http://newyorkmagicproject.com/products/ampm.htm
http://vimeo.com/3291635?pg=embed&sec=
The Official Spam:
Jonathan Price and Alex Pandrea are two of New York's greatest underground magicians. In AM/PM they show you what real magic looks like, with 10 incredible original effects developed with real-world venues in mind. Alex and Jon use everyday props such as cards, money, sugar packets, pens, and matches to achieve stunning results.
AM/PM provides you with an arsenal of jaw-dropping magic. A mix of fully-routined magic and quick visual effects gives you the tools you need to perform successfully in any kind of venue.
Join Alex and Jonathan as they hit the streets of New York City to perform their hard-hitting magic in front of live audiences. Then follow them into the studio, where they provide detailed teaching using multiple camera angles.
-10 Stunning Routines
-On-the-Street Performances
-Studio-Filmed Explanations
-Filmed in High Definition
-Dolby Digital Sound
-Hilarious Outtakes
-Region-Free
Filmed in high-definition by the New York Magic Project, AM/PM helps you to learn great magic quickly, so you can amaze your audiences as soon as possible.
Contents
1. Local
An empty matchbox becomes full in your spectator's hands. They can examine and keep the box and matches!
2. Between the Backpalms
A spectator's selected card vanishes from the deck and instantly reappears sandwiched between the magician's and spectator's empty hands.
3. 4OUR
A quick, visual, and surprising production of four cards, using a new two-card flourish.
4. The Coin Mint
A borrowed, signed quarter is transformed into a listerine strip. The quarter is then found inside the listerine pack!
5. Papermate
A multi-phase pen routine with a kicker ending that they'll never see coming!
6. AKT I
An instant transposition of two four-of-a-kinds.
7. The Domino Effect
A unique take on the "Copper/Silver" plot. A pink sugar packet and a white sugar packet magically switch places between the magician's hand and a spectator's hand.
8. Cash Back
After the magician fails to find a selected card, he puts his money on the line in order to prevail.
9. Arson
A lighter vanishes into the deck to reveal a card, only to pop back out of the card again.
10. Under and Out
A selected card vanishes from under the spectator's hand under truly impossible conditions.
Running Time Approximately 2hr 40min
Let me just start off this review by saying I did not pay for this product, but received it free for review by the creators. Even still, this review has no bias. Also, this review is long overdue and I apologize.
There is nothing to complain about in the production quality. Its top notch, and filmed, edited, and produced fantastically. I couldnt have asked for anything more.
Were going to explain what each effect is, and then directly after the explanation I am going to explain my thoughts. I should also mention before each performance on the DVD, the creator of the routine talks about the routine for a small amount of time.
Local- This has a variety of effects possible with the method. Just to name a few: An empty match box can magically become full. A box of brand new matches can all magically become burnt. A box of matches can be shown, and then later shown to be empty except for a selected card. All of that is possible with the method, and it can all be done in the spectators hand.
I really liked this. I think it looks great. I dont really like the empty to full match box, but the card to match box is fantastic. I also really like the versatility of this: the magician can easily create his own routine using the given method. Also, this effect is pretty easy. It will take practice, but you should get it down in no time. I would also like to mention a similar effect that is on the market. On Bubble Gum Magic Vol. 2 DVD by Byrd and Coats there is an effect called Eclipse. Although a different effect, the methods are very alike, if not exact.
Between the Back Palms- A card is selected and lost back inside the pack. The magician places his hand out, and the spectators hand covers the magicians. When the spectator lifts his/her hand, there is a card sandwiched between the two hands. The card is their selected card.
This is a neat effect using a move that is not very common in close-up performance. What the creator has done is put it into a beautifully structured and well thought out routine that is a real miracle to the spectator. The magicians hand is empty, the spectator puts his/her hand on top, and when he/she lifts up the hand there is a card. It looks as if it just appears out of nowhere. This effect is fantastic!
4OUR- This is a simple, four ace production.
I do not like this. This looks like a lot of other ace routines. I feel it was put together quickly and there are much better ace routines/productions out there. I feel not enough thought went into this. Not only that, I feel like ace productions are not really magic, but thats just me. I want to be a real magician, not someone who is technically skilled with a pack of cards. Finding the four aces in a manner like this screams a good card technician, but not magic.
The Coin Mint- A borrowed coin is signed by the spectator. It is rubbed, and changes to a Listerine strip. A Listerine pack is introduced, and inside is a coin. It is cleanly dumped out and it is verified to be the signed coin.
