September 15, 2008
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** THOUGHT CHANNEL - Jerome Finley
*** THOUGHT CHANNEL 2.0 - Jerome Finley
*** SPLIT UP - Docc Hilford
*** CRYPTEXT - Haim Goldenberg
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*********
I hate starting off by saying there's good news and bad
news. But we'll start with the good news. Docc Hilford's
MONSTER MENTALISM DVD set is now in stock. My distributor
received them last Tuesday, I got them late Thursday
evening, and I shipped most of them out on Friday. I'll
have my comments on the DVDs up either this weekend or next
week as it will take me a bit of time to view them.
However, I know that many of you can't wait to find out if
it's worth plunking down your money for, so let me just say
a few general things about the set now.
Like any set of this nature, you can know two things.
First, there are bound to be routines you'll absolutely love
and routines you'll find totally uninteresting. Second, the
DVDs are professionally shot. On top of that, if you've
seen Docc work, you know that he is a wonderful performer
and fun to watch, but Docc's style is heavy on charisma and
boldness and experience. In other words, novice mentalists
may not be pull off some of what Docc does in his
performance.
Finally, if you scan through the contents list you'll note
that, unlike Richard Osterlind who presented his best and
most well-known material on DVD, this material is not Docc's
most well-known material. This doesn't necessarily make it
bad. It just means that for those who wanted to see him do
certain talked about items in his catalog/repertoire,
they'll have to readjust their expectations or pass on this
DVD set.
Now on to the bad news. The other sale item, Jack Kent
Tillar's DUET, has had some serious production problems. To
make a long story short, the uncorrected edition, which is
also missing the actual introduction by Frances Willard (a
small "faux" placeholder introduction is in the proof), was
erroneously shipped to the distributor and, due to some
miscommunication, was not caught in time for Jack to prevent
many of these copies from being distributed. As you might
guess, Jack is not pleased at all, but the printer is
rushing to replace the copies and I hope to have them within
two weeks, if not sooner. Jack has also asked me not to
send those copies out to customers and I agree, so I won't.
For those who ordered Duet, and not the Hilford DVDs too,
Jack and I profusely apologize and ask you to wait a little
longer. For those in the U.S. who ordered both, if you'd
like me to ship the DVDs separately at no charge, I will
certainly do that. (If anything else was in the order, I'll
include it with the DVDs.) For those outside the U.S., if
Duet is included in your order, then I must wait until all
the items (that means Duet) are available and then I will
ship. If you'd like me to ship Duet separately to you, then
I must ask for separate postage. I'll certainly be getting
in contact with those few non-U.S. customers who did order
both, but just in case I overlook you, or if you want to
contact me sooner before later, I'm mentioning it here.
**** PRODUCT UPDATES
Other new items that will be discussed in upcoming
newsletters and/or added soon to my catalog are Docc
Hilford's MONSTER MENTALISM DVDs, Tony Eye's THE WRITE
STUFF, Chris Kenworthey's TELETHOUGHT WALLET, Paul Hallas'
MAGIC FROM THE OVERGROUND, Aldo Colombini's TRI-COLOR
DIVINATION, Val De Val's VALIDATE, Menny Lindenfeld's
PSYCHIC CREDIT CARD, three from Dave Powell (HAUNTED HAND,
INVISIBLE CARD PUNCH, MICROWRITER), Sean Field's EXPLICIT
FOOTAGE: TOME and EXPLICIT FOOTAGE: BENZ, John Sheets'
NAILED IT, Haim Goldenberg's INSIDE THOUGHTS and MY
PRECIOUS, and a bunch of cool stuff from Craig Browning.
Some of this stuff is already on the website with comments.
Some of this stuff I will not catalog.
**** JEROME FINLEY
I've been meaning to add Jerome's stuff for quite some time
and I'm embarrassed to have waited this long to do so.
Already Thought Dial is sold out, so there's no point in
reviewing it. However, better late than never, I've added
and commented on Thought Channel and Thought Channel 2.0.
