talkmagic.co.uk

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I don't have this item, but not everybody likes it. Interested to know what you guys think of the comments made about it in the following website:-

http://www.25offmagic.com/

Certainly there are no punches pulled.

Just received mine this morning (along with a little present from Mr Brook!).

It's brilliant.
That's all there is to it!

And tempted as I was to get straight to the "How To Do It" bit I'm glad that I read the whole thing!

Top marks for goods and customer service from me

EckoZero wrote:Just received mine this morning (along with a little resent from Mr Brook!).

Oh dear why does he resent you??? Did you tell him yours was bigger or something??...

F x

EckoZero wrote:And tempted as I was to get straight to the "How To Do It" bit I'm glad that I read the whole thing!

Paul's TRC is the perfect example of why instructions should always be read in full in order to get the most out of a prop. Otherwise, you don't know what you're missing and could easily fail to give it the presentation it deserves.

I think that intrinsically poor effects are quite rare. Poor performers, on the other hand....

Very old thread, but judging by how popular this effect is no one will mind (no pun intended).

What I don't understand about this kind effects is, don't people think it's weird that you've got a card with images printed on it? I mean, as opposed to you bringing out a piece of paper with a hand-written list of words on it?

This is not in any way intended as a criticism of the effect. I must be wrong about this else the effect wouldn't be so popular.

I've just always tended to assume that mentalism will seem really fake if you've got any specially built/printed object with you. Apparently the spectators don't think like this?

I often try out tricks inc this one, which gets great reactions, though as the above post's query, one friend, who in fairness has been a "guinea pig" if you will of mine and another two magicians, specifically said Paul Brook's You Know Who Card, and that "type" of effect is something he loathes, as he states it is clearly a purchased or marketed effect, in that the fact you just happen to have such an item, after I showed it to him (he does analyse a lot) is not so plausible. And he has a point. Of course, he's pretty magic weary, but I'd imagine he represents a fair proportion of some spectators. Such may, however, not air their private thoughts.

In other cases, other props, which are blatantly props that make no bones about themselves, do still amaze and seem quirky and fun (Silent Treatment by Jon Allen and Bigger Finish by Jay Sankey anyone?), but it's the marketed effects like YKWC (to a lesser extent TRC) and those "pocket mentalism" effects, where you're selling the effect as your own passion in psychology, etc. that may prompt silent "hmmmmm......", although it is clear that despite all this there is that sense of "ok, doubtful, but i'll go with this notion, it sounds fun". In any case, when the magic is performed that should override all other prior doubts and skepticism.

Yeah... I think it's far more important with mentalism than with magic, especially if the magic is very comic, 'just a bit of fun'.

In this case, could you draw your own pictures? If you're not good at drawing, maybe expand them several times on a photocopier then trace over them? Or is there something very special about the card or the pictures that you'd lose? I love the idea of the effect but would rather it looked like I'd drawn the pictures.

The Devil's Tailor wrote:Yeah... I think it's far more important with mentalism than with magic, especially if the magic is very comic, 'just a bit of fun'.

In this case, could you draw your own pictures? If you're not good at drawing, maybe expand them several times on a photocopier then trace over them? Or is there something very special about the card or the pictures that you'd lose? I love the idea of the effect but would rather it looked like I'd drawn the pictures.

Pictures? No. But you could always write your own words!

I think I misunderstood. I thought there were pictures AND words. Just words no pictures? In which case you certainly could just write the words on a piece of paper?

Absolutely: not necessarily comic, just quirky, which I'm a big fan of. You probably could print it out and the background isn't essential. It's just there so you can spin a line about the background influencing certain objects, hence the rationale for the numbers. I like how with Paul Brook everything does flow, and it is all extremely logical. It's quite hard hitting and direct I guess.

There's the You Know Who Card which has pictures which you may be thinking of?

Yes, I may have confused two effects.

So you could buy this and copy the words out in your own handwriting? If so, I shall purr-chase it.

The Devil's Tailor wrote:Yes, I may have confused two effects.

So you could buy this and copy the words out in your own handwriting? If so, I shall purr-chase it.

Not really....that would be hard to do in the way that he has constructed it without getting burned during your performance.