"Magnetic Attraction with Canes" DVD by Kenton Knepper
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available direct from WonderWizards
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Magnetic Attraction with Canes", a DVD by Kenton Knepper, is a gorgous routine based on the work of some of magic's past masters that is pleasant to see.

I know that, in this day and age, the thought of doing a "personal magnetism" routine is passé, a relic from the past. Moreso is anything using a cane. I think the term the jaded would apply would be "old-fashioned". My response to them? Good. Think of it that way. That just means this is one more routine that fewer people will learn and perform and that makes us a bit more unique.

And "unique" is what this one is. It's different, it's seldom seen... and when seen, seldom done well. Knepper's routine shines in that it does look very good, very elegant. Simply put, an ungimmicked cane is examined, as are the performer's hands. Then, after a bit of gesturing, the cane adheres to the performer's hands. More than that, the cane appears to move, staying somehow stuck the performer's hands, in various positions. Finally, the cane becomes "unstuck", falling in the performer's hand.

This is one you have to see to appreciate; just know it looks very good and magical, almost mystical.

Of course, that's just the way it looks. The way it works is almost as elegant. Knepper ditched all the popular gimmicks (you know the ones: loops, cradles, wires and threads, all that sort of thing) in favor of simple yet devious handlings and body positioning to pull off the illusion. As an option for larger groups, Knepper does present an excellent, forehead-slapping idea (said idea will require a trip to a pharmacy or other store, but it could be worth it for you) to introduce more control to things, but it's not strictly needed and I never used it. I found Knepper's handlings more than satisfactory to produce a neat piece of magic.

The most attractive thing (sorry) to me was that this doesn't work just with canes. The object in question can be pretty much any cane-like object -- long, with a discernable end to it, of pretty much any composition. While Knepper teaches the moves with a cane and a sabre, he also points out that golf clubs can be used as well. I'll cop to doing it with a fireplace poker, among other things. For what it is, that makes this very flexible. But no matter what you end up using, the end result is quite fascinating.

That's it. That's the word I've been searching for: "fascinating". It's the perfect way to describe "Magnetic Attraction with Canes". Everyone who sees this seems to be mesmerized, fascinated, by it. And as magic goes, that's a good thing indeed.

"Magnetic Attraction with Canes" by Kenton Knepper
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
This is a collection of Knepper's handlings and "extra work" for the routine made popular by many past masters of magic, all with a certain twist that makes them look simply beautiful.

Practicality: 10
Designed for stage and platform, this one packs small and plays big: a cane or similar object and you're good to go. For certain performing situations, a certain something or two (easily purchased from retail stores) can be used as taught on the video, but you may find, like I did, that the "certain somethings" are unnecessary and rely strictly on Knepper's handlings and touches to make things happen.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values are excellent. No problems here at all.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Knepper does a marvelous job at teaching his routine. Not only do you get the basic moves, but all the small psychological niceties that make this play as well as it does.

Presentation: 10
Let's see.. Malini did it, so did Leipzig, and more recently Charlie Miller dived into routining this effect to make it his. There's a reason for that: it simply looks good. Knepper's version of the classic takes it a step further than those luminaries and adds the right touches to make this gorgeous.


Shane

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