Lee Asher Booklet Deal (Review of Sex Sells)
Price: $50.00 for all six or $12.00 Individually
Sex Sells **** (Four Stars!!)
Yo: C
This is a flourish that looks somewhat like shooting a YoYo up in the air and catching it as it comes back down(Chinese yo-yo) For a card visual, imagine a one handed, upside down spring flourish.
Teaching and Methodology
This is a knacky move. Admittedly I have not spent much time on it so I can barely do it. This one all comes down to how much you like the flourish and from there whether you are willing to put in the time to get the “knack.” For me, the flourish itself has not been worth the time to master. I’ll get to it some day but I have other priorities at present. The writing on this one seems difficult to follow. This one has some timing of movement issues that are difficult to describe in text so if you really want to learn it check out the “On the Road” DVD. You will get a better idea of what it should look like and Asher, with the aid of video, does a better job of describing it.
Overall Grade Mehhh? C
Tray Sheik: B
It’s a packet trick and before I give you my thought just know that I am not crazy about packet tricks…just not my thing. The magician takes out a packet of 4 kings and 4 threes (Or any combination he/she chooses). The kings are placed face down on the table and the threes are face up in the hands. The magician turns over the threes and spreads them in his hands while at the same time spreading the kings on the table. With a snap he turns over both packets and we see the kings are in the hands and the threes are on the table.
Teaching and Methodology
This is a collaboration of Lee Asher and Aaron Fisher and it is a pretty easy and visual change. Most of this is well described although there was one move that wasn’t really covered. I managed, and I’m sure you will manage, to piece it together and get it to work. This one will require a good bit of practice to make it look good. The actual change happens with face down cards so it is incumbent upon the magician to use good patter to reinforce which packet is on the table and which one is in the hands,. Obviously the more you practice this, and the smoother you get, the less time the cards will spend in a face down position thus the less likely the spectator will forget which packet is which. Keys to make this successful; good patter and practice enough to where the trick can be executed with a minimal amount of face down time.
Overall Grade
Pretty darn good for a packet trick! B
BS Control: A
This is a essentially a multiple shift that brings cards to the top of the deck.
Teaching and Methodology
This shift owes it’s lineage from some ideas of Alan Hayden and Edward Victor. It will require a cut, or pass, to complete the shift but it has the advantage in that the shift occurs in the face down orientation. (Many multiple shifts are executed face up for controlling to the top and face down for controlling to the bottom) If you have a need for a multiple shift that controls to the top of the pack and is executed with face down cards then this will be worth the price of the booklet.
Overall Grade
Highly original take on the multiple shift…A
Various Ideas: C
A series of three ideas that he just kind of throws out there. I can’t really elaborate to much without actually giving them away so I’ll be brief. Idea 1: a neat way to produce a deck of cards if your at a 50s party or other venue in which smoking might be present. Idea 2: A way of getting people to ask to see some magic. Idea 3: A subtle tip to make a slip cut more deceptive.
Overall Grade Mehhh? C
Old Gambler vs The Young Card Punk: B
The magician recounts a tail of how he witnessed an old gambler challenge a young card punk. The Gambler quickly cut to all four aces. The young card punk sees the aces, counts them back on to the deck and walks away. As the old gambler, thinking himself victorious, recounts the tail to the next passer by and he goes to show the aces that he produced he discovers that the young card punk had switched them for a royal flush! He had been had!
Teaching and Methodology
This is a pretty standard, albeit good, gambling routine. It’s primary purpose is to teach the Frank 3-4-4 switch. The Frank 3-4-4 is a multiple card switch using a count action. It definitely could have some uses but I prefer the trusty(if a bit knacky) 4 for 4 switch by Chris Kenner. The 4 for 4 will work in this effect if you chose to use it. I think the Frank 3-4-4 has a lot of potential uses, especially if you have an effect that would benefit from a count action over a turnover action, but I think some of it’s potential is lost on this effect. In the end I liked the plot but I’ll use the Kenner 4 for 4 when I perform it.
Overall Grade
A good switch is taught and it is a solid gambling plot to the effect but the sleight and the methodology are not a perfect pair. B
Overall opinion of Sex Sells:
Solid B+. You get one fantastic multiple shift, a fairly good switch, a decent gambling plot, and a packet trick that is good enough that it impressed a guy who doesn’t like packet tricks. I’m willing to overlook a mediocre flourish and a few random ideas that didn’t really excite me. Besides, it has a few random pictures of Lee pulling cards out of porn stars bras and panties. Anyone who can find an excuse to include porn stars in a magic booklet deserves a few extra points…maybe I should have given it an A?
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