Ellis in Wonderland - Review by Rolando Santos for 'Linking Ring Magazine'
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Even for a person who loves magic, some magic DVDS can be hard to sit through. Many are interesting, but few are as entertaining and informative as the Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster video tapes. You get a lot for your money from FISM Champion Tim Ellis and his wife, award winning magician, Sue-Anne Webster.  I am not sure which I enjoyed more, the magic, the creative presentation style or the way the DVDs were presented in a variety of clever funny characters spying on and following the magician. For a change, the bonus material is substantial in volume and actual information.

Ellis in Wonderland : running time 3 Hours! has Sue-Anne as Alice following the magician through wonderland. Effects include “Razorblade Eating”, “Cash to Credit Card”, “Card Fax,” 7 keys to Paradise”, “Deckstress”, “Deathslates”, “Bill to Anything”, “Jazz Cards”, and “Shakespearean Patter for the 3 Card Monte.” There are also Essays on Strolling Magic and Floorshows and three comedy pieces to amuse 'Magicians Only'. The effects are very entertaining and once again the bonus material includes an excellent look at how to do Black Art.  

While the hard core finger flickers may not be wowed by the material, just about everyone else will find useable material and the most informative bonus material I have seen on the market these days. The last two DVDs in particular are among the best value for the money on the market right now. I understand that Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster will be on tour in the U-S this spring.  Better carve out money in your magic budget to get to their lecture. I know I will be.

Highly Recommended.

Ellis in Wonderland, 24 Years of Living Next Door to Ellis, and Runaround Sue - Reviewed by Joe M Turner for 'Genii Magazine' 
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Ellis in Wonderland - Review by Shane at 'Online Visions' 
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I was lucky enough to see Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster give their phenomenal and completely fun lecture "Ellis in Wonderland". I had a blast, picked up a few new tricks, and was eagerly awaiting the lecture's release on DVD.

It's been a while, but the wait has been worth it. "Ellis in Wonderland" contains some great, commercial, and ultimately entertaining routines in a fun compilation with some hilarious extras added just for kicks. To say this is a keeper is an understatement.

This is one of those times I really don't know where to start. So let's start with the material, which is going to take a while (the DVD is packed with over three hours of pure stuff, so a synopsis is going to be anything but short).

Taken as a whole, the material is quite simply excellent. Ellis and Webster have been at this a while and it shows: the material covers so much ground that there should be pitfalls along the way, but there are none. Zero. Zilch. All the material is commercial and entertaining. If there is any drawback to this collection, it's the reliance on set-ups and gimmicks needing resets which will make some wince. But even having said that, there are pieces here are so gorgeous that squeezing them into an existing act is a pleasure.

Now, of course you'll be picking your own favorites off the disk, but here are a few worth mentioning.

Bill to Anything. This is exactly what the name implies and is incredibly slick. Essentially, a borrowed bill is vanished after a piece is torn off for later verification, and the bill reappears anywhere your little heart and overactive imagination can dream up. This is one of those "worth the price of the disc" pieces that makes this disc a keeper.

Seven Keys to Paradise. Ellis and Webster take on the old "Seven Keys to Baldpate" theme with an interesting use of an old gimmick. Worth more than the trick itself - which is very good - are Ellis' thoughts about using this for corporate gigs. Wanna make more money at those shows? This is one way of adding value to what you do and up the price accordingly.

Shakespeare's Monte. This is the script Ellis put together for the three-card monte (specifically, the Vienna Jumbo Monte) but it will work with virtually any monte routine, mechanical or not. This was one of the first things I began using from his lecture - it's too entertaining not to.

Jazz Cards. Magicians hate this one, which is why I fell in love with it. The presentation sounds silly to us, but to an audience it's an incredible card location that floors them and has them giggling at the same time.

There is a great deal more here, including a razor blade routine (yes, ye olde swallowing and threading bit) with a great touch added to it; a routine where the photo on a credit card vanishes to reappear on the spectator's chosen card while changing to show the picture now is one of you holding the card; a great personalized card location (another money-maker for corporate gigs); a routine using Spirit Slates to locate a selected card in an eerie way (yes, Ellis and Webster went bizarre on one - good on them!); a change of a bill to a credit card; and a great deal more.

