Holy Grail

[Jeremy Hanrahan]

I know, it has not even been released yet, and there is some jerk posting a review. I was one of the selected few to review this effect for the creator. I had always performed Torn by Danny Garcia, and loved the effect. My only hang up with Torn, and many othe T&R effects are angles. I have had to pleasure of perfoming a T&R, The Holy Grail, and correctly named, and will no long perform anyother type of effect.

Angle issues- There are none- Thats the beuty of this effect.
Can be signed by the spectator- A big bonus.
Torn pieces can be handed out at any stage of the effect- WOW
Restoration- Clean and very magical looking- Again well done.
Clean-up amazing- Even if you call it clean up, there is a logical explaination for every action.

Now, I am only commented on the effect that I was taught, and can not comment on the production quailty, but I will revise this "review" once I recieve the dvd.

I really love effects that are clean and straight to the point. Holy Grail has all the components of a classic. An effect that will be used to gauge similar effects. The method is diabolical, and the reaction you will get when perfoming this are way above the standard "Oh my God" comments. Holy Grail is a beutiful piece of close-up magic that will be well recieved by all.

Now, a little about the Creator. Jordan Johnson has been flying under the radar for quite sometime. His creations will enhance any performors repitore, and his love for the art is evident when you get him talking on the subject. A creator that thinks both inside and outside the box, all the while providing us with beutiful signature pieces of close-up magic. I say pieces, as I am sure you will see more from this brilliant magician in the near future.

Regards,
Jeremy Hanrahan

[NicoZottos]

Jordan is a good friend of mine and from what he has described it as...I was speechless. As stated, the name deffinately fits the trick. I am a big fan of Torn and Restored Card effects and I will be purchasing this but I think that this is a must have for all card magicians. With an effect like this, I'm sure you will be remembered.

-Nico Zottos

[Smoothini]

LOL... you see, the funny thing is that I really don't like new things in magic. Once I got something that works, I don't find any real reason to try to do something else. If it works, it works.

I do Torn, and I do Torn ALOT. Several times an evening. I do a lot of walk-around / strolling magic at bars. I am always surrounded and you know where there is a will, there is a way. I've never been caught with the angles on Torn. It's all about spectator management and audience control. There should be no reason someone should catch you if you present the effect the right way. They should all be engaged into your performance.

And this is coming from the guy that really did not want to even watch the Torn DVD after he got it as a present.

But now what you describe interests me. I really want to check it out.

As a side note, you do realize that spectators care less which TnR you are doing, right? To them, it is all the same.

[JordanJohnson]

Wow so you are saying that you perform Torn surrounded? Thats crazy if that flys by, but lots of misdirection has to be applied if that is even possible. When creating the effect that was a huge thing I wanted to get rid of was the horrible angles that other t&r effects had and with this I accomlished it by making it to where it is done surrounded. And yes I do agree that the specs dont know the difference but if you had no magical knowledge would you want a t&r that when the magician restores the pieces he always covers them up and there are funny movements invovled or would you rather see one where everything is natural and clean with no moves or cover that would make the spectator question what you are doing. If you took one card and tore it into four peices and put it back together as natural as possible it would look like Holy Grail. And again I made this to be able to be done surrounded so you can solely focus on the presentation and the magic you are creating instead of worrying about angles and palming, ditching, and lining pieces up. Its natural, fair, and clean as a whistle

[NicoZottos]

Originally Posted by Smoothini

As a side note, you do realize that spectators care less which TnR you are doing, right? To them, it is all the same.

