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Pit Boss Special user 573 Posts |
Now that people are getting their hands on this, what's the consensus? It may just be me, and with due respect to everyone involved, but I didn't find a whole lot to excite me. Maybe I was jaded by the years of anticipation.
I also personally don't like the use of stooges. |
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JimMaloney Inner circle 1184 Posts |
I had a different experience...I found about five or so effects per Color that were interesting to me and that I felt were worth further study. Three effects I'm immediately adding to my informal repertoire.
So yeah, I love the book. -Jim
Books and Magazines for sale -- more than 200 items (Last updated January 17th, 2014. Link goes to public Google Doc.)
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scott b. Special user 732 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-02-27 09:57, Pit Boss wrote: How many effects in the book use stooges? Scott
Thanks! Scott B.
"I don't know the key to success . . . but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby |
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Mark Rough Inner circle Ivy, Virginia 2110 Posts |
I love it and am working on a couple of the pieces in it. If I perform one piece, only once, I"ve paid for the book. Very worth it. Maybe you're jaded, I think I was before I read it. I was sure that most of it wouldn't hold up after a quarter of a century. I was pleasantly surprised to find that 99% of it is still valid and pertinant now.
As for stooges. . .I'm a fan of Doc Shiels and don't mind using a stooge or two if it makes the overall effect mindblowing. And really, there are only a few effects in Prism that use a stooge anyway. Mark
What would Wavy do?
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Pit Boss Special user 573 Posts |
I agree that if you find one "gem", it is worth the price of the book. I didn't mean to say that the book isn't worth buying, it is. I just think that after years of hearing about it I was maybe expecting something else, not sure what.
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Winks Special user Arizona 753 Posts |
Me, too. I detest using stooges. I was much more impressed with The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy and Stunners Plus. Prism is ok, but didn't knock me down like the former two.
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Pit Boss Special user 573 Posts |
Agreed. I just don't think I will be continually consulting Prism like I will be the two you mentioned.
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fizbin New user 69 Posts |
I have a couple of the original Color books. They are excellent, as only Max can make them. Yes, he uses stooges for some things, but his thinking behind the effects are worth the price of the book. This compilation is definately going on my bookshelf.
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Eight Spades Elite user Ohio (northwest) 482 Posts |
How much is there on impromptu mentalism and/or equivoque?
"Tricks are only the crude residue from which the lifeblood of magic has been drained." -S.H. Sharpe
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Peo Olsson Inner circle Stockholm, Sweden 3260 Posts |
Read Steve Bryant's review on Prism at his web site The Little Egypt Gazette:
http://littleegyptmagic.com/magic.html Peo
Pictured to the left my hero and me during FISM 2006 in Stockholm.
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equivoque Special user 861 Posts |
This is a great book. I have performed a few library shows since purchasing the book. Here are some of the effects I tried out:
Desire, all you need is 5 business cards or blank playing card stock and a pen. I didn't think that much of it, the audience loved it! Many performers will overlook this because the method is so old. Their loss is my gain! Kirigami, I like this effect and it seems so fair. It is an impromptu miracle and so much better than any effect using alphabet cards. Face it, alphabet cards seem like props. Elemental, the four elements, some business cards, one simple slight and a match combine to make a miracle! Squarot, a great effect with Tarot cards that is an excellent opener for a card stab. Predixion, a great use of a modified double-deal force (an idea from Ray Goulet) and a prediction that uses no double envelopes or special wallets. If you are unaware of this Ray Goulet’s version of the double deal force you will love it. Buy this book, try these effects you will not regret it! |
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Greg Arce Inner circle 6732 Posts |
Equivoque, sssh! It's good that many have not seen the fantastic routines and ideas inside. Let's try to keep it that way.
Greg P.S. I'm glad you found the treasures for yourself
One of my favorite quotes: "A critic is a legless man who teaches running."
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Ingo Brehm New user Germany 61 Posts |
This book is a modern classic. A "must read" in my oppinion, as you can learn a lot about presenting and constructing routines. Even if the methods seem to be "old" (actually the book was written about 30 years ago): Here you can learn the correct handling by a master. If you don't know the roots you will never master the "modern" tecniques.
