"Grab That Pinhead" DVD by Bob Sheets and Dan Garrett
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Grab That Pinhead", a DVD by Bob Sheets and Dan Garrett, is a slick, gimmickless, and at times very visual linking pin routine that, while paling at times in comparison to the Jerry Andrus original, nonetheless stands very well as a slick piece of magic perfect for most close-up workers.

I'll spare you all the details: after all, as with any such routine, there are pieces to eliminate and change and swap around as the performer sees fit. The long and the short of it is that this is a very good routine, with at times stunning visuals, that packs small, plays big, and takes no more space in your pocket than the two regular safety pins.

Yep, that's right: the entire routine is done with two regular, ungimmicked safety pins (included with the disc are two 3" pins). No switching, no ditching, nothing to hide, and the very neat feature of being able to have the pins inspected before, during, and after the routine.

The secret here is a bit of sneaky skullduggery that goes right by spectators even as they've got the pins in their hot little hands and some clever, at times near genius, bits of simple handling.

All of that -- the lack of gimmicks, the small size in the pocket, a simple working, and creative handlings -- add up to what sounds like a worker's dream. And in many ways, "Grab That Pinhead" is exactly that. In some ways, though, the routine falls short of what can and has been done with the Andrus set.

And that becomes the trade-off here: getting rid of gimmicks and what they can accomplish in favor of cleaner props. That same trade-off also pretty much determines if this is right for you.

Personally, I love the Andrus routine and Garrett and Sheets did an incredible job of duplicating most of the routine. But I miss some of the more visual links that the Garrett/Sheets routine is lacking, links that stun spectators when they see them. Does that make "Grab That Pinhead" inferior? No, not at all.

After a few performances, I've come to the conclusion that "Grab That Pinhead" and the Andrus routine both have their places. If I was performing the routine formally, I'd go with the Andrus routine in a heartbeat to get those extra visuals. Strolling or table-hopping? It's "Grab That Pinhead" for me hands down. Let the spectators examine the things a couple of times here and there and you've more than made up for the missing visuals.

For the price, and for the working stiff, "Grab That Pinhead" is a steal.

"Grab That Pinhead" DVD by Bob Sheets and Dan Garrett
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 8
The routine -- apparently Garrett's with additional thoughts and routines by Sheets -- is a very good one. On parallel with the Andrus classic it's not, but it's close enough and, for those wanting to be clean of gimmicks, this will fit the bill admirably.

Practicality: 9
With no gimmicks, and therefore nothing to ditch or switch, this is a perfectly practical routine. It's best done for smaller groups, though, given the size of the props in use. All told, throw the pins in your pocket and you're ready to go.

Quality of Production: 9
The production values are very good here. It would have been nice, given the number of moves evident, to have a better navigation system, but it serves well enough.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Garrett and Sheets do a great job of teaching their work here, covering all the bases extremely well. There'll be no problems picking this one up fairly quickly.

Presentation: 8
It's all about the visuals and the patter lines. The patter lines are nice, but more suited to Sheets than they would be to anyone else. The visuals are very good though, with only a couple of dodgy handlings in place (that could be ironed out, perhaps). All in all, this is a very good presentation all the way around.


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.