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Sleightly Unhinged's Review - 23/09/2025

Sleightly Unhinged

Ahoy, tricksters and illusionists! Let’s dive into this week’s magical mishmash. Buckle up—there’s more new content than a juggler with a caffeine addiction.

TL;DR

This week: Saturn Magic drops a parade of props (wooden boards, pens, tarot), Craig Petty resurrects underrated classics, TNT decks make tearing cards a psychological thriller, and AI debates rage on. Also, coins that suss out lies, rings that defy physics, and a Halloween deck for when you need to spook and amaze.

Videos Reviewed

🎩 Saturn Magic - ACAAN Dual by Patricio Terán

A dual-phase ACAAN? Sounds like a magician trying to do two tricks at once… and succeeding. Spectators name a card and a number, then—blimey!—the deck complies twice. Saturn Magic teases it like a magician’s taster menu: flashy, but no method spoilers. Perfect for those who like their miracles double-barrelled.

The Unhinged Take: If ACAAN were a pub quiz, this would be the tiebreaker round. Doubles the impact, halves the chance of a flubbed trick. Just don’t forget to credit Patricio when your audience demands an encore.

Details here → Saturn Magic - ACAAN dual by Patricio Terán

🎩 5 Most Underrated Tricks | 5x5 With Craig Petty

Craig Petty, the Indiana Jones of magic, unearths five forgotten gems. No flashy CGI or AI here—just worker-friendly classics that punch above their weight. Think: tricks that fit in your pocket, not your ego.

The Unhinged Take: Craig’s like that mate who drags you to a dive bar with killer chips. It’s all about the hidden hits. If you’re tired of overhyped duds, these underdogs might just rescue your set.

Details here → 5 Most Underrated Tricks

🎩 TNT (Tear No-Tear) Deck by Nicholas Lawrence

A deck that makes spectators tear their hair out… while you stay cool as a cucumber. Borrowed card? Untearable. Your copy? Shreds like tissue. No sleight of hand, just 52 gimmicked cards. Dynamo used it on telly—nuff said.

The Unhinged Take: It’s the Fight Club of card tricks: the first rule is you don’t talk about how it works. The second? You’ll want refills when the gimmicks wear out.

Details here → Note on Nicholas Lawrence TNT

🎩 The Oddest Coin by David Penn & TCC Magic

A walnut box that catches lies with a copper coin. It’s like Cluedo meets Penn & Teller: the spectator fibs, the prop buzzes like a wasp in a teacup. Comedy gold with a veneer of Victorian spookiness.

The Unhinged Take: If you’ve ever wanted to weaponize honesty, this is your jam. Just don’t blame us when your punters start accusing the box of being a cheeky snitch.

Details here → The Oddest Coin

🎩 Magic Review - NoRisk by Chris Torrente

A ring on shoelace without the risk of losing a spectator’s wedding band. Bless. No threads, no reels—just a clean vanish and reappear that’ll make you look like a close-up Houdini.

The Unhinged Take: The only risk here is your audience demanding an encore. Practical, fooling, and resettable faster than you can say “abracadabra.”

Details here → Magic Review - NoRisk

🎩 We Need to Talk About AI in Magic

Cavan Booth tackles AI like it’s a rabbit in a hat: equal parts fascinating and terrifying. Spoiler: ChatGPT faked a Ben Earl quote, sparking debates about ethics. AI: threat or tool? The jury’s out, but the conversation’s essential.

The Unhinged Take: If magic’s a craft, AI’s the intern who might steal your punchlines. Stay sharp, chaps.

Details here → We need to talk about AI in magic

🎩 Charms Deck & Elevated Matrix | Review Show Special

Craig Petty and son Ryland geek out over two effects: a card-to-charm transformer and a Matrix reboot. Both get the thumbs-up for visual pop and worker-friendly methods.

The Unhinged Take: If you liked Charms, bring a story about fairy godmothers. For Matrix, just practice your timing—no actual robots required.

Details here → Charms Deck & Elevated Matrix

🎩 The Halloween Deck by Alakazam

Spooky backs, standard faces—perfect for turning October gigs into a haunted house. Comes with jokers that’d make a ghoul grin.

The Unhinged Take: It’s the pumpkin spice latte of decks: seasonal, a tad gimmicky, but undeniably on-brand.

Details here → The Halloween Deck

🎩 Hopping Key by MS Magic - Review

Keys that hop like they’re on a pogo stick. It’s the key to making everyday objects feel alive. Blake Aleong calls it versatile—vanishes, transpositions, the works.

The Unhinged Take: Who knew a key could moonwalk? Just don’t lose yours in the act.

Details here → Hopping Key by MS Magic

Other videos I didn’t have space for

Farewell

A quick shower thought: Magic’s like a good cuppa—too much heat and it boils over, too little and it’s tepid. Balance the gimmicks with the grind, and always leave ‘em wanting more.

Till next time,
Sleightly Unhinged
“Now go forth and misdirect like a pro. Or at least don’t misplace your keys again.”