Hey guy's, hope you're doing well, since I got a great deal of information from you guy's concerning Green Magic awhile back I thought I would now ask about "On the loose" by Bill Malone, just curious does he use many gimmicks on this 4 volume set and am I right to assume it mostly deals with card magic, anyways and more importantly have a great night and thanks for your time.

He does use mostly cards but some other stuff as well. He does not use gimmicks to an extreme at all. Ex. Skinners 3 card monte he uses. Anyways, you will enjoy it.
Zack

These are great DVD's and you will not be disappointed. Not many gimmicks and great card effects.

Dave

On the loose is, IMHO, a great set of videos. There are a couple of tricks per video that use gimmicked stuff (Skinner's monte, invisible deck, color changing knives), but the majority of the tricks are not. Also, don't let those tricks make you think that his material is not original, because, for the most part, it most definitely is. What I think is great about this series is that it contains a wide range of majic, catering to most skill levels. This of course means that some of us will be fast fowarding through a few explanations, but on the whole, it is a great addition to a magic library which already contains the essentials.
One final note: His performances make this a great series for just kicking back and watching a talented magician entertain you. If you enjoy just watching magic, you'll love Malone.

Grobbelaar, Run a search for this topic - you'll find a wealth of posts on it.

MTP

I will add,

He also does short bits of advice about how to get work, keep getting repeat work and how to conduct yourself etc, etc, and coming from a hero of magic this is information that you KNOW is true and invaluble, extremely good dvd's I highly recommend them.

P.S. It even shows him making a cock up of 1 trick and he gets a massive laugh out of it too. GET them

Get them.

Even if you don't watch the explanation part, your money will still be well spent.

THAT'S HOW AWESOME these tapes are.

He is probably the most entertaining performer I've seen

throughout the videos, he uses, color-changing knife gimmick, mental photography deck, Micheal Skinners three card monte, and I think the invisible deck.

RedStreak is correct with all of the above gimmicks, but the card magic is the best! Some easy to do and some that will take work but be well worth your time!

Yes, even if you don't have any of the gimmicks, they are well worth the price.

Incidentally, if you like gimmicks, you shouldn't hesitate to buy skinner's monte. It is one of the 3 or 4 gimmicks I ever use out of a collection of hundreds. Easy, Clean, and mind-boggling to laymen and many magicians who haven't seen something similar. Even if you can do the three card monte like a true street hustler, you'll still want to break these out ocassionally.
-Gene

Hey guys. Hope you're doing great. Thanks ever so much for the great advice and information concerning these tapes. I have indeed just purchased them and am greatly looking forward to their arrival. Anyway, thanks again and have a great day.

Not only the tricks, Bill's presentation skill is great.

On the Loose series & Ammar's ETMCM series are my most valuable collections.

One thing not mentioned, was that Bill also gives info about getting jobs as a magician and performance tips in between explanations. He even puts an interesting presentation to ID on #3 (I think). Very powerful material, only the best out there. He is an excellent performer and I'm proud that he is from Florida.

- Alex

Here's the list of reviews I've compiled from previous posts. Credit to HiraseMagic, MisterE21 and gandolf.


Volume 1:

1) Ultimate Three Card Monte (good, but gimmick is used)

As the name suggested, it's Michael Skinner's classic with Bill’s comical presentation. Bill even did this with two cards only at the end.

2) Sam the Bellhop (excellent trick!)

Bill’s signature effect as seen on TV’s World’s Greatest Magic, explained with all the moves and timing in complete detail.

(Comments: It's not an easy trick and you have to spend lots of time to practice, BUT, it's an excellent trick, and your audience will definitely LOVE it. Bill also teach you many useful card sleights, such as Erdnase False Running Cut and Michael Skinners False Cuts. His explanation is good. One more thing, in the past you have to buy a video for this effect only, for about £29.99, but now you can buy this video instead. See how good it is!)

3) I Don’t Even Have a Pocket (a good trick to end your show!)

It's an Ambitious Card routine with a "superb" ending! Frankly, I don't think this trick is really good, but Bill's performance is excellent. He is an inborn performer, his style really entertains his audience.

4) I Should Have Done It Myself (Easy)

Spectator's chosen card was lost and you cannot find it... because it sticks to your hand already. Surely your spectator will laugh.

5) Cheating in Las Vegas with the Aces (GOOD!)

Four Aces were put into a deck with several shuffles, Bill can find them one by one, with different methods. e.g. card spinning

The whole trick really impressed me since Bill did it so fast that I even cannot follow. One of my personal fav.


6) Back the Way They Were (not difficult to do)

It's the classic -- Dr. Daley’s Last Trick. This one is similar to Blaine's two-card trick. This trick can be also found on Ammar's ETMCM series.

