Knock, Knock.
Who’s there?
Bannon and BBM.
Bannon and BBM who?
Bannon and BBM kick ass that’s who!
Once again John Bannon delivers an outstanding and easy-to-do card effect with Big Blind Media. This is a real good one people! And for $20 bucks this is a must-have!
The effect is pretty simple. The two jokers are removed from the deck and placed on the table. The performer asks the spectator to THINK of ANY card. He then claims that the thought of card has turned it invisible as he mock drops an invisible card on the table from the deck. Continuing with this ruse, he pretends to take the invisible card and place it between the two jokers which are then placed on top of the deck. Then, FLASH!, in an instant, a blank faced card appears in between the top cards on the deck. After another magical SNAP the blank card is restored to the thought of card in between the two jokers.
The ad copy promotes this trick as follows:
“John Bannon’s Paint It Blank – A self-working THINK of ANY card trick
Comes with special Bicycle Gaff Card
Like an Invisible Deck – but with just ONE SPECIAL GAFF that works with any regular, shuffled Bicycle Deck!
John Bannon’s PAINT IT BLANK is one of the most powerful (and EASY) tricks you could imagine. You tell your spectator to clear their mind; to make it a blank. They then THINK of ANY card. No forces, restrictions, equivoque, preshow or genuine mindreading required – they literally just think of a card.
You tell your plucky volunteer that the card they merely thought of is now invisible. Despite their (perhaps well placed) skepticism you confidently remove their ‘invisible card’ from the deck and slide it between two face up jokers. In a flash a REAL blank card appears in between the jokers. (It’s like their ‘blank’ mind a few moments ago)!
Then, while in the SPECTATORS HANDS, the blank card PRINTS itself, and is now the card they just THOUGHT OF! AND IT’S EXAMINABLE! (Oh, and you are reset, and left with a regular deck!)
Super easy to do – requires no sleight of hand!
Uses a regular, shuffled Bicycle deck and just one special (provided) gaff card.
Perfect for performers – no reset and no table required
No stacks
No forces
No sleights
No gaff deck
No equivoque
No ‘off by one’ “
Just a few comments about the ad copy: First, I do not think this trick is “self-working” because it requires some super easy moves that if performed incorrectly will expose the trick. I know that there has much discussion about what a self-working trick is, and in my definition this is just over the line. That does not mean it is hard to execute, because it is not. The simple gaff provided is probably something you already have. While the trick does not need a table, you need somewhere to lay the jokers and if it is going to be the spectator’s hands, you need to make sure they are careful and compliant…audience management needed. I do not really think this is like the invisible deck as claimed. There is no rough and smooth and no card that is back to back. The effect did not make me think that the method was similar at all.
The production quality of the video is what you would expect from Big Blind Media… EXCELLENT! The DVD/download starts with a performance by Bannon to a single spectator while they are seated at a table. Of course the performance is great and well scripted. For the explanation portion, John Bannon and Liam Montier sit in the “red” BBM room that we all have become accustomed to seeing of late. The two magi discuss the history of the trick and where the various pieces came from, including, Mark Mason and Andrew Normansell’s Club Sandwich, Dave Solomon, Bernard Bilis. This trick was previously published in Bannon’s book Mentalisimo, but under a different name.
Although Bannon seems a bit tired in this video, the two expertly teach this trick in a ten minute segment.
Getting down to it, this is a great trick. It is easy to learn and easy to perform. While there is a move, it is very easy. The thing about Bannon that I love is that he takes pieces of tricks and moves and presentation from all over magic archives and history and combines them to create an effect that seems all new—not just new and improved.
Another Grand Slam game winning hit by Big Bannon Media (Bannon and Big Blind Media)!
Thanks to Murphy’s Magic for sending me this awesome product so that I could review it and let the fraternity know about it.
