"The Secret Art of Monkey Business" DVD by Matthew Johnson
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"The Secret Art of Monkey Business", a new DVD by Matthew Johnson, is a delightful hodge-podge of sometimes striking, sometimes stunning, but always entertaining close-up magic fit for any performer out there.

Of course, I only say that because Johnson managed to sink me on more than on occasion and I'm trying to save face.

Seriously, this is good stuff here with a wide variety of themes, enough to please just about anyone looking for new close-up, working material. Johnson's routines are all extremely practical (Johnson himself talks about this point at the beginning of the video, how he wanted quick resets with little set-up for his work environment) and visually appealing, with enough entertainment value to make virtually all of the pieces hits.

So let's get down to the material:

The disc begins with "Jack Is Back", based on Lee Asher's "The Ripper". In this one, the performer cuts to the Four of Hearts which is then taken from the deck and "split" into the four Aces. I always loved this plot and Johnson's work with it is sweet. As far as productions go, this is a good one with the added plus of setting you up perfectly for "McDonald's Aces".

"Card on Head" is next up and it's a two-card transposition. Wait. Don't skip over this one yet. One of cards is stuck to the forehead as a "prediction" and changes to the selected card. This is funny (just sticking the thing to your forehead will get laughs) and entertaining and deserves a look for those times when it's okay for silliness to meet magic.

"The Improved Vanishing Card Case" is a solid winner, with Johnson's diabolical thinking clearly on display in its workings. This is, as the title says, an improved (for my money, much improved) version of Johnson's original dealer item. The gaff is now much smaller and the handling much more open. You'll need to hop online to order a couple of things, and you'll need to assemble the gaff (a minor thing, really), but when you're done, you've got a piece of work on your hands you'll love doing. The included bonus routine really makes this worth the price of the disc: the performer brings out a card box, opens it, removes the deck, places the box in his pocket, but somehow the box is back around the deck. The box then vanishes, leaving the performer with a deck of cards ready to go. This is slick.

"Ring Vanish and Flash Production" is what you easily gather from the title: a ring is borrowed, vanished, and reappears in a bust of flame. Of all the pieces, this one interested me the least for two reasons: first, I loathe using flash paper and second, there are so many versions of this out there and Johnson's thinking, while interesting, breaks little new ground. Still, it's worth looking at, for no other reason than the reproduction.

"Card Through Bill" is exactly what it sounds like: a playing card is wrapped in a dollar bill and then pulled through the bill. This, like "Improved Vanishing Card Case", was originally a dealer item by Johnson and is fully explained here. In short, this is beautiful and another one worth the price of the disc.

"Knife Through Finger" is also beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that it fooled me and fooled me badly. So badly fooled was I that I thought the explanation was a joke, the working was so easy that it couldn't be the real way this little wonder worked. But it does work that way, it is easy, and it's a killer. The performer wraps a playing card around one of his fingers and gives the spectator a knife to hold upright. The performer then slowly lowers his wrapped finger onto the point of the knife... and keeps going until the knife is through the card and, presumably, the finger. The blade is twisted around until a small hole is left in the card which can be looked through, a great selling point to things. Finally, the card is removed, the performer's finger is intact, and all is right with the world except for the spectators whose brain cells have frozen. Another one worth the price of the disc.

"Flick of the Lip" is a four-Ace production which, like "Jack is Back", sets up the performance of "McDonald's Aces". This production is very pretty, if a bit difficult (unless you're familiar with David Acer's "Lickety Flip", upon which this is based). This is very nice thinking and a great lead-in to the classic.

Speaking of which...

I'm a sucker for "McDonald's Aces" and Johnson's version, taught here, has got to be one of the best I've ever seen for strolling situations. It's quick, almost sudden, and the use of three different vanishes makes this a very pretty effect. But for practicality, it can't be beat: the clean-up is oh-so-simple and the reset happens right in front of the spectators. For me, and for aficionados of the classic, this one is the reason to buy this disc.

In addition to all of this, Johnson also includes his Ring-Flight routine, which is a good one, and his flourish cut, "MJ One-Handed Triple Cut". Both are decent pieces if you're into such things (I'm not) and worth a look.

For my money, though, "Knife Through Finger", "Improved Vanishing Card Case", "Card Through Bill", and Johnson's "McDonald Aces" (combined with either of the included productions) make this a disc worth having a dozen times over. These are all commercial, practical, magical effects that are worth learning and worth doing.

"The Secret Art of Monkey Business" is for anyone working close-up venues that is on the look-out for new material that packs a punch... and I think that means most anyone working for a living. It's loaded with excellent routines and great thinking and is a solid winner.

"The Secret Art of Monkey Business" DVD by Matthew Johnson
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
An eclectic mix of themes and props, with some fascinating thinking behind them, this collection of material has something for just about anyone. That it all looks so good is the icing on the cake. If you're looking for new close-up material, this is for you -- there's sure to be something here you'll consider worth the price of the disc.

Practicality: 10
There are some gimmicks here, a gaff there, but all of it packs small with minimal resets and set-ups. This is very practical stuff for the worker.

Quality of Production: 9
The production values are very solid, with great video and sound and nice navigation. No issues here.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Johnson does a fantastic job of teaching his material, covering all the ins and outs. You'll have no problem learning the work involved at all.

Presentation: 10
With great visuals, unbelievable cleanliness, and some verbal components that are as entertaining as can be, the presentations here are, in two words, perfectly commercial.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.