Hello friends!
What about Daryl's Fooler Doolers?
I need your opinion for this set.
Thank you!

It was one of the best purchases I made last year in magic. I wrote about it at the time so if you go back you can find more detail. Highly recommended!

Tim Trono

I thought there was some cool stuff on them and I learned a lot. I thought however that it wasn't by far L&L Publishing's best set of DVD's and most of it was mediocre magic.

I think there is a lot of good general magic on those DVDs. It is mostly geared for the beginner transitioning to intermediate, and for a general lay audience.
There are some fun routines such as Instantaneous Know - where you simply shake a piece of rope and a knot falls into it.
And there is a good variation of Cup and Ball.
There is some good workable general beginner level magic there.
This is not Daryl's high end card routines, which some can say are terrifying.
This is his lighter stuff.
This is a good addition and building block for someone who is beginning, or wants to develop an easy to do routine for lay.

Hi Mythos:

I just ordered all 3 volumes and am anxiously waiting for them. I'll let you know what I think as soon as I receive them.

I will tell you that Mike Close gave the videos a very good review in his column in the latest MAGIC magazine. According to him, there is a lot of very strong, useable material for the working pro. I don't think he mentioned anything about this being a beginner's tape.

A lot of it (according to Close) is Daryl's reworking of standard plots. I have high expectations for these videos. I bought them based on Close's review.

Ron Reid

Very hard to go wrong following Close's opinion. BTW, it's very refreshing to see a reviewer call a spade a spade, and not be afraid to point out the junk that's out there. As a contrast, read Wilmarth's reviews in "The Linking Ring." I don't think I've ever read a review by him wherein he says an effect or book is junk. Which is why I think his reviews are "junk," as well.

I like the videos. Daryl covers a vast range of tricks and performs them very well. Everything from rope magic to card magic is performed. I love the variety he includes as well as his humorous touch.

The only thing that makes me wonder a bit is that I keep seeing the SAME guys on in the audience for many of the L&L videos. I've seen those 2 guys (one white with a mustache & the black guy) on the Bill Malone tapes, the Daryl tapes, and some others. I wonder if they are stooge plants (although I doubt it) or if they are just REALLY lucky to see all those performances up close.

Chances are they are lucky enough to get to watch them because their reactions are so good when a trick is performed.
I would do it for nothing if they asked me.

The black guy is called David and there is a great section on Michael Ammar's ETMCM where he does a routine with red and blue deck and each of them take the same three cards out. Michael says, "We're in sync," and the guy really does buy what just happened.
If only all spectators were as nice and watchful as Dave.

L & L uses the same spectators for most of their videos. And normally they try to position the hot girls in the front rows, as can be seen in Harry Allen's videos. Fooler Doolers 2 has some especially good material with an impossible card discovery type effect that will be your new magician fooler plus lots of good effects for lay audiences. The effects don't require much sleight of hand either, for the beginners.

A lot of people hate those spectators, but at least they are enjoying the magic and not causing problems. Personally, I like those kinds of spectators.

I am looking for some opinions. From what I have read, the Fooler Dooler series seems akin to Johnny Thompson's Commercial Classics series of videos. Both focus on time-tested and classic effects/plots that should be part of any magician's base of knowledge. Anybody have an opinion on which set is the better set of teaching videos?

TIA

I’m not sure what tape series to compare it to? It really does stand on its own.

That said – I love my set of Fooler Dooler tapes. I believe it was/is marketed as a new twist on some old standards. It also includes some of Daryl’s marketed effects. I just love “Crossed Thought”. 99% of what he teaches should be within your reach and I’ve taken away something from each of the volumes whether it’s a new effect, a new twist on something I’m already doing, or even a piece of patter or attitude.

If the tape set is within your price range, don’t think twice about getting it.

I hear he tips Vernon's "Matched Spellout" on these tapes. That makes it worth the price. I love that trick.

I just received all 3 volumes of Fooler Doolers and just finished watching them. The material is top-notch all the way through. I suppose there's material for the beginner, but this is definately material for workers!

It's typical Daryl stuff...terrific, direct, simple magic. And I can watch Daryl perform forever.

Ron Reid

One of the things Daryl has a real knack for doing is thinking of some cool twist, some cool presentational angle, or some change that takes a routine to a different level. Many times while watching these DVD's I found myself thinking "clever, clever".

I see a LOT (!!!) of videos, DVDs, effects, books, etc. for my job at Murphy's but as mentioned above, these really stood out for me. There are a few things I'll USE on each volume.

These DVDs also give you a look at some classics you've probably overlooked (I did). As an example, look at Milliken's Transposition.

They'll give you a look at some great thinking Daryl has pulled that has been forgotten (see, as an example, how he handles the Hindu Thread using the Al Baker idea which is brilliant).

I personally THOPROUGHLY enjoyed these DVDs. These are keepers in my book.

Tim Trono