The Mirage by Dani DaOrtiz

[erdnasephile]

I couldn't find a post Re: this effect on GF, so I thought I'd post the link.

I love watching Dani perform!

[John McDonald]

I ordered looking forward to playing.

[Gene B]

Has anyone purchased yet? Looking for a review first.

Gene

[Richard Kaufman 2]

Holy Crap! What a helluva trick! Fooled me a few times. I NEED IT NOW.

[luigimar]

In the package you receive a DVD and the special deck you need to perform this effect. I just bought it and saw the DVD last night.

In more than one hour, Dani explains everything you need to do in order to perform this effect. He says that it is not an easy effect to perform because you need to be able to do a lot of moves and subtleties (and he is right!). There are at least 15 moves and subtleties (all of them explained by Dani) and to me, there are many details that you need to remember in order to successfully present this killer effect. There are half-passes, double lifts, spreads, etc., and when we talk about subtleties, there are several. The one I liked was when he tells us you need to move your thumb a little in order to hide a little something....

This effect IS NOT FOR THE BEGINNER. I would say it is for the intermediate/advanced cardman.

As for the deck, it is a beautiful bicycle deck! With it you can give the impression that you have 3 decks: a regular deck, a deck with all the cards the same (matching a first selection), and then the same deck changing into a different card (second selection) and then the deck turns back into the regular deck. Probably the spectators might think you switch the deck three times and they would be wrong! The deck does a lot of the work for you and with the help of some subtleties (mentioned above), you successfully give the impression that the deck is magically changing!

As you can see, I would suggest buying this deck only if you are an intermediate or advanced cardman because this is not a self-working effect that you can perform right out of the box. It is an effect that requires a lot of work and if you give it the practice it deserves, it will be in your working repertoire for a long time.

[erdnasephile]

Thanks for the review, luigimar!

Quick question: is the deck in Bicycle Rider Backs or that Mandolin thing?

[AJM]

I received mine this week, along with Richard Wiseman's The Grid - planning to have a look at The Mirage this weekend....

Andrew

[luigimar]

Thanks for the review, luigimar!

Quick question: is the deck in Bicycle Rider Backs or that Mandolin thing?

Bicycle Rider Backs, red. With the old style box (full red back printed on the box, not like the new boxes). With Dani and Essential Magic Collection's name on the bottom part of the box (where the bar code would be).

[MartinKaplan]

I received mine today and I agree with others who have posted here in that the deck has been expertly produced and that the routine that accompanies it is involved and will take a great deal of practice. That is exactly what Dani says as he begins the explanation.

This is an effect that begs for a PDF that outlines the procedure. I think the Bannon DVD's are the example that all producers of DVD's should emulate - a video explanation along with a PDF that highlights the important points of the presentation. If an effect like The Royal Scam includes the necessary cards, a DVD that includes a PDF description for the price of $15 (and that includes postage), it cannot be a question of cost. I guess it is easier to just film the demo and not go to the trouble of providing textual clues to follow as one works through the routine.

DVD's are certainly better than tapes, but if I am in the middle of learning a routine, putting down the cards, cueing up the DVD to the correct place and watching it, and picking up the cards again to practice the phase pales in comparison to a sentence that says "pass two cards to the bottom and do a double lift to show the 4 of Clubs.

-Marty

[erdnasephile]

I totally agree with this.

I learned "It's the Rules" from the VCR tape--really not optimal. I ended up making a detailed cheat sheet for it. (To his credit, Bob Sheets now provides a listing of the moves).

Also, agree 100% with Marty's comment on the Bannon stuff. (I also like the low key way his demos are filmed with more normal seeming spectator reactions that the crowds on other DVD's).

[Q. Kumber]

Dani performed and sold this at the recent South Tyneside convention in England. It strikes me as a signature piece for him and hard to visualise someone else doing it justice.

If you like this type of routine and it will take a lot of practice, as well as strong presentational skills, I'd suggest you go with a well constructed Svengali deck routine.

Dani has another routine on the market. I think it is called Triple Influence, and it happens in the hands of three helpers. It is much easier to do and is a show stopper.

[mrgoat]

I bought triple influence at the session last year.

Can't understand the instructions at all.

It's very badly translated, and despite trying about 6 or 7 times over the last year to work it out, I can't.

[Q. Kumber]

It is performed and fully described on Disc One of his DVD set, and you are right, the instructions that come with the trick are very difficult to follow.

[mrgoat]

Oh! Luis sent me the box set, I must have missed that! Excellent. I'll see if I can find the deck! Thanks Q!

[erdnasephile]

I think the reports of this routine being difficult make it more attractive to learn as that factor alone will eliminate a lot of folks using it.

As far as whether anyone but Dani can do it justice: I would partially agree, trying to sound like Dani would be a fool's errand.

I think people are right--the routine is rather idiosyncratic. However, as soon as I saw the demo, a different presentation popped into my head, and I could immediately see myself doing this.

(After all these years, I think I'm finally starting to get the ability to know instinctively what will work for me, and what absolutely won't. I'll likely never do Needle through Arm, Multiplying Bottles, or Cube Libre for that reason.)

[erdnasephile]

Dani has another routine on the market. I think it is called Triple Influence, and it happens in the hands of three helpers. It is much easier to do and is a show stopper.

Thanks for mentioning this routine, Q.

I just watched the video and was utterly gobsmacked--it's diabolical!

[mrgoat]

Oh Jesus. Been working on the triple intuition and tried it out for the first time last night at the pub. Now, there are reactions and reactions. This SLAYED them. Really, really killed. They are still on the floor, bleeding. It was entertaining (even if I do say so myself), and they had no clue. Were talking for the rest of the evening about how the psychology worked, how did he MAKE me stop at that card etc. Such fun!

Not the sort of trick I usually do, but getting three people involved and you not having to touch the deck after it starts makes it play so well.

Couldn't recommend highly enough.

[Q. Kumber]

Damian,
Uncle Quentin will always point you towards the good routines.

[mrgoat]

I love my Uncle Quentin.