Christian
Power of "Thumbtip"
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« on: January 25, 2007, 11:03:06 pm » |
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Hey everyone, just feeding off Big Dan's review! Here is my quick review of number 3
Title: Easy to Master Mental Miracles Volume 3
Author: Richard Osterlind
Format: DVD
Price: £15/$30
Effects
Par-optic Vision(Anneman)
This is a really fun effect to perform. It floors them every time. Three cards are predicted even if you've never touched the deck. It works great at the beginning or middle of a show because of the audience involvement. Pre-show work is required, about 20 minutes, but can be performed as many times as you want after that.
Fourth Dimensional Telepathy(Anneman)
This is the classic three card prediction routine. Nicely performed and taught, fun to to do and impromptu.
Locked Eye/Hands Test(Classic)
These are great to do to warm up a crowd, can be used during the show but didn't appear very strong. I think DC might have used this? I would think it would be better in a performance in a parlour setting.
The Abnormal Lift(Classic)
This the the effect where a spectator seems much lighter to the one in the chair and those lifting. Unfortunately many kids know how this is done and is popular at sleepovers. Great for small crowds to involve people, but may not convince those who are just watching.
Tervil(Meyers)
I've only had the guts to do this one once, it failed and now I am deathly afraid of it. It is very bold routine and a bit more complicated than the rest of the DVD. A spectator writes any three things down, the performers slip is a read and it is exactly right. Very strong when performed correctly, very embarrassing to flop. This is perfect for larger close up or parlour.
Impromptu Book Test(Corinda)
Impromptu, well kinda. This effect works great for classes or if you have only a minute to prepare. It is a book test with a dollar bill that will truly floor audience members. Perfect for close up or even "street magic." I have done this a few times for the family at it was very popular. I'm not sure it really is impromptu, but it certainly looks that way.
Slate Writing(Classic)
Not impromptu was the biggest disappointment with this one. However it does use ungimmicked chalk and slate boards. Will work for most settings, no angles to be overly concerned about. I just never was interested in using it, probably not the best on the market, but very good for ungimmicked.
Living and Dead(Corinda)
I never liked the idea of these tests. However, this effect does teach you how to use a gimmick that will benefit you. Great for closeup. A spectator writes a list of random, not famous, people. The mentalist them chooses the only living or dead person. All these seemed a bit to gloomy for my liking, even though the performance wasn't, the idea still bothered me.
Encore Card Stabbing(Koran)
Not the magician one, the mentalism version. A deck of cards is cut in half with a knife, under the knife is the twin card of one chose before hand. Requires 20 minute set up at least but can be performed multiple times after that. It isn't fool proof and it is easy to mess up. It seemed more fun to perform than hard hitting, which allows the presentation to be the key. Hard to do at airports and school nowadays.
Overall 9/10 (Excellent)
A great DVD for the beginner in mentalism. It goes over the basic steps and introduces you to many key items that will help later. The effects were well taught about 8.5 out of ten, some parts had me rewinding a bit. The DVD itself was nicely put together.
The contents of the DVD offered many nice tips and two short "theory" sessions. I liked that a lot of these you could carry around in your pockets with small props. Some card workers may not like Par-optic vision and Card stabbing. I really liked that the didn't do a step by step but told you how to do the magic, not how to copy the show.
Final ThoughtsThis DVD will greatly benefit those looking to have few props and cover many areas of mentalism, including slates, gimmicks, and suggestion. As my introduction to this subject, I now have a new interest in magic. Feel free to ask questions or disagree!
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