Magic Tricks

Dan Harlan is a treasure. Here, he continues on with more mentalism from Tarbell, and if you thought his last two mentalism lectures were great, this one is even better.

What I like about the material that Dan teaches is that it's accessible. Sure, there are a couple of moves that you have to learn, but they are fundamental for every mentalist. All of the routines are excellent, but I especially liked his take on the hoary chestnut Add-a-Number. For anyone with a passing familiarity with this effect, you know that everyone from Dunninger to Banachek has performed it because not only is it a classic, it is impressive. There are many ways to do it, and you can buy all manner of gimmicks like a Baker slate, a tricked-out calculator, or an Add-a-Number Pad to accomplish it. Dan picks a way that will cost a couple of bucks and one that anyone with a little arts-and-crafts skill can do. (Banachek, by the way, has a version on his Psi series DVDs that is even more low-budget. You need two index cards, a Sharpie, and some glue.) And then Dan extends the routine beyond the usual revelation of the sum to wonderful effect.

At the end of the lecture, Dan shows three effects that rely on a utility d***** e*******. He clearly shows how to manufacture them quickly and easily. Again, you could accomplish the same thing with stuff like a TT, a Shaxon envelope, or a tricked-out clipboard, but Dan takes the easiest approach. A few minutes of DIY, and you will kill using the gimmick that you construct.

As with the rest of the Tarbell lectures, for about $20, you get many times the value. If you are just starting out in mentalism, this is an excellent place to begin. You'll not only learn killer routines but also concepts that will last you a lifetime.

One last piece of trivia. I am usually jaded by a lot of magic lectures that feature the same people in the audience, lecture after lecture. L&L Publishing is the worst in this regard, generally fantastic lectures but with years of DVDs featuring "Frank" and a bunch of provocatively dressed showgirls and wannabe actress/models. If you watch as many Penguin lectures as I do, you will also see a few of the same folks time and again. But the young woman volunteer for the magazine test here is a standout, just amazingly attractive. Keep it up Penguin, and I can purge Frank from my mind.