talkmagic.co.uk

Homicide

Available from Outlaw Effects http://www.outlaw-effects.com/?page_id=17

Price: $60.00 shipped world wide Global Priority

Category: Mentalism

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

They say:

Homicide is a book test. It is only 4 inches by 5 1/2 inches, easily carried in a shirt or jacket pocket. It’s a recreation of the old murder books carried by both Detectives in the U.S. and the Inspectors of Scotland Yard.

We have both versions.

We give several reasons how the book could have come into your possession. The instructions include presentation and performance ideas.

You have a spectator look through the book and choose a victim. The book is very examinable. Page after page of completely different victims. Over 400 victims! They settle on one. You tell them to focus. The spectator does not say ANYTHING.

You then begin to describe the scenario that led to the killing, and the killing itself.

With Homicide, you DO NOT need to know the page number and you DO NOT peek the book!

Because it deals with “murder victims” there are endless applications that this book can be used for.

It’s perfect for one on one, or have two people choose from the book. It is great for a parlour presentation.

I say:
Outlaw is a new company who have turned out one after another mentalism product that has made a distinct impression each time. “Homicide” is no exception.

The purchaser receives a spiral bound, hand crafted detective’s case / log book. Living in the UK I of course chose the UK version, which sports a very convincing green cover complete with the Metropolitan Police crest. Those of you in the US of A have your own! The cover also has other basic (police style) information printed on it including a CID reference, CDI number and the dates 1955 – 1960. Within the worn and suitably stained cover you will find page after yellowed page of printed case details…horrid deaths, coldly listed and catalogued in this sombre register of heinous crimes. How’s that for $60! Oh yes...all of the street names are real!

That’s where you begin. The comprehensive photocopied instructions provide you with a clear and concise breakdown of the workings of this original prop. There are no forces and the very subtle routine guidelines don’t have you flailing about, fishing and pumping (ooo-eh!) for information. The means for determining the spectators’ choice of victim and an impressive amount of other crime detail is based upon a method known to owners of a certain book test and Homicide makes good use of this method indeed. There are a couple of yes/no questions asked but either a hit or miss is fine because the presentation has been very cleverly designed to make use of either! Good huh?

The routine is very logical and easy to perform. For purchasers there is an ever-growing forum on which to share and compare routines and ideas…there are a LOT of ideas!

Homicide can be taken from the package and used with only a small amount of familiarisation. You can also take advantage of a more deeply rooted series of codings to achieve greater detail if you want to put a bit of effort in. The basic information is more than enough for me and I dare say awe-inspiring for the spectator.

This is a solid book test that has an intriguing back story, a real reason to have and present it. Homicide is unique in that, a performer can take out this book, tell a story and get underway with an effect that centres around the (supposed) purpose of the book. The more ambitious mentalism performer can “run with the ball” and use Homicide as part of a séance routine and even include other supporting materials like photos and physical evidence.

Overall:

I think Homicide is a very, very well made commercial bit of mentalism. The work put into each book is impressive… not the sort of thing one usually gets for $60…THAT’S for sure!

The effect is perfect for a one off performance or as part of an expanded set. It is ideal for close, intimate groups and small stages. The book is examinable and drops easily into a jacket pocket. The method is easy to learn and gets easier with time leaving the performer to concentrate on storytelling…and that story telling is the means by which this book test will really fly.

Well done Outlaw…keep’em coming! YEE HA!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Great review Tom. I canne wait til this little beauty drops through the letter box.

Please arrive tommorow... please arrive tommorrow....

I agree with Tom its a great effect that looks so good and works beautifully a real treat and a dream of a prop.

Dean

I can wholeheartedly concur with Tom on this one. Mine arrived very quickly for a transatlantic shipping. The quality of the book sells it for me. It comes complete with coffee stains and dogeared pages. You can also add strike throughs and notes to the book to add to the authenticity. The method is a snap to learn and can be embellished through story telling and straightforward cold reading techniques.

