Read What Others Are Saying: page 30
145 ★★★★★ reviews
97 ★★★★★ reviews
65 ★★★★★ reviews
96 ★★★★★ reviews
Emoticon: An Emotional Design Duplication
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 14 December, 2016)
First, let's get this out of the way: Emoticon uses an old, old method. TC says that it is from Annemann, and without pulling out my copies of Practical Mental Magic or The Jinx to check, I don't doubt that. The method also forms the basis of Richard Osterlind's ODD, Osterlind's Design Duplication System. And essentially this same method is used in Feel by Peter Nardi and Marc Spelmann on their Unpexpected DVD set. Not to mention, you could do a design dupe like this using Anton James's Mentalism Symbol Pack. So if you are familiar with any one of these, you'll know immediately how Emoticon works. Now here's what's different: TC has adapted the routine for two spectator duplications. He also shows you how to use a clever crib in plain sight. (There's no doubt that you can get away with this. If you don't like the idea, you can always use memorization or a more discrete crib like the one Mark Elsdon demonstrated in his first Penguin Live lecture, where you fiddle with the greyscale settings of the font in Microsoft Word.) But most significantly--and definitely pretty darned cool--is that TC uses emoticons for the design items, and the pdf gives them to you in two different sizes for ease of duplication in manufacturing your own cards. This is a great idea since just about everyone today who has a cell phone is familiar with them. And since they represent facial emotions, what better way to lead into a cold reading.
So while the method is nothing new, for your ten spot, you get reproducible cards; a crib idea; and a neat, new routine. I'd say that Emoticon is well worth the download even if you are already doing a similar routine.
The Dalton Boys Card Trick
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 14 December, 2016)
Had the deck read the instructions practised and practised again happy performed nice effect/routine get that deck out of the draw /cupboard and give your friends a show
Mostly Perfect / Perfectly Possible: Combo
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 14 December, 2016)
Excellent method and well thought out - recommended.
Worlds Within Words
reviewed by David Burmeister (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 10 December, 2016)
This is a brilliant, unusual approach to PA's from a brilliant, gifted mentalist. Once the principles are fully understood you can make a PA of about anything you can imagine. The sky's the limit. If you have this ebook and THE PRODIGAL you definitely have DYNAMITE EFFECTS in your hands. I'll give this a 25+ rating. Well done my friend.
Karma Deck Psyclical
reviewed by David Burmeister (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 10 December, 2016)
What can I say, This is an ebook worth having along with all the other Karma Deck material. This is a simple way to know the suit and value of any card in the deck. I give the UNKNOWN MENTALIST another 20+ rating with this!!! Well done my friend. One more round of applause to the UNKNOWN MENTALIST!
ZIP: zodiac prediction
reviewed by David BurmeisterRating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 10 December, 2016)
I really did like the Month ID way more than Zodiac Prediction. I guessed the method used before I purchased this. I'm NOT saying that this is a bad effect but I'm just not big on the method. Month ID makes up for the bundle but who can argue at the price this is. I'm sure this will work for a lot of people though.
Month ID
reviewed by David BurmeisterRating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 10 December, 2016)
I recommend this effect highly. With the bonus fake article you can simply read the article out loud and have the spectator participate and know their month of birth WITHOUT ANY MEMORY WORK!!! By the way, I printed the article on cardstock...it looks like a real old (2003) article.
At this point I will ask the spectator to concentrate on their month of birth and I will reveal it. Now I will ask the spectator for their Zodiac digit, then start a memorized cold reading (ALA Larry Becker's Stunners Plus Graphology effect) as follows:
People born during the month of (MONTH) with a Zodiac Number of (ZODIAC NUMBER) then cold reading statements. Again I highly recommend this. The article takes away some of the memory work and I can use my memory work on the cold reading statements.
For price and the effect itself I give this a 20+. Please note that I am collecting all sorts of Star Sign based revelations so I am just saying this is an unusual approach that will work for me when the conditions are right.
Pirate Torture Illusion
reviewed by Christian Mach (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 08 December, 2016)
Pros : Several presentation ideas, well expounded. The improved method used. Cons : I had to read several times the explanations to understand the instructions, because the figures are not drawn neatly, and there is an action not very clear. I hope there will be another version of this booklet with more precise figures, with different colors for the rope 1, the rope 2, the board, the spectator. It would be also good to put a picture of the action of the performer when he does his action with his right fingers between the loops and to explain with which part of the script this action is associated and justified. But, in spite of these comments, I recommend this booklet. New version to come?
