged either naturally or artificially and perfectly matches the gimmick. I'm on the fence with this aspect. After all this is an expensive set and I'm used to pristine coinage and prefer to age them myself with use. But maybe you may feel otherwise. There have been a couple of enhancements added to this gimmick, one you'll probably never use but it is there just in case. All in all, if you don't have this particular type of gimmick and have some money to spend, I feel this is a worthwhile purchase. It does eliminate slight of hand for the most part and you'll have a lot of fun with it. It really will amaze a spectator. If you know other methods of doing this genre of effect, just know that you're not getting anything innovative nor groundbreaking that will stand above others you may already have. A 'Spellbound' type of illusion is equally impressive to lay people, not superior but not inferior either.
All being said I'm giving this a reluctant 5 stars: It's a great trick and wouldn't be fair to knock it down due to the lack of credit and the annoying dvd. There is a pdf file on the disc that is far more palatable than the over dramatic video if you're like me and get queasy from over fluff.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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