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Hi Moyz - I think what John meant was in the introductions area!

Magic/mentalism advice is a weird one because so much of it depends on your knowledge, your experience, your skill level, your audience, your performing style etc etc etc! That's why it's better - almost essential infact - for folk to have at least some idea of where you're coming from, so they can tailor their advice accordingly, or the right people for the job can identify a question they are particularly qualified to answer.

Without this knowledge, I will do my best to give some semblance of an answer: I assume you are referring to the use of the glorpy (or "Ghost Handkerchief")? The effect is explained in detail (along with performance tips) on the DVD, so if you own this I don't quite know what you are asking, and if you don't own it, you won't get much in the way of detailed response anyway! Perhaps you know it is taught and are deciding whether to buy the DVD...? Assuming so...

The effect is of a "difficulty level" common in the field of mentalism. That being, the actual handling and method is not really difficult at all - certainly when compared to most "magic tricks" - but it does require presence, authority, a trustworthy performing personality, effective use of direction etc - not things which will happen without practice and experience! So yes, in terms of the physical movements and routine, most people will not struggle with this. However, "pulling it off" powerfully and effectively is a different matter.

Wow! Very nice review, very extensive. The only thing that concerns me is the price. Is it really worth it?

My oldest step son used to sell baseball cards, a few of which sold for thousands of dollars. I explained to him as he bragged on this point, that to me, someone not interested in baseball, any one of those cards isn't worth the paper and ink wasted for printing it... the moral of the story being that "value" or "worth" is based on you as a person and what YOU choose to do with something. Personally I feel that Steve should have tripled the price on this collection but that's because it has techniques and information in it that I will use and quite frankly, I don't want all the wannabes out there knowing... it "hurts" a working pro when too much solid information is available at too affordable a price. I can assure anyone that seriously studies and applies even a third of what Steve has on those discs, that they will be better prepared than the average doofus that's only skimmed Corinda, runs when the word Billet is brought up, and hasn't the first clue as to what it means to be a "showman" first vs. a magician or mentalist.

For the guy/gal specializing in kiddie shows this material isn't "worth it" in that it does not apply to their course of study or practice.

For someone that has yet to invest a solid six to nine months learning what is found in Corinda, Annemann and a few other books that come to mind (including Bob Cassidy's FUNDAMENTALS and Principia series) this is not a good investment in that YOU ARE NOT READY FOR IT! Learn to crawl with this stuff before you try running, it's that simple.

As to Moyz's question about the PK Writing... no it is not difficult but there is a technique you need to learn that is found in Corinda along with a few other sources, before you can perform it. What ruins this routine is when you try to present it as a cool bit of magic vs. what it is supposed to be... spirit manifestation... great bits of thsi sort are exceptionally simple but gain their power through our ability to present them in ways that are believable... something few ever really strive to achieve in that they are more interested in showing off over creating mystery or intrigue... something you might want to think about as you move down this path.

BTW... if you haven't done so yet Moyz and you are interested in Mentalism, you may want to review the sticky posts about becoming a Mentalist.

Has anyone here bought PSI Series or anything else from www.magicinspirations.net , and is this a reputable retailer?

I'll buy it from there if it's all good. Just that I've never heard of this shop before.

I Have volume 2, and it worth its weight in gold and diamonds.
I see no one wrote a review about it so I guess I will go into writing one now.

Thanks for the review.
I am away on holiday but have all four volumes in my private 'library'. Yes, they are great. I enjoyed especially the story about the 'beta project' where two scientist (para-psycologists) thought that they where testing two supernaturally gifted subjects (Steve 'Banachek' Shaw was one of them) while in fact it was the magician and sceptic Randy who where testing the scientists!!! Very interesting stuff!

Besides that, the DVDs contains many nice effects that all are very good though none currently are part of my mentalist repoitoire. I think any serious metal worker can benefit from these DVDs.

A few years ago I half jokingly bend a spoon in a resturant (using only the most rudimentary technique). I was amased about the strong response, and how 'easy' it was to 'fool' the uncritical spectators. Using a wider range of techniques Banachek was able to fool scientist for two years as part of Randis experiment!!

