What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Instead of mentally projecting your mentalism thoughts, type them here.
Dynamike
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What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Dynamike » December 2nd, 2009, 8:11 am

My favorite mentalism effect is Mental Epic, what's yours?

Mark.Lewis
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Mark.Lewis » December 2nd, 2009, 8:38 am

I think Mental Epic is great. You will find, however, that 90% of mentalists will disagree with you. They like to delude themselves that they can actually read minds and hate the trick. No wonder 90% of them bore audiences to death.

Dick Christian
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Dick Christian » December 2nd, 2009, 9:08 am

Agreed that the concept of Mental Epic is great; however IMO the "propless" versions (i.e., those that do NOT rely on the 6 panel gimmicked board) are far superior than those that do. I also agree that 90% of those claiming to perform mentalism and calling themselves mentalists are boring -- but that has little or nothing to do with their opinion of Mental Epic. The same can be said by 90% of those claiming to be magicians -- and that also has little or nothing to do with their selection of effects.
Dick Christian

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 2nd, 2009, 9:13 am

Dynamike wrote:My favorite mentalism effect is Mental Epic, what's yours?


The one where they later tell people something like "I have no idea how but he must have already known..."

Mark.Lewis
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Mark.Lewis » December 2nd, 2009, 9:23 am

I have seen people kill with the Mental Epic. The trouble with the propless versions is that they have no visual element and unless the performer is a dramatic showman they just don't hold the attention. And dramatic showmen are as rare as good magicians on the magic cafe.

There are indeed plenty of awful magicians but at least they have the visual element to make up for the awfulness. A boring mentalist (most of them) can be hell on earth to watch.

They take ten minutes to do one trick and I have even heard of one fellow who does about 4 tricks in a two hour show. I can't believe that is true. It sounds like an exaggeration to me especially when it was told to me by Paul Pacific who likes to colour his stories to make them interesting. If it is indeed true then the fellow should be taken out and shot.

The trouble with this approach is that by the time you get to the end of the trick people have forgotten what the beginning was. I hate long winded mentalists of whom there are a great abundance. One good thing about Al Koran is that he would do 4 mental effects in about 8 minutes and I saw him do this on the Sullivan show.

Mentalists talk far too much and the first thing they should do is to edit their patter and cut down on the constant yapping. And they should speak clearly so that people who are slightly deaf can hear what the hell they are saying. I have seen one worthy who is terribly well known on two occasions do a full evening show of mentalism and I still don't know if he is any good or not. I couldn't hear a bloody word he said. I cannot possibly approve of mumbling mentalists. They are after all boring enough as it is when you CAN hear them.

I have always said that mentalism is the best type of magic if done well and the worst type if done badly. Alas however the latter is far more prevalent than the former.

Dick Christian
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Dick Christian » December 2nd, 2009, 10:36 am

Mark.Lewis wrote:I have always said that mentalism is the best type of magic if done well and the worst type if done badly. Alas however the latter is far more prevalent than the former.


We are in 100% agreement on that score.
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Jager
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Jager » December 2nd, 2009, 3:59 pm

I really like Bob Cassidys 4th dimensional telepathy routine. Theres plenty of opportunity for some cold reading and some laughs. The method is simple and direct. I do find however that some people are afraid to lick the envelope flaps themselves. Still working on my swine flu jokes.
Kelly Smith
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Barefoot Boy
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Barefoot Boy » December 2nd, 2009, 4:17 pm

Nothing beats a classic Q&A routine in my opinion. It's fun to perform, it's difficult to follow and for a lay audience it is EXTREMELY powerful and strong!

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Brian Marks
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Brian Marks » December 2nd, 2009, 4:51 pm

memory deck routine especially "Jas Jaltsch's" work on it.

Brian Marks
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Brian Marks » December 16th, 2009, 6:57 pm

Actually I shouldn't have to tell you my favorite effect. You should know what it is.

Richard Perrin
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Richard Perrin » December 18th, 2009, 1:16 am

Brian, that effect you didn't have to tell us is quiet good but it is a killer! Thanks for that effect!
I like Max Maven's lecture at S.E.A.M. Atlanta. I was killed by this!

PMS
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby PMS » December 26th, 2009, 7:32 pm

Osterlind take using a steno index pad is something to consider.
Besides not looking like a prop, you reveal the weakest prediction first.
My favorite effect at this point at time is Larry becker's casino royale.

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Barefoot Boy
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Barefoot Boy » December 26th, 2009, 10:47 pm

I feel like fishing for compliments... Mark, which Mentalists DO you like and why? ;)
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Blessings on thee, Barefoot Boy.

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Mark.Lewis
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Mark.Lewis » December 26th, 2009, 11:07 pm

Paul. May I recommend to you the saying, "He who loves himself has little competition" You are indeed fishing for compliments. You want me to say that you are the greatest mentalist since Dunninger. I am in a bad mood because of all this Christmas insincerity that is going on around me so I shall merely say for the moment that you get the job done. When I am in a better mood I will say you are the probably the best around except for the ones who are even better.

You always tell people that the late Sid Lorraine's wife said that you were the best mentalist since Dunninger. You forget that I was there and she said no such thing. What actually happened is that she said you were the best mentalist she had seen in twenty years. I told you that she was very old and probably got you mixed up with Dunninger. Even since then you have twisted the story to say that she said you were better than Dunninger.

As for which mentalists I like I am afraid that most of them are dead.

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Eugene2
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Eugene2 » April 17th, 2010, 11:26 am

Dice fortune telling and mind reading. I will perform for Dynamike if he wants.
Keep to the Code

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mrgoat
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby mrgoat » April 17th, 2010, 11:32 am

Hmm, bumping old Mark Lewis threads...

You make it so obvious man.

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Eugene2
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Eugene2 » April 17th, 2010, 10:40 pm

Again Mr. Goat thinks I'm someone else. Do you hate him too?
You call me Troll but what are you?
Name call anyone who thinks apart from you.
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David Devlin
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby David Devlin » June 8th, 2010, 9:02 am

It would be hard to pick a favorite, but one that I could not live without is B'wave.

Hellion
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Hellion » August 14th, 2010, 12:37 pm

PMS wrote:Osterlind take using a steno index pad is something to consider.
Besides not looking like a prop, you reveal the weakest prediction first.


Agreed. Clean and easy, and very convincing. Osterlind still has some of the best methods:)

Hellion

S. J. Lea
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby S. J. Lea » August 17th, 2010, 8:41 am

Probably Al Koran's Medallion, for me.
Mentalism for inquiring minds.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » August 17th, 2010, 8:52 am

Dynamike wrote:My favorite mentalism effect is Mental Epic, what's yours?


I hear you on that, it's pretty open and direct in the way it builds to the revelations. Have you explored Shaxon's Confabulation?

You might also like Nemo 1500.

Amirá
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Re: What is your favorite mentalism effect?

Postby Amirá » October 19th, 2010, 4:38 pm

I dont have favorite mentalism effects.
All depends in the context where i perform.

My goal is to get favorite experiences because for me "effects" are just a vehicle.

In that way, my favorite experience to bring is entertainment and mystery with the amazing thing that is the mind.
www.pabloamira.com

My Blog ( eBooks, Free Offerings and Ideas) : http://amirastuffs.blogspot.com/


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