After watching this DVD, I'm thinking about replacing "Twisting the Aces" with "Spin Doctor". I know... a bold statement.

Robert

Roughly 90 minutes, IIRC.

This is a GREAT video.
I almost didn't buy it because I have been doing Spin Doctor for quite a while and love it. Since Spin Doctor is one of the 5 or 6 effects included on this DVD and it would be a repeat for me I was hesitant to get the new DVD. But very glad I did. Excellent production all around as is typical with Big Blind Media.

I grew up in magic a of couple decades back during the packet trick heyday. Emerson and West were king!!!
But like a lot of other magicians, you grew tired of performing these weird packet tricks with specially printed cards and had gaffs that could not be examined. When I say specially printed cards, I mean cards with circles, numbers, shapes, fruit, parakeets, and you name it printed on them. People were naturally curious about them and wanted to look at them more closely, not even necessarily to "catch" you, but just because they were often very interesting to look at. But when they would ask to see them, you either had to say "uh, no" or dodge the question by quickly starting another trick. This left a bad taste with most and packet tricks came to be considered to be very amateur by many magicians.

The Fractal packet effects of John Bannon have done away with all that nonsense. Packet tricks can now hold a respected place in our art again.
If you haven't considered performing a packet trick for along time, do yourself a favor and get this DVD. It contains some of the best material you will find and they are all clean at the end.
Plus, John and Liam share many nuggets of valuable advice. The DVD even comes with some cards so you are all ready to go out of the box.
ALSO, whether you even perform packet tricks or not, you should know John's Bullet Party count, and that is taught very well on the DVD. They even include an Elmsley tutorial.

This was one of my best purchases in a long time.

For those attending Magi Fest this weekend, I'll be demming "Short Attention Spin" and "Chop Shop" at the BBM stall. Heck, I might even bust out Spin Doctor!

I agree --this is a great DVD. You're guaranteed to find something here that works for you. I like packet tricks because it's easy to pack several tricks into a shirt pocket.

I disagree with John Bannon, though, about the vinyl wallet. Either use the dollar band like he does, or invest in the leather packet wallet.

You should also dem. nothing is as it seems cameron as that is an excellent alternative to 'chop shop 'mike donoghue

If you own this check out the opening where John Bannon is setting on the couch look in the mirror to the right of him never noticed this before. LOL

HAHA! hey - thank Leo... I spend a LONG time editing these DVDs and it's always nice to know that people are spotting the little 'extras' I chuck in there. The mirror thing on Fractalicious still makes me laugh now...

How many of the routines taught require the use of the included gaffs, and how many use standard cards?

Am I right in understanding that you need to use the five gimmicked cards for the following effects:
- Brainiac, Short Attention Spin, Spin Doctor, Self Assembly

But that the other three effects can all be performed with cards from a regular deck?
- Montinator 5.0, Chop Shop, Box Of Doom

Anyone know where you can get replacement sets of the cards? I love spin doctor, but between practicing and performing, the cards wear out after after awhile, and I've had to purchase the DVD 5-6 times already.

You can buy these:
https://bigblindmedia.com/products/fract......aff-pack

Or these:
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/8977
Although this technically isn't a replacement, it's still fairly cheap.

But you don't need cards identical to the supplied cards so just buy some different decks you like and use cards from those. They don't have to be aces either so you can get many refills from these decks.

Thanks, Videoman. I do prefer the aces; sometimes I show it as part of a set that starts with NFW, then anther effect, then I come back to the (presumably) NFW aces for a Spin Doctor finale. Works well.

Funny- when I first started playing around with Spin Doctor, I hated it- too discrepant. Performed it a few times and people love it. It's now one of my favorites.

Only thing I do different is a quick 2-as-4 count (a-la-NFW) in the beginning to show all the cards face down.