Comparing this show to Fool Us just makes me appreciate Fool Us even more.
This show started really good, but it got old fast since the tricks all use the same basic premise of “things out of no where” or (usually) some kind of prediction. There’s no variety in the magic to really keep me interested. I know that the nature of the show is more improv magic than rehearsed tricks, but I think it’s taking away from the magic more so than helping it.
I also think the Wizards tricks are the worst. They are all one trick ponies. The mentalist girl does only mentalist things, Mr. Pickpocket is always pickpocketing, it’s just boring me now.
What this show needs to turn into is a reality show for “Americas Next Great Magic Act”
The bulb looks oversized to me. With all the new LED lights out, easy to rig a battery powered LED into a “lightbulb”, and float it with invisible string.
First round, the two guys were definitely better. They were funny and fast paced. If the gag was a lot of productions from the box, it was still fun. And I did see a flash with the mop pole. They didn’t do much with the toilet paper, but overall entertaining, and great use of the birds at the end, popping off the box.
The other two were dreadful. The banter was weak and lots of dead time, and the productions were sloppy. And whatever Penn said about liking the death/resurrection, I didn’t like it and I think Kristen was with me. Don’t cook the bird. Sheesh. Crap all around, and they really felt strained coming up with compliments. The only thing they did better was the toilet paper with the extension.
The intermission act, I think you’re right on the water to pepsi trick. As far as the can trick, I’m sure it was a planted can, but I don’t think the lady was a stooge. He asked, she said she’s done with it because it wasn’t hers.
The crumple can refilling is easy enough, I’ve done it in my kitchen, but the one thing was the pop top - that had to be a decal, but it was an impressive decal, not just a simple piece of construction paper. It looked like it had depth and different angles - I looked at it in slo-mo and it still looks real.
The Wizard round, two great acts.
I liked the Challengers, they had great interaction, fast paced flow, and great use of the improv impersonations to liven it up. But the beautiful part was the end with the word already on the confetti they fired off at the beginning. So wonderful, nobody would think to look at the confetti - it’s confetti, and the pacing kept everyone engaged and too busy to get bored and look. Great job. That was also an interesting use of the worms.
For the Wizards, they had a tough challenge to beat. The pickpocketing worms was kinda neat and a very creative way to use them. The duck use was okay, though having the dictionary page inside the duck was good. What I can’t figure is how they got the word force. I suppose I can’t rule out stooging him, but it would be better if there were a way not to. But without a force, I don’t see how they get that set up. I also don’t think their interaction or cohesion were as good as the first group.
So the challengers win, but it was entertaining. I don’t know what “unicorns of paper” is supposed to mean.
I agree on the ducks, I was watching and the first two the Asian guy picked were both 6 (or was it 9), so I thought there might be a force that way, but that ended up not being any of the numbers used, so I think that was just a coincidence and you outlined the actual method.
As for the impressions,
No stooge required. When the guy pulls the paper from the box and the other guy takes it to hand it to the volunteer to read, you can see him put his whole hand in front of the clip - that’s a great time for a swap. So he palms in the piece of paper that gets read. So somewhere along the way he or some accomplice has to write in the appropriate words - the three improvs, the names. The number was a force, and so was the word conclusion and confetti. Not impossible, given the amount of time the camera doesn’t show him. Relying on the audience to follow the action of the guy talking and not see what the other guy is doing. Easy schmeasy.