Well I would agree that the concept of the trick is the same with the tearing and restoring but, i am sure if you do torn and then HG, you will most likely get a bigger reaction from HG. The fact that the card and each piece before the restoration can be examined is great but what's even greater is the angles! This trick as said before can be done completely surrounded. The face of their SIGNED card could be shown while the performer restores it. Johnson takes it a step further and has the spectator keep the card and pull on it all they want which really sells the effect. It was a whole, seamless card from the beginning and it is a whole, seamless card at the end. This deffinately separates other Torn and Restored effects from this one. Good job, JJ

-Nico Zottos

[Jeremy Hanrahan]

Originally Posted by Smoothini

I do Torn, and I do Torn ALOT. Several times an evening. I do a lot of walk-around / strolling magic at bars. I am always surrounded and you know where there is a will, there is a way. I've never been caught with the angles on Torn. It's all about spectator management and audience control. There should be no reason someone should catch you if you present the effect the right way. They should all be engaged into your performance.

Angles on Torn make it near impossible to do surrounded. Spectator management can only go so far. I always have people walk up right behind me in the middle of performances, which can not be helped. The reactions I recieve from my specs draws others in. My point in my review was that angles are no longer an issue. As for the spectators not caring what TnR we do, I disagree. To much side to side movements or sweeping actions tells them that something is up. When restoring a card as taught in The Holy Grail, the actions will not be questioned, because there are no actions to cover. Spectators are smarter then we give them credit for, we as magicians should never forget this this or one day we will get burned badly. Just my opinion. I hope you can value my opinion, as I value yours.

[Smoothini]

Oh, I value all your opinions. I'm just saying that I've done Torn completly surrounded many times. Yeah I know the angles are not the best, but I've pulled through. I want to see this Holy Grail in order to see what you guys are talking about. I'm now interested in buying it. But as a general rule I do not buy new effects. Why should I when the effects I've been doing for the past 19 years have always worked without a shadow of a doubt? I mean seriously. I'll give it a shot. If it makes my job easier then, definitly. But when I go to a gig, I only really need but so many tricks.

And I need those tricks / effects MASTERED. And with mastery comes every possible circumstance that can mess up an effect. I will buy this Holy Grail and I will probably be amazed by it. Especcially because all of you seem so impressed by it. To me, Torn had everything I needed in a TnR effect.

What I have seen is that the things that magicians put stock in (i.e. the examining of all the props) don't mean anything to spectators. Especcially the ones I work for. The majority of the people I perform for are drunk. They honestly care less if they get to examine every last piece of material. As long as I blow their mind. That is all I'm saying.

[Kevin Clark]

How does this T&R compare to the T&R released again at Theroy 11?

[Jeremy Hanrahan]

Originally Posted by Smoothini

Oh, I value all your opinions. I'm just saying that I've done Torn completly surrounded many times. Yeah I know the angles are not the best, but I've pulled through. I want to see this Holy Grail in order to see what you guys are talking about. I'm now interested in buying it. But as a general rule I do not buy new effects. Why should I when the effects I've been doing for the past 19 years have always worked without a shadow of a doubt? I mean seriously. I'll give it a shot. If it makes my job easier then, definitly. But when I go to a gig, I only really need but so many tricks.

And I need those tricks / effects MASTERED. And with mastery comes every possible circumstance that can mess up an effect. I will buy this Holy Grail and I will probably be amazed by it. Especcially because all of you seem so impressed by it. To me, Torn had everything I needed in a TnR effect.

What I have seen is that the things that magicians put stock in (i.e. the examining of all the props) don't mean anything to spectators. Especcially the ones I work for. The majority of the people I perform for are drunk. They honestly care less if they get to examine every last piece of material. As long as I blow their mind. That is all I'm saying.

Oh for sure man. I totally agree, I just did not want you to take my review as a negative. I also love perfoming for intoxicated spectators. Makes life easier sometimes. But there is always that one heckler. I also agree to a point that specs are easily amazed, but not easily fooled(if that makes sense) I definalty see your point and agree with conditions. The conditions we as performers put on effects are far greater them those conditions put on effects by spectators.

[AndyKay]

is this Holy Grail effect the same thing as Unripped? cause i can't seem to find Holy Grail on the internet.

can you post the link? thanks a lot