Here is my review for Vol. 2

The Effects:

* Ring of Truth:
[A 100% impromptu "lie detector" routine, 2 spectators are brought on to stage and are given a ring. The mentalist asks them to decide, each one for himself if he wants to be a truth teller or a liar, he tells them to secretly choose which one will hold the ring, and also let the other one know if he is a truth teller or a liar. After asking them some questions (where they answer by the character the chose) the mentalist state which one is a lier and which is a truth teller and also who has the ring.

A nice routine, smart lay people may figure this out, so to some it will seem to be more of a puzzle then a mind reading thing. It's not strong enough to stand on it's own (though it can feel 5 empty minutes with ease), but its perfect as a small effect before a big "lie detector" routine (I do it before my knife under cups Russian roulette routine, that I do with a lie detection presentation), or as a small filler between mind reading effects.
I give this effect 8/10 (bonus for it being impromptu)

* Phone Psychs:
A kind of multiple predication routine. The mentalist predicts a number chosen by a spectator, then predicts a card chosen by a spectator. Then predicts a phone number in a phone book that matches the number and card chosen (number is the number of pages, the card the number of phone number).

I didn’t really like this one, something about using all those three elements, and the way the revelation is made. The number, the card and the phone number are only revealed at the end all together, which is for me blowing up 3 climaxes that are too close to each other, and too late to be effective. The effect could have been done (in parts of it) with a nail writer, and turn the routine into a more rhythmic effect, with the revelations spread, and the climax being the phonebook predictions, that is indeed a great way to finish this routine, and I'm surprised Banachek did even propose this idea.
This effects gets a 6/10
But if you have the brains to use a nail writer in the right way with it, and maybe even use window envelopes with it, it's a clean 8/10 and can go straight into your act

* Word of the Ring:
A book test, the spectator freely choose a page on a book. The mentalist says he is going to find the word with his ring, the ring is placed on the page and moved to a line the spectator chooses, and to a place within the line. The spectator looks into the ring and choose one word, the same word the mentalist has predicted before the effect.

A nice method that is also used by Gaeten Bloom (only he uses a slinky and a newspaper). The method itself is nice, but with all the book tests out there, this is not the kind you would want to use.
I give it a 7/10

* Number Reversal:
Another impromptu effect (if you memorize what you need to). A spectator is asked to think of a three digit number, write it down, then write the reversed number, and subtract one off the other. Then the mentalist after asking a few simple questions reveals the number the spectator got.

Defiantly not a jaw dropper, nothing near it, BUT it is a nice little effect to do to someone that asks you out of the blue to read their mind. Would I perform it in a show? Only if I was really desperate to fill some time, like I said this is not a jaw dropper, and even can seem to some like "math magic" (which is only partly right). This might be a thing you could do before an "add a number" routine, or something like that, but still, personally I would rather save it to one on one situation in which I have to do something impromptu and fast.
As a serious performance piece, I give it 7/10.
As an impromptu mentalism trick I give it 8.5/10.

* Stigmata:
The famous stigmata, retailed in almost the cost of this DVD. You let the spectator choose a playing card, and then reveal the card with it's number slowly forming on your wrist's skin in red.

The fact the DVD contains this effect just alone make it worth it's price. Great impromptu bizarre/mentalism effect that you will find yourself performing the day after you learn it and never stop. In the DVD only one routine is explained (with a card selection), but with some creative thinking you can take the method and perform many other miracles with it.
I give it 8.5/10

* Invisible Palm Top:
An invisible Palm top is passed through the audience, one spectator is asked to choose a number, another (the one with the invisible palm) is asked to input the number and say which word he gets. The mentalist points the audience attention to his wallet that was on the table the whole time, he takes a small piece of paper out of the wallet and give it to one of the spectators. And it has the number and the word that where chosen by the spectators.

A great routine that I find useful in 2 ways: First, it's a very nice guide to the method this is done with (I won't say the name of the method because it might be considered as exposing the secret) which was great for me because I never tried it before. And secondly because of the brilliant presentation idea with the invisible palm (that also has ton of place for humor in it, which is really my thing), I personally use the presentation idea, only I use carbon paper envelope method instead of the one Banachek uses ( that gives a very clean giveaway, and is much more dramatic when the spectator reads it).
I give it a 9/10 for the presentation idea and the very nice guide for the method. This baby went straight into performance.

