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Conlaw New user 76 Posts |
I purchased Cassidy's "Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy" book a while ago and I enjoyed the contents. I am wondering if there is anything to be gained from his DVD that is not in his book? I did not have any problems learning from his book so I don't really need to purchase a DVD with material I am already familiar with on it. Anyone know if there are any different effects on his DVD then those in his book?
Thanks in advance. Conlaw |
Traveler Special user 549 Posts |
You're fine with the book. Just my opinion.
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Iain Moran Special user Manchester, England 693 Posts |
It's worth the price of the DVD just to see Bob perform these effects.
One of the best Mentalism DVD's out there. Iain. |
bobser Inner circle 4179 Posts |
Interesting. I do know that nearly everyone seems to love this guy performing.
I have to say however that he just doesn't do it for me. And I really wanted to like the DVD (Mental Miracles), I simply couldn't. Many will want to slap me for saying this but I actually 'didn't' like his handling at all (Maybe he was having a bad day?). Sorry, Bobser.
Bob Burns is the creator of The Swan.
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PaulPacific Special user Yes, I used my toes to type all of my 907 Posts |
Just curious Bobser, but what exactly did you not like about it?
Blessings on thee, little man,
barefoot boy with cheeks of tan... Outward sunshine; inward joy, Blessings on thee, barefoot boy! :-D |
czero Loyal user NYC 282 Posts |
I dislike Bob's coarseness, for lack of a better word. I thought some of his interactions with female volunteers on the DVD bordered on the lascivious, and he was gruff and downright abusive to certain male audience members in his attempts to be humorous. His whole style just rubs me the wrong way. But that's just me. I think anyone who is good enough to contribute to one's show by volunteering is entitled to be treated with a certain degree of respect--not leered at or denigrated.
--Mike |
bobser Inner circle 4179 Posts |
Hi PaulPacific, sorry for the delay in replying.
Rather than NOT like Cassidy's style I think it's just that I didn't LIKE it. Does this make sense? I just never got to the WOW part. I mean sometimes the miracle just isn't big enough without the type of presentation style that goes with it, and I just didn't 'feel' anything. I agree with a lot that 'czero' said although I don't have a problem with an abrasive performance if it 'suits' the look and style of the performer (AFTER ALL IT'S JUST A PERFORMANCE/ACT). With Cassidy it didn't. And this'll sound terrible, but I just didn't like the handling. In my mind I'd have to believe that the audience would suspect that something else was going on! Doesn't that sound awful? He just came across as being a bit fidgity and it didn't seem clean enough for me personally. And would you believe it, I'm very much aware that I am not in this gentleman's league. Although watching the video I have to say made me immensly confident!!! In all fairness I'm going to try an see some more of his performances and not judge the guy on one chapter of a very long and I'm sure distinguished book. Bobser.
Bob Burns is the creator of The Swan.
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David Numen Inner circle 2076 Posts |
The problem with a lot of these videos and dvd's is that we aren't seeing the performers in their true environment.
At one end of the spectrum you have the Luke Jermay DVD with 2 fairly unreactive audience members and then at the other end you have all the L&L DVD's with the way-over-the-top responses. Very, very few DVD's of mentalists actually show the performer doing a "real world" gig and I think we lose something because of that. In the Cassidy case he is with an audience of PEA members and their partners so a lot of the audience are people he is familiar with. I must admit the first time I watched it I was VERY disappointed - Bob was like a 70's game show host. I didn't mind the abrasiveness - we Brits like that in our entertainers - but he just seemed terribly old fashioned. I re-watched the DVD recently to check on timing for a couple of his routines and I was more impressed the second time around. |
bobser Inner circle 4179 Posts |
I guess those are fair comments bartlewizard
Bob Burns is the creator of The Swan.
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MentaThought Special user 615 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-09-19 17:58, bobser wrote: Awhile back I mentioned something to the effect that I thought Cassidy's humorous byplay with a member of the audience on his DVD may have crossed the line into "poor taste". (The incident, if memory serves, had involved him yelling, "Shut up!" at a member of the audience who'd excitedly shouted something to the effect, "That's my birthday, too!") However, I did re-watch the video and, upon this latest viewing, concluded that he really hadn't been anywhere near as rude/boorish as I'd thought. In fact, the incident was actually kind of funny, and I did laugh at another point in the video when which Cassidy reproached a member of the audience for "attacking" him by inadvertently approaching Cassidy on-stage. Having said all that, Cassidy's style (at least in this video) just didn't do it for me. The problem is that there was just simply little aura of excitement, mystery or "magical-ness" in the effects he performed. In fact, I almost dozed off during the memory routine he introduced by (oddly enogh) acknowledging that he used to perform a memory effect on cruise ships but that it was terribly boring for the audience. Which leads me to a pet peeve I have with certain contemporary mentalists: sometimes it just seems that they're presenting a succession of "magic tricks," and this overlay detracts from what should instead be a thought-provoking display which evokes a sense of wonder in the lay audience member. The one mentalist I can think of who embodies this kind of performer, who *does* evoke such a sense of wonder, is The Amazing Kreskin -- "nobody does it better"! I get the sense that Chan Canasta may also have been this type of performer, and Banachek may well also be among this elite group. (In defense of Cassidy, let me point out that the audience he perfromed before on his DVD was, I believe, comprised of mentalists and magicians, and if that was the case might account for his performance's lack of the elements noted above.)
