This is a fun trick and for $25 you get a unique set of routines, a lot of laughs and a decent bang for your buck. You get a very long and detailed DVD; one hour, forty seven minutes and seventeen seconds, to be exact. The DVD also contains a 37 page e-book and several different Cootie Catcher templates, for different routines.

This trick uses a paper Fortune Teller (it was called in my neck of the woods) which is also known as a Cootie Catcher - something I did not know. I have to think that anyone that grew up in the USA will recognize the Cootie Catcher from their elementary school days. It certainly brought back some nostalgic memories for me, which is part of the charm of the trick. Basically, the performer uses a Cootie Catcher to reveal a fortune or prediction in a funny and entertaining way.

The DVD has live performances of many different routines and detailed and easy to understand explanations. The routines can be done close-up or on stage. It is very easy to perform.

The DVD explains, step-by-step, how to turn the included color templates into a Cootie Catcher and also how to build a giant Cootie Catcher if you are interested in using this during a stage performance. The construction of the Cootie Catcher, using the templates, is a quick process consisting of folding paper on the right lines. You can either watch the construction or follow the e-book directions.

The included routines have humor and appeal for various different ages (from children to adults) and the e-book provides the word-for-word scripts for each routine. The original routine, “The Fortune Teller”, is an excellent routine and that and the “Lie Detector” routines are my two favorites. There is also a routine, with multiple outs that uses a himber wallet and a special envelope, and if you are particularly motivated and don’t mind a more complex art-and-crafts project, check out the bonus routine and build a gimmicked Cootie Catcher that has a very impressive routine.

The Cootie Catcher can be folded up and put in your pocket and can even be given out a souvenir to your spectator.

The promotional video and ad copy are accurate and what you see is what you get. Jason Michael credits comedian/magician, Stephen Bargatze, and others, with development of some of the routines and the product.

This is a great product, especially for the performer that wants to have fun and add some light-hearted humor to their act.

COOTIE CATCHER BY JASON MICHAELS

RATING

4 Stars

REVIEW

If I give something between 4 and 5 stars, that means that I believe this product could be put to good use in either a professional setting or for an amateur magician. My reviews are all based on my perceived value in using this product in an entertaining way.

This effect is not going to be the cornerstone of an entire show. However, I think it can play a very strong supporting cast role and serve a very specific purpose. The purpose would be to add levity, humor, and nostalgia to your presentation.

This is one possible great option to throw in after a somewhat “heavy” effect. As soon as you take out the “Cootie Catcher” aka “Fortune Teller” and talk about it, it will bring a nostalgic humorous moment to most any group of people. I think that a large number of people can relate to cootie catchers from their childhood, boys and girls alike. Jason talks about this as something used by little girls on the playground. However, I remember using this as a little boy on the playground. Of course, what we wrote in our “Fortune Tellers” was usually very different from what the girls wrote in their “Cootie Catchers”.

Good entertainment varies the mood of the audience. The Cootie Catcher is a great way to change the mood in a dramatic way.

On the DVD, Jason covers a wide variety of routines you can perform with the Cootie Catcher. He also includes several templates you can print from your computer. Printing the templates allows you to easily have a bunch of these so you could give them away as souvenirs if you desire.

USABILITY

This is something that is very well suited for amateurs and professionals. It could be great for close-up, parlor, or stage. It resets instantly, and doesn’t take up very much pocket space. This may not be something that appeals to every magician, but it is one of those effects that is what you make of it. Some magicians may think this is not serious enough for their style of magic. However, I strongly suggest you consider whether you are varying the mood of your audience for greatest entertainment impact. Most good movies have serious moments, humorous moments, dramatic moments, etc. This can add that light humorous mood to a show.

BONUS

Jason really does an excellent job presenting a wide variety of routines for this concept.

I hardly see where I could add too much to this. However, it did occur to me that there might be some value in combining this concept with another concept to make what might come across as just a “cute” moment with a little magic into something that starts humorous and nostalgic and ends with a bigger punch.

So, my idea for this product is to combine it with some sort of impression device. I particularly like and highly recommend the Spypad by Mark Elsdon.

After doing something pretty “heavy”, introduce your next effect as also something heavy. Talk about how often people are just liars. Ask the audience by a show of hands, who in the audience is a liar. Of course, no one will raise their hand. If by chance, someone does raise their hand, well, there is your volunteer. Assuming no one raises their hand, you say: “OK, so not a single person has ever lied? ... OK... No, no, please... I understand. There is a difference between a little white lie, like “Honey, I DON’T have any children with any other women” (or insert any humorous comment you like), and someone who is a pathological liar,… like my mother-in-law Doris. Let’s do a little experiment with one of our decent honest people in the audience. I’m going to wad up this hundred dollar bill and toss it over my shoulder as a souvenir for some lucky audience member. Whoever catches it will be our volunteer.”

Wad up a fake $100 bill and toss it over your shoulder. Get the person on stage or to the front of the group. Explain to them that in a minute, you are going to ask them a series of questions and you are going to ask them to consciously lie or tell the truth to try to throw you off track. Then, say: “But first, I am going to pull out my secret weapon, an ancient lie detector device. Many people don’t know the history of this lie detector device. It was actually invented by a little girl on a playground in Ohio.” Take out the Cootie Catcher and talk about it as Jason does in the DVD. Point out that the device has four sides, each side can have two answers, for a total of eight possible outcomes. Explain that you have written the numbers one through eight inside the Cootie Catcher flaps.

Then take out the Spypad or whatever Impression Device you prefer and ask them to think of a number between 1 and 8, don’t tell anyone, write it down on the pad, tear off the page, crumple the page, and hold it securely or place it in their pocket. We’ll get back to their number later and have cold hard evidence of the truth written on the piece of paper that only they know what was written.

Then, using the methods described in the DVD, you will come to the number they thought of. Use a code to guide you to what numbers you have under what tabs. The DVD has examples of different layouts for the tabs. You can then go through a series of jazz questions to arrive at the revelation tab. The outcome will be different for each performance, so hence the use of jazz questions as needed to come to the desired outcome.

Here are some examples of questions:

1. Is the number odd or even?
2. Is the number greater than four, yes or no?
3. Did you arrive here tonight on a donkey?
4. Is your number a seven?
5. Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the communist party?

To the above questions, they can either lie or tell the truth. Using the methods described on the DVD, you will arrive at the tab that reveals their thought of number. After revealing the thought of number, you can open all the tabs and reveal that there is a different number under each tab.

I hope you enjoy it.