7) Test of Strength

The Slydini Silks is truly one of magic great secrets. You ask the one spectator to tie the silk, no matter how hard s/he tries, s/he cannot make a knot. This one is my personal favorite on this DVD. Bill Malone’s performance is so COOL...He's so funny that u can't help laughing in front of the TV.

Entertainment: 10/10, I have laughed for an hour that my mom thought that I was crazy.

Quality of material 8/10

Clarity of teaching 10/10

Overall: 9/10



Volume 2:

--Counterfeit Money--
An amazingly simple, clean and quick version of Bill To Lemon. All too often, I've seen explanations of this effect along the lines of "grab a lemon and..." Bill tells you what to look for in a lemon to make the easiest preparation. Strong effect.

--Cut 'Em High and Tie--
Although I've seen the presentational style here before (spectator cuts the aces is done "contest style"), Bill does it quite well. Not my favorite handling, as Bill runs through it quite quickly, but still quite strong.

--Think, Touch, Turn--
An excellent extension of the previous effect, since the Aces are already out. Spectator chooses a card and returns it to the deck. Bill challenges the spectator to a little game; if Bill can reverse the spectators favorite ace three times without the spectator seeing it, he'll find the spectators card. If not, he won't. Needless to say, he does both. Strong, quick and visual effect.

--Favorite Opener--
Spectator selects a card and returns it to the deck; Bill again bets that he can find the card (although with a bit of a humorous twist). An indifferent card is placed on the spectators hands...or is it so indifferent? Strong card magic, happens in the spectators hands, how can you lose?

--Matrix Presentation--
A very ettertaining coin-matrix with some added twists. Probably the most entertaining and mystifying version I've seen in quite some time. I've always preffered a matrix where you "say" you have four coins and you DO have four coins. This one qualifies and it's great fun too.

--End Of Story--
Alright, so I'm a bit undernourished here. I've never seen the original Gemini Twins. Bill blew my mind here..does he have four cards? Does he have 6? 8? Nope...He's only got 1! Gotta see it.

Bill runs mostly against conventional wisdom, in my favorite way. "You can't do too many card tricks people get bored..." or "if you DO do a lot of card tricks...you can't do very many "pick a card" tricks, spectators HATE that..."

Keep in mind, not EVERYONE could pull this off. And he DOES have some variety...coin matrix, color changing knives, Slydini silks...but, for the most part, you get card tricks. Further, Bill has cultivated and mastered the art of being the smart-alek magician who gives good-natured fun to the spectators. Also, NOT a personality that most performers can pull off. I can't stress that enough...Most of the magicians I know would be disliked with that sort of personality...but, Bill pulls it off like crazy.

Get the DVD's...watch them...learn the effects...watch them again...learn how Bill manages to entertain a crowd of people who are, admittadly, VERY used to watching magicians. (Bill even pokes a bit of fun at a couple of L&L's obvious regulars for BEING regulars). When he gets them chanting "BILL Malone! BILL Malone!" it's a sight to behold...


Volume 3:

1)DIRECT FROM THE FACTORY
It is Bill's version of mental photography deck. You can show a deck with blank faces and backs, and with a magical gesture, it becomes a deck with faces and backs. The mental photography deck (gimmicked) is required. Bill also teaches you "side-steal color change" and "Hermann Pass". If you are already familiar with the deck, some of the sleights taught may give you insights.
(P.S. Bill said that the mental photography deck is one of the gimmicked deck he carries along always.)

2)THE KINGS PRODUCE
Using Ed Marlo's idea, Bill produces the 4 aces one by one with the help of two KINGS. The idea is not a new one. To me, it's the weakest effect in this volume.

3)MAXI-TWIST
The four Aces turned themselves one at a time, like NFW and EYE EXAM. The kicking ending is that when you turn the four aces over, they become A, 2, 3, 4, the four aces are somewhere in the deck! WOW! This trick is COOL, I have performed several times, and the spectators were surprised and laugh. Not a difficult one, all you need to know is E****y C***t.

4)APEX ACES
It is similar to the previous trick, you make the 4 aces disappear in the deck one by one, and with some magical touch, the aces reappear one by one. You really need a BIG hand to perform this (and you know what I mean!). Because of my small hands, I can't perform the effect well. Yet, the visual reappearance is really stunning from the perspective of layman. A worth try.

5)COUNT ON IT (1st part in "Name Any Number and You Can Do It Too!")
What a nice effect! You let your spectator to choose one card and place back into the deck. You ask the spectator to randomly pick a number from 10 to 20, and you can EXACTLY cut out that number of cards. AND, the last card is exactly the chosen card. The principle is simple, you may find it in Daryl's revelevation series. Yet, with the combination with the next trick, its effect multiplies.

