Close-Up Comedy Mentalism
Karr, Todd
The Miracle Factory
The classic Baby Routine, 52-Card Prediction, Price Code Gag, "No" Card, "Your Name" bit, and more!
For close-up magicians, this is a portable version of all the well-known comedy mind reading cards normally seen onstage.
Now you can perform them close-up, thanks to this great collection of nine cards!
Perfect for walk-around and impromptu performances.
Keep them in your wallet and you'll always be ready for an ice-breaker or a great laugh.
Included are:
The Baby Gag: The spectator names any celebrity and your prediction shows the chosen star...as a baby. And if they choose a celebrity of African-American or Asian descent, you're ready!
Price Code: A volunteer selects any common supermarket product and its price. Your prediction is correct, since it's a large-scale price code.
52 Cards: Any card named matches your prediction...a photo of a spread of the entire deck.
Around-the-World Trip: The volunteer names a city, and remarkably, you show it on the other side of the card...in a complete world map.
Birthday Prediction: Any date selected is in this 12-month calendar.
The "No" Card: "Do you have any idea what word is on this card?" you ask. "No?, That's correct!" you exclaim as you reveal the word "NO".
"Your Name": You ask, "Would you be surprised if your name was printed on the other side?" The card, of course, reads: "YOUR NAME".
Sanskrit: Predict the name of an executive or any well-known movie or book...and it's found on the other side in the ancient language of Sanskrit!
Reviews
(Top ▲)
For $20 bucks you get 9 business card sized cards that have all the standard comedy gags that you've probably seen before. The ad copy very openly tells you exactly what you get. None of them are real effects, just gags as pointed out in the ad copy.
I actually have been using the Bar Code gag for years in my stand up routine. These are all very pocket sized and perfect for carrying in your wallet. I will very likely be adding one or two of them to my wallet. to lighten the mood of the more serious effects I carry in my wallet.
The only thing negative about this product is that there were a couple of oddities in the instructions. The first oddity was this line: "The classic predictions included . . . [are] . . . not magical, but a good laugh . . . We've added the large card prediction as an ending, but feel free to present one or all of these . . . as stand-alone moments."
The line in question is the reference to a "large card prediction ending." I have no idea what they're referring to, and there is not further reference to it in the instructions.
The second oddity was a reference to "fig. 3." Yet, there are no figures whatsoever in the instructions. There is no figure 1 or 2 or 3 or anything . . . random weirdness for sure.
Final Thoughts
For $20 you're getting some nice props that you'll likely use (if this is your kind of thing). I have to dock a little bit of point-age for the weird instructions. It just seems like something's missing. It's as if I wasn't given the whole product. Also, it was a bit of a bummer that none of the gags were credited at all.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
It comes with instructions for each gag, just in case you are unfamiliar with them. There just really isn't much to say on this and I hate to write a review this short so I will give you my feeling on one of the gags for close up.
Imagine that you have come up to a table and placed a envelope on the table. Sir, do we know each other at all. "No"? Interesting because inside this envelope, I have printed on this small card . . . your name, I'm sure of it. You pull the business card out just a little to reveal the black back.
Then you ask, "Is there a vowel in your name? Yes...I thought so. See already my psychic powers are tingling. What is your name sir? Robert. Amazing
You pull out the card with the back still facing Robert. "Would you be impressed if this has "Your Name" written on the back. Yes...great...take a look."
Printed on the other side of the card is, "Your Name".
It is a painful but funny gag and if you have a penchant for comedy you could have some fun with these cards.