Will you do everything on this disc? Magic doesn't work that way. You'll find your own favorites here and there. Can you do everything? Yes, because one of the best parts about the material is that it is all very simple to pull off. Ellis and Webster don't rely on complicated sleights or rigid set-ups to get things done; they keep everything light mechanically so that, theatrically, you can succeed. It's a welcome line of thought to see.

But wait - there's more. We just covered the highlights, well, at least what is traditionally considered to be the highlights. Now comes the really fun stuff.

Along with all the material, there are also a ton of tips on using props and performing in certain venues. In this category of material, we get some of what we expect - like a mini-lecture on Fantasio candles and thumb tips - but also some unexpected and very welcome bits on strolling, corporate shows, black art, and more.

And if that wasn't enough, some of the most entertaining minutes on the DVD will be spent with Ellis explaining and showing the results of MagicSports (believe me, the bit about magic dealers is a scream, but nothing beats what happens to an innocent little dice-stacking routine). Add to the mix the performance of "Six Card Rap" and you're really having fun.

If it sounds like I'm high on this disc, it's only because I am. There is some great stuff here and both Ellis and Webster are capable and talented teachers. The production values of the disc are very high, even when, by all rights, they shouldn't be (like the un-staged "MagicSports" segments).

The final analysis? There's wonderful stuff on this disc that makes this a solid keeper.
 

"Ellis in Wonderland" DVD by Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster
In A Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
The material here runs the gamut from razor blades to cards to paper money and from cabaret to close-up. It's a wonderful potpourri of the thinking of Ellis and Webster and it's marvelous. Like anything else, you'll find your own favorites, but the odds are it will be a tough call.

Practicality: 9
There are gimmicks galore and set-ups required which can be a bit of a put-off. If you're looking for completely impromptu pieces, this collection ain't it. If you're looking for material which is still easy to fit into your act, this is one you'll want.
 

Quality of Production: 10
Major kudos for the production quality here. The video is extremely well shot and the sound is great (even the convention footage, which one expects to have lower quality, is way above average). Even the navigation is perfect.
 

Quality of Instruction: 10
Another win here. Ellis and Webster both teach things extremely well, covering all the basics and the nuances needed to put the material to work quickly and easily.

Presentation: 10
Ellis and Webster shine here. Even when the presentation is stiflingly silly, it's still very, very entertaining.

Originality: 9
Ellis and Webster make use of some great leaps in imagination to come up with some of this stuff and it shows. Even when the method is old as the hills and tried and true, the thinking the duo put into what to do with it is something else.

Ellis in Wonderland - Reviewed by Wayne Kawamoto of About.com
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I've reviewed lots of DVDs of late, but Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster's Ellis in Wonderland stands above the rest. This DVD offers 12 solid effects that range from close-up to stand-up and stage. And there’s lots of good, real-world advice.

For stand-up, Ellis offers a first rate version of the classic razor blade routine where he swallows a series of blades, which ultimately reappear out of his mouth, threaded on a string. Ellis' brilliant approach maximizes safety but still allows him to use the blades to visually slash jumbo playing cards. And the clean-up is logical, humorous and pure genius.

Credit card fax is a good card revelation that uses a borrowed credit card. An ID picture mysteriously moves from the magician's credit card to the spectator's and reveals the chosen playing card. I'm personally not comfortable borrowing a spectator's credit card in my performance situations, but the effect is a strong one.

Effects for Workers

Deckstress is another effect from Ellis' arsenal. Here, a spectator names a card from those that he or she sees and discovers that it’s the only one that is marked on the back. Ellis provides an easy way to perform this effect and all you have to do is focus on presentation. A variation on Deckstress, Name Deckstress offers a more powerful version that uses a spectator's name.

Deathslates is an offbeat and creepy card prediction with slates. I was particularly impressed with Ellis’ freeform Jazz Cards, an involving effect where a spectator seemingly controls the deck to find his or her own card. (The “jazz” in the name represents the trick’s flexibility.) Deck Vanish is an impressive routine that allows two spectators to choose cards. And after returning them to the deck, 50 of the cards in the deck disappear, which leaves the magician with the two chosen cards.

