Got this free as part of the holiday pack and can't imagine how disappointed I'd have been if I'd
paid for it. The only reason I don't give it one star is the benefit of the doubt that it could have
been worse, such as if it were a collection of YouTube videos by teenagers.
After
introducing Norsigian as a workhorse who's sharing his decades of experience, we get a frumpy man in
an oversized jacket that made my daughter immediately say, "Huh, I wonder if he's going to hide
anything in those huge pockets and loose sleeves." (SPOILER ALERT: yes)
Before presenting
his first routine, there's an extra sit down bit that feels shoehorned in like the editors didn't
know where else to put it. He gets on a soapbox about micromagic is dead. He gets sidetracked
detailing bits of a routine he's going to do later and the music he uses and how that song hits a
certain part at 2:15 and has an "atonal part that you'll understand if you hear the song" which
works well for his presentation. When he does the routine (on the next DVD), the music isn't used
and he rushes through it in less than 2:15 seconds, so all this feels even more pointless.
The presentation of all the routines feels rushed and none of them struck me as anything
innovative or that I would use. Case in point, the first routine includes a bit where he shoves a
cigar up his nose and pulls it out his ear.
This DVD set honestly made me feel
uncomfortable. I wanted to respect my elders and give Norsigian credit for making a career of this,
but as I approached every effect with "Maybe this will present me with some kind of new insight," I
was routinely disappointed. That was then compounded by the overwhelming pride he took in the
unimpressive routines he presented.
