Stealing Pips: The Card Magic of Oz

Price: $30
Format: DVD
Publisher: Magic of Oz
Running time: 97 minutes (?)
Published: 2003
Difficulty: Intermediate

Perfecto – This is an absolutely wonderful effect. It looks like PURE magic. If you like the Invisible Deck, you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of this trick. It's nearly the same, except ungimmicked.

Impossible Transpo – So Visual and so perfect. It's not impromptu, but I happened to have the material needed around from another effect. This one looks so impossible and your spectators will be stunned.

Card Vanishes – A few various card vanishes to impress people. Oz says he uses it out in public, just standing around. It always catches a few eyes.

I C 3 – A variation of David Regal's Triple Vision...except ungimmicked. This is probably the best effect on the DVD. The spectator is very good at picking out cards, as he/she chooses the same three cards you took out of the deck before-hand!

Twist & Shake – This is an absolutely wonderful effect. Talk about visual card magic; the cards flip over and then change right before your eyes!

Shot Caller – Oz's variation of Red Hot Mama is a good one. This one is impressive and fixes most of the flaws of the original Red Hot Mama.

Thought Force – The Thought Force isn't sure fire, but it's absolutely amazing when it works, and the out isn't bad either. The spectators will think you can truly read their minds!

Lord of the Twist – This one is basically Twist & Shake. You start out with the faces in, instead of out. Don't pass up this trick just because of its close relation to Twist & Shake.

Once Upon a Time – You tell the spectator you'll find the four aces by pulling them from a face down spread. The first card you pull is a three. Uh-oh. So you stick the three back in, face up, and close the pack. The moment you spread the pack again, there are all four threes, face up. You pull out the four threes and then visually change them into four aces. Awesome!

Overall: 8/10

This DVD is jam-packed with killer, visual card magic. There is no filler material, only awesome card magic that will astonish anyone to which you show it!

Oz is a wondeful teacher and every move is explained in-depth. Everything is easy to understand, but it will take practice. I do think an over-the-shoulder camera would have been nice, but the teaching quality is very good.

I do, however, feel there are a few problems with the audio/video itself. There is only one chapter on the DVD. Each effect/explanation is a different title. This is alright, but is hard to get used to, as most DVDs are split into chapters. It sounds as if the audio is only coming out of one speaker, but it's easy to forget about as you watch.

If you're looking for in-your-face card magic, this DVD is for you. This DVD contains visual effects that absolutely AMAZE people.

Thanks for the review Cameron, it made for good reading mate.
Now where is that list I have to add this to?
Thanks again!!

"This one ... fixes most of the flaws of the original Red Hot Mama."

I don't think Red Hot Mama has flaws. What, in your opinion, are the flaws?

--Rick

Hi Rick,
A few aspects of Red Hot Mama have always struck me as odd. First, a card is picked that is clearly, lets say for the example, blue. A few moments later it "turns" red. I feel that this doesn't quite make sense. The spectator was holding it, so it's impossible that it is now red. Then later another card is picked, and it is then the red card. In Shot Caller, my patter is that I'm forcing them to pick one card in the first phase, and that it will be a card different from the rest. I do this face up and the card they touch is turned over and shown to be red backed in a blue deck. I then put it aside, and another card is chosen fair as can be. It is clearly blue. I pick up the card on the table, still their selection and simply wave my hand and it changes not only from red backed to blue backed, but also the face changes to the second selection. Seemingly a transpo, but now in the middle of the pack is a red card as one would expect and it is the second selection. Hopefully this made some bit of sense, as it's quite tough to explain it without seeing it in person. I feel this makes up for a lot of psychological inconsistencies in the original version. You would have to see the performance to appreciate the fluidity of the effect, since that word description didn't do it justice.
-Oz

I thought magic was SUPPOSED to be impossible? The only "flaw" I ever felt existed in "Red Hot Mama" was the use of the Hindu Shuffle force with the spectators close to you. I've never liked the actual Hindu Shuffle itself, but that's merely a personal preference. Saying that you do not perform a routine because it looks impossible is foolish at best. The only argument I could see used here would be the Too-Perfect Theory. However, I don't even feel that would stand regarding this effect.
That said, Shot Caller was the only thing I even semi-enjoyed on the DVD. I have nothing against working out personal variations to fit someone's needs, and as a personal variation it's OK.
The rest of the DVD contains material that is entirely unoriginal. Most of the material that uses the Ribbon-Spread Holdout (I refuse to call it SAC) has already been in print in various places.
Having, unfortunately, seen some of this material done in person I noticed that the construction of some of the routines are indicant of someone who performs under very controlled situations. At a recent lecture, Oz stated that the close-up pad he was using was unnecessary because most of the stuff can be done in the hands. He then went on to do quite a few routines using a tabled ribbon spread.
I also wonder how logical it is to insert three cards into a deck only to immediately spread the deck on the table and remove the cards.
During the performance of Perfecto at the lecture, a card was placed reversed into a face-up deck, outjogged, about 10-13 cards from the top by a spectator. Oz then took the deck back squared it up and spread it on the table. The reversed card was then closer to 3/4th of the way down. What's even worse it that the card was immediately removed from the deck and the face of the card finally shown! Maybe at a bar for drunken friends, a discrepancy like that would get by, but I know the people I've performed for in the past would have caught it in a heartbeat.
I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to magic. However, with few exceptions, I never speak out about material, no matter how disheartening it may be. However, this DVD is having such an influence upon the newer magicians that it can only be a bad thing for the art.
Simply put, the variations here are a step back from what is currently available. Most of it is entirely unoriginal, and seen in person, poorly performed.
I can't even think of a rating to give this as a zero would be too high. I'm glad I received my copy for free, because I wouldn't even give it away for free to my friends.