7 Keys to Paradise is Ellis’ version of the well-known Seven Keys to Baldpate. Ellis offers a method that’s straight-forward and easy, and he shows how to adapt the effect for strong use at corporate events and other occasions. Cellular Thinking is a useful, no-code telephone prediction that allows a spectator to name a card or object, and call a number to have a “wizard” reveal it.

Cash to Credit Card allows a magician to visually fold a bill and turn it into a credit card. Ellis’ Shakespeare's Monte is an entertaining, Elizabethan-themed presentation for the “Jumbo Monte” effect. The DVD shows his performance and offers text for the routine.

One of my favorites, Bill to Anything allows a magician to borrow a bill, have it signed and make it reappear anywhere. And the torn “receipt” matches. In the performance video, the reappearance happens in a banana. Ellis’ method is clever and cunning.

This DVD offers helpful tips on a variety of topics. Candle Tips serves advice on working with Fantasio candles. After watching this segment, you should have fewer problems with the lighter fluid drying out. And the segment explains Ellis’ method for producing a lit candle.

I liked the segment on approaching crowds in strolling situations. Here, Ellis and Webster also tip some of the valuable promotional methods that they use. There’s also solid advice on getting rid of a thumbtip when spectators are burning your hands or are in the know and looking for it.

A gift, Webster explains her black art illusion that allows a person to vanish or mysteriously produce objects. This is a practical illusion that shouldn’t be too expensive to build and it offers an excellent disappearance.

The DVD features Ellis and Webster’s hilarious 6 Card Rap Music Video. Here, Ellis recites an infectious rap while performing the classic 6 Card Repeat with jumbo cards. It’s fresh, brilliant material. There’s also a segment that discusses MagicSports – impromptu activities based on theatre games where magicians are asked to improvise with given objects and more. It’s zany fun.

Strong effects, no Knucklebusters

Ellis and Webster offer straightforward, mostly gimmick-based methods to perform their miracles. No knuckle busters here. But the effects are strong ones and Ellis and Webster have the performance footage to prove it.

Throughout, Ellis and Webster do an excellent job of explaining their routines and philosophy in a light, entertaining manner and they dispense lots of insight and psychological implications. The video incorporates multiple camera shots and good editing. Audio is a bit uneven, although that’s to be expected when taping in a variety of performance venues. The audio in the explanation segments in excellent.

Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster are creative, engaging entertainers who seemingly do it all. Their enthusiasm and fresh approach to developing and performing magic is infectious. They’re not only great on this DVD, they’re great for magic.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Ellis in Wonderland - Reviewed by David Acer for 'My Lovely Assistant'
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"While it’s true that Australia’s Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster are fellow residents of our “global village,” it is also true that they are relatively unknown in the western world, largely because they live and work three trillion miles away.

However, as a Canadian, I am no stranger to obscurity (which my agent assures me is not the same as anonymity), so I made a point not to judge Tim and Sue-Anne while I popped this DVD into my player, and thankfully so. Ellis in Wonderland is overflowing with rock-solid, practical magic, of the kind that only results from real-world performers setting their creative sights on designing tricks they will actually use.

There are a dozen or so routines on here, some platform, some walkaround, including “Ultimate Razor Blades,” a clever, safe method for the razor-blades-from-mouth with a funny gag at the end that could be incorporated into any version of the effect; “7 Keys to Paradise,” a non-sucker (and ultimately more satisfying) approach to “7 Keys to Baldpate” in which 7 different keys are handed out for a small chest that contains something special, whereupon fate intervenes and ensures that the one person who has any claim to the item in the chest is in fact the one who chooses the key that will open it; “Jazz Cards,” a card revelation that will likely fool you the first time you see it (Vernon’s “The Trick That Cannot Be Explained,” from More Inner Secrets of Card Magic, should have been cited as precedent - in fact you may want to refer to Revelations, Volumes 7 & 8, which are both on one DVD, for more angles on this type of trick); “Cellular Thinking,” a fun routine with your cellular (a.k.a. mobile) phone that has a variety of applications; “Cash To Credit Card,” a visual change that would be particularly effective for TV work; and “Bill To Anything,” a burnt bill routine that both borrows from and builds on Terry Seabrooke’s seminal approach to the plot.

