Price$30.00
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up, Mentalism
Date AddedDec 18, 2010
Modern Mentalism Vol. 2
Mello, Matt
Paper Crane Magic
(Based on 1 review)
Volume 2
:: PS I Love You :: An impromptu and powerful demonstration of the connection and bond between people, using an ordinary deck of cards.
:: GI Joe :: A method for revealing multiple pieces of information, using an object that you can pick up nearly anywhere.
:: Billet Tear :: With this simple tearing sequence, you'll be able to reveal almost any piece of information that the spectator can think of.
:: Instinct :: This is a simple Russian roulette routine which has been used and tested by Matt for many years. The method is genius, and once you learn it, you'll be able to perform this miracle with a variety of presentations. Also included is a bonus idea not offered on the original Instinct video, something which gives the effect a nice extra punch at the end. Warning: Do not perform this effect if you are under the age of 18. Anyone who performs this takes full responsibility for their actions.
:: Preservation :: A multiple phased pk effect in which you're hands, wrists, and even the objects/environment can be completely examined beforehand.
:: Point and Predict :: After the spectator shuffles the pack of cards and spreads it across the table, they are asked to touch one, their choice completely free. The card box is then opened, showing a prediction that's been in play since the beginning. It predicts their chosen card.
:: Dark Arts :: A drawing duplication of the simplest design. The spectator makes a drawing, which is concealed in an envelope and held in their own hands. The performer then makes a drawing that perfectly matches the spectators.
Running Time Approximately: 74min
Reviews
(Top ▲)
I really wanted to like this. There are some good ideas, and I like the idea of a sort of beginner’s crash course on close up mentalism, but Matt is not the person to pull off a project like this. He’s not that strong of a performer, he’s not an extremely gifted creator, and he’s not that great of a teacher. There are segments that are plenty clear that he repeats several times, and there are really important things he skims over or simply doesn’t address.
While there are some decent ideas, there aren’t nearly enough to justify the asking price, and some of the methods and routines are so flawed it’s astonishing. Just a few examples are:
- A memorized deck routine where the spectator never shuffles the packet you apparently ‘memorize’.
- A ‘one out of four’ prediction effect where the prediction is removed from your pocket, AFTER the choice is made, and your pocket is not shown empty afterwards.
- A ‘new’center tear where the pieces go out of sight behind your fingers… several times.
- A Smash and Stab routine with home made props, and a method that strongly depends on the lighting conditions you are in. This is probably the single most unsafe method for this effect I’ve ever seen.
The presentation and scripting on all of these effects are nonexistent. I got the feeling that he wants to be Daniel Garcia, without the charm, doing bad mentalism on the street. The whole thing is shot with a ‘gritty Blaine’ style, which gets old after fifteen minutes. Oh, and there is a smudge on the camera lens during some segments. Why couldn’t the camera guy ask to stop tape for a moment to clean it off?
There are so many better ideas that are over seventy years old, and they can be found in the classic books for a quarter of the price of these DVDs. Read those books, and stay away from this.
One Star
While there are some decent ideas, there aren’t nearly enough to justify the asking price, and some of the methods and routines are so flawed it’s astonishing. Just a few examples are:
- A memorized deck routine where the spectator never shuffles the packet you apparently ‘memorize’.
- A ‘one out of four’ prediction effect where the prediction is removed from your pocket, AFTER the choice is made, and your pocket is not shown empty afterwards.
- A ‘new’center tear where the pieces go out of sight behind your fingers… several times.
- A Smash and Stab routine with home made props, and a method that strongly depends on the lighting conditions you are in. This is probably the single most unsafe method for this effect I’ve ever seen.
The presentation and scripting on all of these effects are nonexistent. I got the feeling that he wants to be Daniel Garcia, without the charm, doing bad mentalism on the street. The whole thing is shot with a ‘gritty Blaine’ style, which gets old after fifteen minutes. Oh, and there is a smudge on the camera lens during some segments. Why couldn’t the camera guy ask to stop tape for a moment to clean it off?
There are so many better ideas that are over seventy years old, and they can be found in the classic books for a quarter of the price of these DVDs. Read those books, and stay away from this.
One Star