Final Edition
reviewed by Devin Knight (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 06 December, 2016)
I am only giving this 3 stars because there is NOTHING new here. This is just a variation on a U F Grant idea that he put out in the 50s for fifty cents. It was called Fool-zum Newspaper Tear. The basic method and the pocket ditching is the same as in Final Edition. The only thing that Fox did was add the visible restoration idea, which is actually a Gene Anderson idea described in his Newspaper Magic. If you are familiar with Grant's Fool-zum Newspaper Tear, then you know the method. If not, this is worth buying because the secret is good even though Fox did not give either Grant or Anderson credit for using their ideas.
The Guide
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 05 December, 2016)
The Guide contains an extremely intriguing principle to determine which of a binary choice a spectator has made. (It doesn't use MOs or a force either, which is what I had originally suspected.) Apparently, this is something that Zitta came up with years ago that he originally named "Janus," after the two-faced Roman god. I like that this short ebook gives a lot potential uses of the principle under different scenarios using a variety of objects such as business cards, pens, cigarettes, coins, straws, etc. and even includes color photos illustrating the method. While some of the possible routines seem contrived and artificial, there is one with the spectator's picking up a lighter to imagine lighting his way in the dark and turning left or right that I am definitely going to try. It seems well motivated and organic.
There is a lot of food for thought here so if you like this almost-propless concept, you should give this a go.
Thought Control
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 03 December, 2016)
First off, I use and love a lot of Matt's stuff. While he may not be as well known as some of the big boys, I really like him because he consistently gives you stuff that's not only outside the box but down the road to the bar on the next block. He's very creative. And if you use or see his stuff like Invisible Ball, Imaginary Object, or Energy Coins, you'll know what I mean. He also loves DR. Here he combines that with one of the oldest mentalism concepts around to have one spectator transmit two thoughts to another spectator. It's completely propless, and it's basically an old routine but with nothing written down. When I first read it, I went, "Huh? That's weird. Will that actually work?" Then I read it again, and I thought that if you were careful with your script and used a time disconnect well, there's no doubt that you could pull this off. And people won't go, "Huh?" They will say "That was amazing." Mentalists will ask, "How did you do that? Does it use electronics, pre-show, or stooges?" Actually, it doesn't use anything except a good performance. If there's one small negative to Thought Control, Matt gives you a force to use that I didn't particularly like it. This might be that rare context for this type of routine where a simple card force would be perfect. (Where's my Psychomatic Deck?)
The Elimination Principle
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 03 December, 2016)
Ah, TC Tahoe, the working magician's magician. He has some of the best, most practical, and usable stuff around, and once again, he hits a homer for the low price of a ten spot. The Elimination Principle is TC's way of doing a completely ungimmicked version of Bank Night. Now contrary to some, I like Bank Night and can execute it nicely about a half-dozen different ways. TC's version uses a simplification of a ruse developed by Max Maven. When I saw how he used it, I thought, "Absolutely. It will work in a half-dozen different settings. Why didn't I think of it?" Anyway, the ungimmicked version of Bank Night is 100% examinable. One move--and it's easy and not dodgy at all--and you end absolutely clean. If that weren't enough, TC gives you a bunch of those different settings. They are all wonderful ideas.
Alakazam has been selling out of late on Steve Cook's brand new Volition, a commercial version of an ungimmicked Bank Night. Folks are going nuts over it, and I have to admit, it's either the slickest or stupidest thing that I've ever seen. Maybe both simultaneously. But now that I've seen TC's Elimination Principle, I'm not sure you need to buy the much more expensive Volition, which, while clever, uses a knacky procedure. Summary: TC keeps his batting average high. Highly recommended.
Chair'z
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 03 December, 2016)
This is a nice and easy three-person chair test, based on an idea by Max Maven. I really like it and am going to expand on the concept to add another climax similar to what folks like Marc Spelmann do--put another correct prediction under/on the back of each chair. Gerry's ideas are always straightforward and excellent, and this is no exception. And this effect lends itself both to stage and more intimate settings. You could do it with folks sitting on bar stools.
But there's more. Even if you choose not to use the chair test, there are a few wonderful ideas on MOs here, including one using paper folded into the shape of an H that I had never seen before. For a little more than the price of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo meal at McDonald's, you get a terrific routine and some great mentalism utility ideas. Get this. Highly recommended.
The Cardsharp and his Book
reviewed by Hans-Christian Dr. Solka (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 30 November, 2016)
Fascinating! Thrilling!
