Price$38.25
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up, Mentalism
Date AddedMay 23, 2014
Inscrutable Chapter 2
Barry, Joe
Alakazam UK
(Based on 2 reviews)
New Moves & Routines
10 cards for Levante
Thanks to Vernon
Simple Card at Number
Eighth Son
The Spread Cross Force
Think
Pseudo Hold'em
End play
Freedom stacking
Psychic spectator
Intuitive selection
Bonus Moves
Flip double lift
Thanks To Higham
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
One DVD, 11 effects, $38 bucks and one Inscrutable 2 Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.Like the first Inscrutable disk set, this will be more easily reviewed by combining effect and method. Before we get there, however, let's look at some big picture items. The stuff on this DVD, generally speaking, is more advanced than the first DVD set. Joseph Barry is like a real live Rainman or maybe John Nash. He sees patterns in a shuffled deck. He sees them quickly, and can do miracles with them. Also, this disk has a handful of very clever ways to force cards.
In the first DVD set, Peter Nardi was on camera with Joseph Barry. He did a good job of making sure the finer points were covered. In this DVD, Dave Loosely is on set rather than Peter Nardi. Dave's great, but he's not as good at making sure everything is covered as well as Peter Nardi did. That being the case, many of the explanations were way to fast and hard to keep up with. With that as the foundation, let's look at the specific effects and my notes about them. As before, I will cover effect for some tricks, method for others, and both for some as well.
Effect / Method
10 Cards for Levante- This is an extremely fair poker deal that requires a small set up. It feels a little like TTTCBE. You always win with a Royal Flush.Thanks to Vernon- This is an unbelievable four ace cutting. It's extremely fair and one of the most deceptive mixing of the aces possible. The explanation, however, was way too fast.
Simple Card at Number- This is a relatively easy card at a number, but it does require a faro check.
Eighth Son- This is a production of a four of a kind from a truly shuffled (and borrowed) deck. The "kicker" is that the spectator does everything. Check out the trailer. This is the trick shown in the trailer. Also, this is one of the easiest things on the DVD as well. You can, relatively quickly, add this to your repertoire.
The Spread Cross Force- This is a simple and clever force based on Cross Cut force.
Think- Produce a winning poker hand that contains a genuinely free thought of card. It requires no set up, but does require a bottom deal. Like many of the explanations on this DVD, this one is explained too fast. The second version eliminates the bottom deals, but requires a stack. He briefly glosses over other possible methods.
Pseudo Hold 'Em- This is a pretty intense effect that requires riffle stacking. The effect itself, however, didn't seem to be that clear or effective. Also, again, the teaching is too fast.
End Play- In this effect, you predict hand of Blackjack from a shuffled deck. It requires riffle stacking which is not easy.
Freedom Stacking- This is another one that is super easy, and unbelievably smart. It's a way to deal whatever hand you want from a truly shuffled deck, and it doesn't require any palming, false dealing, etc. It's brilliant, clever, clean, and best of all, the method is done right in front of them, but it makes everything seem even more fair and more above board. Brilliant.
Psychic Spectator- This one combines a thought of card prediction and thought of card at a number.
Intuitive Selection- Multiple cards are turned face down in a face up deck (by the spectator). Yet their thought of card is amongst those cards and is (unknowingly) "selected" by the spectator. This is another one of the simpler effects.
Product Quality
The production value was good. Well lit, well mic'd, etc. The teaching was pretty decent, but as I've mentioned multiple times, in too many places it was too fast. Also, as mentioned in the ad copy section, there is a bonus effect, Thanks to Higham, listed on the DVD menu, there is nothing there. So, somewhere is a missing bonus trick that we all wish we could see.Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy doesn't say much. However, take a look at the trailer. The effect shown in there where four 8's are found is super clever. Know that nothing is removed from the trailer to conceal the method. It really is as clean as it looks on the trailer. There is, however, a bonus effect, Thanks to Higham, in the ad copy that is not on the DVD. Other than that, the ad copy is solid.Final Thoughts
There is plenty of doable, workable material on this DVD. Other than the missing bonus effect and the fact that you'll have to re-rewind quite a few of the explanations, I have no issues with this product. If you liked anything I mentioned and/or the ad trailer and/or real world card effects, then you'll be very happy with this DVD.Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
This DVD was fun to watch because what you see is a magician with some really good chops doing various bits of card work.
Most of the material on here leans toward the gambling side and if they are not gambling-related, they lean toward the 'coincidence' plot.
That said, most of the material on here is not for beginners but rather someone that has more experience with cards and is practiced in some of the more advanced card sleights. If you are an intermediate to advanced card worker, you should have no problem learning the things on here - some parts of certain effects are actually relatively easy to do.
If you are a well-read (or a hefty card magic DVD-watcher) you may recognize some of the inspirations behind a few of these effects. Most of them started off as material published by others and what Joe did was take those ideas, put some original work into them and bring some of them up to date, or in some cases, made them stronger.
The crediting is good - there is a separate PDF file included on the DVD that has a short (2 page) listing of credits for everything, and during the explanations he also brings up some of the background/history of a few as well.
The production quality is typical of Alakazam - absolutely fantastic video, lighting and sound. Joe does a good job at explaining the routines but in my opinion, there were a few times where it seemed he was getting stuck on words or speaking a bit too rapidly. I found myself having to re-watch a few of the explanations - not for clarity but just to make sure I had not missed anything and as it turns out, a couple of times I did. Again, despite that everything was clearly explained.
For the record, the bonus on the disc is the Flip Double Lift and is just plain awesome - it seems hard at first but after five minutes of practice you should already see good results.
The ad copy is almost non-existent and as such is 100% accurate.
If you have seen Inscrutable 1 and enjoyed the material you will likely appreciate what is shared in this chapter (on this disc). If you have not seen the first two DVDs and are an intermediate to advanced card worker, you will probably like this stuff too.
Recommended!
Most of the material on here leans toward the gambling side and if they are not gambling-related, they lean toward the 'coincidence' plot.
That said, most of the material on here is not for beginners but rather someone that has more experience with cards and is practiced in some of the more advanced card sleights. If you are an intermediate to advanced card worker, you should have no problem learning the things on here - some parts of certain effects are actually relatively easy to do.
If you are a well-read (or a hefty card magic DVD-watcher) you may recognize some of the inspirations behind a few of these effects. Most of them started off as material published by others and what Joe did was take those ideas, put some original work into them and bring some of them up to date, or in some cases, made them stronger.
The crediting is good - there is a separate PDF file included on the DVD that has a short (2 page) listing of credits for everything, and during the explanations he also brings up some of the background/history of a few as well.
The production quality is typical of Alakazam - absolutely fantastic video, lighting and sound. Joe does a good job at explaining the routines but in my opinion, there were a few times where it seemed he was getting stuck on words or speaking a bit too rapidly. I found myself having to re-watch a few of the explanations - not for clarity but just to make sure I had not missed anything and as it turns out, a couple of times I did. Again, despite that everything was clearly explained.
For the record, the bonus on the disc is the Flip Double Lift and is just plain awesome - it seems hard at first but after five minutes of practice you should already see good results.
The ad copy is almost non-existent and as such is 100% accurate.
If you have seen Inscrutable 1 and enjoyed the material you will likely appreciate what is shared in this chapter (on this disc). If you have not seen the first two DVDs and are an intermediate to advanced card worker, you will probably like this stuff too.
Recommended!