The Met has a nice webpage with its own history and links to memorabilia sites for acquiring props to accompany the book.

See http://www.met.police.uk/history/ for starters.

I have a truncheon (don't ask) and thought I would get some other stuff to have on the table. The book can then be among the other things and a nice yarn can be spun about the pyschic effects that these objects have had on the magician, producing images and nightmares about victims of London's crime scene.

I really look forward to performing this!

You can also add strike throughs and notes to the book to add to the authenticity

You know before mine arrive I was informed in a mistake that I would have to correct by crossing it out. I was at first a little dubious about this but decided to reserve judgement.

Well now I see that these crossing outs and additional writings will enhance the book tenfold. Seriously, the above quote should say that you MUST make notes and add to the book. These notes and scribbles won't just enhance the book they will actually allow a better effect to be achieved. Yes that's right. Better than even that described in the sales blurb.

I tell you the Homicide forum is literally brimming with great ideas. Ideas by some great thinkers. Ideas that take Homicide to a whole new level.

Normally I totally agree with Tom's reviews - and I accept his reluctance to give that elusive 10 - but this time. This time I would have given it the full 10/10. If you include some of the ideas in the forum then really there will be no beating this effect.

Homicide isn't just good. It's GREAT.

...must...buy...sooooooon....

The man-hours alone required to age these props shows the dedication of the Outlaw team. And praise like that coming from Tom, who is a master of these things, is indeed high acclaim.

Go geddit, fellas (and fella-ettes, if indeed there's any around here now!)

I was reserving the 10:10 for "Homicide 2"

Well...you never know...

Please arrive tommorow... please arrive tommorrow.... I can't wait much longer!!!

After my first practise run with my teenage son, he started to connect some similarities in some of the cases on the pages he was looking at. As suggested somewhere on the Outlaw site, I'm very tempted to get the spec to write down some key items from their chosen case notes on a piece of paper and then close the book before I start the reveal to reduce this risk.

Very nice looking piece of kit. My grandfather was a police sergeant. How's that for a lead in?

Working an effect is also about knowing how to manage the effect.
Family members are also not a real world gage of how something will play for the public. (they want to figure it out right from the start).

With the proper management no one needs to write anything down.
Although there are more than a few handlings involving my Outlaw wallet!

I STRONGLY suggest going on the Homicide forum if you own this effect.

The ideas and handlings are being discussed by some very smart guys that have a lot of experience performing, and a lot of knowledge.

The forum is taking the effect to levels beyond what I had imagined.

Rick

Now that I have been playing around with this, I think Homicide UK is a a superb product that takes into account the actual setting in which such a book would be discovered by the performer. I use mine alongside other police memorabilia from the late 1950s to add to its credibility as a notebook carried by a police officer. The method is a snap and can be modified to suit the performer's taste. The reaction thus far has been fantastic! I compliment Outlaw on producing such a fine effect. This will become a feature in my performances from now on! 11 outta 10!

Mine arrived this morning! Hoorah!!!

It looks superb and authentic, in fact I think Roth has come up with a new ageing effect since the picture was taken on the website, because mine looks much crustier (which is great)!

One thing I do like is that you are positively encouraged by Outlaw to customise it, make ammendments and scruff it up, so far today I've added butter and ketchup stains (Detective Inspector MacDougal loved bacon sarnies), crossed through solved murders, made notes on difficult cases in the margins and had loads of fun!

The method is brilliant! It allows loads of scope for performance and is designed to allow the performer's imagination to run wild, if you can string a story together you will love this...

"I can see a mass of blonde hair in the shadow's hand, no wait... Now I see a knife in his other hand, slowly the hair starts to turn red!"

As vivid as your imagination.

My one criticism so far is that several other people have brought this effect and it's not exclusively mine.

Thank you Outlaw for putting a smile on my face.

I just saw the book, it is really nice. I like to have it but how about the inside?
Is there so much information in English? Or just names, places? If there are, I need to translate it into Turkish, writing a new homcide book, so it will be bad.