"A good mentalist ... will teach you a miracle because he understands the subtleties ..." -- Banachek
"If this works it'll be BEAUTIFUL!" - The Amazing Kreskin on a stunning effect he performed on his 1970s television series (PS: it worked) |
ranpink Loyal user Los Angeles 252 Posts |
Style aside. I still can remember how fooled I was the first time I saw Name/Place and 4th dimensional telepathy performed on Mental Miracles DVD. These are routines that you can adapt to your own style. Bob Cassidy is a great thinker. His books/ebooks are fantastic.
Creator of CUT
T-REX Abnormal Behavior ZEN SYSTEM tāctilis White Room Think Pink - Central Intelligence http://www.worldwidemagic.com |
Ian Broadmore Special user 555 Posts |
I find his comment I said artistic not austic offensive as my step son is Autistic asnd I don't think its a laughing matter and a cheap shot at a disability. And personally I agree he looks shabby and a bit rough around the edges.
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enigmax Regular user Canada 115 Posts |
I think it is important to distinguish between the content of the effects and the delivery. Cassidy's material is tested and effective. One would hope that people who look at the videos aren't going to copy his style. That is his performing persona. Any good performer will spend the time required on developing their own.
Max
"To be on the wire is life, the rest is waiting"
Karl Wallenda |
MentaThought Special user 615 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-09-25 20:22, enigmax wrote: Of course, but it's also the right of those who spent the money to buy the DVD to criticize his performance. No one likes spending money on something and then finding out it's not up to the quality they expected. It may be the case of yet another mentalist who may be great when it comes to creating effects but very lacking in their actual delivery (and with Cassidy the term "delivery" in regard to his effects has a double meaning, as many ere will attest.)
"A good mentalist ... will teach you a miracle because he understands the subtleties ..." -- Banachek
"If this works it'll be BEAUTIFUL!" - The Amazing Kreskin on a stunning effect he performed on his 1970s television series (PS: it worked) |
David Numen Inner circle 2076 Posts |
Actually, when you think about it if we worried about how good a performer a Mentalist was before we decided to use material they had released we might be sorely lacking in material...very, very few Mentalists have actually entertained me.
I do agree with Mentathought concerning the Mentalist having a certain aura and I have discussed this notion with many people. I think this is where many fall down. I don't agree with Mentathought that Banacheck is one of those who DO have that aura - in fact there were certain parts of his performance in his DVD set that caused my jaw to drop and I don't mean in a good way. I am not talking about technique, I am talking about personality and staging, but that's my opinion. If you really want to find out what is really entertaining in Mentalism then show a few DVD's to your partner, spouse, family, friends. The only one my wife could bear to watch for any length of time was Osterlind - everyone else just left her cold. |
Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
If you really want to find out what is really entertaining in Mentalism then show a few DVD's to your partner, spouse, family, friends. The only one my wife could bear to watch for any length of time was Osterlind - everyone else just left her cold.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll feed this thread some vitamins. Very interesting about mentalism in general. You can look up threads on boredom and mentalism here on the Café. If a performer drags out a 10-15 min presentation and it doesn't have a strong climax, he loses the audience. Its almost better (IMO) cutting the effect short if you see the audience asleep.
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GusVanNostrum Veteran user With automatic writing I've produced 343 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-09-25 02:25, ranpink wrote: Agree. Seeing the 4th dimensional and a few other clips from TV was better than any studio DVD. More people should put out things that are from real performances. And this is not a boot against Richard, Max or other L&L-published guys, I just found that e.g. that 20 minute NWA KOMO TV clip with Cassidy was really pleasant to watch. |
Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
I brought this up to Richard and his reply makes sense. He performs for corporation big dollar and to get it recorded is virtually impossible.
But boy what a DVD that would be.
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Scotty Mac Regular user 113 Posts |
I had considered this DVD, but I've talked to a couple of people that own and put it on the top of their lists. I think I'll make the plunge especially for the 4th dimensional telepathy which seems to be a strong effect.
Scott |
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