6)CUTTING TENS (2nd part in "Name Any Number and You Can Do It Too!")
A superb effect! I bought this DVD because the shopkeeper performed this to me! It's David Solomon's Cutting tens with Bill's performance. You ask the spectators to cut exactly 10 cards, but all of them fail to do so. What makes it magical is that although they cannot cut exactly ten cards, they cut to exactly 4 TENs. Remember, they cut the deck! You will gain lots of laugh after this effect. The best card trick involves spectator I've ever seen.

7)CARD ACROSS
The best trick in this volume! It's similar to Las Vegas Leaper (in ETMCM vol. 1), you ask one spectator count 20 cards and give 10 cards to a girl to sit on. You then give the remaining 10 to another girl to sit on. You ask the spectator (who counts the cards) to randomly pick a card, say for example " 3 of spade". Then you say to the audience that you can invisibly transport three cards from one of the girls to another. When they take out the cards and count, 3 cards are transmitted. WOWOWW! COOL!

8)STANDING OVATION, INVISIBLE DECK
Using the invisible deck, Bill let the spectator to involve also. The routine is totally different from the original one, making the deck a even better weapon!

Some additional information:
-- Bill, as in other volumes, gives some tips of performance in this volume. I would not reveal this here, but I think they are really useful to restaurant & bar magicians, and also all of us.

A thumb up to this volume. Hope this review can help you.



Volume 4:

--Twisted Flush--

Bill's take on Ed Marlo's twisting routine. He shows four red backed cards, snaps his finger and counts out three red backed cards and one ace face up. He repeats for the other three aces, then for a final twist counts out a royal flush in spades. Very tasty handling. 9/10

--How Cheaters Cheat--

Subtitled "The Invisible Palm". Bill shows the four aces, places one on the table to the side, and "invisibly" palms an ace. He shows both sides of his hand empty, then drops the "invisible" ace VISIBLY on to the tabled ace. Awsome awsome awsome! He repeats the move with the third ace, then causes the fourth ace to join the other three aces via the "most difficult invisible palm--the palm to palm palm. Very visual trick, and probably my favorite on this DVD. The audience goes nuts! 10/10

--Radical Aces--

Bill has the spectator shuffle the deck, commenting on how the spectator would be lucky at cards in vegas. He turns over the top card, and it is an ace. He finds the second ace by cutting the deck to a card and changing that card into another ace. Card number three appears by cutting into the deck, and the third ace pops out face up in a face down deck. A ribbon spread reveals ace number four face up in the spread. Nice card manipulation, but not my favorite routine on the DVD. 7/10

--Resetting Reset--

Bill's version of Paul Harris' reset. Four Aces and four Kings change places as a group on the table. He then causes the kings and aces to change one by one, then, as a finale, presses on the pack and the cards reset to the original positions. Nice "quick trick". 8/10

--Good Trick Bad Trick--

Kind of hard to describe, but a funny way to do a fan force on a spectator. Not one of the stronger tricks. 5/10

--Skinner's Matches--

A multi-phase impromptu match routine using penetrating matches, transpostions, vanishes, and restoration. What else can you do with a book of matches??? Definately a keeper for impromptu fiends. 10/10

--Walk Around Knives--

Bill's handling of the color changing knives. I'm not a huge fan of this illusion, but I appreciate his handling of the routine, and how he involves the audience. 6/10

--Four Burglars--

The old standby for beginners with an added twist on the end. Probably the weakest routine on the DVD, but Bill has a funny patter to go with the presentation. 6/10

--Only Had Two--

Bill's handling of Larry Jennings' routine where two spectators choose a card, return them to the deck, and they each re-appear in Bill's pocket. To finish, Bill explains it was easy as he only had two cards--and he does, the deck has vanished. Once again, a very nice "quick trick" with nice moves and good patter. 7/10

--Two Card Impossible Location--

Sweet! A spectator shuffles the deck, deals down to a card, squars the deck, and deals down to a second card. The deck is returned to Bill who runs the deck, pulling the spectator's two selected cards out. Great trick with a fun presentation. My second favorite routine. 10/10

--Bill Malone on the Multiple Selection--

Another strong audience participation routine. Bill has a number of spectators select a card. The chosen cards are returned to the deck. Bill then asks each spectator to name their card, and reveals each card in a different way. If this routine does not give you ideas, you may be brain dead!!! In my opinion, the third strongest routine on the DVD. 10/10

All in all, another strong DVD performance by Bill, with clear explanations, and extra information on how to get repeat buisness, deal with children and hecklers, and on "going with the flow".

I freely admit to being a huge Bill Malone fan, and love his presentation style. I can not recommend this series highly enough for the intermediate to advanced magician.

Even if you're a beginner, there is great entertainment value in these tapes and they will inspire you to become better!

I've just re-watched the video and it is SO AWESOME!!! I can't imagine I could learn so much from it!!

Alex