This is a review for Morgan Strebler’s DVD, “Liquid Metal.” Liquid Metal is a single routine, using 2 forks in 6 phases. There are also 3 bonus bends. In this review, I will break down each phase, and give my opinion on each aspect of the DVD.

Effect: 9.9/10 (10 being strongest)

Preset: In the preset, Morgan teaches how to prepare the fork. Only one of the forks needs to be prepared, so if you want, you can still do the routine impromptu (If you consider carrying a fork around in your pants impromptu).

Phase 1: In phase 1, a fork is selected, and the other put aside. The fork is gently twisted between two fingers. The fork is shown to have a 180 degree twist!

The magician now rubs the end of the fork gently against a spectator’s finger, and the fork is seen to bend and melt. The spectator now blows on the fork, and the fork bends again, and then breaks off.

Phase 2: Taking the other fork, the magician shakes it back and forth, and has the spectator blow on it again. One of the tines is seen to bend as the spectator blows on it.

Phase 3: In this phase, the fork appears to melt, as it visually bends 90 degrees.

Phase 4: The magician straightens out the fork, and places it in the spectator’s hand. The magician gently twists the fork’s head, and the spectator can actually feel the fork twist and bend. Opening their hand, the fork is seen to be twisted in a corkscrew fashion.

Phase 5: Shaking the fork again, the spectator is asked to say stop. When the magician stops, all four tines are seen to have bent in a flower shape.

Phase 6: In the last phase, the fork’s handle is seen to visually bend and twist through the magician’s fingers. The fork is then handed out as a souvenir.

Difficulty: 9.8 (10 being most difficult)

The routine isn’t hard sleight-wise. There are no difficult moves, but you need to have incredible finger strength, especially for the corkscrew bend. As you practice, the bends will become easier, but for some, this routine will seem nearly impossible.

Setup/Reset: 7/10 (10 being impromptu, 1 being most setup)

Rating the setup is difficult, because to do the first phase, the routine takes a bit of setup. However, if you decide to only do the last 5 phases, all you need is one fork per performance, and nothing to setup or reset.

Clean Factor: 10/10 (10 being completely clean)

At the end of the routine, there is nothing to ditch or hide. You can even give the fork out as a souvenir.

Gimmick: 9/10 (10 being unnoticeable or no gimmick, 1 being hard not to catch the gimmick)

There is a gimmick in the first phase, but if you do the routine correctly, there is nothing to worry about, as the gimmick is destroyed in the routine. If however, you don’ t do the first phase, there is no gimmick at all.

Overall: 9/10 (10 being the best)

This routine is very strong. However, it takes a lot of practice. Normally, I wouldn’t include have the difficulty affect score. However, this routine is so difficult (Finger strength-wise), that some people may not be able to do it at all. Personally, even though I’m not very strong, I’ve had no trouble with the bends (I have a lot of hobbies that rely on finger strength), except for the cork-screw, which I have found very difficult (I’m sure it will become easier as I practice, though). Most of the strength relies not on arm strength, but on finger strength, which may cause the routine to become difficult, even for those who are very strong.

One more thing to keep in mind is that this routine is not for everyone, and if serious/mentalist effects aren’t for you, then you may find this DVD a disappointment.

Overall, I’ve found this DVD to be very enjoyable, and while it only has one routine, it’s a 6-phase routine, and a very good one at that.

This review can also be found on my website (See signature).

Shane Wiker

Thank you for the detailed review!

Great review Shane. I agree, it's not for everyone, but if you take the time and effort to perfect this, it's a very strong routine.

Thanks for the review and good luck with your website!

Great Review!
Have you seen Banachek's routine? Do you know how it compares?

Joeking, I saw a clip of him performing a metal bending routine on a talk show, if that's what you mean. If you mean on Psi volume 4, then no, I haven't seen it.

In the clip I saw, he bent 4 or 5 pieces of silverware. It was a very good routine, but I prefer Morgan's, because you can use one fork (Two if you want to do the whole routine), and it leaves them with an amazing souvenir.

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Shane Wiker

Just a note, but Banachek's real work is on PK silverware, which is also a 2 fork bending routine, including the break and twist and bends, that leaves them with an amazing souvenir.

My Liquid metal is in the mail, I'll post a comprehensive review of Banachek's PK silverware/psi series 4 vs. liquid metal.

I'm sure both are very very good and teach their own approaches to metal bending. I've seen morgan do his routine and everytime the bends were flawlessly misdirected and the fork was really really messed up.

In anycase, using just PK silverware, I do a 1/2 fork routine ending with a souvenir also, so that isn't just Morgan's routine, its both.

Thanks shane I'm thinking in get this one!

