"Self Opening Soda" by Nefesch
Suggested Retail USD$25.00 (ebook available for USD$22.00)
Available from Leaping Lizards Magic
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Self Opening Soda", or "SOS", is a clever idea that looks just plain eerie and packs a punch as an apparently impromptu miracle.

As for the effect, it is what it says it is. A soda can (really any can with a pull-tab) is placed on the table or given to a spectator. The performer waves the hands over the can and, in full view, the can's tab pulls upward and the can opens completely. At this point the performer pours the liquid out of the can, drinks it, or anything else imaginable because the can really and truly is opened and did appear to open by itself. You can take a look at it yourself in the demo video (which needs a little work, but it's good enough to get an idea of what this looks like).

Behind the curtain, things get tougher to explain. As with "Hatching", Nefesch goes to great lengths to present different handlings for his idea. In "SOS", there is one using a fully set-up and gaffed can, another where the set-up is done in front of the spectators with a borrowed can, in yet another no gaff or gimmick is used at all, and in another cans are replaced with beer bottles (or any bottles with a crimped top). There's a smorgasbord of methods -- and nuances in method -- to choose from. For my money, I'd stick with the fully gaffed version -- it looks better and doesn't require the nerves for other versions. Also, the ungaffed version -- as well as the bottle version -- suffer from being a bit too well known in method for my tastes (having worked behind more than a few bars, I've see patrons do both, maybe without the flair Nefesch presents but definitely with the working).

As for the gimmick itself, it's a standard dealer item. So standard it's pretty easy to assume you've got it already. If not, a few bucks to any dealer will get you in business quickly and cheaply.

I'll have to cop to being all good and ready to not like "Self Opening Soda" much. The gimmick is one I personally have always had a distaste for and this is just way too "nuevo street" for me. But after doing this one a couple of times I began to respect and -- horrors! -- like the way Nefesch works the gimmick here. More than that, "Self Opening Soda" grew to be one of those things I started thinking seriously about using from time to time. Hey, for you that might not mean much; for me, that's about as big of a compliment as it gets.

Now, the natural reaction of magical thinking will be to somehow tie this into "Healed and Sealed" or some flavor thereof. It's only natural to want to magically open the can, then magically close the can, then open the can again (or some combination of that sequence). It could be possible but, to be honest, "Self Opening Soda" is just freaky enough on its own, as is "Healed and Sealed"; I wouldn't blend things for fear of weakening either one. Besides, to get the two to work together is going to require a lot more thinking on your part and the solution, or at least a favorable solution, might not be in evident.

The other thing is that the set-up can be a little tricky. I went through a couple of six-packs before I got it right. My advice is not to get impatient and read the booklet thoroughly. One little thing done wrong and you're going to be drinking a lot of soda.

At the end of the day, "Self Opening Soda" has a lot going for it. It's a slick method and does look out-and-out strange. Done properly this will leave their jaws open, either speechless or screeching. And both reactions are a Good Thing in the case of "Self Opening Soda".

"Self Opening Soda" by Nefesch
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 7
The method revolves around a strange use for a certain something you either have or you can pick up at a magic dealer; Nefesch's use of it is neat here. There are a couple of versions that require no set-up whatsoever, but they are substantially weaker than the gimmicked version. All told, this is a slick fairly slick piece of work.

Quality: 10
Nefesch writes extremely well, packing as much detail as he can onto a page. Like his "Hatching", he goes to great lengths to present different flavors of his idea in an effort to ensure at least one version catches your eye. I love that about his work.

Illustrations: 10
Loads of photos, all very well placed and working great with the text. A great job here.

Presentation: 9
This kind of thing plays best when it comes to an impromptu look and feel. "SOS" does that very well depending on which version you settle down with.

Shane