Both are highly recommended as you'll see below.
**** SCANTASTIC
Larry Becker & Lee Earle's newest release SCANTASTIC is a
wonderful effect in which a thumbprint morphs into a chosen
playing card. Though this could be categorized as mental
magic because the card can be thought of, I just felt that
it was stretching it to call it that and have decided not to
catalog this. Were I a magic dealer instead of mentalism
dealer, I'd be recommending it in a heartbeat. It really is
a lot of fun to do.
Larry & Lee plan on releasing more products for the magic
market and so they have changed their logo and website
(wwww.BeckerandEarle.com) to reflect the new direction
they're taking. Therefore, though I respect and recommend
their line of products, I will not be cataloging all of it.
**** NEW DAVID BLAINE SPECIAL
Yep, he's baaaaack! ABC will air his new special on
September 24. Check for local times in the U.S. Outside of
the U.S., if it doesn't air on your local network, there may
be feeds and newswires on the Internet as well as the
special. You'll have to check, of course. I'm sure that
someone will post highlights on YouTube within hours, too.
So what's he doing? Here's the blurb:
"Blaine Hangs Upside Down, Magically Walking on the
Underside of a Wire -- With No Safety Net -- Five Stories in
the Air for Three Days and Nights, September 22-24" and
"Blaine Goes Back to His Roots, Sharing His Spectacular
Illusions on a Magical Cross-Country Odyssey"
***** JOURNAL OF THE MIND 2008 SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE NOW!
The new issue of Jheff's Journal of the Mind spotlights
BANACHEK, one of the most respected and controversial
mentalists of our time. To get this issue, you need to buy a
membership in the Marketplace of the Mind.
For $47 you get a subscription to the 2008 issues of Jheff's
Journal of the Mind, an all-new e-zine for mentalists.
Plus, you get an additional 5% discount off merchandise from
the Marketplace of the Mind, and many other very cool
features. If you want a taste of what you get, check out the
preview edition of the Bonus #0 issue featuring Jack Kent
Tillar. Go to the website and click on the banner at the
top. Or use the link below.
Check it out here: www.marketplaceofthemind.com/jmmc.html
***** THE FRIENDS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Don't forget to check out the new Friends of the Marketplace
section. This is for those creators who are producing
wonderful products that I don't carry. This is because, to
save overhead, I order as needed from my distributor, and
these creators aren't mass distributing it. If you'd like
me to review your product and help you sell it, then you'll
find details about the Friends of the Marketplace program on
the website. There's a button on the left hand side for you
to click on.
I've just added ILLUSIONS OF INFLUENCE by Samuel Catoe, a
wonderful exploration of the art of equivoque. Two other
recent additions are THE SAFWAN PAPERS by Bryn Reynolds and
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS by Jerome Finley, both solid
collections of memorable, mentalism material. Also, new to
the section are BILL MASON'S SENSATIONAL by E. Raymond
Carlyle, which is a wonderful Q&A act, and Dr. Bill's
MIRABILL, an elegant update on a Stewart James classic.
Outlaw-Effects have a beautiful new aged book called THE
WITCHES' ALMANAC and it is their best aged book yet. Enrique
Enriquez has a wonderful new e-book on the Tarot, LOOKING AT
THE MARSEILLES TAROT, which is suitable for both beginners
and experienced readers. Also new to the section are Ron
Martin's THE TAROT READER'S NOTEBOOK, a must-have for Tarot
readers; Joshua Quinn's DUPLICITY, which takes your favorite
drawing dupe routine to the next level; Loren Tindall's
beautiful new THE DELPHI PORTAL, which is a must-have prop
for anyone who is a reader; and Gene Nielsen's THE MAGICK
YEARS, a jam-packed e-book filled with over 70 professional
and varied routines.
Remember, I don't make a dime on this stuff. I do this
because I think the stuff is very good and worth it.
http://www.jheff.com/friendsofthemarketplace.html
Until next time. -- Jheff
*********
JEROME FINLEY
THOUGHT CHANNEL
Suggested Retail Price: $120
Available at:
http://www.sangomahealer.com/performersonly.html
THE BLURB:
A treatise on non-contact mind reading.
