Twenty Years of Magic. Most of you clicked on this, but you don't know what it is! It is my hope
that after my review, you will do yourself a favour and buy it.
Well, it is sorta a book.
It was advertised as "Four of Jay's most popular sets of lecture notes in one volume! Including
"Memorable Images", "Tricks of the Trade", "Amazing Magic Tricks", and "Sankedelic Magic". Much of
this material has never apeared in print or on video! Over 30 routines!"
The book itself
is a 64 page flimsy paperback, I think is only available from his website, and is bound with one of
those plasticy coil things.
However, regardless of the quality of the book, the tricks are
what matter, so lets get to them!
The Price of Admission: Everyone has heard of or seen
this trick somewhere! The method is obvious to us, but to laymen, this is killer. (Yeah, I use this
a lot.) A movie theater ticket is torn up, squeezed and impossibly restored. It does require two
movie tickets, but I feel that it is worth it. In terms of what the trick looks like, I rate it a 9,
but in terms of handling, 8.5. So... 8.7!
A Short Fuse: A very wierd sandwitch effect with
a really, really complicated and fishy handling. A few cards fuse. The plot is old, and if you can
pull this off, then go for it. It is better in terms of what it looks like than any other. I just
can't pull off the handling.... SO... I rate this one a 8.0
The Tragicomic Keys: A nice
effect, handling is easy, requires really only three things, and has a great story. I like this one
a lot, but I probbably won't perform it that often. 8.5
Sugarless Gum: The first version
of Wrap It Up! that the world got to see! It of course is the snap handling, and in the notes, he
says that the idea first came from Tom Mullica, and then his girlfriend (at the time) had helped him
with a few things. 9.6
A match by any other name: The story has been repeated in his other
tricks, but the teaching on this one is a little... iffy. I can't really do this for I don't
understand what he wants me to do! But the plot and the main method are really neat, and the
solution he came up with to lighting a whole book of matches without actually doing so surprised me.
Meh... 8.0
Unscrewed: The story makes no sense, and the trick is kinda, well, screwy. It
is another wierd idea, sort of like a bill switch but it isn't... You have to see it to understand.
Oh well, the trick gets an 8.0
Forbidden Fruit: Man do I love this walkaround routine! He
marketed this item seperatly for years, but this is a great routine. A stick of bubble gum changes
into a selected card. You do waist one card every time, but the change is very visual and the trick
is great. 9.4
Broken English: This is on TVBO, as a chopstick changes into a selected
card. People, stick with your number two pencils. 7.0
Transference: The magican has
someone think of a card, and he names it. Then they think of a different one, and their friend names
it. Eh... It is ok. I don't think that it will get the reaction that he put in the book (Ohmygod, I
gots t'get home. Me pants iz soaked!) but it is pretty strong. I think the handling leaves something
to be desired. 8.5
Unholy: A piece of paper is torn out of a memo pad. Well, the performer
heals all the holes at the top of the paper. The wow factor isn't that big, but the trick is really
easy, so... 8.5
Voodoo: A demonstration of voodoo! I like this routine a lot. It really
makes people believe you can do voodoo! It is also easy as crap! So, yeah, I rate this a 9.5
Skin Deep: A midget gives birth to eleven chocolate chip cookies... Naw... I'm just kidding, but
it would be cool.
