Three fry by Chris Kenner from Theory11

Hello, my name is Magnus and I am a magic addict. But Seriously this purchase was a feel good purchase I was feeling down and just wanted to buy some magic. It was in my price range so I got it. Its a nice effect, like all Three Fly effects it involves the disappearance and reappearance of three coins as they travel from one hand to the other. Its been a pain to learn cause the slights involved mean I have to do it left handed. But I like Chris Kenner as a teacher, he does a good job he's likable, easy to understand, and offers good advice. He recommends dollar sized coins for this effect and I don't have any nor the finances to get any in the near future. It will work with half dollars, even easier with halfs he says but it loses a little something visually. None of the slights are too complicated, the hardest move is combination of two sleights that have to happen together with good timing.

I'd like it more if it were more visual, most of the vanishes happen out of sight. The first two vanishes happen in a closed hand. That is you toss the coins to the other hand and then open it to find one missing. The last one is more of retention vanish. Then it moves rather fast after the last vanish, like you take all the time you want vanishing the coins but after that last coin is seen gone you're off to the races. The coins are reproduced quickly and as soon as possible to give the spectators no time to think. I'd like to be able to slow it down and produce the coins in a more visual fashion.

If you found this review to helpful or you thought it sucked let me know in the comments section.

Eclipse by Eric Jones from Theory11

So I'm tooling around on Theory11 looking to get my magic fix, looking for a download and I watch the preview clip for Eclipse and I has to have it. It just seems so me. So I get it, didn't cost much, 6.95 for a 25 minute video from a respectable artist of an awesome looking utility move. I'll be honest I got it mostly for the color change. It is listed as an intermediate skill level which I felt I could handle. I had a little trouble down loading the almost half gig file. But that was more a fault of my modem.

The first thing I notice is that Eric Jones is left handed. After the explanation starts I see why its rated intermediate skill level, it requires a whole new grip, a sort of modified mechanics grip with two fingers on the top edge. Its very awkward at first and it's one of two problems I have with the move. Now I have to decide how I want to handle this. Do I want to shift into and out of this grip when I want to do this move, do I make this my full time grip, or not use this move? I may give the second option a go. The other thing is this move requires slick cards which means that at a certain point a deck will be too worn out to use this move well, which means I may not be able to use it with borrowed decks. It also means I can't practice with a beat up old deck. Other than those two things I'm a big fan of Eclipse. Eric Jones does a very good job of explaining everything and his tips and the end are invaluable.

I've been playing with this for a few days and I like it, I'm going with the shift into and out as needed route and I think I have a good effect cooked up using it.

If you found this review to helpful or you thought it sucked let me know in the comments section.

Smash by Hugo Luccioni

http://www.theory11.com/wire/hugo-luccioni/smash/

At the above link you will find a free download of Smash by Hugo Luccioni (Hopefully who knows if it will still be there by the time you find this post) Smash is a very visual two phase sandwich-esque effect. Presented in a very smooth musical fashion. I don't know if I will learn this effect or if I do that it will ever make it into repertoire but the reason I am reviewing this effect is because of the explanation. The explanation is done in the same wordless flowing fashion as the performance. Its just so artistic. I don't know that I want to see many explanations like it. But I do like that the art of the performance was carried over to the part not meant for non-magicians to see.