Impuzzibilities Series by Jim Steinmeyer BOOK REVIEW

 

I just watched a lecture by Jim Steinmeyer over on Vanishing Inc and he mentioned his Impuzzibilities books. Apparently, according to Jim, when he first put these out, many of his friends kidded with him about this project. From his comments it sounds like they gently were poking fun at him for putting out such material. Why? Well, many effects used a method that many thought 'out of date' or 'obvious' or maybe even hackneyed. But this was far from the truth.

In his defense, he also said he never expected to put out more than one book. That was not the original plan. But now, he has 10 in the series and potentially more coming.

I can't vouch for every book in the series, but I can vouch for MOST of the books in the series and say these are filled with diabolical magic material. The reason I purchased the first book, and then many subsequent books, was I was looking for 'radio' material. In other words, I wanted magic effects that could be done on the radio. I had a couple radio interviews on the horizon and wanted to be able to do some magic on the air. And, I did, thanks to these books.

When the pandemic happened, these books became invaluable to virtual magic shows everywhere.  And then after the pandemic, I tried to figure out the best material and include it in live shows. I honestly, do not like to share my favorite material from the books because I don't want a lot of people do it, if they haven't discovered it already. BUT, I will share one.

From the book, Subsequent Impuzzibilities, is an effect called Fingertip Mindreading. I first saw this on Jim's older website, when he had a client newsletter section. It contained an interesting image of a performer standing next to a giant hand on a stand, if memory serves. That image is NOT in the Subsequent Impuzzibilities book. But the cover does have a gold hand, which, alludes to that trick. Basically, Jim suggested you could make a big hand from wood, plastic, or whatever and use it to illustrate the trick. So I built a giant sized one out of wood. mounted it on a stand, and made it so that each finger could bend down. Why? Because during the routine, you eliminate fingers until only one remains. You don't need a giant prop like that, but it takes a small trick and makes it stage size. And I've used mine literally hundreds of times. (the hula hoops are not part of the trick, but it makes a good stand to hang stuff as well, lol)

There are tricks that are really only for one or two people. There are tricks that truly can be done on the radio, or tv, or virtually. And when I say that I mean, they are interactive and the audience can follow along and the magic will happen right there in their own hands. The majority of the material doesn't require any special props, other than some cards or coins. A few you might need to make up, but diagrams and such are given. 

The smart performer will figure out a way to incorporate some of these into their shows. I truly think these are a must have for any performer to keep in their library. They are available through most magic dealers, but why not get them from Jim at https://jimsteinmeyer.com/product-category/books/

The Inventive Magician's Handbook w/Props is UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU"VE SEEN IN MAGIC!

That's a bold statement to say, "unlike anything you've ever seen in magic". But, having had dozens of conversations with the author about this book, I can attest to the fact that it's both something very different, and something very special. As far as the creativeness of the author, yep, I can also tell you, Judge Gary Brown is big time creative. He can take some of the simplest concepts and turn them on their head and give you a brilliant new piece of magic. I have a number of Gary's creations that I use. One in particular is a feature routine in my show. 

What you have in this book is both the exploration of inventiveness and then Gary showing you his applications. And did you miss the part about this book coming with props?  That never happens in the magic world. Sure sometimes with beginners books for the public, maybe, and even then it's rare. But here you're getting 14 innovative tricks, with the scripts and the props!!!!!!

If you're not sure who Judge Gary Brown is, he is the author of Wandcraft. He is the author of numerous magic magazine articles. He's written for both magic and real world periodicals. He loves the history of magic and has even appeared on television documentaries about magic history. He's a recent contestant on Penn and Teller's Fool US, and of course he is a federal U.S. Judge. OH, and last but not least, Judge Gary is a creative consultant for the Magic Detective Podcast. 

The publisher is now taking pre-orders. You've got to get a copy before they're gone. Click here to reserve your copy of this really unusual treasure! 

Lost in the Shuffle Movie - Is Debuting!!! Where to SEE IT!

 

The movie, Lost in the Shuffle, which I posted about some time ago (click here) is now finished and is showing throughout the country and the world! The movie/documentary stars Shawn Farquhar, Juan Tamariz, Alexandra Duvivier, Richard Turner, Michael Vincent and others. 

FOUR SUITS.
FIFTY-TWO CARDS.
ONE MURDER MYSTERY.

In the hands of a skilled magician, a simple, everyday deck of cards transforms into a vessel of wonder and (im)possibility, so it’s little surprise that for almost as long as there have been cards, there have been card tricks.

Seen through the eyes of some of the world’s best sleight-of-hand artists, Lost in the Shuffle is a multi-faceted look at this remarkable 400-year relationship that’s seen these simple playthings provide an endless source of miraculous inspiration for magicians throughout time.

Here is a link to all the various places where you can SEE this movie for yourself!

 https://www.lostintheshuffle.film/live-dates