Magic Tricks

Although there are many rooms in the house of magic, Mr. Colewll's room is one that I don't want to go in. And I am a card guy. This is not to say that Mr. Colwell is not knowledgeable, or that Mr. Colwell has not put a lot of time and effort into his tricks and methods. He clearly has.

However, Mr. Colwell's trick selection is simply not good magic, as far as I am concerned. His tricks are permutation upon permutation upon technical variation. Or, they are technical variation for its own sake. While Mr. Colwell's work might be technical solutions to technical problems, the methods don't strengthen the effects. Moreover, the effects selected simply aren't strong to begin with.

To cite one example, Mr. Colwell declares his favorite card trick to be the 21 card trick, and offers solutions that will fool people that know the 21 card trick. The fact of the matter is that any variation of the 21 card trick will fool anyone else that knows the 21 card trick, because even the people that perform the 21 card trick don't know how it works.

So no, we don't need multiple solutions. It doesn't change the effect: that a confusing and obviously mathematical procedure is followed to find a playing card. In other words, there is nothing about Mr. Colwell's approach that changes the effect in any meaningful way, or makes the trick better. Admittedly, someone that knows the 21 card trick would have to admit: that is not how I do it. But "confusion is not magic."

This is just one example. If your favorite card trick is the 21 card trick, and you think that all that is lacking is more variations of it, then this lecture might be for you. If you think that the 21 card trick is what it is, and we don't need any lessons on it, then you should perhaps avoid it.

I do not write this review lightly. And, in fact, I feel quite bad about it, because Mr. Colwell has done his research and can do things that I cannot, including finding technical solutions to card problems.

But, to me, the goal is to do better magic, not so-so magic differently for its own sake. Mr. Colwell does not perform better magic, but merely provides his technical takes on not-that-good tricks.

Mr. Colwell has a place in magic, and I appreciate people like him. At the same time, I feel the need to be honest in my reviews. Why? I try to be honest because I spent $40 on a lecture that I wish I still had in my pocket. I don't want others to suffer the same fate.