The DVD itself is extremely well produced, and includes performances before many different types of audiences (a rarity on lecture DVDs). In addition, the material is framed by introductions and interstitials in which Sue-Anne plays Alice in Wonderland (although frankly, given the title of the DVD, I think Tim should have played this part). Admittedly, this kind of theatrical “hamming” is not everyone’s cup of tea (at one point my girlfriend walked in and, upon seeing “Alice” sitting next to a giant mushroom, she just shook her head and said, “They must be smoking some pretty good stuff...”), but it is indicative of Tim and Sue-Anne’s commitment to making unique and original DVDs, a trend I would like to see more of in magic.

All in all, this DVD is chock full of usable magic, and well worth your attention, particularly if you’re looking to add some audience-tested routines to your repertoire."

Rating: Four Stars

Actually, forget the whole Sidney Poitier – Lulu image.  Who knows where that came from.  We’d change the first paragraph if it wasn’t already published.

Ellis in Wonderland has the same high production values seen in their spectacular Living Next Door to Ellis.  The presentation and method sections are shot with multiple camera angles and the editing makes sense.  Is there anything more frustrating than watching an one-camera video lecture?  Yeah, how about a multiple angle video where each cut takes the viewer on a time-warped trip through some worm hole so that the next scene is from a moment before, after or during the segment they just viewed. 

Ellis in Wonderland is edited as if the couple really wanted to convey the lessons and not just get some merchandise on the market before Christmas.  In fact, if we hadn’t just seen Living Next Door to Ellis, we’d swear they gave away too many great tricks.  Having seen the other DVD, we know they have plenty of great tricks and they do not seem to care if other magicians learn how to perform them.  Great for us.

The DVD opens with Mr. Ellis performing The Ultimate Razor Blades.  Not to sound like Lloyd Benson but, “We know the Razor Blade trick; We’ve performed the Razor Blade trick in front of real audiences; The Razor Blade trick was a closer of ours; And Mr. Ellis, that’s no Razor Blade trick.” 

What Mr. Ellis demonstrates seems to be more of a circus freak-show stunt. It appears there is no trick to the trick.  It looks like he is actually swallowing sharp razor blades.  That’s not how we do it. 

He demonstrates the sharpness of each blade before placing it on his tongue and swallowing.  Watch the DVD carefully, very carefully.  Each razor blade Mr. Ellis places on his tongue actually slices a jumbo playing card.  No switches! We backed-up the DVD, zoomed in, and even ran it through a sophisticated video analysis tool on loan (sort of) from the Bahamian equivalent of our CIA.  No switches.  As Tarzan might say, “blade sharp, cut card in half, get eaten but man with funny accent no bleed.  Man scare Tarzan.” 

How does he do it?  Because we know everything there is to know about anything, we were pretty sure we had it figured out.  The secret is different than anything we expected and suddenly makes what could be a very dangerous trick very safe. 

If you have performed the Needles or Razor Blade trick, you know one of the crucial moments comes when you need to go south with the goods. (This is magician slang so only magicians know what we’re saying – clever, no?) Like the first time we used a straw to eat chicken noodle soup, this can be a messy and awkward moment.  Mr. Ellis had designed a routine that not only allows you to perform the trick safely but leaves you totally clean at the end.

This effect, because it is one that we do and have done, is worth the price of the DVD alone. 

But wait, there’s more.  In fact, there is a lot more.  There are two DVDs with 12 tricks and tons of special features.  We clocked it at over three hours of magic. 

Phil Goldstein recently published a method to allow a spectator to select a card or other object, place a call to the magician’s psychic friend and listen as the psychic correctly identifies the selection.  While we like his method very much, we think Mr. Ellis has a cleaner way.

