Reviews of products by Dale A. Hildebrandt
4 ★★★★★ reviews
1 ★★★★★ reviews
An Offering
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Elliot Gorton (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 26 March, 2025)
This is my first look into Mr. Hildebrandt. I am sufficiently flabbergasted. This is dangerous material. I hope I'm brave enough to try some of it.
Foam Kangaroo Abs
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Burmeister (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 26 May, 2018)
I couldn't agree more than what Christian Fisanick has to say about this EBOOK. Also I agree to make sure you buy THE PRODIGAL by ATLAS BROOKINGS first to make sure you get a very good understanding how the BA/PA system works and a detailed understanding of presentation. In my opinion also buy the Matt Mello books and THE UNKNOWN MENTALISTS books on this subject among others. You will have everything from traditional to very unusual approaches. I need to buy one more MATT MELLO EBOOK PATHS to complete my collection!
I'm crazy but imagine doing this: I plan to do this close up. I will use the effects CONTINENTS and MIDWESTERN STATES out of this EBOOK and combine this with COUNTRY CONUNDRUM out of ATLAS BROOKINGS THE PRODIGAL EBOOK. This way I can divine a continent the spectator is thinking of, a country a spectator is thinking of, AND a Midwest state and capital a spectator is thinking of. Also by the way, I have a list of words that I use to test a spectators psychic ability in my wallet based on the PA principle. If the spectator doesn't believe I can walk on water after this I give up.
Of course, If my brain doesn't turn to mush with this I'll even learn more BA'S/PA'S in the future.
I hope all these talented people come up with MORE BA/PA EBOOKS in the future. I can't wait to add them to my library!
Well done my friend. I give this material my highest recommendation. If someone doesn't buy this they lose!!!
Psychic Self
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Marc Rehula (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 14 December, 2017)
I have mixed feelings about this. My experience with this has been less than 'miraculous'. On the plus side, it can be a great opener to get a conversation going with a borrowed, shuffled deck that you never touch. But it does not work with any consistency, so I've had to do some convincing of the 'miracles'. I do recommend this, though, since the thinking behind this is excellent. It has indeed inspired me to work on personalizing the effects to lead to other things.
Foam Kangaroo Abs
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 21 October, 2016)
The weirdly titled Foam Kangaroo Abs is an ebook mostly devoted to progressive and branching anagrams. It has tons of material from discerning one of the 12 apostles, a pop song, a food from a grocery list, and part of a stick man to the classic spectator's sign of the Zodiac. If you like PAs/BAs, then this book will be incredibly useful. If you don't have any experience with them, I'd suggest The Prodigal by Atlas Brookings first to get attuned to performance details. The way Brookings performs PAs/BAs is outstanding; he makes it look like real mind reading. The trouble is, of all the areas of mentalism, this is one of the most difficult routines to pull off. Badly done, a PA/BA looks like a half-baked guessing game or a poor man's Wheel of Fortune. This stuff takes a lot of memory work and practice to do smoothly and effectively.
In addition to the PA/BA routines, there are some bonus effects, as listed in the ebook description, such as a multi-stage Rock-Paper-Scissors routine and yet another nearly half-dozen approaches to Max Maven's classic Positive/Negative. For me, these things were like finding extra presents under the Christmas tree. Nice indeed.
Pricey ebook? Yes. Worth it? Very much so. While I don't think this is for everyone, and you certainly won't perform everything here (that would be sheer memory madness), my mind was boggled just skimming through it. There is some really creative food for thought in Foam Kangaroo Abs, and I recommend it. I know that I am going to spend a lot of time studying it in the near future.
Lucky 13
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Booth (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 02 April, 2015)
I have enjoyed a number of Dale Hildebrandt's offerings in the past. When I spotted Lucky 13 I was especially enthusiastic about the first offering using a person's own computer. Unfortunately, the premise upon which the method is based is Windows XP based and there are less and less of them every year. Otherwise, Mr. Hildebrandt is clearly targeting readers who have a well established library and a closet full of magic gadgets in this nice little book. His writing and thinking never fail to inspire me to take another look at some of the old books, methods and my own magic junk drawer. At a dollar a trick or essay, I'd say that its a pretty decent price.
The Prototypes of the Everymen of Magicians (a parody)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ilse-Marie
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 07 March, 2015)
Worth every penny! They really should charge something for this. The biggest secret you will ever learn. But please don't tell it to ANYBODY!
Bits and Bytes
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Derek Renfro (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 29 March, 2008)
I purchased this ebook some time ago and thought I had posted a review. So here it is. I found this ebook to be full of wonderful little surprises. While there are some effects which one might use "as is", I found the greatest value of this work to be the inspiration to create your own effects and presentations. There are plenty of tricks out there but precious few works which are open ended enough to allow one to create his own.
If you are looking for inspiration, as well as some creative thinking, I very much recommend this item.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Mark Piazza (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 17 April, 2006)
I took the risk and was rewarded! I really enjoyed most of the offerings but, as expected, not everything fits for everyone. I most especially liked Devilish, Cow Tipping, From Beyond and One Hot Coin. I was so impressed with One Hot Coin that I took measures to delve further into the source of Dale's inspiration.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Matt Cummings
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 05 March, 2006)
There are plenty of reviews on this collection of effects. I cannot say I like everyone of the effects, but I must say I do love three which I think totally justify the 15 bucks on this ebook.
they are:
Psychotaps Devilish First Impression
First impressions also contains a JEWEL contributed by Banachek. Now, i don't agree with Mr. Dale's more bizzare twists on some of the effects, and I would consider them crossing the line, but he is a creative thinker. I kind of wish he would also have gone a bit more IN DEPTH on some of his explanations. Also, some pictures would be nice as well.
For the mentalist this is a nice selection of effects and GREAT price. He could easily sell this for $25 and I would still be very happy with what I recieved despite my few complaints.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ryan Pilling
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
Risk and Reward is a testament to the power of presentation. Dale has created a collection of 'happenings' that cut out all the usual fluff and frills of magic tricks. This could be powerful stuff in the hands of a serious performer. Slipping these routines casually into an evening of conversation, as they do thrive outside of a formal show setting, will reward you with the sort of ambient astonishment that creates shivers and legends!
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Banachek
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
Some very cool concepts and ideas. They jump started some of my own thinking.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Richard Busch
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
Risk and Reward is the most avant garde read I've had in years. New and inexperienced performers will find little more than suggestions of pipe dreams. But the very experienced and daring will enjoy a most thought provoking read that could lead to something quite novel. Interesting, even controversial methods await if you "risk" it.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Alberstat
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
A very interesting collection of mental effects that are based upon subtleties rather than clever props. Well written in an easy to understand manner that should get your creative juices flowing for the seasoned performer. A complete manuscript including references to further material is included and credits.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David Greene
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
I find this an excellent manuscript! You have cleverly left the door open for inspiration and creativity. Your ideas are as sound as the presentations. Thank you for letting me take a little peek into the realm of your imagination!
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by David J. O'Connor
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
If you are searching for something outside the envelope of normal effects, you may very well find that something within these pages. The material here is clever subtle, and for the astute performer could stimulate further exploration of often neglected principles and notions.
Risk and Reward
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kenton Knepper
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 25 January, 2006)
Risk and Reward is a collection of underused principles and unusual presentations. It is not for the novice. The title says a great deal about this manuscript. If you are a thinker, and are willing to ponder and apply unusual and rarely considered concepts, then this could be just the thing to set your mind in gear. Dale Hildebrandt nearly downplays these major notions, waiting for the sharpened brain to catch the real power in his seeming simplicity.