Chris Wasshuber solved a more then 100 years old mystery.
The search for Erdnase has been going on for decades.
But at now the magic community may be pretty sure Edward Gallaway will be generally accepted as S.W. Erdnase.
Chris Wasshuber can even explain the name S. W. Erdnase.
Erdnase actually comes from the German words Erd (earth or soil) and Nase (nose).
Chris Wasshuber explores Gallaway's opportunity, motive and means to prove his theory. Gallaway must be S.W. Erdnase!
The Cardsharp and his Book
reviewed by Chet Cox (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 30 November, 2016)
The description is wrong in one place, right at the end. Dr Chris' Hunt for Erdnase began a LOT earlier than 2015. Why 2015 became the year that a full "scientific detective" search was truly possible, is the start of this story.
The evidence is compelling. There are no conclusions based on "this cannot be coincidence." Perhaps it needed the sort of training of a scientist with no agenda. The way the data came together, and the pathways taken, including the fascinating dead ends, makes this the detective mystery of the year. Or, if you are a magician, of any year.
Powerful Poker Routines
reviewed by Roy EidemRating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 30 November, 2016)
Another "deal" from Paul Lelekis. People love gambling schemes. Paul gives you seven of them, plus instructional videos, plus comedy deck cuts to make people laugh. It's a great "deal!" Here is stuff I will use!
Understanding and Using Gilbreath Principle
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 29 November, 2016)
Gilbreath Principle is always worth reading if you can find a copy of mental card miracles by Nick Trost a Micky Hades Publication find within a routine called Dr Rhine outdone where Gilbreath principle is used. Norman Gilbreath's Principle was first mentioned in the July issue of the Linking Ring 1958. I was born on August the 6th the following year. (Nothing to do with the principle but I do love Maths and the odd birthday card would be truly amazing from any Magician reading this L.O.L )
As to this eBook I would highly recommend for contents and value for money and not to be missed. I would recommend researching all you can find for this principle as I feel it should not be missed by the Magical performer.
Worlds Within Words
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 29 November, 2016)
still one of the newest mentalists on the magic seen stimulating and creating new ideas, always worth reading and putting practice and performance time to each of his informative works.only one Question I ask does he ever sleep?
First Date Revelation
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 28 November, 2016)
Here's another clever routine from Devin Knight. He gives you two different methods. The first is Al Mann's Kolophon Principle, so if you have that ebook, you'll know exactly how it works. The second similar method is better, I think, and one that I'd never seen before. It's pretty ingenious when you get right down to it. The full revelation, which involves folding the six slips with the names on them, is, in my opinion, too much hands on activity for the mentalist. There are much better ways to accomplish the same thing with the spectator's doing the work of folding the billets and mixing them before you find the "first date" billet. In any event, this is well worth the $10.
Worlds Within Words
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 28 November, 2016)
The UM is back with another progressive anagram utility. This one can best be described as a simplification or limiting procedure. It can save a lot of steps when doing a complicated anagram, such as one with names of super heroes. As usual, he's come up with a smart piece to use in presentation. He should collect his writings on anagrams in a book.
Oops. Now What?
reviewed by Devin Knight (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 28 November, 2016)
Vital information that should be read by any magician who does public shows. S**t happens and this shows you how to deal with it.
Skullptor
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 27 November, 2016)
I need a quality wallet to hold/store this along with Zodiak Gods, and Pocket Minds by Unknown Mentalist 5 MIND BLOWING EFFECTS. ONE SINGLE CARD. One mans work may stimulate many a old mind but no need to start a cult with this effect just proper presentation after long dedicated practice time as deserved by all magical creations. Present at appropriate moment and wait for the response with these three cards a routine's to suit most occasions can be worked to entertain any vary responsive audience.
Beginnings
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 27 November, 2016)
I strongly encourage to read digest practice take on board the advice and put your own slant on its contents to suit your personal style of presentation well worth the money
U.F. Grant's Impossible Bill in Lemon
reviewed by Gary CordingleyRating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 22 November, 2016)
I am an amateur magician who is very pleased with this product. I performed it for a social group of 50-60 people and it played very well, allowing for much entertaining interaction with two volunteers. There are no true sleights -- just some simple handling that was well within my amateur skills. I look forward to performing it again!
Abbott Compendium 2016
reviewed by Devin KnightRating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 21 November, 2016)
The greatest MAGIC story ever told! Abbott's changed the history of magic and it is all explained in this book. If you haven't read this from cover to cover, then you don't know your magic history.