In Cellular Thinking, Mr. Ellis teaches how to accost anyone with a cell phone, ask them to identify any discrete thing such as the identity of a card, a favorite sports team, best method for attaching theatrical facial hair, or any number from one to infinity.  

Absent any intervention or comment by the magician, the volunteer places a call to a psychic who correctly identifies the caller by name and then identifies the selection.  The magician does not speak with the psychic at any time and the psychic’s name and phone number can be handed to the volunteer before the selection is made.

Mr. Ellis had a version of this effect in part of his lecture notes a few years back but his presentation on Ellis in Wonderland is much more robust.  He and Sue-Anne Webster provide the history of the effect, the potential problems the magician can face, and practical advice on presentation.

We really enjoyed Mr. Ellis’ presentation of Deck Vanish.  It fooled us badly.  We don’t want to tip the gaff but suffice to say, it is such a great effect we are thinking about breaking down and using the gimmick that makes this trick seem magical. 

The magician shows a full deck of cards and with a squishing motion the deck vanishes completely but for two cards.  (The squishing move is used appropriately here.  It is no longer debated in magic circles whether squishing should be used when one is vanishing cards.  One squishes cards.  On the other hand, a squashing motion is used in effects featuring artificially colored liquid and a glass too small to be used for anything other than orange juice at Denny’s).   Even as Mr. Ellis demonstrated the method, we were fooled again.  You will like this long time.

Ms. Webster performs Cash to Credit Card so cleanly we thought it might be a camera trick.  The transformation can go from credit card to cash or cash to credit card.  The secret is deceptively simple and does not require a thumb tip.  Ms. Webster held the cash in her hands, folded it and when she next displayed her hands, she was holding an American Express card.  (The scene used to feature the trick is very entertaining.  After being told she does not have sufficient cash to buy a trick in the magic store, she turns the cash to the American Express card only to be told the store does not accept that particular credit card.) 

What about the special features?  Unless you are Lance Burton, you may have struggled to use the Fantasio Appearing/Disappearing Candle in a believable manner.  Ms. Webster and Mr. Ellis have some great tips to make the production more magical and the lighting more dependable.  Mr. Ellis even demonstrates a method of using the candle as part of a comedy bit where it doubles as a gigantic match.

We particularly enjoyed Ms. Webster’s Black Art presentation.  She demonstrates how to use black art in a school auditorium without the expensive border of lights and special set design.  Ms. Webster assembles the impromptu stage and explains the method as she goes.  Even though she showed us how the magic would be accomplished, the black art effects were still amazing. 

There are so many other great features of this two DVD set.  We could write for hours describing each effect and each special segment.  If you are a fan of great photography or Ms. Webster, you will enjoy the collection of art photographs depicting her as a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.   Mr. Ellis shows us how to effectively work as a strolling magician – how do you get the guests’ attention? 

We really liked Mr. Ellis’ Deckstress and the variations he suggests.  Imagine the impact of a spectator selecting any card from a deck, turning it over and finding a handwritten note, “I knew you would select this card, David.”  (Assuming the spectator’s name is David).  Mr. Ellis teaches the method to this effect that leaves the spectator with a souvenir and you with a likely referral. 

The DVDs are worth their price.  You will likely find effects that tickle your fancy more than the ones we’ve selected here but that’s the benefit of having a great selection from which to choose.  Mr. Ellis and Ms. Webster set forth a Vegas-like buffet of great magic and bid us to pull up a chair, stick our head under the glass sneeze-guard and start munching as if the salad bar was our personal trough. 

In keeping with the opening reference to Lulu’s rendition of the 1960’s hit, To Sir with Love, we did find some similarities between that movie and this DVD set.  Mr. Ellis and Ms. Webster really do treat the viewer as an equal rather than condescend. 

The couple offer their effects as if we were all sitting around the coffee table talking magic.  Their attitude implies that they think we can improve our station in magic.  We can move up to a more professional level.  Just as Lulu was not suddenly on the same level as Sidney Poitier in the movie, we won’t rise the world-class status of Mr. Ellis and Ms. Webster, but we will rise.