I've been A fan of John Bannon for a long time. His effects from Impossiblia and Smoke and Mirrors
are some of the first things that I ever studied in magic. This is a two DVD set that has a lot of
great footage. There are some excellent effects and some great interview segments. Bannon has such a
laid-back style and he's so down-to-earth and likeable that it's just fun to watch him perform.
You'll find no knuckle-busting moves on this set, but what you will find is simple and effective
magic that's easy to perform. The "Origami Concept" and "Mr. Fantasy" stuff is killer. I was fooled
by it on the video and in person by another magician. I really liked the interview segments. I wish
there were more because you really get to see what's inside of Bannon's head and why he thinks the
way he does about magic. He had a few opinions that I suspect rub some magicians the wrong way. I
didn't entirely agree with them all, but they were very thought provoking.
Bannon also had
a few great lines to open some of the effects that I thought were very clever. Simply put, Bannon
is a thinker. He thinks about magic; thinks about plot, premise, performance, effect and so much
more. Even if you don't watch the tricks, get this DVD (especially at the asking price) for the
chance to see why he does what he does. Knowing why others do what they do is often the impetus for
developing your own methods and philosophy about magic. Of the group listed here, this is by far the
best value for the money, and to top it all off, he's the only guy that didn't say "That's How I got
it." ABSOLUTE GEM!!
