Before I attempt to review this item, I must admit I am a little biased; David Regal is my absolute favorite magician. I have been fooled more times watching his DVDs than I care to count. My favorite quality of his is the fact that he will stop at nothing to fool his audience. His attention to detail shows in his performance scripts and the structuring of his routines. He is a true professional who knows how to entertain an audience. He is one of the few magicians with whom I feel comfortable purchasing material before even reading an ad. In the final volume of his latest L&L Publishing DVD series, David tips his stand up routines. Here is what is included...
Journey To Love- David says this is his presentation for Larry Becker's Hotel Room Mystery. The effect is simply stunning. A woman and three men are invited to the stage. They decide on a Hotel and a room number through a procedure that seems impossibly fair. It seems there is no way David could have predicted the outcome, yet he produces a room key with the spectator's seemingly free selections engraved into it. The nice thing about the effect is there are no multiple outs. It works every time; the prediction you show in the beginning is the exact one you reveal at the end of the effect.
The trick is basically self working, but this is not something you can immediately add to you repertoire. While David tips the workings of the effect, I cannot imagine many people will be able to pull off his presentation. In fact, this is one of the things I love so much about David: his performances reek of his style. He is truly one of a kind. Still, if you can build your own presentation, this may be something you will use for a long time to come.
Got A Light?- David performs a simple sympathetic matchbox routine with two examined matchboxes. For the finale, one of the matchboxes magically rises and opens. Everything is immediately handed out for examination. This was the weakest effect on the DVD for me. First, the performance seemed a little hurried. Second, it appears that this is one of the effects where the whole is not greater than the sum of the parts. The positive, of course, is that the matchboxes can be inspected. Unfortunately, this is at the expense of the eeriness of the routine. The sympathetic phase simply does not look as good as the standard marketed effect. However, while I was not impressed with the routine, David has a very clever line used to introduce the effect that brought a smile to my face.
Swindle Transpo- David has devised an almost self-working cards across effect that uses almost no moves. The magician introduces two decks of cards: one red and one blue. Ten cards are removed from each deck to form a red and a blue pile. The spectator selects one of the piles and selects and signs a card. Both packets are sealed into window envelopes. After a magical gesture, the envelopes are opened. Let's assume the spectator's card was blue backed. The blue backed cards are examined; the selection has vanished. The red backs cards are spread to reveal one blue backed card; it is the signed selection. The effect is clear and uncluttered. There are no extraneous moves. Everything seems fair throughout the routine. It is not a blockbuster effect, but it is within the reach of most cardmen.
The Very Last Card- This is David's favorite platform effect. In effect, an examined deck is shuffled and fifty one cards are tossed into a trash can. The one card that remains is the very card the magician predicted in the beginning. The workings of this effect are extremely clever, but, once again, his presentation is what makes this play so big. Those looking for a card effect to play on the largest stage will certainly enjoy this routine. Finally, even if you are already familiar with the routine from David's Constant Fooling books, seeing the finale with David's picture of Billy McComb is priceless.
(Bonus) After Hours- This is David's take on the story deck. He has devised a completely new story that is full of jokes and bits of business that will delight any crowd. I was especially impressed with David's extreme attention to every detail of his performance. For instance, he explains how to set the deck to make sure the Jokers come out facing the audience. This is just one example of the thought that goes into each of David's routines. Bar magicians looking for an alternative to the popular Sam The Bellhop will definitely find a use for David's off beat routine. For those familiar with other story decks, Regal's version is shorter than Simon Lovell's Who Killed Lilly Longlegs presentation but longer than the aforementioned Sam The Bellhop.
As always, David's teaching style is friendly and clear. Nothing is left out. The only issue I have with the DVD from a technical standpoint is that it seemed that the L&L studio is not suited for stand up performances. During a few of the routines, the shot seems crowded. In fact, some participants cannot even be seen. This has nothing to do with David or with the viewer's ability to understand what is going on, but it is a little distracting.
If you have never witnessed David's magic, pick up one of his earlier releases as I do not think this is his best work. Those looking for material to immediately add to their repertoire, however, are also advised to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are looking for stand up routines and are willing to put in the necessary time to polish your presentation, you will not be disappointed. The fact that I am recommending what I think is David's weakest DVD to date says a great deal about the quality of his material. In a word, brilliant.
-Available from www.DavidRegal.com
