"Plunge of Death" DVD by Kochov
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Plunge of Death", a DVD from the creative mind of Jasper Blakeley and his twisted alter-ego Kochov, contains two takes on the classic "Russian roulette" theme that, to put it in few words, I love.

Well, that certainly redefines the phrase "cutting to the chase", doesn't it? I guess I should explain things a bit more or this is going to be a very anemic review.

First, though, this, in bold and italics just so you know:

Yes, there is an element of risk to performing these types of routines. You could hurt yourself badly. You could die. All sorts of horrible, disfiguring, mutilating events could occur to your body. Just because I do them doesn't mean you should. Perform this kind of insanity at your own risk.

There. Now the lawyers are happy. Back to the review.

I've been doing a "Russian roulette" routine in my act ever since I got back into magic -- has it really been going on ten years now? -- and I dearly love it. No matter how I present it, no matter what "deadly object" I use, it always, always scores big with audiences. With all of that experience with the plot, I really didn't think there was much more I could learn about it that would fascinate me.

Oops.

Enter Blakeley and "Plunge of Death". Blakeley's version is similar to others except in terms of props and "the work" that goes into them. Simply put, four plungers are used, minus the handles, as sort of bases. Into one of these makeshift bases is placed a block with a very long, very sharp, very nasty looking screw. All the bases are covered with Styrofoam cups, moved around by the spectator to their heart's content, and yet the performer is able to avoid self-inflicted injury by smashing his hand (and the spectator's hand, in one phase of this) onto the empty cups.

Yes, the working is what you think it is -- what it almost always is in routines like this -- and that's where the really clever bit of genius comes in. Blakeley's solution to the problem is one that is incredibly subtle that, even with the spectator looking right at it, is perfectly invisible to them or simply not worth noticing (one of the two; I've never really stopped to ask them about it).

More than that, Blakeley has all but solved the issue of a spectator messing up things either intentionally or unintentionally. There's always the risk that the spectator will move something they shouldn't or the like. With Blakely's method, that's nigh on impossible; most any tampering with the method would be blatantly obvious, not just to you but to everyone. That's a nice bonus to things, that, and it's one of the main reasons Blakeley's version is the one I'll be doing for the foreseeable future.

Throw in all the presentational touches, getting the spectator involved at levels usually shunned in such routines (having them risk "sacrificing" their hand, for example) and "Plunge of Death" is one very fine version of the classic.

As a bonus of sorts, Blakely also includes his "Live Russian Roulette" routine. I won't say much about this one. It's nothing bad, but nothing too earth-shattering either. It's as flexible as you could want-- use any "dangerous" device that comes to mind -- and employs one fairly slick if not outright gutsy piece to pull off that is definitely a must-see for those playing with the plot. Worth a look, certainly, but it's "Plunge of Death" that's worth the money here.

Okay, so I think I explained my love affair with "Plunge of Death" adequately enough: there are some great thoughts behind it and that's good enough for me.

For you, there are a few things to consider. First, Blakeley has cut the amount of danger down significantly in these routines but it is not totally eliminated. I don't think it ever can be, honestly. Therefore, if you're not comfortable with the fact that something could happen, don't even think about buying this and performing it with anything even remotely approaching danger. Do a version of it with an egg instead, or a water balloon, or something. Trust me, that can be just as entertaining if in a different way.

Second, as with any "Russian roulette" routine, your acting skills and your audience management skills need to be up to snuff (sorry; bad pun). I've always considered any performance of these types of things to be for advanced, even expert performers for those reasons. "Plunge of Death" is no exception. Beginners are better off leaving this alone and coming back to it later on when they've been around the block a few times.

Otherwise, when it comes to variations on the theme, "Plunge of Death" is a bargain for those looking to add this kind of thing to their act. It's easy, safer than most, and packs one good, strong punch.

"Plunge of Death" DVD by Kochov
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
Simply enough, you get two "Russian roulette" routines, one with a sharp object and one with pistols. Blakeley's versions of both are very, very nice, providing great methods that allow for some great flexibility in the objects used and the nature of the game. Great stuff here.

Practicality: 10
Blakeley applied some very clever thought to these routines, eliminating a great deal of the danger associated with this theme. Naturally, we're talking platform work here, so in terms of practicality it's a matter of throwing the props into a bag (literally, in the case of "Plunge") and you're ready to go.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values here are very high. No place is this more noticeable than during the live performance section of the DVD. Big thumbs-up here.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Blakeley does a superlative job of describing his routines, covering every nook and cranny it seems to ensure you can perform his material. Another great job by Blakeley.

Presentation: 10
With the "Russian roulette" theme, it's all about the danger and the suspense wrung from it. These routines are packed with that; throw in the cleanliness of things and you've got routines that even made me squeamish and I've been doing one for years.


Shane

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