You shouldnt create just to create. You should create because you need an effect to fit something that you put limitations on. I feel like the creator created this just to create, and he verified it himself. He says he invented a coin change, and needed a routine to go with it. Thats why he created this. I feel like he created this for the wrong reason, and I feel the effect is not good at all. First off, I really dont like the coin change. It just doesnt look good. His hand position is odd and unnatural, and there are much better changes out there. The premise makes sense I guess: the Listerine strip changes place with the coin. But this is not very practical. I dont know how anyone plans to carry around Listerine strips without a box to put them in, and its not practical to remove a strip from the pack every time you want to perform this.
Papermate- This is a multi-phased pen routine. A pen is shoved inside the cap, taken out, vanished, and finally changed into a drinking straw.
This routine is so-so to me. I really enjoyed the way the creator pushed the pen inside the cap, and took it back out. I must admit if fooled me and looks like real magic. I do think the Flipstick move can be overused, and that is the case here. I just think he uses it so many times. Also, I dont really love the ending. It doesnt make sense, and doesnt fit into the routine. Overall, I like some parts of the routine but not the others. Luckily, this can be broken down into smaller parts.
AKT I- Two four of a kinds, lets assume the four aces and the four kings, repeatedly change places.
Another one of those unoriginal ideas. The first phase is very similar to the Cavorting Ace plot. Its nothing original. Although it varies a little, there is little new and is basic sleight of hand. The second phase is very similar to Yannick Chretien trick called ReFlipped on his released DVD. It is also featured on Talk About Tricks Vol. 1 under the name Oil and Water. The creator also uses another move from Talk About Tricks, which I cant recall the name or the disc number. This wasnt bad, just not at all original.
The Domino Effect- A pink sugar packet and a white sugar packer are introduced. A spectator holds on tightly to one sugar packet, lets say the white one. The magician literally waves his hand over the pink sugar packet, and it visually changes to white. The pink sugar packet is found inside the spectators closed fist.
This fooled me bad. Every time I watched it I was more and more amazed. I was thinking reels and pulls but I was wrong. This uses one gimmicked sugar packet, and is completely self contained. The method has been used before, but I havent seen it used in sugar packets. I really enjoy this, and find it a nice routine to do in a restaurant, with the sugar packets that are on the table. Its a unique take on the copper/silver plot that uses ordinary objects, not foreign coins. The only downside is that one of the sugar packets cant be examined without a switch, and its pretty weird for you to put a sugar packet back in your pocket, as they are naturally found on the table. Coins are different as they are foreign and rarer. Im still debating about this one, but I have made a gimmick and practiced and performed this.
Cash Back- Money is put on the table as a bet to make sure the magician finds the selected card. When the magician fails, he folds one of the bills into the size of a playing card, shakes it, and it changes into their selected card.
I am almost positive I have seen this method used in the exact same effect. I cannot figure out where at this moment. But I am almost positive this is not original. And in all honesty, its not even that great of an effect. The card cannot be handed out for examination without a switch, and I think the spectator would insist to keep the money because technically they won the bet. This one is not up to par.
Arson- This effect is kind of confusing to explain. Here we go: A spectator selects any random card (really!) and can sign it. A lighter is introduced, and vanished in a clean manner. You spread through the cards, and there is a large burnt mark on the back of a card. Its the selected card! You then proceed to pluck the lighter out of the card leaving no more burnt marks.
Im on the fence about this one. Its very similar in effect and method to Kissed and the newly released Squash! I must admit again, the lighter vanish fooled me. Once again, I thought reels or pulls, but was happily wrong. The method has been used before to ditch, vanish, and produce objects, but the creator did it very well. Overall, I think I am going to stick to Kissed because it makes more sense to me, and leaves the spectator with a nice, tasty souvenir.
Under and Out- A card is placed underneath the empty card box and a spectator puts their hand on top. When they remove their hand, and the magician removes the box, the card has seemed to vanish. It then reappears inside the magicians wallet.
There are better Card to Wallets out there. Really. I have always enjoyed Mama in my Wallet. Anyway, the method is quite clever here. It uses a gimmicked card which has been produced or you can make yourself. Also, it uses a magic prop that can be obtained from any good magic store. I feel that the payoff is not worth the use of all of the gimmicks, this is not very practical, and cannot be used regularly. Although it looks great, its not for me.
Thats all ten effects. I talked about the production quality already, so lets get into the teaching. To sum it up: excellent. The teaching was very good, and I cant complain.
Overall:
In the end, this DVD was okay. Nothing too special, but certainly not bad. I do think it was a little high priced, but considering the one-trick DVD approach now, it is pretty reasonable. I feel like some of these effects should not have been included, and brought my overall opinion of the DVD down. Maybe some more research should have been done. One more positive, the bloopers were funny. This has some interesting ideas, but nothing earth shattering and nothing to get too excited over. I felt Alex Pandreas magic was way better than that of Jonathan Price, but thats just my personal opinion. I rate this a 7/10.