FISM review 2006 part 1

I have seen the DVD for FISM 2006.

I make a disclaimer here: it may be that my judgement is coloured by the fact that the dvd often doesn't show the start of the routine, so we don't see the whole picture and miss the context. However, I will not give the performers such benefit of the doubt below.

Also, FISM isn't necessarily the best of the best. Still, it is an indicator of the standard of alot of magic being performed today...

FISM 2006. Wow. I have only seen the finalists. In a line: If that is the best magic has to offer from the last 3 years, then we should all quit.

Where to start...

Rick Merril - That routine, compared to what I consider to be a "good" routine performed well by a "good" (not excellent) magician was a pile of steaming turd covered in fermented cow piss.

I see you disaggreeing; go kill your self if you are. I showed this to two laymen friend of mine (given they've seen me do magic before, so not pure laymen). They vomited all over my TV screen and table. They were utterly fooled by the sleight of hand, but wholly repulsed by his presentation. They were bored. This act won FISM. At school we had a word for such travesties... COCKBALLS.

Aimed obscenely at magicians, this performance failed on many levels. I don't care what kind of character he was trying to portray, but the patter was weak, and delivered even worse.

That line about being "home schooled" and the "bowels of the coin".... I shat myself at that particular instant. What the hell was he smoking when he wrote this.

Alot of this was magician fooler stuff, hence not the most impressive material possible. There were possibly 3 impressive moments in the whole routine. The rest were good, but the presentation failed so dismally that I couldn't believe he came first.


Probably the most frustrating moment on the DVD was when he performs that is by any stretch of imagination the world's shittest muscle pass. Some arse from the audience decides to applaud this seemingly wonderful sleight presumably due to it's difficulty level and to encourage the bugger.

I shat my pants one final time when I replayed this segment on my DVD.

It took much effort to clear away the several pounds of vomitus and excrement from my living room after I finished watching the act.

Really? One of the best acts within the last 3 years?

Fairly polished act but presentation was seriously lacking. FISM winner sounds impressive, but obviously means jack shit.

Why?

I love good magic. I love strong magic. How can I be sure I'm following the right path in my search for good magic? One way is to define what is bad, and to steer clear of it. This blog is mostly about what sucks, and what we should aim to avoid.