Two (or more) people hide an object amongst themselves,
proceeding with no questions asked, or answers verbalized,
at any time the performer is able to accurately locate the
object with unnerving accuracy.
After connecting with the participant who holds the object
the performer is also able to tell them which hand they hold
it in!
This is one of my signature effects, "The Thought Channel"
and is a propless, gaffless, impromptu demonstration of
direct mind reading.
With contributions from Paolo Cavalli, Paul Vigil, ideas
inspired by Armando Lucero and insights from Arnon (the
Bulldog) Sincoff, "Thought Channel" is something I hope
makes a lot of people very happy. It's certainly been good
to me.
I've performed this live for Max Maven, Michael Weber, Eric
Mead, Armando Lucero, Paul Vigil, Lincoln, Joey Burton,
Jason Scott, Randy Malcolm, Sean Bott, Brian Voiles and a
host of other great thinkers and performers I've been
honored to know and share my work with.
Here’s what others are saying –
"If mentalism is to survive, I strongly feel that we have to
abandon trickery and props altogether and develop "real"
abilities. Mentalism must evolve into an art where we use
our powers of perception, intuition, deduction and
observation to create our miracles. Jerome is one of a few
who've explored this rarified strata of the mentalist's art
and has shown what can be accomplished without Swamis,
Clipboards, peek wallets or secret marks. Follow along if
you dare." - John Riggs
"Mentalism effects relying on psychological ruses are some
of the most intriguing in our art. There are no gimmicks and
nothing to find. You really use your mind! The Thought
Channel, by Jerome Finley, is the latest addition to this
line of works and it is a winner! Read it carefully as there
are a lot of hidden gems within its pages. I highly endorse
this book." - Richard Osterlind
"A wonderful manuscript! This type of thinking is a great
resource for any mentalist who wants to take the
psychological approach to mind reading." – Banachek
“What can I say? This is perfect. A beautiful technique
outlined in several layers so it becomes practically
failsafe.” – Enrique Enriquez
MY COMMENTS:
The plot should be familiar. Two people hide one object
behind one of the participant's backs. The performer
determines which one has the object. Then, the performer
proceeds to determine which hand the participant is holding
it in. The difference between this effect and ones such as
"Eye to Eye," "The Relic," or "Child's Play," is that there
are no gimmicks or preparation whatsoever. It's all done
with psychology and it makes the performer look like a real
mentalist. Unlike those routines, this is not 100%, though
there are techniques that will cause the audience to later
think everything went smoothly. Needless to say, it will
take much experience to be able to do that effectively.
With so many mentalism gimmicks and principles being
exposed, and with mentalism having so few gimmicks and
principles that mentalism can afford to have exposed, it's
quite refreshing to see powerful routines that rely mostly
on psychology and presentational skill. In other words,
it's about as close to real mentalism as you're going to
get. You'll see by the testimonials of John Riggs, Richard
Osterlind, Banachek, and Enrique Enriquez that many who are
familiar with Jerome Finley's work agree that this work has
taken mentalism to a different level. Arguably, Jerome has
brought it closer to the level that it should be at, if not
decidedly at that level.
As stated above, the manuscript provides several techniques
or methods to accomplish this routine which is a pet
favorite of Jerome's. The techniques are not difficult, but
they do require practice to be able to recognize certain
details easily and in performance conditions. I'll also
note that this is professional material and will require
much confidence and experience on stage. If you purchase
this without having these requirements, the routine will
look quite silly and you'll feel like you'll have wasted
your money, which would be a truth. Please don't try
performing this if you're new to mentalism.
I do believe that this single routine that Jerome describes
in this 40 page manuscript is worth every penny of what he's
asking for and maybe even more. Of course, this is only for
those who want to move their mentalism in this direction and
not for those who are more comfortable staying with the less
risky, or the more magicky, type routines (and I'm knocking
those who take those approaches at all).