The above is what is written in the manual. I am not kidding. It's just
another two card transpo, except this one really gets the audience involved. I think I will stick
with my Le Monte Transpo though. 8.5
Revival: This is a really, really scary trick but
unfortunatly, you need a gimmick and you have to buy it from a store. He says he has never performed
this, but I think that the payout will be well worth it. 9.0
The Changeling: This seems
like a trick that was taken and put on ITBTWC, because he said something at the end of the demo
like, "Me and my buddy Luke Jermay also..." and it seemed a lot like this. It is a signed coin
transposition. I like this handling and it is practically impromptu. 9.0
Special Delivery:
This is almost identical to the effect listed later, Pandora's Envelope. I still feel that this is a
good routine, it just takes a lot of set-up. The routine I feel is worth it though. 8.8
Guaranteed: Another card transposition! Make it stop! If there is one thing I hate about Sankey,
it is his over use of transpositions. Anyway, this is a good two card transpo with a good
presentational hook, but... Meh, again, I shall stick with Le Monte Transpo. 8.3
The Pen
Is Mightier: Super easy, great reactions. It is almost more like a gag though! This did inspire one
of my recent creations which I will have a video of soon, but a pen cap is proven to be magnetic and
then when handed to a spectator, it is glued on to the pen. 9.0
Saved by the Bell: An
ancient trick, with a not really refined handling. I think that this one was taken straight from an
old Svengali book. 7.0
Bloodhound: A quarter finds a selected card visually. It does and
the moves are easy. This routine is pretty cool. 9.0
BINGO: Who keeps bingo cards or who
has readily acess to bingo cards? Well, you need one for this trick. The spectator stamps the bingo
card at a predicted number. A really simple trick but it would get strong reactions. 8.0
Psychic Silver: This is really hard to prepare for. You almost would have to go to a coin shop
if you don't want to wait for about a year going thru change. The effect isn't that great either...
Eh, I rate this a 8.0
Cornered: A bill switch idea. I don't like the trick, or the
premise. 6.0.
Nothing Moved: Another bill switch idea. This one was pretty much on 45. It
has been explained in a thousand other places. (I relize that this came out long before his other
stuff.) 8.0
Instabank: Great premise, might have me actually using the hundred dollar bill
switch. 9.0
Stuck Up: An easy routine that was on SGH!. A selected card is found stapled
between two other cards. 9.0
The Sleeves Up Pass: It is a pass from who I consider to be
the leading expert on passes in the world of magic. But teaching a pass in a book... Well... Not
that helpful. It is helpful to learn it, but watching it in action is what helps me most with
passes. This is kinda a way to get out of doing a pass though. A lazy man's pass, if you will. I
can't say more without exposure. 8.5
Raising Sugar Cane: This, as he said in the manual,
is not original. He says that he knows he can't be the first to think this up, but he hasn't seen it
anywhere else, so he put it in here. The method is super simple, it is a torn and restored sugar
packet. 9.0
What's In A Name: Graffiti... With a different name. It is a great trick, no
matter where it is taught. 22 blows to the head or in this manual, it is still great. 9.5
Pandora's Envelope: A little prep for a great trick. A signed card appears and vanishes visually
from a little emvelope more than once. 9.0
Extended Credit: Taught on two of his other
DVDs that I know of. A great trick, one that you will smile at the method of. A spectators credit
card is broken and restored. It is heartstopping to the spectators. 9.5
Sweet Bread: Was
on Sankey's Secret Files. An in the spectators hands sugar packet transpo. I prefer the one that was
taught first on Sankey 1999, but this one doesn't require a table, so... 9.0
Mental
Breakdown: Mentalism!!! This is a really nice concept, but I don't like the structure. If you can do
a pass, you can do this. It never gets that good reactions though... Kinda more like, "Hey, that was
cool." Never "OMG! HE READ MY FREAKING MIND!!!". It does have the potential, with a little
tweaking... to become great though. 8.5
Chop Suey Subterfuge: A chop cup move. Just a chop
cup move. A spectator feels the ball arive. After this was printed, this move appeared several other
places. I am sure that after hearing all that, all of you have a method for this. I am sure it isn't
original, but it is good and can enhance any chop cup routine. 9.0
Ring A Ding: Appeared
on Sankey's Greatest Hits as Boxing Ring. I like it, but I don't have the materials to do it. You
need two identical rings that look like wedding rings. If I had the income of Sankey, yeah, I could
do this. 8.0
Break and Entry: I love this. So simple. So great. Only downside, a lot of
prep. Other than that, it is great all around. A quarter penetrates the bottom of a salt shaker
visually. 9.5
This is a FANTASTIC book with a LOT of great tricks and insight into some
old Sankey gems. PLEASE pick this up!
