Title: Creating Magic by Gary Kurtz
Medium: DVD (re issue from video)
Arena: close up, stand up
Available: Any shop, distributed by Murphys Magic Supplies

I was introduced to the magic of Gary Kurtz when Murphys Magic Supplies made the brilliant decision to re-issue the video to DVD of Flurious. I was very impressed with not only the amazing skill of Mr. Kurtz but also his ability to communicate not only the magic actions but the misdirection and proper performance of the routines. I since found out about his other DVD (may be more?) that I am reviewing here, Creating Magic, which looks like it was the second volume of two videos put out by A1 Multi Media. Like Flurious the quality of the DVD is very good. The sound is great, Gary isn’t hiding in a black suit with a black background, and the camera man knew where to shoot and the editing and all that was pretty good. Sure it isn’t as crisp as you expect with todays digital cameras and straight to DVD products but this is a great product to be put on DVD because if you are like me you’ll be jumping around to watch the routines on this DVD.

I was told that Gary Kurtz has left the magic side of things and now is a mentalist, I can imagine he would be pretty good at it. He is very good at sleight of hand, he fully understands misdirection, and his presentational skills are top notch. You get on this 85 minute DVD four routines with coins or cards and a utility vanish of multiple coins. Before getting to the routines I want to discuss Gary as a teacher. He does an excellent job communicating information but what really impressed me was in his total understanding of not only what he is doing physically he fully understands what the audience is seeing. He explains the longer routines by section and he explains the subtle actions and misdirection and calls attention to them. Too often this is ignored by those explaining magic but Gary does a great job in giving complete information on the routines and moves. If you never attempt any of the material on this DVD just listening to him discuss misdirection and how the audience reacts to certain actions is worth the price of this DVD.

The routines themselves are not easy. I would say that it is easier to learn all the material on Michael Ammars money series of videos than it is to learn the four routines here. The effort is worth it because these are very well thought out and entertaining routines and all the practice you will put in will be worth it. Practice…remember that word, because you are going to become familiar with it. This isn’t material you will learn in ten minutes and run out to show your mom. You are going to need to really think about the routine, learn the sleights, work on the sequences, all that good stuff. It will be worth every minute because if you do learn these routines you will be at a higher level than a lot of magicians out there. Like in Flurious Gary succeeded in leaving me scratching my head. Let’s take a look at the routines:

Misty Like A Dream:

This is a coin routine that is beautifully done. There are productions, vanishes, coins change from one type to another then back again. If you want to jump in on this routine this is the one that will take the most time to learn. The flow is outstanding and the sleight of hand a thing of beauty. I’m not a real good coin guy and I’m not sure that I can pull this routine off but I’m trying. This is one of the nicest over all coin routines I’ve seen, it is a showpiece.


Gary In Your Pockets:

A lot of us do cards to pocket. Yeah, some even like to switch cards on people. This routine takes it a bit further. In this routine you openly place four cards in your pockets, you show the audience the cards and they are clearly put away. You have another packet of four cards and one by one, fully shown, the pocketed cards appear in your hands and the other cards, one by one, vanish only to be shown in your pockets. Killer stuff and the sleights are great. This is the best card to pocket routines I’ve ever seen. This also will take some work to do right but again well worth it.


Hypothetical Possibilities:

The routine is based on the idea of travel with cards….cool huh? This is not too difficult to do, relative to the other material, but the routine is really good. A card is selected and put away, another card is picked and signed only to have it go back in time to before it was signed then forward again and finally way forward to where it is found to be the card put away at the very start of the routine. I didn’t do the explanation justice but it is a little bit ambitious card and a little bit card to impossible location and it is a solid piece of card magic.

The Empty Hand:

A clearly empty hand is used to produce a card from your pocket, and they’ll have no idea how it got there. Man, this will make you love misdirection and sleight of hand!

Silk Coin Vanish:

This is a method to vanish a number of coins w/out a coin clip. I have tried to vanish multiple coins and failed but this is a pretty cool idea and it works. Worth a look at. I’m ashamed to say this vanish takes more ability than I have with coins but I’m trying.

I missed the Gary Kurtz material the first time around and thank goodness for DVD technology. These are worth looking at for the magician ready to move up in the art or the skilled coin guy looking for a challenge. Thanks to Murphys Magic Supplies for looking at the material out there and re introducing it to the fraternity. If not for them I would never would have seen this material and that would have been a shame. Very good magic by a great magician and if anyone out there knows Gary tell him to return to magic for a visit, he is missed I’m sure.

I bought this when it came out on video. The material is excellent.

I have his book and his dvd Let's Get Flurious. Does he have his 3-fly (Trio in Three) on video anywhere?

You will watch this dvd, and you will get his other one.....both great....

Virus - the 3 fly routine is part of Misty Like A Dream. See above.

Yes, Eddie but it never say's anything about a 3-fly. I seen the preveiw of that video and it had him turning halves into chinese coins.

Yeah that's also a part of the monster coin routine he does called misty like a dream...

Trio in Three is a coin routine done at the table using the 2 Copper One Silver Giimmick.

The Fingertip Coins Across is Trio.

Gary Kurtz has a fun style when he perfoms, but he's quite serious when the teaching segments come. His tehcnique is so flawless. No matter how many times you rewind the performance segments, you just don't see the sleights.

For those that seek perfection in their art, Gary is the way to go.

Kurtz is one of the finest magicians there was in close up when he was in it. Not only was he talented in regards to performing sleights, but his routines are very well constructed.

If you get a chance to grab his "Leading With Your Head" booklet, he's got some great thoughts in there as well.