Doc Eason's Bar Magic

Doc Eason

I was really expecting great things from this set of three DVDs. Doc Eason has a big reputation as a great Close-up/Bar magician and the adverts for these recordings talk about 'the real work'. Not only that, but L&L Publishing are second to none for production values, top names and great magic. When this package arrived I could hardly wait to sit down and start learning some cool new tricks!

Alas, I was disappointed. The main problem was that Doc is a great Bar magician, but unfortunately that does not mean that his material is either groundbreaking or particularly strong. Yes it is entertaining, yes it fools his audiences and yes he as honed the routines over many years - but that does not make it great.

If you have never bought a magic DVD before (or indeed read a magic book before) then you will find this a quick, surefire way to get a decent, practical magic act together. If however you are a working magician or keen hobiest who is looking for some interesting new twists on classic effects or some cool one liners then I am afraid there is simply better stuff out there. Doc is the first to admit that he is not a sleight-of-hand technician so these DVDs are probably not the best place to be learning such things as Ambitious Card, Card Under Glass, 3 Card Monte, Two in the Hand - One in the Pocket etc. Ironically, the teaching sections of the DVDs are hosted by Michael Ammar (a highly accomplished finger flinger) who probably knows three dozen better variations of each trick explained.

It could be argued however that the 'real work' of these bar trick DVDs is in seeing Doc's performance and his hints and tips on the day to day the job of being a bar magician (don't flirt, don't be a jerk and don't get drunk).
All in all a good set of DVDs that do exactly what they say in the ads (a professional magician working in his own environment and explaining all). I just thought that the 'real work' would have been more inspiring than a riffle force and a cocktail napkin rose.