I also liked it a lot. Oh, and by the way, I have a solution to the finger strength problem. If you have the DVD and can't do the twist, PM me for my idea.

Great review. Presently I do Kuff's but wouldn't mind looking into this if it's going to be an improvement. I watched Psychokinetic Silverware and was disappointed.

I give Liquid Metal my highest recommendation. I performed it for 5 people last night. They were at all angles and were totally blown away. The routine is simply amazing. I modified two of the moves to suit my preferences and this routine will serve me well for years to come (as long as WalMart keeps selling 6 forks for $1).

"I have a lot of hobbies that rely on finger strength"

-------------------

:D

I also enjoy Extreme finger hobbies..

This is what I use to get my digits in shape

Finger Strengthening Tool

Probably those who want to do this effect will find it useful. It's worth looking into for any magician. Extra strength and dexterity means extra control of your sleights. Finger Strengthening Tool

Thanks for the review Shane!

Is Morgan appearing anywhere we could see him?

Dr Magic

:banana:

Morgan performs a lot at the caramel lounge in the bellagio and has a stage illusion show that I believe is in between casino's?

http://www.magicofmorgan.com/

I totally agree with emyers this routine is AMAZING!
It is amazing that Morgan sold more than two of these DVD's. Who said magic isn't real? When you can trick as many people to go out and buy garbage like this, it makes me feel all warm and fuzy inside.Then I just flat out believe.

Alex,

I don't understand your post. Why do you say Liquid is garbage. You can come to my lawfirm and walk around my floor. I promise you that you will see at least 6 or 7 mutilated forks proudly on display. I've been performing professionally for 20 years and I rarely add anything new to my act. I have certain people that I always test new material on before I ever add anything. In this case, all reacted exactly the same way. They all commented to the effect that "of all the material we have ever seen you do, this fork is by far my favorite." That's strong praise in my book because I believe I have a pretty powerful set to begin with.

Hey Emyers99

I guess not everyone can see this great dvd the way you and I do.

First of all if it wasn't great, Morgan would not be performing in one of the best hotels in Vegas.

Secondly. Most of the people who have the dvd and use it have come through on these posts and told us the great reactions they get.

Not every trick is meant for every person. But to call this garbage is so completely wrong. Maybe, AlexRangel should just say it's not his cup of tea.

Best,

Al

I agree Al. I have never had any previous experience with metal bending before Liquid so I can't compare it to Banachek and the like. Maybe that is why some people don't like it because they are comparing it to other people's routines. But all I can say is that I bought the dvd knowing absolutely zero about metal bending. I practiced the routine a lot and now it is the newest addition to my act and will never leave.

I think this is again a case of being a jaded magician. Often magicians judge an effect based on comparison to other effects or past experience. In reality, however, the only real litmus test for a trick is the reaction it gets from a paying crowd. That is really all that is important in my book. With Liquid, I can tell you that it gets screams from everyone and I've had scientists come back to me days after seeing me perform it and try to explain the "physics" of how it must have occurred. That to me means this effect is solid gold.

But I guess if everyone hates it, that just means me and Al will get to have all the fun.

I did not care for this project.

The filming failed to communicate the character of the routine to me, if indeed there is one. Unless you consider character to be shoving a fork up to someone's face,just inches away, causing them to look laughable as their eyes cross trying to focus on some bent metal. This is not entertainment, this is ridicule.

The animation I found very annoying. It was too repetitive, was used way too often, and went on way too long.

The "misdirection" is heavy handed and way too forced... but that is typical of magicians who don't understand the essence of PK effects. And so it would seem a perfect fit for Penguin. This is a DVD for someone who doesn't know any better about metal bending, as evidenced by many of those who have posted here. Unfortunately there are much better ways to start your metal bending career so I can't even recommend this as a good beginner's starting place.

In essence this is Banachek's routine made "worser" (to borrow a phrase) by "magician thinking". The greatest example of this is that in Banachek's routine the audience can actually see the fork bending, the handling is much more open and hands off appearing, in some cases the audience actually can feel the metal bending. None of this is covered in Liquid Metal which is nothing more than a magician's take, or miss take, on a mentalism routine.

Liquid Metal is a cute trick and little more.

Well, I have seen Banachek perform on tv and in all honesty, my first reaction was "so what." I wasn't impressed with his metal bending at all. More telling, my fiancee who loves magic felt the same way. I asked her to watch the performance and give me her thoughts. She watched in silence and concluded by saying "that was nowhere near as good as your fork trick." This coming from a woman who constantly tells me when I need more work on a routine or when she sees something she thinks is better than what I am doing.

If you like Banachek, more power to you. I'm a firm believer that it's the perfomer who makes the trick not vice versa. Liquid Metal kills for me. If you don't like it, to each his own. More fun for me.