Move Zero Volume 2 by John Bannon and Big Blind Media

Move Zero Volume 2 by John Bannon and Big Blind Media is a must have DVD. It is a 10 trick project that is as strong as Volume 1 and has me itching for Volume 3. Most of the tricks can be done with a borrowed and shuffled deck, but there is some setup required in a couple of the tricks.

Each of the 10 tricks are performed by Bannon to an audience of 1 or 2 people. The production value, camera angles, cinematography, editing and presentation of everything on this DVD is the highest level possible. The DVD menu is laid out in a user friendly way to make marathon watching easy. There is a ton of material here and you will love it all!

Bannon performs a trick to a lay person in one place and then in the next track, the explanation, he immediately explains it to a magician, which is set in another location. Throughout the DVD there are snippets of interviews with Bannon and “Trickbag” sections in which Bannon focuses on various moves that are relevant to the tricks on the DVD and also to your card magic in general. Just like in Volume 1, the interviews with Bannon are very interesting and reveals his philosophy about sharing his creations and how he creates.

Some of the Trickbag sections teach the Down under Deal, the Ose False Cut (which is focused on in Volume 1 as well), the amazing Gilbreath principle, the probability cull, keycards and crimps and other bits and pieces of the tricks presented. Although there is a heavy focus on the Balducci deeper cut force, which I do not love, you can easily substitute this force for one of many. It seems a bit overused in certain portions of the DVD and in others it fits perfectly.

Bannon’s inspiration draws from methods, thoughts and prior tricks from many magicians. After each explanation he has a “Credits” section which thoroughly reviews the history of the parts of each presentation.

Pedal to the Medal is one of my favorites presented on this DVD. It is a two phase trick that really blows people away. When you get this project, jump right to this trick. If you are not familiar with the probability cull, you will love the power of this Alan Ackerman creation. Then, skip to Dead Reckoning for a trick with a plot that is virtually impossible to reconstruct and guaranteed to blow you spectator’s minds… and also your own. In reaction to this trick, Bannon’s spectator said “I can’t cope with that” and you will find that your spectator’s have the same reaction. The only issue I have with this trick is that you need to have a half deck setup which is a bit cumbersome to get into and Bannon does not provide a list of the cards needed to get ready. AK47 is also a very strong impromptu trick that doesn’t always hit dead center, but with some performance skills or “tap dancing” you can really impress.

Do not wait until the end to get to Bannon Triumph (trick #9) which is a very strong and easy to perform triumph effect that requires a touch of a setup. This may be my favorite trick on the DVD because it is so simple and so powerful. Bannon revealed that this is one of the first tricks he created.

The over-the-top ad copy is accurate and the project is worthy of the praise. The promotional videos are just Bannon’s performances of the tricks so there is nothing misleading or suspect there.

Bannon and Big Blind Media has outdone themselves, again!