"Stuck" DVD by Greg Rostami
Suggested Retail USD$20.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Stuck", a coin effect by Greg Rostami, is one of those rare pieces of magic that is so simple and yet delivers a punch so well it's close to being a masterpiece.

Strong words for a strong effect. And what an effect it is.

You start with a borrowed coin placed one the back of the hand. You then twist it into your skin. Removing the hand, the coin is gone. The problem, though, is that both hands are shown empty -- the coin is apparently stuck in the hand. You then, very slowly and very visibly pull the coin from the palm of the hand.

As weird as it sounds, it looks exactly like that.

I could rattle off the ads and tell you things "Stuck" isn't using, but a quick summary of this one really tells the story: this is done completely impromptu, there is no reset and no set-up, and there are no gimmicks involved. I'll quote the ads on this, because it sums everything up nicely: "You can do it naked". The only requirements to working with "Stuck" are two hands and a coin about the size of a quarter (you can use it with bigger coins but the difficulty level goes through the roof).

While we're quoting ads, I'll take exception with one claim: "easy to do". "Stuck" is, mechanically, pretty darn easy. I'd say you could probably start doing the do in a few minutes. But in no way does that mean you're ready to take this one out of the house. The real work with "Stuck" lies in selling things and that requires a lot of practice in certain areas you're probably not used to worrying with: body language, body movement, acting, and the like. Don't treat this stuff lightly; it goes a long way to making "Stuck" an astonishing piece of business.

Luckily, Rostami teaches all those details superbly. He gives a rationale for every move of each piece of this and that's what really makes "Stuck" work so well. It hits on all cylinders and there is nothing illogical or out of place. Rostami's instruction on all of those is spot on; you'll be a master of "Stuck" quickly and you'll be doing it confidently once you put in the time.

At the end of the day, Greg Rostami's "Stuck" combines a logical handling with clean visuals and a dash of psychology with a neat idea to produce a grand piece of magic. This is one, once learned, you'll find yourself doing more than you think.

"Stuck" by Greg Rostami
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
Wow. That pretty much sums this one up. It's one very slick vanish coupled with a few variations of a great reproduction and that's like saying the Mona Lisa is a nice collection of brush strokes. Prepare for a lot of practice, though; the sleights (such as they are) aren't much, but the extras will take some work.

Practicality: 9
Let's see, now: borrowed coin, no set-up, no reset, no gimmicks, no real sleight work... yep, this one practical piece. You do have an angle problem, but it's fairly easy to work around and not all that severe (it's stated you've got about 160 degrees to play with, and that's about right).

Quality of Production: 9
The production values here are high with only the occasional sound drop. Overall, it's a very good production.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Rostami does a fantastic job of teaching "Stuck"; he covers the moves extremely well and goes into even the body language and acting required to sell the effect. An excellent job all the way around.

Presentation: 10
It's all about the visuals and the acting and, brother, this one has it all in spades. This is one of those synergistic pieces that does the job.


Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.