Exo-Review of "Show Off Vol. 3: King of Cards" by Brian Tudor

[JKDragoon]

Heya!

The purpose and reason for calling this review an "Exo-" Review is the idea that, instead of tackling the 'product' in-depth, I'm going to try and a give a more overall picture of what the effect does and whether it accomplishes it (i.e. a shell or exoskeleton-esque short of review). It's highly likely that the only reason why you would read this is to PRIORTISE your dls from rapidshare/megaupload, though you would eventually get everything at some point in future. Thus, my aim is to give you an idea of how I priortised stuff, or whether I liked a product enough to go ahead and purchase it.
I was gonna call this a "Mini-" Review (Like my small post in "Holy Grail"), but I decided that this limited me to a small paragraph rather than the ability to rant about stuff... So, without further ado...
(If you're lacking time, just skip to the last few sections...)


EXO.RANT-REVIEW of "Show Off Vol. 3 (King of Cards)" by Brian Tudor...

First and foremost... Who on EARTH came up with the idea that he was dead? He isn't...
YES! He's BACK! With MORE CRAZY FAST %^$@#$ Flourishing! *Clap* *Applause* *Cheering*

I'll admit it now... I'm biased. I am in debt to Tudor because his work helped me improve my card magic to a point I never thought possible. I have ALL his work, including the DVD for Genereation eXtreme. If not for his previous Show Off Volumes, I would never be half as 'good'-ish as I am now with my flourishing techniques. He was the one who introduced me to speed... The idea that a normal charlier cut did look, indeed, quite pathetic compared to what he could do (And he's not shy to mention that either!). Also, I learnt confidence from "The Heckler"... How to face your apparent 'opposition' by banging them against the wall with cold, well-practised sleight of hand. Above all, I learnt that my small hands were capable of doing the stuff he could do... And my development of Sybil work, I owe to him (though the original Sybil was taught to me by a friend).
Okay... Formalities over...
And yes, you could've probably ignored this paragraph.

In Show Off Vol. 3, he returns in a crisp, white studio in a smart-casual suit and a deck of cards. He proceeds to blast you away with sure skill and style... As he has done in previous videos. Yet again, I find myself cursing at how I've never seen this kind of @#&* before. And yes, once again, he's stepped up the difficulty... A fair bit...... Okay, a lot...

What sets this volume apart from the others?
Well, besides the fact that he looks 'stoned' from something (must've been sniffing the 'glue' in the cards!)... He rants about his EXPERIENCES and gives ADVICE about the need for creativity. If Exo were to come here now, and cut everything from this review, the only thing that SHOULD remain is that Tudor's ranting/advice is truly GOLD. It's pretty obvious advice... But he's the first I've heard to say it so blatantly. Heck, he's the first person I've heard to say that the Charlier Cut sucks... In fact, I think he's the only one capable of saying that (YES... Eat your heart out De'vo!...).

His experiences are hilarious to hear about and I was bemused by his various encounters with Lee Asher, J. Cestkowski and De'vo. I've heard many people skipping his cuts and flourishes just to here him rant... I can see why!
His basic attitude = "I don't care about them really... But I know I'm the best and fastest". I'm moving to the point of agreement (told you I was biased!). In fact, the only thing I didn't agree with was his point on "Smooth = Slow". I, personally, go by the view that "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast... Speed is fine, accuracy is final...". But he does state that he prefers speed and he clearly demonstrates this in the video, so I'm not going to oppose him on that. His kind of speed is pure, raw "I'm high on something and I'm holding cards so get out of my way" speed... And it's DAMN FAST! REALLY REALLY DAMN FAST... Jeezzz....

On the cuts... Remember how I said this was an "Exo-" review? I ain't going into them too much... Just to say that they are more difficult, more flourishy, more finger-breaking and more visually FAST. Yes, time will have to be spent and perhaps you might even consider putting down Dan & Dave's "The System"... Tudor's cuts are equally worth the effort.
Everyone has different opinions on the cuts and flourishes... What you find 'easier' (note the relativity here!) depends on your previous training. But, you can be sure, you'll find something nice to take away with you. My personal favourites would be "What the hell happened to syble 3" and "Castro 360".

Top 3 Reasons why NOT to get this video...
1. You hate Brian Tudor and his teaching or you like De'vo better.
...Pity, you'll miss out on his rants!... Tudor would probably say "Fine, go and play with your little red balls..." (I'm referring to the XCM song)
2. You watched the demo and after waking up in hospital following a myo-infarction, you've decided that you hands are too small.
... Cop-out... Where's the fight and dedication in you? Start cak with Vol. I and II...
3. You're out of much needed $$$.
...At Exo, we aim to encourage a sharing community... Give and take, my friend... Give and take...

Bare-Bones Bottom Line...
This DVD would be money well-spent... The moves here are invaluable, as is the advice and ranting from Tudor himself.
On Exo, this video takes 4 precious rapidshare/megaupload slots... No, I'm not giving you the link because you need to LEARN how to use that search button on the toolbar...
This should rise amongst the top of your priority list, if you're a card/flourish worker.

Feel free to comment or 'spar'... I'll reply as soon as I can...
J