During 1985 and 1986 Gene Maze decided to document his creations on video. He set up a video camera in his home, pointed it at his hands and performed many of his creations. He continued adding more material to the tapes until he finally demonstrated around 100 of his routines and techniques. He gave a few copies to his friends and even gave partial copies as gifts during some of his lectures.
Although he does not explain the routines, many of them have been published and can be reconstructed by magicians who are familiar with his many sleight-of-hand techniques. The titles of these routines are the original names he gave them and some were changed when published.
Many of the routines appeared on his “Pure Deceptions” and “Maximum Impact” videos, “The Gene Maze Card Book” by Richard Kaufman, “Gene Maze And The Art of Bottom Dealing” by Stephen Hobbs, “Packet Switches #4 and #5” by Karl Fulves and in various magazines. However the methods used here are not always the same as the methods that were published and there are quite a few routines that have never been published.
Gene did not travel much but would often be seen at the Saturday magic meetings that took place in New York City. You would see him in a back corner of the restaurant where he would session with a group of magicians and would demonstrate many of his creations and ask for advice on how to improve and change them. You most likely never experienced those sessions. This three-and-a-half hour video is as close as you will ever get to know what it was like to sit across from him and watch his brand of eye-popping impossibilities with playing cards.
These videos were intended to become the bonus features on The Magic Of Gene Maze DVD box set. Unfortunately Gene passed away before that could happen so they are now available in this format for all to see and experience.
This is as close as you will ever get to actually sessioning and hanging out with Mr. Miracle Maze himself. So sit back, watch and try to figure out how he does what you are seeing. Who knows, you might even come up with better, or at least easier methods for these impossible routines.
Routines & Techniques Demonstrated:
| 1) Quinery Colors 2) Dealing The Four Aces From A Cased Deck 3) Riffle Shuffle And Bottom Palm 4) Ambitious Card Routine From A Tabled Deck 5) The Maze Pass 6) Spectators Peek Palm 7) Double Deal Change 8) Glide Change 9) Jack In The Box 10) Gambler Versus Magician 11) Basic Gambling Routine 12) Shuffled Cards Through Card Case 13) A Four Ace Routine 14) Card In The Jar 15) Queens Night Out 16) Another Ace Routine 17) Jokers Wild 18) Assembly Of The Disassembled Sandwich 19) Kings Dilemma 20) Kings Dilemma #2 21) Queens Through The Table 22) Amazing 23) An Illusion 24) Where’s Queenie 25) Spectator Cuts The Aces 26) Center Deal Demonstration 27) Peek-A-Boo Switch 28) Blackjack Switch 29) Coinaces 30) Fastest Draw In The West 31) Blockade 32) Spectator’s Nightmare |
33) Boxing 34) Oil And Water 35) A Two Card Transposition 36) A Quick Change 37) Solo Kings 38) Color Control Of The Cards 39) Poker Stocking (A Demonstration) 40) Boxing – A Closer View 41) Nothing Is As Is 42) Control Demonstration 43) Shrinking Kings 44) Illusionary Brainwave 45) Illusionary Brainwave #2 46) Quinery Colors #2 47) Pyramid Of The Kings 48) Follow The Leader 49) No Cover Aces 50) Transposition From A Holed Envelope 51) Passing Through 52) An Illusion (same as #23) 53) Sandwich Delight 54) An Envelope Prediction 55) Point Of Departure 56) Multiple Curry Turnover 57) Ace Through Five 58) Pop Jump Aces 59) A Solution To A Karl Fulves Problem 60) A Solution To A Karl Fulves Problem #2 61) Return Trip 62) Mexican Choice 63) A Solution To A Karl Fulves Problem #3 64) A Solution To A Karl Fulves Problem #4 |
65) An Action Move 66) The Fourth Deal 67) The Fifth Deal 68) Retention Of The Top Card As The Deck Is Cut 69) Squashed Sandwich 70) Tabled Rising Card 71) Back To Back 72) Mated Elm 73) The Ultimate Ace Cutting 74) Ripped 75) Ripped #2 76) Transposition Of The Backs 77) Fan Steal 78) Cards Across 79) Multiple Change Of Residence 80) Multiple Change Of Residence #2 81) Marked Aces 82) Repeat Himber 83) Two Halves Equal The Whole 84) A Squeaky Clean Prediction #2 85) An Open Sandwich 86) Wait A Minute 87) The La Nada System Of Gambling 88) Triple Play 89) That Better Be Your Card 90) Rising Aces 91) To Be Wild Or Not To Be Wild 92) The Sincerest Form Of Flattery 93) Wildness Of The Wildest Kind 94) Instantaneous Polaroids 95) Mental Image 96) The Optical Cut |
Although Gene named and numbered a total of 96 items, there are actually more than 100. Several of the routines have additional unnamed sequences and variations.
This a very long three-and-a-half hour video. We do not recommend trying to watch it in one sitting. Ideally you can watch one-to-five routines per day and try to figure out how they are done. Even better, try to actually perform a version of them for yourself. The video is recommended for serious magicians and students who specialize in card magic and not the casual dabblers. The quality of the video and sound varies but is watchable.
A Meir Yedid Magic Product. Produced by Meir Yedid. Running time: 3 hours and 30 minutes.
