Issue 25 - March 09
News Flash
Axel Hecklau
Available from www.axelhecklau.com
Price: €64.20 (approx £60.00)
Before you read any further, if you haven’t seen the video performance of Axel Hecklau’s ‘News Flash’ then check out www.axelhecklau.com where it can be seen online. This has to be seen to really appreciate how good it is.
Many variations and methods for performing the torn and restored newspaper effect have been published over the years and have been used by some of the top names in magic. After 5 years in the making what Axel has achieved is amazing. In my opinion it looks as close to real magic as you could get with this effect. The restoration is great.
What you get for your money is a well produced DVD and a main gimmick, that’s all I’ll say. You will need to source your own newspapers along with a few other items (scissors and glue) to make up each paper. Every single step is explained clearly and precisely on the DVD and the final gimmicked newspaper will take you around 10-15 minutes to make up once you get to grips with the procedure.
The DVD is a joy to watch. I found myself smiling at Axel’s mannerisms and dry sense of humour even through his German accent! The choice of language, German or English, is offered to the viewer on first playing the disc.
So what actually makes this better than other versions? Firstly the method is completely new. It’s like no other version currently available. The overall handling is much cleaner and easier, and there’s less tearing involved. Every page is shown, front and back, during the start and it can be performed completely surrounded if required. There’s even a two person version taught on the DVD that would work well on stage.
If you haven’t performed a version of the torn and restored newspaper effect before and are looking to see if it will suit your style/act then there are probably much cheaper alternatives that you should try first. Although the price is high, when you consider it’s really no more than a DVD, I think this is actually not a bad thing as it will stop the masses buying it. It would be a shame for such a great effect to be over exposed. I highly recommend this! PS
What’s Hot: Well thought out new method for a classic effect
What’s Not: Pricey due to the current poor exchange rate
Star Rating: *****
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