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"Gut Buster" by Andrew Mayne
Suggested Retail USD$75.00
Available from direct from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Gut Buster", the latest and greatest from the genuinely twisted mind of "Andrew Mayne", is one of the most delightfully disturbing small illusions in existence, hands down (or, to be more accurate, "through the abdomen").

The effect is short, so short that in the time it takes to describe it the effect is over. Simply, you stand behind an your assistant then visibly, slowly, push your hand (your real hand, not the rubber one you bought as a joke for a hand chopper) through their skin and out through their stomach. The spectators see your fingers slowly protrude from the abdomen, then see the skin slowly tear as your hand pushes through the body. Shreds of skin and flashes of blood are evident. Then, you pull your hand back out, showing your hand is in fine condition, as is your assistant's stomach, as lifting their shirt reveals.. Your spectators' minds, though, won't be the same for a long time.

I have to admit, when I first saw "Gut Buster", I was less than impressed. I'll further admit I was just "thinking like a magician"; "Gut Buster" is a solid killer. People scream, people freak out, people throw money (well, more like they drop money as they perambulate away from you with all due alacrity)... this is powerful stuff.

And, brother, is it sneaky. So sneaky, you can even do it the other way an have your assistant shove their hand through you. Or have a spectator shove their hand through you. Or do it without the gimmick if you want to and shove your hand through a spectator. Or do it to yourself just for kicks. In typical Mayne style, variants abound and he's put a bunch of them on the DVD included with the gimmick.

Okay, let's get to the fine points of those versions:

"Gut Buster", the original take, can be done surrounded (with a little advance prep by your or your assistant). Resetting only takes about a minute, but will require you or your assistant to get away from the bustling crowd first. The gimmick can be a bit unwieldy and uncomfortable, so plan on doing this one quick and not saving it until the end of an hour-long extravaganza. Also, bear in mind you need someone of a slender to medium build for this (and for my money, the more medium the better). You'll also want a bit of distance between your spectators and yourself; trying to do this over a close-up table isn't advisable, but you don't need them to be in the next county, either. The time you'll spend with the assistant is minuscule -- a half-hour and they're ready to work with you -- which in itself a minor miracle.

"Gut Buster Unplugged" is Mayne's take of the original, minus the gimmick. The effect is the same, except now your assistant (or a stooged spectator) holds a newspaper in front of their stomach and you penetrate through them, break the newspaper, and then withdraw your hand. With this version, you lose the gimmick and also the ability to do this surrounded comfortably (it could be done, possibly, but the angles are a real bugbear). Reset is very quick, needing only a couple of seconds with a sheet of newspaper and you're ready to go (I actually did the "get ready" in front of the spectators -- the reset really is that minor). You've got the same "assistant/spectator size" and distant limitations as in the original, and you lack the more gory revelation the gimmick provides you, but as an effect very close to being impromptu, this is very slick. How slick? I'd have paid $100 for Mayne to teach just version for all the mileage I'll get from it.

I wish the other two versions had hooked me like the previous two, but unfortunately they didn't do much for me.

"Gut Buster Solo" is a method for performing "Gut Buster" on yourself. While a neat enough idea, you can't do it surrounded, you're introducing another gimmick into the game, and, to be honest, it just looks comical. "Gut Buster" is better than this and, while Mayne should get kudos for attempting a one-man version, this one ain't it.

"Stranger Gut Buster" (referred to as "Stranger Penetration" on the DVD) allows you to perform "Gut Buster by having a random spectator push their hand through your stomach (or your assistant's stomach, if you prefer). I've never been a fan of stooging, and even Mayne's handling of the spectator -- which works well enough -- can't change my mind. True, the spectator doesn't know what they are doing, but they also don't know what the effect is, either, and them finding out leaves a hole for them to blurt out what really went on behind the scenes. For that reason alone, this one makes me more than a little uncomfortable.

But in the end, the original version and the "unplugged" version are worth the money, hands down if you've got the right assistant.

So what do you get for your money? You get the gimmick, of course, plus the odds and ends that go with it (you'll also need a household item or two, as there is a bit of arts and crafts to this, and if you go with one version you'll need to make a trip to your dealer for an added item or two). More importantly, though, you get Andrew Mayne's exhaustive instructions which are immaculate in their attention to detail. This is nothing new; Mayne is one wonderful instructor and always gives it his best. He still shines here.

All in all, "Gut Buster" is one of those reputation makers that comes around every once in a while. The visuals are incredibly strong and it just looks damned good. If you've got the assistant and you've got the right circumstances, there's no topping this one. It's that good.

"Gut Buster" by Andrew Mayne
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 8
You'll need an assistant who's on the slender- to medium-build side (or not, if you have that build and don't mind someone pushing their hand through you), the angles can be a bit of a problem in some versions (proper planning can do away with that problem), and if you need to reset you'll have to get away for a bit. These are mild problems concerning the impact of this one.

Workmanship: 10
The gimmick is very well made; it'll last indefinitely with proper care and use.

Documentation: 10
The instructions come on DVD (there are no written instructions), and Mayne is wonderful in his instructions here. The word "perfect" comes to mind.

Effect: 10
The effect is one of sheer terror. Okay, maybe that's an overstatement. Still, when spectators start screaming and squirming and their mouths fly open, "terror" comes immediately to mind. So does "shock". So does "stunning". "Gut Buster" is all of these things and more.

Presentation: 10
It's all about the visuals here, and Mayne delivers. Even the arguably weaker version, without the gimmick, still gets solid reactions just from the surprising appearance Mayne has built into this one.

Originality: 10
This is head and shoulders (well, arm and stomach) above previous ideas along these lines, most of which employed a fake appendage of some kind somewhere somehow. Mayne wanted to outdo those and he did, by a long shot.

Shane