Never tell the secret to a trick, and never do the same trick twice. After offering that bit of advice at the beginning of the video, Magic Frank (Frank DeMasi) proceeds to do both (bending the rules a bit for the sake of instruction), demonstrating 21 fun and amazing tricks using common household objects such as coins, paper money, paper clips, playing cards, dominos, crayons, and fruit. The first trick, called the “hopping rubber band” is an interesting bit of sleight-of-hand in which a rubber band mysteriously and inexplicably jumps between two sets of fingers (my wife and two small children immediately hunted down some rubber bands and mastered this trick easily). Others include “Linking Paper Clips” (using a folded dollar bill to merge two paper clips), "Mind Reading Markers” (an exercise in the power of suggestion), and "Samurai Slices” (a handy way to magically slice a banana into several sections prior to peeling it). A straightforward primer on a perennially popular topic, this is recommended. [Note: The Key to Card Magic from the Magic Frank series is also available.] Aud: P. (C. Block)
Magic 4 Fun with Everyday Objects
(2003) 56 min. DVD: $19.95. Frank DeMasi (avail. from Magic Frank). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 0-9716139-5-8. Volume 20, Issue 1