Richard Osterlind - Mind Mysteries - Volume 3 - Assorted Mysteries
This is the third part in a hopeful series of reviews of the entire set. I'll put links to the other volumes up once they have been tried out and the reviews have been written. I hope to eventually review the second set as well, 'Mind Mysteries Too' but please be patient, as these reviews take a lot of time as you can imagine! While I respect the work Richard, Jim and L&L have put into these, and they have all been more than helpful to me, I have no monetary interest here, and these are my genuine opinions, which I hope are as unbiased as possible.
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Vol 1 - The Act - http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic37544.php
Vol 2 - The BCS (Breakthrough Card System) - http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic37627.php
Vol 3 - Assorted Mysteries - http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic37564.php
Vol 4 - More Assorted Mysteries
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Price: Approx £25-£30
Available from: Alakazam Magic, L&L Publishing, WorldMagicShop, & Others
In the third volume of this groundbreaking video series, Richard Osterlind shares some of his most treasured Mind Mysteries. There are impromptu miracles to perform for friends at the dinner table along with more elaborate pieces suitable for large stage audiences. Watch him as he baffles a live audience and then go behind the scenes as Osterlind, along with host Jim Sisti, shows you how it's all done.
Sweeter and Lower - Osterlind updates his classic "Sweet and Low" effect. A signed packet of sweetener is torn and restored under extremely fair conditions.
My Thoughts: A very simple and easy to do effect, which you can do absolutely anywhere, signing the packet was a nice touch, and the method got me the first time I saw it. Very clever, and the thinking is quite nice. There are some very clever tips involved that help to make the routine seem even more impossible. The apparatus used to get this routine working is readily available, and most people will have it already. As Osterlind states during the explanation section, you can do this routine anywhere, as there is always a group of sugar packets within a minute or so of you, and so you can immediately get into this routine. Minimal setup is required, and the fact that the packet is signed completely disguises the method perfectly.
(7/10)
Change of Mind - This novel routine allows you to predict the coins that spectators will remove from their pockets. Complete instructions are given for making the ingenious gimmick and Osterlind supplies handlings for both close-up and stage.
My Thoughts: I am going to be harsh on this routine, not because it's bad, but because I personally have a very big dislike for these types of routines, they work, and they even work when I do them myself, but I don't like the way these routines play out. Osterlind has addressed this question somewhere on one of his DVD's, but I still believe that the methodlogy here is good, if it is invisible, that makes it much stronger, and genuinely impossible. The gimmick is ingenious and easily made, and apparently plays well on stage from reviews of this routine, but is not something I have tried out. I'm sure it could be a great routine if done off the cuff, but it doesn't have as much kick as some other routines out there, even on this DVD.
(6/10)
Spoon Bending - Learn how Richard Osterlind bends spoons in the fairest and most visual way. A knockout technique that amazes audiences.
My Thoughts: This is killer, killer stuff, the techniques on this section are killer, easy to do, and the most visual bending techniques you will see for a while. The 'invisible force' bend is my personal favourite bend, and ironically, the easiest bend you can do. The talk about misdirection here is also gold, and will really help you when you are just getting started out. This gets very good reactions and is very powerful close up stuff. While the bends are not as good as the more advanced one's taught on 'No Camera Tricks' such as Liquid Metal, they are a great starting point for the beginner at Metal Bending.
(10/10)
Radio Sum Total - Osterlind's version of Larry Becker's basic effect where the audience forms the problem to a mathematical answer that's already on display. Suitable for a live audience and even more amazing to perform on the radio!
My Thoughts: This routine would play amazingly on the radio, for which it was designed, for real, on video unfortunately the effect is diminished significantly. Some people have claimed this routine makes the audience feel like they are in a maths class rather than an entertainment show, but I disagree, as it's nothing too complicated, and we all know how much people are amazed by mathematical related routines (Magic Square anyone). Definitely a radio effect, if you ever have a chance to perform on the radio, do this routine and the reactions will be huge, because it is so very clean.
(4-9/10)
Uncanny - An ordinary playing card slowly turns over by itself to reveal it's the thought-of card. No threads, magnets or other gimmicks are used!
My Thoughts: This would be great when mixed with some Metal-Bending, as a further demonstration of Psycho-kinesis. Completely ungaffed, and very easy to do, this get's great reactions and is something I use constantly. This is a great Mentalism themed card trick that requires minimal control. The performance shows a great piece of taking advantage as Osterlind quickly jumps on a mistake to create a seperate effect which is just as strong as the original, you'll laugh when you see the explanation!
(8/10)
The Nail Writer- Osterlind's personal handling, plus additional tips, for this ingenious tool.
My Thoughts: A few good tips on using this device, which are very useful. Not much to say here really, anybody who uses this device will find their own little quirks and handling nuances, but for someone who is just starting out this would be very useful information.
(9/10)
Lottery Effect - The performer predicts the winning lottery number that 3 spectators freely form.
My Thoughts: A nice presentation for the gimmick this uses, unfortunately in the UK, unless you explain 'Dream Number's (or whatever on earth it's called!) the numbers are from 1-49, which makes the routine much harder than the standard 1-9. This isn't really a problem, but I thought I should mention it in case anyone thought this was a similar routine to Anthony Owens Natural Lottery, I respect that the ad copy is a little misleading.
(8/10)
Cell Phone Effect - An audience member with a cell phone calls anyone they know and asks them to select a number. It matches the performer's prediction.
My Thoughts: This is a killer routine, whilst Osterlind say's he usually uses it if someone gets a call during the show, it is easily strong enough to stand on it's own two feet as an effect, and I have used it as such. Follow this with something like I.D or Brainwave, and you have a killer set of routines which you have just done over the phone. Mentalism phone routines are getting more and more powerful with the advent of technology, and the increase in usage of mobiles, and this routine just shows how the simplest gimmick can be adapted to change with modern times.
(9/10)
Bill in Cigarette - A spectator's signed bill is destroyed and found inside a borrowed cigarette. An incredibly easy and astounding way to perform this classic effect.
My Thoughts: This is easily the highlight of the DVD, this is beyond killer, simple to do, nearly everything can be borrowed and I am willing to bet you will have to apparaturs necesarry to do this straight away. This get's huge reactions, and as has become sort of 'signature' or Richard, these thing's are always signed - pun intended. Unfortunately, at least in the UK, burning things inside is a big issue at the moment, and the routine isn't nearly as dramatic or funny if you don't light the money on fire. Whenever I have done this routine, the look on the guy's face when he see's his money going up in flames is easily worth the price of the set. So simple to do, and diabolically devious, it makes you wonder what all the business with gimmicked loading knives and others are even necesarry!
(10/10)
OVERALL:
I'll be honest here, from the original 4 Volume set that Osterlind put out, this is probably by far the weakest. There were very few routines on here that I could use or felt had enough kick to them to make them repetoire worthy. There were a few nice pieces, the Bill transposition was killer, as was the work on the Spoon Bending techniques. A lot of the routines seemed a little weak for my liking, but that could just be me. Some of the thinking is very clever, but the types of methodologies used in a lot of these effects, are not my own personal preference.
My reccomendation? If you get this in a set of either 4 or 7, then I'm sure you would be happy with it. If however you are just going to buy 1 copy, to get started, then one of the other 3 volumes would serve you better, and 1 would be a better buy in all honesty, followed closely by 4.
A middle of the road
7/10 (Sorry Richard!)
Phillip Northfield 2010[url][/url][url][/url][url][/url]
