Danny, I'd PAY you $10 to see you perform it!

I know it can be deceptive but unfortunately everyone I have seen use it did it poorly.I have even seen 'professional' (magicians making a living thru performing) do this effect extremly poorly.

Chris

I agree Chris. As a matter of fact that could probably be it's own topic; "The most abused tricks in magic". The poor vanishing hank trick really is just ruined on a daily basis by poor performers.

I have friends who are awesome performers that still handle this particular trick poorly.

They say things like, "It's a time killer, it's just a throw away anyhow." Grrr.. I hate that.

Anyway, that's just another .02

Best,

Dan-

I hate Reality Twister.

The worst trick in 2003: Reality Twister. The reason is...this is not a trick, it is a optical illusion.
vinny

HI,
A pen (or other object) that visually twists in a spectator's hand and is left physically twisted is a strong magical effect in my book.

You know that it is an optical illusion, yes. But if the spectator knows that too, then you need look at your presentation rather than criticize the effect. I can certainly say that's not the reactions I get when performing said effect.

phillip

The magic of reality twister (good or bad) is that you take an optical illusion and make it real. Hence the ending.

Matt

I think Reality Twister is one of the strongest effects around very visual magic.

Anyway I think Svengali cards are great; I made my living for two years selling these cards. Then I would fool the people I had sold them to last week when they came back for another trick. I have seen them done so poorly I cried, and I have been fooled myself by them.

quote:
The magic of reality twister (good or bad) is that you take an optical illusion and make it real. Hence the ending.

Hi,
But that is just one way of presenting it. A different presentation can create a different effect.

For example, you could refer to the plastic sheet as some sort of magical and powerful lens that melts the pen in the spectators hand (actually, I do not even use a pen), and if you add a invisible loop they might actualy feel the distortion or twisting taking place on their palm.

Just some thoughts
Phillip

Those of you that don't think there are any bad tricks, please read Darwin Ortiz's "Strong Magic". He might convince you otherwise.

I would like to make a side note to justify my "no bad trick rule:" Simply throwing an item into a box with some instructions does not make it a trick.

I have seen a couple of "tricks" in my days working behind the counter that looked as though some guy had walked into the dollar store saw something and said, "Yes, I bet I could put this into a nice box and triple my money."

These are not tricks, they are garbage!!! A trick is anything that the creator has tested and used on a REAL AUDIENCE (note: not your 3-year-old kid) before releasing them to the public.

Reality twister. It is not so much that I dislike the effect, I just can't see carrying around two gimmicks to pull this off.

I'm not a gimmick person, anyway, and even if an effect is terriffic, if it has a gimmick I do not do it . I don't use TT or Invisible thread or shells .

People will say I'm missing out on some wonderful effect, which is true. Nevertheless, if I do not carry any of the above props why would I want to carry around props for a so-so trick (optical Illusion)?
vinny

Sure, you will get good reactions with Reality Twister but after the audience inspects the TERRIBLY CHEAP pen they will realize that you didn't put the twist in the pen, it was there all along.

Where is the "gourmet" pen? The pen they supply is absolutely atrocious. You are lying to yourself if you think your spectator really believed you twisted the pen(unless you only let the spectators have a quick glance at the pen).

Random Effects says: "Simply throwing an item into a box with some instructions does not make it a trick."

Amen!

And, to take that one step further, the instructions should be something more than three lines, badly translated from Polish by a Swahili linguist!

Well said Peter..

Ahh, come on, Peter; half of the fun of blowing a large amount of cash on an effect is having to figure out yourself how it works. What could be more fun than breaking the $20 gimmick because you did not realize that it didn't bend that far? LOL!

Mat

Getting back on topic-
For me, it depends on who is performing the effect. Each performer has their own strengths and weaknesses; so a killer effect in the hands of one performer may be a complete disaster in the hands of another (assuming the magician uses his hands to perform the effect, of course:)). If I have to name the three worst effects; it would be because the performance of the effect was so bad, not necessarily because the effect itself was bad. I don't really think any magic effect can be bad on its own, it needs the performer to help it reach "bad" status. That said, here they are (I won't name the performers):
1. Needle Thru Arm
2. Crazy Man's Handcuffs
3. Linking Rings

All of the performances I mentioned above looked like the performer had taken about 3 seconds to practice, and then performed the effect.

Ice, I believe you are correct in what you stated. However, linking bands are wonderful effects even if you know the secret. I can't say much about the needle through the arm.

What's your opinion on Reality Twister? You have read most of the threads, how would you compare it to, say, linking bands or linking rings?

Vinny

Which part?

First, if you ever have the chance to watch Ray Anderson from Austin, Texas perform the Dancing Cane you will never think of it the same way again.

Second, I thought Reality Twister was going to be a dog, but I kept an open mind and tried it on some real people. The revelation of the twist in the pen far exceeded my expectations. Yes, it has that Tenyo feel to it, but it is no worse than almost any of the "magic prop for sale" magic releases available today.

The use of the lens as a means to make magic happen, however, is very clever. There is a book in the works on this topic.

As to avoiding it because one refuses to carry gimmicks, let alone 2, I can't understand this apparent aversion to "gimmick cooties". Would you carry a deck of cards and some coins with you? that's two or three objects. Would you carry some rubberbands with you? that's 3 or 4. But yet carrying two objects is too much because they are contaminated with "gimmick cooties." Just trying to get a handle on your thought processes there.

I would like to see a topic of what are the most "overdone" tricks in general use.

I'll offer crazy mans handcuffs, sponge balls, invisible deck, and floating bill.

Note, I said overdone. Each of these can be powerful pieces of magic, but if magic is supposed to be a unique art, why do we all choose to do the same tricks in, pretty much, the same way?

It seems that iceraven...err, Kathryn and I are in agreement. Any effect "can" be good, but a $#!++% performer can ruin anything!

The simple truth is that if you were impressed enough to buy it at the store than you should have known then what you were getting and how good it was. I was always sick of people coming back to the store I worked, and upset that every trick they bought could not be done surrounded and handed out and blah, blah, blah. What you see with many tricks is what you get.

And, since it comes up so often, Reality Twister gives you exactly what is promised. So rather than complaining about the lousy pen that comes with it go out and make a a better one yourself.

P.B. Jones at least has made a huge contribution to this trick by suggesting the use of I.T. Why just use the pen? Someone else (please credit yourself because I could not find you) uses a straw with a knot in it at the end.

As Truthteller says :
"Note, I said overdone. Each of these can be powerful pieces of magic, but if magic is supposed to be a unique art, why do we all choose to do the same tricks in, pretty much, the same way?"

An excellent point. Do not be limited purely by what the inventor of the trick gives you. And as for those people who point out that Reality Twister is merely an optical illusion...

SO IS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO!!!!!

Convince the audience otherwise, that is our job! If you cannot do that then don't perform at all!

Hoping that I did not offend everyone with my response,

Mat

Hi,
Let's face it, Reality Twister is a very cheap product to buy. Remember, you do not have to use the pen supplied. Put a twist in a more expensive one if you lack imagination and the supplied pen bothers you. Alternatively, do like I do and use something other than a pen.

By the way, regarding the linking rubber bands
I have posted this elswhere but it is, in my opinion, one of those effects where although it fools them in performance. They WILL WORK OUT THE SOLUTION LATER. I have had tons of lay people show me this trick saying that after they saw the magician they played with some elastics in the office and HEY PRESTO they sussed it! I have to admit I myself learnt it the same way after David Copperfield did it on a TV special many years back.
Phillip