Pressure by Daniel Garcia and Dan White Review

[Lyle Borders]

So, Danny G joined up with T11, and he and Dan White put together a unique effect for $19.99. Pressure is different than what you would come to expect.

Effect: A normal balloon is blown up and held in the performer's hand. A cell phone is borrowed and held in the performer's other hand. The balloon is pressed up against the phone and deflated. The phone ends up inside the balloon. It can be handed out for inspection. (And as Danny and Dan have said, yes, if you want, the phone and balloon can be signed.

Gimmicks? Just a standard balloon and a borrowed cell phone.

Impromptu? So long as you have access to a balloon. If you have a balloon (no other preparation) you can stop someone and do this.

Other Applications? Can be done with lots of objects. Deck of cards, can of soda, TV Remote, etc.


Method: EXTREMELY simple. Too simple actually. You have to be EXTREMELY bold in order to pull this off. Spectators can figure out a method just be hearing about it from someone else or from seeing it. I figured out the main method just by watching. When the 1st "move" is over, the phone-in-balloon is NOT examinable. The 2nd "move" happens right under the spectator's nose. It is motivated and allows the phone to either be removed from the balloon or the balloon-in-phone combo to be handed out for inspection.

Teaching: Dan White and Danny Garcia teach you everything you need to know very clearly. You won't have questions when you finish watching. Plus the bloopers are freaking hilarious.


Overall - 7/10. Too simple, you have to play this WAY strong to pull it off. If you are looking for something unique, go for it. It's not too pricey.

[Machiavelli]

I completely agree about the utter simplicity of the trick. Try doing it for any mildy intelligent person 1-on-1, and you're very likely to get caught unless you've established a very solid reputation with them.

I think the strength of this effect really relies in that "mob mentality" that we see so often in groups of spectators. The experience is FAR more powerful than the trick itself, and when you have 5 or 6 other spectators lending themselves to the display, this ridiculously simple trick LOOKS like real magic.

That, and who can argue with a no set-up, no awkward gimmick, no duplicate, fantastically angled penetration like this?

Overall, I'd definately recommend this for, say, a street walker or party walkaround; less for restaurant or bar situations. You really need that group-think aspect for this to really thrive

Lol and yes...the bloopers are hilarious!

[kischiman]

This is a wonderful impromptu effect.
The only thing I do miss in the explanation is the "2. move" as you call it and how to make it invisible. It's quite hard to perform the move without the spectator seeing it.
However, this trick is now added to my favourites!

[WeezyF.]

I find that this trick KILLS!!!
I get amazing reactions every time I perform.. and the clean up.. simple if you follow the DVD's info it has motivation and is practically covered and not expected.. I am absolutely pleased with the Method and the teaching and a plus is the bloopers are flippin' awesome!

[magicadam24]

Yeah, I like the water blooper. And the one when they try to get his head inside.

[Mystifier]

The trick is simple for the most part but I like it.

[bmagic]

This trick should be in a book that costs 20 bucks, but not on its own.

In general I am sick of one trick DVDs though and this is just another one of those. You can certainly figure out how to do this on your own. Why not just try first?

[MagicMcFly]

Does anybody know if Dan Garcia is still planning to release his wallet?

[krispy]

So I got the first move down, how do you do the second?

[BigMAK]

I got caught out by 5 outta 11 people while doing this trick - I don't know many people with a below average IQ, so its still considered a success!
...Plus, the guys who "caught" me out can't do it themselves even though they figured it out

[rocket92]

Agreed. This is a great trick, but i've gotten caught multiple times. I've also had people who miss the fact that it went through the balloon, they think I just made the hole bigger.

[mabril]

I haven't performed this effect yet, but I think that It's so easy that "normal inteligent" people is not going to get surprised for what you achieve, because they figured out the trick...

[Kirjava]

Well, this effect works, at least from me, and when it does, it gets amazing reactions so I love it now

[thomasblack]

The trick is simple for the most part but I like it.

[DanielSmith808]

Due to the fact that people can easily figure it out, I don't use it as a magical effect as such, however I do use it to get free drinks

I present it as a bar trick, I lay a phone on the table and blow up a balloon saying if you can pick the phone up using just the balloon, and without touching the phone in any way, ill buy you a drink, and if you can't do it and I can, you buy me a drink. They're usually drunk and tend to agree.

After they struggle to do it I say "Ill give you a hint, you actually have to get the phone inside the balloon". At this point they give up and hand you the balloon. I then go ahead and perform Pressure but I do it from the table rather than from the palm of my hand and lift it slightly off the table letting it hang, then I go into the clean up.

This way even if they do figure out the method its still impressive because your not doing it just for the purpose of penetrating the balloon, you done what you said you were going to do (get it off the table without touching it) and if they do really think it went inside then its a bonus.

P.S. Don't try Pressure on a colleagues head at work while your boss isn't around like I did, she just might happen to figure out how to use the security cameras... like mine did.