"Tweaked Out Shells and Pea Routine" DVD by Arnaud
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 5 Out of 10

"Tweaked Out Shells and Pea Routine", a DVD by Arnaud, is a neat idea, but with a method a far cry from the ad copy and a routine that is close to sadistic, this one is a reach for those new to the shell game and old hat for those who've shuffled the shells more than a few times.

Let's hit the problems first and let the good stuff take care of itself for a while.

"Finally someone has discovered..." begin the ads. Well, not quite. Magnetic shells and peas have been around for ages, as have external magnets to pull off the thing. New this ain't. More than that, the "secret" is going to cost you additional bucks for a PK Ring and a pea (pushed most eloquently from the producers of the DVD with a nice little coupon for 10% off and free shipping) since that's the chosen device here.

Oops. Did I expose things? No, not really, unless you're counting the big secret that you're going to be out bigger bucks when you buy "Tweaked Out Shells and Pea" expecting to be able to do it "out of the box" and find yourself needing to pay for yet more stuff.

I hate that. You hate that. So why not let's call it as we see it just this once, shall we?

I know, I know. There are DVDs all over the place for things utilizing props that aren't included with the disc. But in virtually all cases the props are either common or you're warned from the get-go that the material on the disc will require said prop ("101 Tricks With a Thumbtip", "World's Greatest Magic With a Folding Coin") or it's mentioned in the ads ("M5 required") or it's something simple to make. Here, you're talking what could amount to a pretty heavy expenditure for something you probably don't have laying around and that's just wrong.

Okay, with that out of the way...

The routine itself is just not good. There's no climax -- it just goes on and on until the performer finally calls it quits. Worse, the routine abuses the spectator to no end, insulting them, rubbing their nose into the fact they were wrong. That is bad enough (if I hear someone say "Too bad, so sad, call a cab" one more time...), but to force them to play this silly game just so you can rub their nose into it is about as insipid as it gets.

So the "secret" is an old one, you'll probably need to buy more stuff before you can get started with it, and the routine is lousy. Is there anything good about this disc?

Well, yes, there is, and that's perhaps the saving grace here.

Some of the moves Arnaud has worked out are pretty slick. There are a couple that are a bit awkward when compared to the original, sleight-only handling of things (there are a couple of loads that are just way too weird for my tastes), but some of the steals are quite nice. Arnaud also does a good job of teaching the moves as he goes, which is nice. The production values, likewise, are very good.

But it's about the "secret" and the moves here, and that hurts this video a lot. With a bit more thinking about the moves, with a lot more thought about a routine that does more than ties a spectator to a whipping post, this could have been a winner.

As it stands, it's interesting to those who already have a neat routine and they're looking for some more ideas (and already have the props at hand), but if that's not the case with you, I'd pass it by. I'm partial to "Supershells" by Gary Ouellet -- buy it and learn it instead. Your audiences will thank you.

"Tweaked Out Shells and Pea Routine" by Arnaud
In a Blink: 5 Out of 10

Material: 2
The basic method is old, though Arnaud does have some neat things to do with it and his updating of it is interesting. The biggest problem is that this is sold as a complete routine and, as such, it's a flop.

Practicality: 9
A ring, a table, three shells, and a pea and you're all set. This is quite a practical routine.

Quality of Production: 10
Everything about this disc is a quality production: great sound, great video, and I loved the navigation. Great job here all around.

Quality of Instruction: 5
Arnaud does a credible job of teaching his moves. There are a few places that needed a bit more explanation, but overall you shouldn't have much of a problem learning the material.

Presentation: 1
Simply put, this is a horrible routine. With no definable climax and constant spectator abuse, I shudder when I think about people thinking this is what a shell game routine is all about and start inflicting it on spectators.

Shane

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