Magic Tricks

OMG - Best. Effect. Ever.

Easy, safe, and absolutely shocking to the audience. The reactions on the performance video are exactly what I've been getting. Squeals, screams, and laughter. This is LITERALLY the best trick that I've purchased in the last year.

My only (small) problem was that you see in the instructional video that some perform it with signs or cards explaining what the audience is supposed to do (since they have the hook in their mouth and can't talk), and I'd rather talk them through it, so I add a little twist.

To start with, I enhanced my "Survival Kit" with a few things I had laying around the house: a mini-flashlight, a mini-lighter, and finally a couple of band-aids from our medicine cabinet. That lends some legitimacy to the "Survival Kit." I then start the trick by saying it's a survival kit that I purchased to keep in my car, including all those things, and a rudimentary fishing kit - a string tied to a hook, with a few extra strings in case the first one breaks.

I start by placing the hook and strings in my hand, and telling them that I want each of them to grab a string and jerk it out of my hand. I explain that, "God forbid you pull the one that is attached to the hook, because it will shred my palm, severing the main artery that runs down the arm into the hand, rendering my hand to be nothing more than a bloody mess of flesh." Mind you, I have no idea whether there's a major artery running into the hand, but it sounds good, and gets their mind picturing the worst. I then say that I'm going to point to each of the three of them (I use 3 "untied" strings, and one that is "tied" to the hook) and I would like them to each select a string and jerk it out of my hand as fast and hard as possible.

At that point I'm already hearing squeamish rumblings from them as they imagine my hand being ripped to shreds by the hook, but just before I point to the first person I say, "Hold on - I've got an even better idea!" I take the hook and strings out of my hand and put them in my mouth, and everyone immediately freaks out. I proceed from there without having to give any more instruction. I just point to each person in turn, and believe me, they're going crazy. The reactions can't be adequately described.

That's just my little twist - this is a wonderful effect just as presented, though, and I really, really, really love it. This one's a reputation-builder... the people who see you perform it WILL be talking about it the next day!