Well, that was quite a review MattSedlak had. Oz, any comments?

Chris

I'd gladyly take it off your hands for free, Matt!....and I'll pay the shipping

Hey MattSedlak, thanks for the review! I really enjoyed reading it!
That's the kind of review I like.
Direct and in your face! If its gonna be harsh, then TOO BAD! haha

If the DVD isn't good, we should say so. I e-mailed Oz with a question and he never answered, so I don't think he's a stand up guy anyway. Just out to make a quick buck!

Matt,

One thing I have always agreed on is to give an honest review. Kudos to you for being honest. One thing I have always hated is if a bad review is given everyone always says that you are not being supportive. There is one thing to critique on something for free and something in which costs money. As soon as you put it up for sale, I'm sorry, all bets are off.

Dave

Dave,
if Matt slams the video and then sells it for less than he bought, it seems his integrity is pretty high.

better than him saying it's great, just to sell it.

Go Matt, go!!

MagicChris,
I think you are misunderstanding what Dave was saying. He was not saying that if I sell the DVD (which I'm not)that my integrity is in question. He was referring to the creator, I believe. I agree with that statement as well. Once you put something up for sale, the consumers have every right to state whatever opinion they have about the material in question.
However, in magic we face a more unique situation. If Stealing Pips was given away for free I would still have posted my thoughts. The material is unoriginal and poorly credited. To claim or rename ideas like that is wrong. The fact that it costs money only makes it worse.

Matt,

You are correct in my understanding. I was actually praising Matt for being honest on his review.

Dave

Matt:

Thanks for the review. I happened to see this advertised somewhere (I can't remember), and thought about maybe, perhaps, possibly getting it (I buy way too many DVDs and videos). Thanks for saving me the money...I hate getting ripped off.

Best,

Ron Reid

Matt/Dave,
so sorry for missing that. I agree, Oz put it out for sale and has to be open to the review process. What he needs to do is respond here in the Café. Will he?
I hope so.

Chris

Chris,

I believe that he will respond and he has a right to. I do not own the DVD or have not seen it so I am not offering an opinion on it since that would not be fair.

Chris, Do you have the DVD? If so, what is your take on it? I didn't buy it since I was waiting for reviews and I have seen this swing wildly which doesn't bode in favor of me buying.

Dave

Hi,
I'm all for reviews, be it good or bad, as long as they are constructive. I want to learn how to improve what I'm doing by reading what other people have to say. If there are aspects of my DVD you don't like or thought can be improved, I'm open to suggestions. However, insults are a different story.

"I can't even think of a rating to give this as a zero would be too high. I'm glad I received my copy for free, because I wouldn't even give it away for free to my friends. "

In my opinion this does nothing constructive. I think that the number one thing that makes people including myself shy away from the magic community is negativity. By negativity, I mean people insulting or putting others down. For me, magic is when I was 13 on stage and a magician performed the sponge balls for me. For me THAT is magic. You should remember those moments and ask yourself, is what I'm doing helping bring that moment to others or to me. It is not about who can do which move better, or trivialities of that sort. I enjoy performing everywhere I go and for everyone I meet. I like bringing joy to others. That is what magic is for me. I also love teaching magic, and I've been doing a fair share of that lately, be it online or live. That is my personal preference. Others perform more for a hobby, and others yet enjoy learning magic and not performing for anyone. Each is perfectly fine in its own right. That is something I think some people in the magic community don't really accept.

As for purchasing a product, I feel everyone should get an informed opinion. I think you should look at all different reviews and talk to people you trust. I'm not about negativity, and if you want to go with Mr. Sedlak's recommendations by all means do, if you know him and trust him. Judge him for yourself. What is valuable to one person doesn't work for another, to each their own taste. There are numerous reviews on this forum, as well as on Penguin Magic http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=617 There will also be reviews in numerous magic publications in the near future.

Last but not least, I did not jump on here to defend myself about my DVD, or answer to posts about "will I respond". You can't please everybody, and I will not reply everytime somebody has something negative to say. The main reason I wanted to come on here is to see what others that attended my lecture, as well as others that own my DVD, thought of both my material and me. I'd like to hear what people enjoyed, did not enjoy, what can be improved, etc.

Regards,
Oz

Oz,

I commend you on your reply. It was professional in my opinion.

Dave

I wouldn't take that as an insult, nor is that how I intended it to come across. I will admit that I criticized your material, but I never attacked you personally.
If you take criticism of your material personally then I suppose I could see how you may interpret that as an insult. People that know me will tell you that I am a very direct and blunt person, a result of my time in New York. However, I am also fair and I stand by my review and the wording therein

Oz, what is your response to the crediting issues that Matt brings up?