Philemon, Pavel’s Phenomenal rope trick is a parlor, platform, stage effect. It is a lot of magic rolled into a length of rope. Cut and restored, traveling knot, Professors Nightmare (two rope version), and linking rope. Starts with a length of rope held by one end and ends with the length of rope being held by one end. Thus appearing to be a solid piece of rope without extra pieces. Like most Pavel’s effects, it is gimmicked to the hilt! It uses two different kinds gimmicks to do the work. It cannot stand scrutiny. I have performed it as close as 4 feet away from an audience (street performance) which is about as close as I would feel comfortable with.

This is not a difficult effect to learn. It is not self working (almost, but not quite!). You will have to develop your own routine/patter.

I noticed that the price has gone up $10.00 from when it was first introduced.

Personally, I like Pavel’s stuff. For gimmicked ropes, it is good value for the money.

Still it relies on gimmicks! That is considered to be a drawback to some purists! Not to me.

Hope this helps.

I agree that Professors Nightmare is suitable for table hopping (eg Daryls handling shown on the Magic Castle lecture Video) - you play big and pack small (common phrase...) - you can also use thinner rope than in a parlour or stage situation
Martin

Philemon, a friend of mine where i'm from closes his shows with Pavels Super Walking Knot. He developed a great storyline to it which has been known to invoke tears in the audience. It is a great piece of magic!

I personally layed the professors nightmare to rest and gave it a descent burial.

I have performed Tabary in close-up environments with great success as well as El Ducco's close-up ring and rope routine.

Another one of my favorites to do is where I place my finger ring onto a short length of rope and close my hand on the threaded ring and have the spectator tie the rope in a knot on top of my hand. The ring vanishes from off of the rope and appears back on my finger. If anyone knows the name of this effect please let me know.

Till next time,

Aedryan

Speaking of El Ducco... Another one of my favorite ring effects is his wedding bell.

It was originally intended to be a close-up routine but I have developed it into a tear jerking stage piece.

It is a very intimate piece of magic which involves a married couple. The original effect was that you borrow a ladies wedding ring and place it into a little ring box which is placed into the husbands hands and the lady is handed a draw string bag which she opens to pull out a little brass wedding bell and to make a long story short the husband opens the ring box to find that the ring has vanished and it is found to be the bells chime that the lady had been ringing the whole time. Great effect.

Aedryan

Aedryan writes: "I personally laid the professor's nightmare to rest and gave it a decent burial."

Why?

It's probably the greatest rope trick of all time, given the right handling and patter.

Bored with it?

Hey, read my posting again: I've done it more than 6,000 times table hopping and it is still, by far, the most requested thing I do or have ever done.

Just because it may be "old" to you, doesn't mean the audience view it that way.

That's a bit like Olivier saying he "laid the Hamlet soliloquy aside" because he had done it so often!

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

I didn't mean to offend anyone Peter and I'm sorry if I did.

I used to be a magical bartender and I performed that routine to death right along with cameleon silks...lol and yes the spectators did always seem to enjoy it, I suppose. I guess that I just outgrew it.

I'm just very choosie in what types of magic I perform and for my particular style I would be embarassed to pull that out ever again for it doesn't fit my character.

Peter:"It's probably the greatest rope trick of all time, given the right handling and patter."

Again, Peter I don't mean to offend anyone and this is my own view but, I have to be honest. I can't agree with you on this statement at all. It's probably the easiest rope trick of all time.

BTW.. Thanks again for the ungimmicked scotch & soda routine that you sent me Peter. I'll definitely be putting that to use.

Till next time,

Aedryan

Aedryan,
Sorry if I gave the impression you had offended anyone. I didn't mean to do that.
It's just that I get defensive about the Professor's Nightmare -- probably because it has worked so well for me and I've seen it done so badly so many times!
Which is why I take issue with your statement that it is "easiest rope trick of all time".
It may be the easiest to do but it is one of the hardest to sell well.
I have seen "big names" come up with pathetic story lines to sell the trick.
Personally, it has taken more than 10 years for me to get my version to where it is today (the basic story line, the bits, the asides, the stuff that really counts).
Please don't take this as a rant; as I said, I get very defensive about Bob Carver's wonderful (to me, at least) trick.
BTW, glad you are enjoying the no-gimmick scotch and soda.

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

I'm glad that my statement wasn't taken as offensive Peter and thank you for clarifying.As many magicians I have become very opinionated and I may come across as such at times. My appologies.

But anyway, you are very right Peter (in my own words)it does not matter how difficult an effect is by any means. In fact the less "movey" the better in the eyes of our audiences.I must admit that I am guilty of favoring complicated sleights and such.

Peter raises the MOST IMPORTANT rule in magic...

Peter:"Personally, it has taken more than 10 years for me to get my version to where it is today (the basic story line, the bits, the asides, the stuff that really counts)."

It does not matter how easy or difficult an effect is, be it ropes or vanishing the empire state building. What counts is that we spend the time and efforts to make our magic unique and appealing. This is what seperates a trick worker from a magician.

As far as "Professors Nightmare", I am guilty of not ever even putting a storyline to it. I did it as straight foward as could be.

If readers scroll up and read the last three posts you will see that a valuable lesson has been established here to be learned in terms of how important it is that when we select our magic. We must select magic that reflects on our own personalities and fits our character and how two different performers can take the same exact trick and only one is able to make it look like a miracle.

So, my hat is off to you Peter for taking the time to take an easy piece of magic and making it magical and entertaining.

Here Here!

Till next time,

Aedryan

Yeah... you should see what I've done with the 21-card trick.

LMAO! >:>O

Do you mean 21 card pick up philemon?

I can only imagine...

Nah... I mean the old chestnut where you lay out three rows of seven cards...

But instead I use twenty-seven Tarot cards, a little cold reading, and a name spelling revelation at the end...

I actually succeeded in sending cold shivers down a friend's back with this one.

Wow, that sounds really cool. Sorry, I thought you were joking when you said 21.

I have a pretty good idea for a bizarre routine with my tarot deck that I have been kicking around for awhile which I need to be putting to action soon.

I would like to talk to you sometime about some bizarre things that I'm doing Philemon as well as hear more about your act. Soon perhaps?

Till we meet again,(in a darker realm)

Aedryan