* Picture Duplication (Stage):
The audience is asked to write some thoughts on cards before the show, the cards are collected, and a spectator chooses randomly one of them. The mentalist asks the spectator to find something they can draw written on the card. Then the mentalist stand back to back with the spectator and asks the spectator to draw what they are thinking of in their mind hile the mentalist draw something in his pad, when they both finish the spectator is asked to say what he was thinking off, and it matches what the spectator was thinking off.

Again, this effect worth the cost of the whole DVD. This routine in the right hands can be an absolute jaw dropper, not because of the actual effect, but because of the small subtleties and newness that Bancheck put into the routine (and also teaches, with the psychology behind it all), one of which can be so powerful when it works that it will be the one thing your audience is going to remember on the way home, you just have to try it to understand just how powerful it is. The effect does require a hint of crowd management (depends on your crowd), but usually you wont even need to be worried about it. I performed it, with the same presentation, only a different method (I didn't use a pad at all) and this was the one thing people was mind boggled about the most.

Also what makes this effect worth the money so much is that Banchek teaches how to make your own gimmicked pad for this effect for pennies, and also teaches how to use it later in a Q&A routine (something I personally haven't tried, but I guess it could work nicely).
I give it 9.5/10 (not 10/10 only because the part about how to use the pad for a Q&A routine could have been a bit longer and in dept)


Also you get an interview bonus with Banachek talking about his blind drive stunt, buried alive, the bullet catch he sold to Penn & Teller and also his perspective on magic, mental magic and mentalism.

On the whole, the DVD is very good, Benecheck knows very well how to teach, and also how to pin point the small subtleties that really makes the effect an amazing piece of mentalism (the last routine on the DVD is the perfect example for it). Personally I think that some of the routines thought could have been replaced with some more powerful ones (like the Number Reversal for example), but still you get A LOT for the price you pay.
I give it 8.5/10

* Ring of Truth:
[A 100% impromptu "lie detector" routine, 2 spectators are brought on to stage and are given a ring. The mentalist asks them to decide, each one for himself if he wants to be a truth teller or a liar, he tells them to secretly choose which one will hold the ring, and also let the other one know if he is a truth teller or a liar. After asking them some questions (where they answer by the character the chose) the mentalist state which one is a lier and which is a truth teller and also who has the ring.

A nice routine, smart lay people may figure this out, so to some it will seem to be more of a puzzle then a mind reading thing. It's not strong enough to stand on it's own (though it can feel 5 empty minutes with ease), but its perfect as a small effect before a big "lie detector" routine (I do it before my knife under cups Russian roulette routine, that I do with a lie detection presentation), or as a small filler between mind reading effects.

I give this effect 8/10 (bonus for it being impromptu)

Ok... WHEN DONE WRONG, "smart lay people may figure this out"... that's the catch. RING OF TRUTH is a classic piece of business that drives audience's nuts because as they try to figure out the logic they stumble over their own concepts. Mentalist Patrick Redford as well as Rick Maue and several others have done some very in-depth essays on this routine. Like Equivoque, this is a classic bit that is so simple it tends to allude us at times.

* Word of the Ring:
A book test, the spectator freely choose a page on a book. The mentalist says he is going to find the word with his ring, the ring is placed on the page and moved to a line the spectator chooses, and to a place within the line. The spectator looks into the ring and choose one word, the same word the mentalist has predicted before the effect.

A nice method that is also used by Gaeten Bloom (only he uses a slinky and a newspaper). The method itself is nice, but with all the book tests out there, this is not the kind you would want to use.
I give it a 7/10

Actually the method in question is quite old and I could probably list off a good dozen variants that are out there. Steve offers it here so as to reveal how "innocent" things can be... there's another method out there that uses punch cards that's quite cool.

* Number Reversal:
Another impromptu effect (if you memorize what you need to). A spectator is asked to think of a three digit number, write it down, then write the reversed number, and subtract one off the other. Then the mentalist after asking a few simple questions reveals the number the spectator got.

Defiantly not a jaw dropper, nothing near it, BUT it is a nice little effect to do to someone that asks you out of the blue to read their mind. Would I perform it in a show? Only if I was really desperate to fill some time, like I said this is not a jaw dropper, and even can seem to some like "math magic" (which is only partly right). This might be a thing you could do before an "add a number" routine, or something like that, but still, personally I would rather save it to one on one situation in which I have to do something impromptu and fast.
As a serious performance piece, I give it 7/10.
As an impromptu mentalism trick I give it 8.5/10.

Again, a bit that's older than dirt. Steve is merely offering some very important points of view as to handling and application.

