Reviews of products by Paul Hallas
Beyond Svengali: applying the svengali principle to mentalism
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 10 June, 2016)
One of the best things about studying mentalism is how creative people make use of old-hat ideas. When I was a teenager, worshipping at the Marlo/Vernon/Erdanse altar, my magician friends and I used to scoff at stuff like the Svengali Deck. Kids' stuff, we said. Look at that goof on TV selling the stupidest magic deck around. That crap fools no one. Everyone knows the secret. It's only for Grandpa to try to entertain the kids at Thanksgiving. No talent needed here. Waste of money. Real magicians have skills--see, look at my blisters and carpal tunnel syndrome because I have spent five hours a day for the past two years working on the classic pass--and don't use gimmicked decks. Then a few years ago, when I started studying mentalism exclusively--leaving behind childish things like trying to perfect an invisible second deal--I went, hey, what's up with these mentalists? Did I just see Luke Jermay fool the living crap out of a roomful of experts using a Franklin Taylor peek deck from the 1940's? How could that be? I also hear that the Psychomatic Deck is used by some of the top mentalists in the business. What's up with that?
What I'm saying is that what was once passe (or perhaps is still passe) can be used to devastating effect. Witness the much-maligned Svengali principle. Read this book, and you'll be a convert to the religion of the old gods. This material is superb, simply superb. It's not TV-hucksterism-garbage-trick-deck stuff. Nor is it old fashioned. It's great mentalism, old techniques in modern, sophisticated routines. I think that it is scary good because of the unexpected uses of the principle. No one expects a world-class mentalist or someone with the crazy skills of Peter Nardi to be using the principle behind millions of decks sold to laypeople. Yet they do--and they kill with it. This ebook was such an enlightening read that I have developed my own variations on these themes. Another well-published, smart mentalist friend of mine agrees with me too. We both love, love, love the Svengali principle and are always trying to figure out new routines. This is a top purchase for your mentalism library (or lybrary).
Across the Void
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Eric Fry (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 07 December, 2013)
Exceptional review of Cards Across, complete with historical information. Very stimulating discussion. It's a pity there aren't many other affordable booklets about card classics.
The Best of Alchemy Card Magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Jozsef Kovacs
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 13 December, 2012)
Easy to do very effective and very clever card magic for close-up and cabaret magicians. Few of the tricks are 'semi-automatic' so you can concentrate on the performance. Paul and all the contributors have made a very good job. Highly recommended for everybody from beginners to professionals.