"Colour Burn" DVD by David Forrest
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Colour Burn", a new DVD by the ever-creative David Forrest, is one of those rare pieces where the core routine is perfectly powerful, but the creativity behind the method has so much flexibility and inherent strenght in it that the real power comes from all the things you'll find yourself doing with it.

"Colour Burn" is, in effect, a color-changing deck and that's an understatement. In short, a blue deck is removed from its case. The deck is spread and spectators are asked to call out the names of some cards. These are removed and, one at a time, change from blue to red. Okay, so far so good, but here's where "Colour Burn" goes for the jugular: another card is taken and begins to visibly change color. The change happens as you slowly -- and I mean slowly -- wave your hand over it. You even stop halfway and the card is seen to be half red and half blue. When you complete the change, the card is shown on both sides. Then, for the big finish, the entire deck changes to red.

Strictly speaking, "Colour Burn" is pretty pedestrian up until that slow-motion change hits. And, brother, does it hit. It's obscene, that change sequence, and it's so strong spectators have a tendency to go all quiet with blank looks on their faces. That's some powerful stuff.

That it's accomplished with a simple gaff (you'll need to construct it yourself; part of the needed supplies are included with the disc, so putting the thing together will likely take all of two minutes -- it's really quite simple to assemble) is the real magic here. Forrest has done what we all strive to do: thrown a simple gaff into a mix with a simple handling and pulls off the result of unbelievably strong magic.

And if "Colour Burn" were all you could do with that little gaff, it would be a keeper and one of the best pieces of magic on the market. But "Colour Burn" is just the tip of the iceberg.

To jostle the brain cells, Forrest has also included another routine, "Print Run". In this effect, a card is selected by a spectator. The performer shows an "unprinted" playing card -- a playing card blank on both sides. Once again, in devilishly slow motion, this blank card is printed to match the selected card and can be handed out immediately at the end.

At that point, the creative juices have just got to be going:

Imagine doing an "Ace Assembly" where the last Ace slowly and visibly changes into an indifferent card. Or a two-card transposition done visibly. Finish off a "Reset' routine in mind-blowing style. Change the gaff around and do a slow-mo transpo with signed business cards. How about a visual printing of a business card on blank stock?

The things you can add this to are apparently endless: have card stock, work incredible, visual magic.

To put it all succinctly (a rarity for me, I know), Forrest has a locked-down, nickle-plated, diamond-studded winner on his hands with this one. If you're looking for something to take your card magic to a whole different level, the simple little gaff that is "Colour Burn" is what you need.

"Colour Burn" DVD by David Forrest
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
This is, without a doubt, one of the most mind-blowing color-changing deck routines around today. The visual change, that slow-motion change, packs an impact that can't be desribed. And if all that's all this was, it'd be a solid keeper. As it is, the flexibility is incredible; there are so many things that can be done with the easily-constructed gaff that you'll be busy for weeks just trying to wrap your head around them all. This is simply excellent stuff.

Practicality: 10
Slide the gaff into a deck and you're pretty much ready to go. Reseting things is quick and easy, the deck is otherwise open to all the uses you'd want... This is one practical piece of work.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values are excellent all the way around.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Forrest teaches his creation thoroughly and carefully, from crafting the thing to putting it through it's paces; you'll have no problem picking this one up.

Presentation: 10
It's all about that slow-motion change and it is so powerful spectators get knocked into sheer silence. That's what we call strong magic.


Shane

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