Little Door by Roddy McGhie

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Description / Ad Copy: You tell the story of a trick a magician once showed you. You explain that he was able to name your chosen card using a little secret door in the card case.

You illustrate this by drawing a little door on the card case. Without any funny moves, you proceed to OPEN the little door showing the card within!

Of course this was just a story so you close the door before slowly erasing the drawing and immediately handing the case out for examination!

This incredible effect is not just a card trick but rather a magical, illustrated tale designed to entertain and enrapture audiences of all ages. It also looks really cool!

"Roddy's Little Door is everything you could want in a magic trick: incredible visuals, unfathomable method and stunning audience reactions. I was fooled. You'll be fooled and your audiences don't stand a chance" - MARK ELSDON

"Brilliantly visual, wonderfully baffling and truely magical!" FISM World Champion - MATTHEW WRIGHT

"You're releasing this? No!!!! I want to keep it for ME! Selfish I know but this is just too *** good!" - ERIC JONES

"I've been visually mind @#$%!" - DAN HAUSS

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I think that most of you reading this review would agree that as magicians our mission should be to entertain and amaze our audiences. This philosophy is a sound approach whether you are on a stage, behind a bar, performing at a table or any other situation for that matter. Bring laughter, wonder and amazement. Notable magician and creator Paul Harris would probably say; "Create a miracle". I wholeheartedly concur.

That said, we spend a great deal of time learning, creating and hopefully presenting magical effects which fit the aforementioned philosophy. The magic laypeople see on the stage in places such as Las Vegas is full of lights, smoke and grand illusion to be sure. As a close-up kind of guy I am not in the same arena whatsoever. However, that's not to say I can't create magic on a whole different level and more often than not just as impressive if not more so. There are many reasons for this but I think mainly it's because I am but mere inches away from my audience. The magic is seen and felt in a different way altogether. The spectator is not thinking "That's a camera trick of some kind" or "Those people were in on it". Afterall, I just borrowed their finger ring and did something totally impossible with it and my audience feels it in an emotional way that the big stage or television just really can't deliver to them.

Having said all of that, I am always looking for effects that may take my magic to a whole new level. I'm not saying that finding a spectator's card, vanishing something and making it reappear, restoring a broken item, item to impossible location, etc. are not great tricks, they often are very well received and I do several of these effects on a regular basis. However, anything that is extremely visual always gets my undivided attention. For example, while I'm not in the habit of levitating items I do realize an audience loves that sort of thing. Tricks which make use of FlashPaper such as Kieron Johnson's Stickman Bob are very visual as well and always has the audience excited. Years ago Dan Harlan released his Card-Toon Deck and I quickly began using it because it not only fit my performing style but was extremely visual and got a great audience reaction. Afterall, who doesn't like seeing a good cartoon, especially when it's in an unexpected place like a deck of cards?

Speaking of cartoons and playing cards, I've been playing with Scottish magician Roddy McGhie's Little Door and been having the time of my life. No, seriously - this trick is really REALLY good! It has everything I like in a magic trick and it is seriously fun to do as well.

If the description and trailer don't convince you I'm not sure what really will. The trick is exactly as you see it in the video. You lead your audience down the garden path in supposedly teaching them the secret to your magical greatness and then POW - even more magic takes place which is even more unexplainable.

The kit you receive is well packaged and includes almost everything you need. A dry erase marker, the special gimmick which is hand made by Mr. McGhie personally and a code which gives you access to three videos of instruction and thoughts - around thirty minutes or so. The only item you will need to provide yourself is a red backed deck of either Mandolin™ or Bicycle?® Rider Back cards. Though the gimmick itself is a Mandolin™ design, a Bicycle?® deck will work just as well. I've done it with both and nobody has noticed - they are too enamored with the effect. If you are really concerned red Mandolin™ decks are easily found all over the net.

I will also add that the trick itself is pretty much a no brainer to perform. This is all about presentation as it were. Still, Mr. McGhie and guest Nick Locapo take you step by step in the learning process presenting ideas and various tips along the way. As a bonus you are even shown how to take the dry erase pen and disguise it as a genuine Sharpie® Pen.

So, what are the cons? I can't think of any. The gimmick is really well made and should last you a very long time. I will say this; you might want to buy a few of these just so you always have a spare in years to come when perhaps these are no longer available. Little Door has quickly become one of my favorite effects to perform. My only regret is that I did not personally think of it! Highly recommended!

My rating:



Suggested retail: $39.95 USD

NOTE: Includes hand-crafted custom gimmicks / (Mandolin™ Red Backed Bicycle?® Deck not included).

Available directly from:

Penguin Magic
3299 Monier Circle, Unit A
Rancho Cordova, CA 95742
USA

Call us at: 1-800-880-2592 |International Dial: +1 707-317-6733

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Questions? Comments?

Email: support@penguinmagic.com

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