Please note that Jerome has put Thought Channel back on the
market for a limited time which will be determined by
Jerome. I highly recommend getting it now before that he
decides that time is up.
*********
JEROME FINLEY
THOUGHT CHANNEL 2.0
Suggested Retail Price: $60
Available at:
http://www.sangomahealer.com/performersonly.html
THE BLURB:
**For original purchasers of 'Thought Channel' ONLY**
This is the 'supplement' to my "Thought Channel" manuscript
which takes the ideas and methods taught in the original to
a whole new level. With contributions and ideas from John
Riggs, Bryn Reynolds, Christian Chelman, Richard Osterlind,
Ben Harris, Alex McAleer and many others.
The original 'TC' methods are not taught in this supplement,
so you must own (or purchase) the original manuscript to
understand these new applications and ideas.
MY COMMENTS:
If you don't own the original Thought Channel, don't even
consider purchasing this, or at least click on the link
below to find out about the original which you must have
before you get this additional material. Then come back
here as you may decide to get both the original and this
additional material at the same time.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/thought_channel
Now, what the blurb doesn't tell you is specifically what's
inside this 43-page manuscript. And inside is a diabolical
version of a classic of mentalism. As many mentalists know,
one of most powerful routines that any mentalist could do is
the pseudo-psychometry routine. Most of these routines have
some sort of crutch, so to speak, which the performer uses
to accomplish the feat of borrowing objects from
participants, doing readings, and correctly returning them
to each of the owners. Now, imagine that you can do this
impromptu and without any crutches or gimmicks whatsoever.
Wouldn't you agree that that would make an already powerful
routine even more effective? This concept is included in
this manual and, if this were the only material in this
manuscript, it would be more than worth it.
Along with this cornerstone routine are notes on how to
apply the Thought Channel techniques with metal bending and
Larry Becker's Sneak Thief along with Jerome's personal
Thought Channel routine which has a few touches not
mentioned in the original manuscript.
Like the original Thought Channel itself, this material is
for the experienced performer. Together with the original
Thought Channel, this is a must-have for the working
mentalist who wants to take their mentalism to a different
and more natural level. Honestly, I think Jerome should
have charged as much money for this as he did for the
original. But that makes it your gain and I highly
recommend you take advantage of Jerome's pricing.
As with the original manuscript, Jerome has put this on the
market for a limited time which will be determined by
Jerome. I'd get it now before that he decides that time is
up.
*********
DOCC HILFORD
SPLIT UP
JMOM Price: $23
Suggested Retail Price: $25
THE BLURB:
Why does love have to hurt so bad?
Here's a trick designed for walk around, table magic and
live on-the-street performances. It's direct mentalism, but
remains novel and funny. There are six different climaxes; a
good reason why this trick has already become a favorite of
close-up performers everywhere.
Effect:
The mentalist and a woman are at a table where he explains.
"My friend's a magician and he just split up with his long
time girlfriend. She insisted that everything they own be
split evenly. She even cut his cards. WITH A MEAT CLEVER!
But I told him they might get back together. Let me show you
why I think that."
He displays a deck of cards, cut in half, right through the
middle. The woman shuffles them while he writes tow notes.
The woman takes about 26 of the half cards and the mentalist
uses those remaining. "You're the girlfriend and I'll be my
friend" The cards are mixed again and both people choose ANY
unknown card from their half.
Although the woman's choice was free and from a well
shuffled deck, a series of SIX quick and startling climaxes
follow:
* The first note predicts the mentalist's random choice.
* The second note predicts the woman's choice.
* Both parties chose the same card!
* Both half cards match precisely.
* All 50 half cards in the deck are different.
* The only two halves that match are the chosen cards!
Count'em SIX climaxes in 60 seconds!
Split Up Has These Important Features:
* The split deck is funny and novel.
* The story line is hilarious!
* No sleight of hand necessary.
* The woman's card choice is absolutely FREE.
