Magic Tricks

Here ye, Here ye, Here comes Charlie Justicy or something like that. Charlie was nice enough to send me a copy of his DVD Covert Coins to help me out with a routine I was playing with for a 3 coins only 3 fly. I LOVED it. Charlie and everybody in the “Studio” did a fantastic job on this project and I want to thank them all for their hard time work and effort. The honest to god best 53 minutes of my life (Well I watched it 3 times so thats… TOO MUCH GREAT MATERIAL)

THE IDEA/FILM 5/5 I loved the whole idea of this DVD. It is not one of those boring DVDs that has absolutely no point. This actually draws you in because it is movie style. It has a story behind it which I really adore. Long story short, Charlie is an escape delinquint from Alcatraz on the lam where he gets cought up in an Italian job esque position. I don’t want to ruin anything but the film keeps on the subject while still having lots of good magic involved. I don’t want to ruin anything for you.

THE TEACHING 5/5 Charlie did one of the best jobs teaching out of all the DVD’s I have watched. He just about matched up to Joshua Jay’s DVD companion for his book (See review) It was THAT good. He went into detail on every sleight and subtlety. If you have any kind of expanded shell set or expanded shell, This DVD is going to knock you up (or rock your world, Which ever you prefer) I loved how almost all of these can be adapted to your style whether or not you use a shell or don’t use a shell. You can still do almost all of these. And if you own Homer Liwag’s “Coin One” then this DVD is going to be a very cost covering investment on your part. I loved how he used a chopstick in some parts to show where the shell and the coin meet. It really helped me a whole lot.

VIDEO QUALITY 4/5 I’m sorry Charlie, But the video was kind of fuzzy and grainy. Well I can’t really judge since the entire thing was apparently filmed in 1954 lol but even if not, It was still a little bit fuzzy and that annoyed me in the beginning but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for you. Another thing is the lighting quality. The entire time almost, It looks like they were shining a very bright light right in his face and he was squinting a little bit and his face at some parts were almost ghost white. But that shouldnt be much of a problem either since they didn’t light up the coins to the point where you can’t tell the coins apart. But otherwise it was fine. Nothing getting in the way of learning.

STEALTH DUMP 5/5 SHELL. If you own Homer Liwag’s routine (mentioned above) then this will be your closer. Replace the regular ending with this one. this is one that doesent happen off the table. So instead of providing a table for just one little phase, drop all the coins into your spectator’s hand and procede from there. Talk about a versatile sleight. It is invisible and you are NEVER going to be caught on this. go ahead and do it exposed view for the camera and nobody is going to ever see ANYTHING.

FINGERTIP DE-SHELL AND SHELLSWITCH 5/5 SHELL (der) This move is something that I’m sure a lot of shell workers use a lot. But the difference between this one and the classic version, Instead of using sticky fingers, You use nothing but muscle. I am talking about the fingertip de-shell btw. A very simple but effective little sleight to use in your arsenal (talk about a weird word) of shell routines. Shellswitch on the other hand, Is utilizing the fingertip de-shell yet applies it in a different manner, Being a shuttle pass/false take action while still switching one coin for another and using a shell in the works. Both are really good sleights.

TRANSWITCH 5/5 This is my favorite sleight on this entire DVD. It is a knacky one but you will eventually get it down. I got it in almost 3 hours but it still needs practice. This is made for when you want to show both hands undeniably EMPTY before and after a shuttle pass. To tell you the truth, If you watch this DVD and you do not drop the shuttle pass after watching this portion, You are a dumb dumb. Well, Not really but you get my point. It is THAT deceptive. I cracked up when I saw it performed because I could not come to any possibly explanation.

Fly out production (FLOP) 4/5 This is an incredibly difficult move to acquire perfectly. Actually, To be honest with you, It almost cannot be performed without being perfected. The idea is to look like you just touch your fingers together and a coin just appears from nowhere. He got this idea from David Roth’s Pop out production but this is done at eye/chest level and without a table which makes it much harder.

Toss over shuttle switch (TOSS) 4/5 SHELL. Another semi difficult move to accomplish but this one is somewhat easier to execute better. It is made to look like a shuttle pass but to de-activate the shell and hold it back so the coin can for whatever reason be examined. Charlie has some good ideas with this one and once I get my shell I will begin to practice this move.

Drop out shuttle switch (DOSS) 5/5 SHELL. If you cannot for whatever reason get the TOSS move down, You would have a better time going from that to this instead. This one is a bit more fidgety but it is one of those moves which is really natural (as natural as the regular shuttle pass) and the actions do not get in the way of the move. It looks like you just point your hand palm down and the coin just goes to the fingertips and then into the other hand. Awesome move.

PURSUBTLETY 5/5 Close your eyes and imagine a parallel paradox. Another world. A world where a gazillion coins are produced one by one from an entirely empty coin purse one by one by showing it empty every step of the way and then a coin just popping into view. This is more of a subtlety though than a move. It executes another move by the name which shall not be named and uses his subtlety to make a purse empty, then have a coin appear, then empty again. This made number 2 (Haha) in my list of favorite things from the DVD.

MUSCLE PASS PITCH 5/5 This is not that hard of a move to perfect but it will need a little more attention than a few other things from this video. It allows you to take a coin from the fingertips and hold another coin back. I don’t want to ruin anything more but this is what Charlie sent me this DVD for and I am very gracious of him since this is an awesome move and can be an awesome ending for your fingertips coins across routine with just 3 coins mind you.

FINGERS OPEN GRIP (FOG)5/5 Yet another abreviated name for an abreviated curse word sleight. If that was a little too advanced for you, Your spectators brains will implode and cause them a slow and painful deception. Imagine the mutobe and thumb palm smooshed together but at the same time having the hands perfectly natural and in almost any position while still palming a coin. This is a runner up and I predict that almost everybody will use this once they are blowed away by it. It is a sleight and an awesome subtlety combined to make one truly deceptive trick so even if the trick you are performing sucks, This will shoot it to that 10 you are looking for.

THE SKINNY4/5 SHELL. The coins across routine that Charlie performs all the time. Produce 3 coins in 3 seconds flat and then one by one make the coins travel visibly from one hand to the other and placing them on the table. He goes over this with all the sleights included in the DVD almost and then a few added tips and subtleties. It isn’t a full explanation for the effect but you can still follow along if you have the coin set. I think Charlie made this DVD for this routine. I would say that he made this routine and then taught each of the sleights seperately and in detail so you can learn this coins across more easily provided that you have a shell and matching coins. (expanded) as soon as I get my shell I am going to start practicing this routine right away.

“For liberty and Justice for all!”