I'm Loopy!! Maybe not... :P

Good Evening World! Today I feel like reviewing a product that I haven't used in a while. It's called Loops and they were invented by Yigal Mesika. Why did I start to play with my Loops again? Well simply because Yigal is bringing out a new effect/prop called the tarantula and his name reminded me of the last Loop I had left on my shelf. If you have no idea what a Loop is, don't worry. I have a video right here and maybe it will explain everything to you.



Ha ha, your still probably lost as to what a Loop is, but thats fine. This is just a review on that prop that allows magicians to amaze. It has truly revolutionized what is meant by simple and hard hitting magic. It's almost like having real powers, which is better than belting out 8 babies at a time...:) Enjoy Peace.

The Effects

Mr. Kranzo gives us the benefit of viewing how these effects look when performed and more importantly, how much impact these effects have on spectators. There were several effects which he showed on the DVD and they include:

The Haunted Pack - this effect, I find is the most powerful of the ones taught on the DVD. If you don't know the description it goes something like: You BORROW or use your own deck and are able to had it out for examination, afterwards you ask a spectator to select any card out of freewill and ask them promptly to not let you know the identity of the card. The card is inserted back, and the deck is squared up and positioned on the ground or table, or flat surface (could also be the spectators hand). With a magical wiggling of the fingers, the deck cuts itself to find the selected card, and if that wasn't enough with a clap of your hands you cause the card to literally jump out of the deck.

Spirit Forces- this effect, I feel lends it self to the Haunted Pack. You ask the spectator to again select any card that he/she wants and memorize it. You then start to cut off little packets and ask them to control where they want the card to be, and you keep cutting little packets until you've run out (Duh! ha ha). You spread the cards on the floor, table, etc and borrow a knife(suggested on DVD) or you could use a sharpie marker like Mr. Kranzo. You then do your magical wiggling of the fingers and cause the knife/marker to roll and stop at the exact location of their selected card.

Possessed Band- this effect, lends it self to those lovely little rubber band effects that we all know and love. In the DVD, I think Mr. Kranzo did the Crazy Man handcuffs followed by the Possessed Band. Whether you accompany this with another effect or do it as a solo effect, you will get some great reactions. You hand out a rubber band for examination and rub your finger on it, soon it gets stuck on your finger. At which point you show your hands and the spectators realize that the bad is actually being suspended in mid-air. Total shocker, because it catches people off guard when they see it stuck on your finger, but when the mid-air suspension takes place, they go nuts.


Out Flow- this effect, is ideal for walk around magic. You go to a restaurant or a place where matchboxes are available. You dump out the contents to show there is nothing fishy about the box or the matches. After the spectators are satisfied, you can go ahead and put the matches back in the box and pause a beat. You then claim that matches are explosive so if you clap your hands they will explode. You do so, and the matches are flying all over the place, and you are left there with a baffled spectator.

Explanations and Tips

I have to say that Mr. Kranzo goes over every thing that you need to know to protect yourself during performances. The explanations of the effects are given at just the right speed and explained several times for your convenience. For those who cannot visualize what is going on with the Loops, Mr. Kranzo uses something else to demonstrate the positioning and handling of the loops. Overall his explanations were easy to understand and follow and he made sure he got straight to the point. The tips where scattered throughout the DVD but there is one section dealing with your positioning and lighting situations. Which was a great help to me, because know I do not have to keep the spectators at a distance and can perform it close-up in some situations. His tip for longevity of the Loops life was extremely helpful and a technique that is very original. Even though I've had much experience with Loops, there was alot of things I learned and now I even have some new effects to boot. So should you get this DVD? Heeeeeeeeeeeeavens YES! I believe everyone can learn something or another for the DVD, and that it won't sit on your shelf after a while. I definitely will be going back to Mr. Kranzos performances to see how I can change my own and see what he is doing that I'm not, etc. Great DVD,I plan on getting more of Kranzo's works.Take Care. Peace.