Magic Tricks

So I got a personal copy from Rubinstein. This, however, won't affect the integrity of the review. Additionally, my background is that I am an intermediate level coin worker, so my knowledge is good enough to hold my ground for when Im doing coin work in the restaurants I work, I will also be using a discerning eye to essentially tell whether a new routine lives or dies. Here is the review:

Review is divided into 3 sections,
a) Review play by play of watching video and highlights
b) Summary

a) Review play by play of watching video and highlights

First Impressions: Rubinstein presents himself as very relatable to his audiences, and you really do see that, though not sure why he seemed out of breath at the beginning. ha Additionally, he properly credits everyone so we can look further into that individual if you like their routine.

Highlights:

1) Wishing well- The routine is allright, the transitional patter (producing coins 1-4) is a bit repetitive (you can modify it). To be candid, I found that in this particular case, the guts of the routine/ the moves in this case are the gold here. Take and learn as much as you can. The wishing well gives a solid preview of the moves YOU WILL NEED to learn/practice for the "Heavy Hitters" as the lecture continues on. 4/5

2) Purse and Glass- Honestly, I think Rubinstein's version is better than the original Roth version, but one would not have spawned the other. Was kind of surprised Michael decided to include this one. Its a beauty (IT HAS NO EXTRA COINS OR GIMMICKS!!!), but even so, I took a point off because a rattle purse IS required to sell the illusion (after testing it myself) and you need worn silver AND cooper coins that don't make sound. You can't do this routine from the get-go..though if you do have those, its a gem. 4/5

3) Wonderful Nesting Boxes Routine. Just add some gag lines and funny scripting relatable to you, and its all yours. Solid 5/5

4) Voodoo Revelations: one word: SICCCCKKKKKKKK! Very practical for a showpiece/showstopper. Be hard to pull off as a restaurant worker, but I'm using this at the Magic Castle. So for a close up/parlor showpiece...5/5


5) Tripple E.G. Spellbound- Dang it! It made me cry bull its so beautiful !!! Knowing Eric Jones, he'd probably be saying the same thing as well. Even though its a quickie, its going into my restaurant repertoire, and its STAYING THERE!!! Even the penguin audience was drooling!!! Hell, a 10/5 if I could!


6) Silver Extraction- OMG its sooooo coooool. You can do this as a interlude opener effect to your coin magic. The small setup, and it is small, is worth it. Heck, combine it with chocolate coin by Will Tsai, and you've got a winner.

Also covered- R.O.P.S. steal: Is covered in this routine...and its amazing. Did this in the mirror and found myself crying bs...it works!!! Will swap between this unique vanish, and the fingertip retention pass. Both ROPS and Silver extraction a solid 5/5


7) Coins through the table: ok...ok...ok...I've read his article in the Penguin magazine, but I thought they were bloating/exaggerating his version. Seeing is believing, and this routine really is sexy. Mind you, you do need to be sitting, but ohhhh man, this is the good stuff. No Extra Coins or Gaffs!!! 5/5

8) Twilight Coin- an In the hands wild coin. I came up with a version as well, but I reeeeeally like the ideas from his. No cup needed boys. And a good presentation to boot. 5/5

9) Silver Lint: Fancy title to say its spellbound routine...with new moves!!! <3 Its 100% commercial. Though I have one I heavily HEAVILY rely on, there a lot of new insight you can take away from...that you can't learn in Eric Jones Metal DVDs (Still love ya Eric). Heck, Im throwing 2 phases into my current one. Cuz of that, heavy 5/5

10) Copper Silver Brass- This is an interesting routine. Very. The only part I personally disagreed with was the first phase.

(I think rather than doing the drop tap load, you can ask a spectator to hold out their hand, you retain the 2 coins via a click pass/retention of vision vanish that retains them in the finger palm, pick up the Silver coin in the same hand (making 3 coins) THUMB PALM the Silver coin while dropping the 2 foreign coins into the spectators hand in finger palm, and while they react to that, to a la mosque load (aka, while your recessive hand is held in a fist, load a coin in the thumb hole as your hand casually does a 180 around the hand to lavishly close..."if you have two coins in your hand, then...I have a copper in mine" More powerful because the change happened in the spectators hand...but hey, just my 2 cents.)

The rest of the routine (including the other 5 phases) is very strong and I plan to use the whole thing. It also combines the Tallahassee Coins across routine in the mesh, but in a MUCH more logical way, and a way I will use. In strolling, you can use this as the show piece of your set, and everyone will be very happy.
Taking from what I like in this routine, its a solid 5/5. You won't hear me complaining... ;)

11)

SUMMARY: Very funny guy with never ending puns, tons of new moves routines and play-toys you can use in your current work (its a very hard statement to make, but I mean it!!!). Honestly, theres a lot of replay value in this dvd/lecture, meaning as Rubinstein was VERY clear in his instructions, I will be coming back to this DVD around 5 more times. There is a TON of information to absorb, so I recommend ONLY learning 2 routines at a time, playing with them for a week, then coming back to the DVD for another two.

Being complete my ONLY real criticism is the Tap Load (the drop load where you tap afterwards). Even as it is done on the offbeat, the move itself does not look natural. While each situation is different, and different techniques will be needed depending on your ingenuity to substitute the move, I think there are better options or ways to display the coins over this move, (I displayed one way above). I do get that the move is "Universal" in the context in which its used, aka "the master key", but I want to open a door people don't mind walking through, and knowing the specific audiences I work for burn my hands at certain times, I know from experience that this move won't fly by them.

Needless to say, you're getting one heck of a bargain with this lecture. For those newer to coins, a solid background in coin magic can be made with Bobos Modern Coin Magic (NOT THE DOVER ADDITION, GET THE BIG BOOK!!!!) and a DVD on coins like Eric Jones Metal Series, or Jay Nobelazada's excellent In the beginning there were coins DVD, and finally the Stars of Magic Book that has Dai Vernon's Spellbound routine in it, and nothing will be out of bounds for you.
With that knowledge, you can take on the New York Coin Seminar series (16/17 DVDs) no prob...but I digress...

Just get it. Theres enough good stuff you can throw in literally 5 COIN routines into your working STROLLING set without the hard work added to it. To have a lecture do that...hahahaha, its probably the best lecture on penguin you can ask for. (Oi, people auditioning for Magic Castle as a junior/adult, use this lecture and you'll get in!!!)

5/5 Im as happy as a dang clam. <3