Please don't think I'm singling you out and picking on you iummydd, that's not the case in the least. What my intent is, is to help folks see how Steve takes concepts that have been around for a while and "transforms" them; his DVDs and most all of his books ALL teach (if you'll allow it) how to not do tricks but rather, how to create a magical experience for your audience.

If you want to find the "value" in this series it comes from this sometimes subtle aspect around Steve's teaching techniques and goals. He's a brilliant and very gracious man who is handing us all far more that a bunch of tricks IF you're willing to look at his offering and understand it from the point of view of a (for lack of a better term) con-artist... in other words, he's giving you what you need to make it "real"

There's another thing he and many others that have been around for a while, does that so few pick up on... he's showing us how to find obscure and peculiar bits and figure out how to make them into something miraculous. I'll give you a personal example to this... the Center Tear.

I HATE IT!

I think it is one of the worse techniques in the whole of mentalism, that it's been exposed waaaaay too much for it to be practical and quite frankly, it makes absolutely no sense. BUT, because of my feelings towards it, I've deliberately made myself come up with a set of routines in which I can use this technique in a manner that works for me; it makes sense all the way through and more importantly, my handling of it makes it "impossible" (I've had magicians tell me that I couldn't have used a CT when that's what I do.) In other words, I put some "me time" into it and developed something that is "me" bit which also enhances an otherwise stupid bit of business and allows miracles to occur.

The point is, follow Steve's example... find bits and make them better... bring older bits into the present.

Heaven help me, I am going to disagree with Craig Browning. (I must be insane).

I agree with original post about Ring of Truth.

Maybe the problem is geographical or cultural. The basic premise has slipped into UK popular culture, and therefore many lay people can see exactly that when one person always lies and one always tells the truth asking one what the other would say is the way to get to the bottom of the matter. This routine is only one small step from there.

So regardless of what Patrick Redford or Rick Maue say on the matter if the audience has experienced it before (or even done it themselves) then it just doesn't work as a piece of mentalism.

And I'm sure that the concept was used as a riddle in a movie like the labrynth.
Saying that, I've played around with this using coins as a part of a larger routine, and I have never had any problems.

Yes it was use in Laybrinth. There are 2 doorkeepers, one of which is a lier and one is a truth teller. A girl asks one if the other one would tell her that door A leads to the castle

I love banacheks routine on his 2nd DVD (I think its called phone psycs) where a number is 'randomly selected' a card chosen and finally a number taken from a phone book page (random number selected equates to page number) and the number of the card that equates to line number (e.g. 7 of clubs - 7 lines down the page) leading to a number. All 3 are predicted.

The problem lies in that for the routine to work, the page number must be on the first 50 or so pages and the first 60-70 pages of uk phone books are filled with large pictoral ads and not numbers.

Also, a phone book isn't great for a strolling routine so can anyone think of a replacement for a phone book that is a) small enough to carry around easily and b) easily recognisable - something the audience would be familiar with. A phone book would have been excellent because everyone probably has the same one in their homes. You can borrow it if at their house or at the very least, they are going to know what it is and realise it is not some sort of copy. If a magi were to take out his personal address book, suspicions could be aroused by the spec.

anyone help me out on this?

Cheers

seige wrote:
My only criticism thus far is, and this is just my opinion, is that Scott as a 'sidekick' and commentary becomes VERY VERY annoying after a while. It's almost like watching Blue Peter at times.

Agreed!...!!!!!

He is the second Magician EVER to seriously agitate me. The first being Simon Lovell in his 'Million Dollar Card Magic'. This guy is the real life Austin Powers of the 21st century with all the dirty fingernails, nose hair, dated dress sense, ott facial expressions and bad jokes thrown in.

However, his dvd is not bad at all and can actually be picked up for relatively cheap nowadays.

ultimatecreate, coming to this late as I just got the first two DVD's and checking out what others thought of them.

What about the slimer Yellow pages or Thomson Directories instead of a full blown phone book?

got a question for all banachek fans and wonder if banacheck can answer this one on the add a number effect when you talk about the explinations why do you cut the bottom off about an inch or somethin why not just make it without cutting the pad is there a reason i dont know about for this many thanks

As far as we know, Steve Shaw isn't registered as TM member so probably doesn't read the posts here. You might do better to Google for his contact details and ask him direct.