Reviewed by Brady

This review is written by someone who does mostly strolling and restaurant work. I am always looking for good quality effects and routines that surprise and amaze my audiences. If I find one idea or effect in a book or on a DVD that I can use, I deem the purchase a success. I am currently using three effects from this DVD in the rotation of effects that I use in my restaurant work and I plan on adding a fourth in the near future.

To give you an idea of what the DVD claims for itself, the following is the manufacturer’s propaganda that you will find on most websites that sell the product:

In The Trenches with Paul Green
Paul Green performs the kind of magic that audience’s love, and that you'll love performing. With years of experience and thousands of performances under his belt, Paul Green's magic is practical, powerful and memorable. In The Trenches contains:
• Jeopardy This is considered to be one of the best presentations of the triple prediction. This effect literally UNFOLDS (prop included) and announces a series of card predictions that would make Alex Trebec’s head spin!
• 2 Copper Silver An eye-popping coin routine with the ever-popular 2 Copper Silver coin set (it also works with Silver, Copper, Brass). There are three distinct transpositions and it’s easy to do. Features Paul’s ‘Pouch Switch’ that elegantly ditches the gaffs and leaves you clean as a whistle.
• KB/PG Sponge Balls Inspired by Ken Brooke, this audience tested routine has everything from vanishes, transpositions, and changes – all the way down to mini spongeballs!!
• Mission Impossible One of Paul’s most requested tricks as he becomes a spy and the secret documents (a signed playing card) appears in the most unusual place. – A mini-briefcase!
• Above, Beside, or Below Coins across that really surprises your audience. Perfect for strolling venues as it’s all done in their hands.
• Here, There, and Chicago Too Combining the classic ‘Here, There, and Everywhere’ plot with the ‘Chicago Opener’, this routine will fool your audience – hard! Not as tough as you think.
• Four On the Floor With the help of J.C. Wagner, your audience will scream as they go through the twists and turns of this card revelation.
• Coming Together Based on Peter Samuelson’s ‘New York Transpo,’ this is Paul’s take on bringing two spectators together Anniversary Waltz style. Two separate signatures end up on the same card – and it uses normal cards!
• The Rope Routine Fabulous, great, unbelievable handling for the Professor’s Nightmare. It will fool you even if you already do the routine.
• Flying Eagles A classic coin routine sprinkled with dynamic touches that make it a hard-hitting and striking piece of magical theater.

I call the above propaganda because it has only one purpose: to get you to buy the DVD. Most of us have read the back of a DVD and have bought it, just to find out that there is really nothing of value there for us to use. I think you will find that this propaganda is closer to the truth than not.

With all of that said, let the review begin.

THE DVD ITSELF

The product is produced by Penguin Magic. The production quality is less than lavish. There are no cute and clever introduction images or video footage at the beginning. It is a very bare bones production on Penguin’s part. When you put the DVD in the player a basic menu of links to effects and explanations comes up. This basic menu makes it easy to navigate with your DVD remote. Everything is on one page, so you never need to navigate between pages to find effects.

Some of the effects are performed in a “real life performance” before a live audience at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Some of the effects are demonstrated in a studio setting with one or two people as spectators. Most of the camera work is from a single camera. At some points the camera man is less than steady and moves the camera from person to person. Evidently, this guy was not from the cameraman union.

In short, while the video is clean and the sound is clear, it is quite obvious that Warner Bros. or DreamWorks did not produce this DVD.

PAUL PERFORMING THE EFFECTS

My first experience with Paul Green was the “Live at the Jailhouse” DVD’s. On those DVD’s I found Paul’s business advice spot on, and his effects clever and entertaining. It was based on that experience that I first considered buying “In the Trenches.” In the “In the Trenches” DVD Paul does not disappoint. I find his effects are top quality as far as usefulness for the restaurant worker, close-up table magician and strolling worker; although, not all the effects would be useful to all those performers.

When watching the effects filmed at the Magic Castle you will get a good idea of both an honest audience reaction, and you will see how Paul expertly manages the audience. Here is a lesson that is not advertised in the propaganda.

The “in studio” presentations suffer from a let down of energy. The two spectators are not much more than animated mannequins. Do not expect to see the applauding, laughing, and ever so familiar smiling faces that you see on an L&L DVD. But even in this less than stellar situation to work in, Paul does what he does best: he gives a professional performance of the effect that the viewer will find entertaining (I did).

PAUL EXPLAINING THE EFFECTS

Paul’s explanations of the effects are quite good. He takes the viewer step by step through the effect, but he also adds explanations of the nuances he uses to get a great reaction and manage the audience.

Be warned, this is not for the basic beginner. Paul references a number of basic sleights without explaining them. The viewer is expected to know them. That works for this DVD simply because the material in the DVD is not meant for the base beginner, but the intermediate magician, or better yet, working professional. Paul treats the viewer as a professional with whom he is sharing a number of prized effects that Paul has successfully used in his professional act for years to make money.

Paul explanations are easy to learn from (at least I found them so). However, the limited number of camera angles does present a problem for the video. On a couple of occasions, after the explanation s complete, an added explanation of sleights taken from a repositioned camera gives the performers view. But, once again, that is a production problem, not a reflection on Paul’s work.

CONCLUSION

The effects are great and Paul’s explanations make the effects available for the addition into professional acts. If you are a restaurant worker, close-up table magician or strolling worker, you should seriously consider buying this DVD. You will probably find one or more effects that you will add to your act that will get you great reactions and add some great entertainment value.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I have had this DVD for about five weeks now and I am currently using three routines: Here, There and Chicago Too, Above, Beside or Below, and Jeopardy. I am using them each and every night in my restaurant work. They always play big.

I started using Jeopardy about three weeks ago. It is a strong, hard hitting effect that draws the entire audience into participation. Some magicians have suggested that reset would be a problem for restaurants or strolling, but I do the reset right in front of the audience under the guise of reshuffling the deck after the effect, as I chat with the audience. It takes only a few seconds and you are set for the next table.

I added Above, Beside or Below a couple weeks ago. This is the one I was most nervous about, coins are not my forte. I practiced it a gazillion times. After blowing away a number of "safe" audiences, I tried it at one of my restaurants and got the same amazing reaction. I have been doing it every night since.

Here, There and Chicago Too was added a few days ago and boy does it get the applause! The sleights are not hard and it lends itself to adding personal and character touches that make it uniquely your own.

Good Luck,

Brady

One correction, the DVD was produced by Chris Smith who sold his catalog, including the Gregory Wilson material, to Penguin along with his customer list. The DVD was around prior to Penguin.

In my opinion In The Trenches is one of the best magic videos, based on content, ever put out. The magic is road tested by the ever charming and talented Mr. Green and there isn't a loser routine or filler to be found. While not every routine will be used by everyone pretty much everyone can find something to use.

If you believe Penguin is the Anti-Christ of magic, which they are not by the way because Magic Makers is, you should shut your eyes and get this DVD, see if you can order it from Paul Green directly, you will not be dissappointed*.

*those into morose presentations by teens in bad haircuts who do deadpan deliveries in hopes of making a teenage girl scream will not appreciate the full power of this material and will be dissappointed. Of course most things not shot in the dark will dissappoint them.

Thanks for the correction Magic Santa. I completely agree with your remarks.

As for the deadpan teens, I refer the reader back to my remarks about working professionals.

Regards,

Brady