"The Thing Platinum Edition" by Bill Abbott
Suggested Retail USD$200.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"The Thing Platinum Edition", the next evolution of the acclaimed effect by Bill Abbott, takes his original work from a mind-blowing and entertaining effect to a magical work of art.

I'll warn you on the outset, folks: I love "The Thing" and always have, but this new "Platinum Edition" takes it to a whole new level.

As for the routine itself, well, I'll save the space and describe it to you as I always describe it: it's a "Zombie" routine minus the angles -- all of the angles. "The Thing" can float anywhere at any time with spectators looking underneath the cloth if they want (and they will -- let 'em! It blows their little minds). It can be done on stage, in a platform show, or even -- man, this sounds like the most outrageous of lies -- in strolling situations.

In "The Thing Platinum Edition", Abbott supplies everything you'd need for all of those venues. You get the gimmick, along with the cloths and two clear plastic boxes (from which "The Thing" rises) with one designed as a foldable box for close-up work. All of the props are wonderfully made, with the sensitive bits being made by hand and checked by Abbott before being put in the box, and honestly they'll last a lifetime with a little care.

But that's the trick that is "The Thing". Here's the bit that makes this so much more:

It's what is taught here that does it.

Oh, I know. That's almost a cliche, isn't it, that whole "presentation is all" thing? But it's true and we all know it. And it's here that Abbott goes above and beyond the call and supplies us with everything -- and I do mean everything -- to make "The Thing" more than just a silly magic trick.

It all begins with Abbott conducting what is referred to as "Intensive Routine Training". And brother, is it ever! I don't think I've ever seen instruction quite like this. Think of it as "The Thing" bootcamp, with sections broken out to drill you completely on the moves required to pull off the mechanics of "The Thing". To Abbott's credit, he tries to help all he can with getting a handle on this stuff. He's included his workshop notes as a PDF to coach us along, and included a poster with the main "The Thing" routine illustrated in step-by-step photos to aid us as we go. To prove Abbott's desire for us to actually learn and do "The Thing" right, on the other side of the poster is the handling for close-up situations, covering all of his -- and our -- bases.

Okay, so you've got the mechanics down. You understand the workings of the gimmick, the nuances of the routine, you're quite capable with "The Thing". Next up is real work, courtesy of lessons by Paul Wildbaum. Now, if you don't know who Wildbaum is, well, I can't really describe this man to you. I could say he's a clown, and a mime, and a comedian, or that he worked with Cirque du Soleil and won the Gold Clown award in Italy for his work in the field, but that's not even coming close. Wildbaum is, to your humble reviewer, one of the absolute best when it comes to personal stagecraft. That he teaches mime techniques that accentuate "The Thing" and really bring it to life makes this gold and it will move your work with "The Thing" to a whole new level.

But we're not talking easy stuff here. We're talking working with fixed points in space, portraying resistance and isolation, and, with Abbott, improv work with "The Thing", repetition, segues... you name it. Folks, this is the real work and it's hard, but it's also so well worth it.

Okay, so now you've got the mechanics down and you've got a good handle on the artistry and you're ready to go... But Abbott's not done supplying us with whatever we may need. In this case, suppose you decide some music would be nice to add to your routine, maybe give it a little extra "oomph"? Abbott has included royalty-free and rights-granted music for you to use. Fourteen pieces in all, each with a different theme from lively and upbeat to somewhat dark and foreboding. They've been composed specifically for "The Thing" and work wonderfully with it.

Honestly, I can't think of anything you'd need to master and perform "The Thing" that Abbott has not included here. This is really the total package.

Oh, there is one thing he could do: allow for an "upgrade" deal of some sort if we've already purchased the prior release of "The Thing". That would be great and save us some bucks to boot.

So Abbott has done that as well, and it's available for less than half the price of "The Thing Platinum Edition".

Like I said, Abbott has thought of everything here and left nothing out, including the after-market. The man is good.

And so is "The Thing". I'm as much in love with this as the first time I saw it on one of Abbott's DVDs and more in love with it since I've been using "Platinum". This is a rock-solid keeper and a solid piece of magical theater.

"The Thing Platinum Edition" by Bill Abbott
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
A "Zombie"-like routine that works for stage, platform, and close-up (yes, even strolling), without angle problems? No threads or external set-ups? No reset? You know, thinking about just those things makes this one even more impossible. But other than carrying the props around, this is an practical a piece as it gets and even the loss of real estate isn't that big a deal.

Workmanship: 10
Everything here is wonderfully made to last a lifetime, from the re-engineered gimmick to the little clear boxes (one for stage/platform, the other for close-up) to the cloths. Abbott did a sensational job overseeing this production.

Documentation: 10
Abbott is Abbott, which means meticulous in his instruction and thorough in those details. But here? Here he raised his own bar. Not only do you get what amounts to a master class in making this whole thing work, you also get expert tutelage in the finer stagecraft required to make this as perfect an effect as possible courtesy of Paul Wildbaum. And I won't even mention the royalty-free music.

Effect: 10
This is a winner, pure and simple. Something so bewildering adults gape at it yet so simple to understand kids love it.

Presentation: 10
The presentational points vary depending on the audience (imagine that), but the real secrets of the presentation are in the unbelievable performance conditions that make this so impossible and play so big.


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.