World's Greatest Magic: Matrix/Coin Assemblies (DVD)

DVD Review: World's Greatest Magic - Matrix/Coin Assemblies

L&L Publishing has produced some of the world's best magic instructional DVDs in a series called the World's Greatest Magic by the World's Greatest Magicians. I'm a big fan of the series because each DVD focuses on a specific routine or prop that has become a classic in the history of legerdemain. These DVDs show some of the greatest living (and past) magicians performing and teaching their versions of the classic routine.

This time we look at the World's Greatest Magic Matrix/Coin Assemblies DVD. The DVD starts with the creator of the Matrix effect, Al Schneider, demonstrating and teaching the routine in his own words. The basic matrix routine is simple, yet striking. The magician positions four coins in a matrix (square) pattern. The magician then covers the four coins with four cards. One at a time, the coins magically gather under a single card.

Degree of Difficulty

Moderate to Expert. This really is a powerful effect that even a beginner can pull off with some practice. You really need a soft surface to work with though. I would suggest purchasing a close-up pad from a magic shop or on-line magic retailer for under $20. The pickup move that is required for all matrix routines is assisted by a little give in the surface. I have done the Johnny Thompson version using a dish towel so you could do that in a pinch or an impromptu setting.

Teaching

The teaching is fabulous - especially the classic Al Schneider routine as taught by Al Schneider.

Quantity of Effects

Al Schneider created this trick when he was just 17 years old showing that even a young mage can dream up magic that will stand the test of time. Schneider teaches the basic routine including the basic pick-up maneuver in great detail. Al covers some subtleties that he believes makes the effect more powerful. After a thorough explanation of his routine he covers some of his personal history of how it evolved. Then he goes on to show other pick-up maneuvers that have been magicians have came up with over the years. The DVD could end here and it would be worth twice what I paid ($18). Great stuff!

But wait, there's more!

Bill Malone's version
J.C. Wagner's Poor Man's Matrix
Harry Allen's Matrix
Aldo Colombini's Chink-a-Chink
Michael Ammar's Matrix
Johnny Thompson's Coin Assembly
Dan Fleshman's Matrix
Dan Harlan's Horror Matrix
Derek Dingle presents the Bertram Coin Assembly
Ross Bertram presents the Bertram Coin Assembly

Is that enough?

Quality of Effects

Every matrix offers some new angle on the routine. I'm not going to cover each matrix but I'll hit my favorites.

A coin matrix was one of the first coin tricks I learned. My version used a cloth towel or napkin and 2 dollar bills instead of 4 cards. This is a great impromptu/dinner table version of the matrix. The coin's are slide underneath the towel and penetrate through the towel. It has proven very effective for me. Johnny Thompson teaches a similar version with a handkerchief and cards.

Wagner's Poor Man's Matrix uses pennies - hence the "poor man's matrix." However he ends with the production of a jumbo penny under the stack of discarded cards. Then produces an even bigger jumbo penny.

Aldo Colombini's version is very clever. He really takes the one-ahead principle to a new level. He employs a clever gaff to execute a 3/4 of a matrix routine only to find that all coins have reversed back to the starting matrix position. Clever indeed!

Dan Fleshman starts with the Schneider matrix then follows up with a reverse matrix. The four coins literally appear back in their original position in a wink of the eye. Simply jaw dropping!

I love a good storytelling routine and Dan Harlan delivers a bloody good version called Horror Matrix. This is the story of 4 teenagers camping in the woods. Little do they know but a homicidal maniac has escaped from the local mental hospital. It's a great little version set to a horror theme perfect for adults and at Halloween time.

My favorite matrix is by Bill Malone. He delivers a two phase matrix that is filled with funny lines and blazing, fast magic. The first phase is the basic matrix. Malone's premise for the second phase is that he is going to expose the secret. Bill's explanation is hilarious and, of course, complete nonsense. The coins pop back and forth creating some magical mayhem before finally assembling under one card.

Dingle and Bertram's versions featured some sleight of hand vanishes and some tricky moves. However I thought they looked fishy in comparison to the more straight-forward handling of the steals and pick-ups.

Production Quality

The production is good. The DVD menus very straight-forward. The video quality is a mixed bag - mostly good but some of the video footage is very old - but that is to be expected when you are hitting the video archives to find versions from some of the older masters of the craft.

Overall: 9/10

So do you really need to learn 11 versions of the same routine? Of course not. However you'll find a cornucopia of matrix ideas and moves. If you watch closely, you will also discover dozens of moves and ideas that you could incorporate in other non-matrix coin & card tricks. For example, even though I really didn't like Ammar's version of the matrix, he teaches the Marlo Spider Vanish and some nice timing and misdirection elements. A much better version of the spider vanish that I had learned.

As with all L&L Publishing DVDs that I have purchased, this is an outstanding value and resource.