By the way: Reading the very well written descriptions was very enteraining for me in itself. |
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equivoque Special user 861 Posts |
This book is a classic. I also don't care if the methods are old. The effect Desire is an excellent example of an old method that will continue to entertian people over and over. Magicians often search for new methods in order to fool other magicians. Why would any performer care to do this? Search for routines designed to entertain the average person. How many magicians are out there booking you? This book is great!
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Linds New user Melbourne, Australia 76 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-03-04 08:33, Ingo Brehm wrote: I wholeheartedly agree. I wonder how many members who have expressed disappointment with this book because it is "dated" have recommended 'Practical Mental Effects' and 'The 13 Steps' when new members have sought guidance on source materisl? There is enough material in 'Prism' for several very strong acts. At one point, Ken Weber, in 'Maximum Entertainment' comments on the incessant search for breakthrough effects and recommends working up what you already have. Before I logged on, I was sorting scrabble tiles into piles to set up for a run through of one of the items from 'Prism'.
Cheers
Linds Disbelief in Magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business. |
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equivoque Special user 861 Posts |
The scrabble effect is great audiences love it.
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Turk Inner circle Portland, OR 3546 Posts |
I agree with Equivoque and others. This is just a great book. I own a complete set of the Color series and they have always been my most prized magic posession. The material is presented in nuts and bolts fashion and give very little presentation "patter" in the published effects. Of course this means that you'll either have to come up with your own entertaining presentations or you'll have a tendency to fall flat with most of this material.
If one remembers and believes in the old "KISS" method (Keep it simple, stupid), you will appreciate the sheer genius in these effects. Leaves you all the opportunity in the world for putting forth your own individualized presentations. I may be getting old but I don't remember a lot of the effects in the Color Series using stooges. If there are more than 5 such effects in the entire series, I'd be very surprised. In any event, if you don't like stooges, just pass these effects by. There is more than enough other good stuff in there to keep you busy. (Equivoque. I cannot argue with any of the effect choices you made in your posts. Now you've got me curious regarding the effect involving the Scrabble tile. I'll have to get my ol' series out and skim through them looking for this effect as I await the arrival of my copy of Prism. One of my all time favorites is "Nucleus". The methodology (of raising a scattered deck of playing cards up from the table as a group) is sooo simple and the look on the audience's faces is just priceless.) On second thought. Do yourself a favor and don't buy this antiquated worthless piece of trash. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along, please....just move along. Mike
Magic is a vanishing Art.
This must not be Kansas anymore, Toto. Eschew obfuscation. |
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equivoque Special user 861 Posts |
Turk, the effect is called Kirigami, I like this effect and it seems so fair. It actually uses a piece of paper, a pen, and some scissors. I used it as a lead into Jaks or Better. One person does the effect as in the book, the other five right down any word that uses four of the first 8 letters of the alphabet. This "sells" the fact that the effect is fair. It was a big hit at my show on Wednesday.
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Mark Rough Inner circle Ivy, Virginia 2110 Posts |
After rereading much that has been written here, let me set something straight. . .when I said I was worried that the books might not hold up I was NOT referring to methods at all (the only contemporary mentalism I read is from Max, Bob Cassidy, or Richard Osterlind. . . I live in Corrinda/Anneman land for the most part), I meant more in a Farrah Fawcett flip, leisure suit, BeeGees kind of way. Having lived through that time period once, there are certain cultural aspects that I did not wish to repeat.
I am happy to report that I did not experience that horrid, bone chilling deja vu that comes when discussing that horrid decade. I will only add the words of my stepdaughter, Casey, when she saw the book on my desk, "Max is da bomb!" (I came home and found her watching Video Mind several years ago.) I think "da bomb" is a good thing. If that's true then I agree with her. (On a side note, I think it's to time to face that fact that I am no longer cool or young.) Mark
What would Wavy do?
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Rick Elite user Va. 452 Posts |
That was a groovy story Mark..word,yo...lol
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