* Can be done HANDS OFF!
* The shuffles are genuine.
* Can be performed with two people.
* No extra props are needed.
* The cards, box and notes can be examined.
* Reset is automatic.
* Perfect for table hopping, walk around, or street
magic.
MY COMMENTS:
At first glance, this may seem like Docc's version of the
classic Split Deck. And you'd be right. However a careful
reading of the blurb will tip you that he's not using the
standard gimmicked deck that most of us are familiar with.
In fact, I think this is an exciting improvement. At least,
for close-up, table-hopping, and walk-around it is. The
deck is too small for stage work.
The big difference in this deck is that it can be handed out
to a participant to examine afterwards. Another difference
is that the deck is not cut diagonally from corner to corner
but slightly diagonally across the width of the deck. It's
cased in half a card box (the bottom half) with a rubber
band around it. This makes it very small, indeed, but does
make it look more naturally cut in half than the standard
gimmicked deck. There are a couple of very basic card
sleights in the routine and the half cards make it easier to
perform these sleights, which aren't difficult to begin
with. Docc does provide a non-sleight method, though, in
addition to a method that can be done hands-off, although
that method is not one hundred percent hands-off.
Since many complain about the hyperbole of Docc's ads, I can
tell you that this ad blurb is accurate. And you'll note
that the last two climaxes involving all the cards being
different except for the chosen cards is a great feature
that the standard Split Deck cannot do. The package
includes one 8.5" by 11" inch sheet of instructions folded
and in a poly bag along with the special deck of cards.
Obviously, if you don't like using cards, this isn't for
you. Otherwise, I'm sure that I don't need to say that the
classic Split Deck is one of those props that can play as
magic and mentalism depending on the presentation (like the
Invisible Deck) and Docc's new version improves upon the
original and arguably makes it even better.
*********
HAIM GOLDENBERG
CRYPTEXT
JMOM Price: $27
Suggested Retail Price: $29.95
THE BLURB:
Double Meaning never had a Better Meaning
INTRODUCTION
"...Haim is a great performer and thinker, with an idea
being born every day. You are fotunate today to experience
one of his simplest yet most brilliant creations: CRYPTEXT."
- JB, Pro-Magic Inc
Effect
The Magician senses a strange feeling of familiarity with an
audience member and asks for their name. The audience
member's name is written and placed onto the stage for
everyone to see. A calculator is taken out and passed around
the audience. The Magician asks the first member with the
calculator to input any four digit number that has meaning
to them and then the calculator is passed on. Numbers and
equations are inputed into the calculator per each passing
member. The final digit is totaled. The magician pulls out a
sealed envelope with a prediction written before the show.
The sealed envelope is passed onto a audience member to
verify the envelope is sealed and is asked to read the
prediction out loud. The audience member says a name. The
same name as the audience member previously written on the
board. The last member holding the calculator is introduced
onto the stage and is asked to read the number. The magician
asks the audience to turn the board with the audience
member's name upside down. It is revealed to be a perfect
match of the number just given.
Cryptext is a custom designed True-Type font with an
interesting property. Type anything you want and adjust the
font size to suit your needs. After installing Cyptext on
your computer, you will be able to print off special
characters quickly and easily. However, It is more effective
if you learn to write in this style yourself. This allows
you to prepare messages anywhere, even in front of the
audience. It also lends an impromptu feel which is not
present with type written predictions.
Comes with Glossy, 20-page Photo-Illustrated, Instruction
Booklet and CD.
MY COMMENTS:
This is a very useful utility item that mentalists can use
for effects which are, to use the worn phrase, limited by
one's imagination. Obviously, you need a computer to use
the fonts and the booklet contains instructions on how to
install them (if you don't already know). However, the
booklet contains all that you need so that you can do it by
hand, as suggested in the blurb. As mentioned in the blurb,
you get a 20 page instruction booklet and a CD. The disc
does work with both PCs and MACs and has instructions for
both. Definitely recommended as a tool for the mentalist's
arsenal.
*********
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