John Calvert Lecture - Part 2

John & Tammy Calvert and Tim

Read John Calvert Lecture - Part 1 here



John opened the evening's magic with a Cigarette version of the Miser's dream. John used some clever devices to produce a stream of cigarettes to which he flung into the air for his assistant, Tammy, to catch in a stainless steel bowl. It would have been fun to see this routine back when you could do it with lit cigarettes but then I guess that is one of those magic items like thimbles that will eventually be relegated to the history books.

Mr. Calvert did two watch steals at different times during the performance and provided insights on how to divert the victim's attention through physical and shocking verbal cues. He did borrow a watch for a comedy routine that included him smashing the spectators watch with a hammer. The watch ended up inside of about eight nested boxes.

Tammy does a wonderful job of misdirecting the action throughout the watch routine. You can see that Tammy is as skilled at her job as John is at his. Not to mention that Tammy looks absolutely great! John did pass along his secrets to longitivity including good clean living and thinking like a young man.

One of Calvert's signiture acts is his comedy Spirit Cabinet. You may remember that the Davenport brothers popularized the Spirit Cabinet during the 1800's Spiritualism movement. The two brothers where bound and seated in a large wooden cabinet with a small window in the middle. Musical instruments strange noises could be heard and seen playing through the small window. Once the cabinet doors were thrown open, the Davenport boys were still tightly bound to their seats.

John turned the Spirit Cabinet into a hilarious routine. He invited Ricky Rowray, an accomplished deaf magician in our Ring, to assist him inside of the cabinet. Calvert was bound with ropes in a straight jacket like configuration. A square curtain formed the spirit cabinet and was lifted by assistants to completely surround the two inside. Immediately, pie tins and tamborines flew out from the cabinet. Next came Ricky's shirt, shoes and an oversized bra! The curtain was lowered to find Calvert with his criss-crossed arms tightly bound and Ricky sitting calmly; half undressed!

John's lecture wove together illusions, escapes, stories, methodologies and wisdom. He talked about the French Drop not looking realistic. Nobody takes a coin in that fashion. John simply used realistic movements and misdirection to pull off perfect coin vanishes. When he brought volunteers up to teach his technique he corrected the student by saying "no, now you're starting to do magic!" Implying, that we magicians too often look we are doing magic instead of doing normal things where magic just happens along the way. Sage advice indeed.

John Calvert Lecture - Part 1

I have to admit that I didn't remember who John Calvert was when I saw his picture on the cover of the August 2008 issue of The Linking Ring magazine. I was fascinated by the cover story about this world famous magician. A quick review of my Illustrated History of Magic featured Mr. Calvert prominently in the later chapters. At 97 years young, John Calvert is a living legend in magic. When our IBM Ring heard that John and his lovely wife/assistant were passing through the Midwest on his way to an engagement at the Magic Castle, we were able to get him to swing into town to do a little magic and lecture.

Where does one even start to describe John Calvert? Gracious, funny, skilled, inspiring just to name a few adjectives. Calvert is a man who has been a world-famous magician who has performed in every corner of the globe. He began a career in movies decades before I born where he had been a movie star, a screenplay writer, a screen double, and director. John is a life long pilot, a stunt pilot and still flies acrobatically on occassion. He's been the owner operator of yachts and planes. He even displayed some skills in the chiropratic arts!

Out of the magic and wisdom John shared throughout the evening, his tales of his encounters with historical figures were the most fascinating to hear. Calvert is a man who has met and been friends with a huge list of famous actors, actresses and magicians. John described performing at a Hollywood party for stars like Danny Kaye and even using Gary Grant and Clark Gable as stooges during an impromptu magic show. His list of magician friends and acquitances included Blackstone, Cardini, Malini, Page, Kapps, Vernon and even saw Harlan Tarbell as a boy and became friends with Bess Houdini after Harry's death. Calvert has fratrenized with dozens of A-list performers from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s through today.

At 97, one might think that Mr. Calvert would feebly meander through simple tricks from his glory days. Hardly. This is a man who might been a step slower than in his youth but more than capable of dazzling a crowd. In fact, he challenged me and another strapping lad from the audience to a feat of strength (kind of like the traditional Festivus celebration for you Seinfeld fans). Try as we may, John was able to knock both of us off balance. At 97, this dude is strong!

Calvert started the evening by telling us that this is going to be the BEST show he has ever done. That is a winning attitude! John quipped that you never know, there might be a Hollywood agent in the crowd so always give your best performance. Later in the evening, John brought these comments full circle.

When Calvert happened to arrive in southern California to start his film career he happened to be at a magician friend's home (Jack Gwynne I believe) when a casting call came in for his friend. His friend was out of town doing series of magic shows on a west coast circuit so Calvert offered up his own name.

When he arrived at the audition, he found out that every other magician in the area had also been called. Yet the studio executive, without auditioning any of the magicians, told John he had the job. John naturally asked why he was being picked when no one had yet auditioned. The studio exec exclaimed that he had seen John already perform, in Kansas City several months earlier. It pays to perform your BEST show every night because you just never know who is in the audience!

Click to read John Calvert Part 2