INTRODUCTION

Peter Loughran is one of the most creative people I've had the pleasure to know in the last few years. He is an honorable and ethical man and I am proud to call him my friend. Even with all that in mind, I still feel very honored to be one of the privileged few to whom Peter consults with while he is working on a new trick, effect or illusion. Sometimes I think that if I had a dollar for each and every time Pete comes up with some cool new trick or unique concept, I would be driving a Porsche 911 by now...oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle for my Buick.

All that aside, I still remember the afternoon that Peter called to discuss a new idea he was working on (gee, now there's a shock, Pete working on a new idea?). Peter begins to explain to me this whole idea about making it rain on people. Now, at first I thought that perhaps the man had been drinking some cheap Canadian beer, so I started to advise him about possibly seeking a genuine medicine man. But - when it became obvious that Mr. Loughran was dead serious, my wheels started turning...and turning.

Then, Peter begins to elaborate as to how this effect could be demonstrated in front of a crowd of people on the street. No smoke, no mirrors, no magnets, no stooges and absolutely no camera tricks. Okay, this was sounding too good to be true. I mean honestly, short of smoking some kind of illegal substance, how the heck was this going to be possible? He explains...then it hits me! Holy !@#$! says I.

Well, all that was many months ago. I had given Peter my thoughts on patter, presentation and the concept of a rain stone. But was it all going to actually become a reality? As promised, a package arrived in my mailbox last week and the following is my impressions about Peter's latest miracle. Enjoy.

RainMaker by Peter Loughran
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Effect: The performer gathers several spectators in a circle of chant, and begins to tell a story of ancient mythology surrounding the Mayan Rain Gods of the past. Engulfing the spectators in world beyond their imagination, the performer brings forth a sacred piece of cloth. The cloth is then unraveled to reveal an ancient artifact stolen from a British museum known as a Rain Stone. By chanting the words Rainmaker 3 times, the Rain Stone was used to summon the great Mayan Rain Gods, such as one known as Chac. By summoning the Rain Gods, ancient civilization was able to save their crops from drought by causing it to mysteriously rain upon their fields.

The performer holds out the ancient stone in his out stretched hands and invites everyone in the circle to touch and keep their fingers on the ancient artifact. Asking everyone to concentrate on the Rain Stone, the performer leads the spectators in an eerie chant, first chanting the name of the Rain God “Chac”, then following with the words “Rainmaker” 3 times.

Suddenly the unimaginable begins to happen, raindrops begin to fall from high in the sky, down upon the circle of spectators. As your spectators look up, droplets of water land randomly upon their face and body. The chant is broken, and the rain stops, changing the lives of everyone in the circle.
IMPORTANT POINTS:

• The performer has full control over the rain at all times.
  
• The performer’s hands are in full view at all times during the illusion.
  
• Totally safe, and completely harmless.
  
• No assistants or stooges, this is a one-man effect.
  
• Seconds to step up and ready to go at all times.
  
• Automatic reset, and instantly repeatable.
  
• Control the amount of rain that falls.
  
• Control the time the rain starts and stops.
  
• The Rain Stone is completely examinable before and after the effect.
  
• Rainmaker comes complete with the professional apparatus, and a detailed instructional booklet with designer routines.
  
• Remember that Rainmaker is a close up effect that can be done indoors or outside!
  
• Perform it on the street, in a mall, at the fair, in your backyard, or even in the midst of a secluded desert!
  
• Completely self contained, no special surroundings required and no stooges are used, it is a one-man illusion!
  

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If you work on the street - buy this now! If storytelling and bizarre magic is your thing - buy this now! If people are constantly challenging you to do something really cool (like Criss Angel or David Blaine) - buy this now! Finally, if you're just sick and tired of the same old stuff, again - buy this now!

Okay, as you can see I'm pretty excited about this new offering from my Canadian neighbor Peter Loughran. How could I not be? This is literally miracle material just waiting to be unleashed on the general public at large.

The ad copy above is accurate folks, no kidding. Unless you have absolutely no performing skills or sense of timing, you can't help but freak people out. However, If you're an idiot who does not think about his presentation or does not bother to observe closely his surroundings when performing, then do us all a big favor and do NOT purchase this highly professional prop because the rest of us certainly will be using this to entertain and amaze.

This effect is probably the closest thing to real magic that many laypeople will ever experience. Forget about all these goofy levitations or pulling strings from your eyes, you are going to mess with Mother Nature herself! Making cards appear is one thing, seemingly controlling the weather is quite another. This trick is so bloody good that the most difficult thing you will face is controlling the urge to perform this when you really shouldn't...and there are indeed times when this would not be a good trick to attempt, so please use good judgement.

So, what do you receive for your hard earned magical dollar? Well, you get a very well built and designed piece of equipment and an extremely well produced intsruction booklet that will have you sending spectators to the local sanitarium in no time at all. Again, this is extremely strong magic just waiting to be executed, provided that you do so in an entertaining manner.

Anyway, back to the goodies. The instruction booklet contains sixteen (16) pages of well written tips, tricks and advice that will insure you don't run into any tech problems. As an aid, the instructions include thirteen (13) clear photographs that even a neophyte will understand, making the whole learning process a fun journey instead of a bumpy nightmare. Once you understand the basics, you'll be able to do this with your eyes shut, though I would not recommend that you do.

The equipment proper is something else says I. Very well thought out and can easily be customized, depending on your usual attire. This thing is really quite ingenius and must be seen in operation to be appreciated. The included Rain Stone can certainly come in handy (depending on your presentation) but is not required. While the equipment is well built and should last for years, you will certainly want to take care of this and not leave sitting around for your dog to play with.

Where can you perform this you ask? Well, that will depend on many factors. I tried it indoors at the local mall and it went over extremely well...nobody had a clue and I got a future gig as a bonus. Now what does that tell you?
Can you do this in your living room? I would not recommend doing so unless you have rather high ceilings. Obviously the ideal venue for this is outdoors, so the streets, parks, fairs and that sort of thing are perfect locations. Like I said, I did this at the mall, but the ceiling was extremely high.

For those of you into doing spooky type effects, the possibilities are endless, depending on your imagination. While the manual encourages you to use only water, I can just imagine blood...though your spectators might not appreciate the after affects it may have on their clothing. Still, something to consider. Perhaps coloring that will not stain? I'll let you decide that for yourself.

There is not much more to be said here, else I might spoil the whole affair by revealing the secret. A killer effect (trick of the year?), quality equipment and excellent instruction. My own personal opnion is that this is probably the best item that Peter Loughran has ever marketed. I think ths trick really is a miracle. My highest recommendation.

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My rating:

Suggested retail is: $159.99 (postpaid)
*Comes with a 30 day warranty on all parts & labor.

RainMaker can be ordered directly from Peter Loughran:
You can contact Peter directly at: peter@masterofillusions.ca
Visit Peter's site to order direct:
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

MASTER OF ILLUSIONS ENTERTAINMENT
97 BirchPoint Dr.
R.R. 2, Ennismore,
Ontario. K0L 1T0
CANADA
(705) 292-8947

Also available from your favorite dealer.

Dealers - contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
11500 Gold Dredge Way
Rancho Cordova, Ca. 95742
Toll Free Order Line: 1-800-853-7403
Or visit Murphy's website:
Click here!